July 28, 2012


Dear Friends, Brethren and Family

Travels
This month in between all the doctor appointments we have been able to visit brethren and friends in Neosho Mo, Kansas City Mo, Columbus Mississippi, Millport Alabama and the Davis family in Coker Alabama. Kathy was able to get a mammogram and she is in great condition.

Veterans doctor appointments
Since the last report I had both knee MRI's and was told everything looks okay so no surgery. I had an appointment with dermatology for a rash which I am treating (yeast infection). I still have a full body skin scan for possible skin cancer at the end of the month. After my nuclear thyroid scan last month I was told by the doctor in Fayetteville that even though there was some nodules they would just monitor it. However a couple of days later my primary care doctor called from Mt Vernon saying I have a goiter (in my thyroid) and they wanted to do further tests so they scheduled a consultation for me with the endrocrinology department at the Veterans Hospital in Little Rock for September 4th (Kathy's birthday). In regard to my kidney: I had a pelvic scan but have not heard anything yet. However the lasest blood test showed that I still have chronic kidney disease.

Return home
We have been scheduled to return to Vanuatu August 16th but in light of more VA tests and we have not raised the funds we need to get started on building the school we will probably delay our departure until mid to late September.

Vehicle needs
Morris Felix lost his left leg three years ago and can no longer drive because most all vehicles in Vanuatu are manual transmission. I am hoping to take an automatic transmission vehicle over to give him mobility again as well as use for ourselves with the school.

I also saw some Cushman golf gas carts and I realized that the best vehicle for Morris in the village is a gas golf cart. In Vanuatu we are in the process of preparing and planting gardens that will be used to feed the school staff and students as well as sell the surplus to support the operating costs of the the school. Such a cart would be invaluable to this work as well.

So we are looking for a donation of a medium quad cab type pickup truck with automatic transmission (Dodge Dakota SLT, Chevy Avalanche, Coronado, Toyota Tacoma etc) and a gas golf cart. If we are able to get a pickup we can load it up with stuff we will need to finish our house (laminate flooring, faucets, bathroom sink). Even if we have to buy a small truck and pay for the shipping (about $5000) it would be cheaper than buying one there (of which we have no knowledge of any automatic transmission pickup trucks).

Beggers for Jesus/ whatever it takes
Over forty years ago I was added to the Lord's body and felt that He was leading me to a life of service for Him in overseas areas where the gospel had not gone or the brethren were struggling to maintain faith due to inadequate instruction in the Bible. I was converted in Okinawa by an association with Joe Cannon. I wanted to go straight to Papua New Guinea to join Joe Cannon who left Okinawa and moved to PNG into pioneer missionary work. When our young family was discharged from the USAF in 1971 we followed the Lord's direction which led us through a preaching school. In 1975 we finally landed in PNG.

One of the challenges of doing missionary work is trying to share your vision with family (brethren) to the point they will have financial fellowship with you in the work you wish to do wherever you feel the Lord is directing you. This involves many, many hours of travel to many, many places to talk with many, many people. I have come to understand this as a primitive vetting service to weed out those who are really serious about this call and those who see a job opportunity with a salary.

Many people feeling the call to mission work have raised support and spent a few years in a mission work only to decide when it came to continuing to seek support it was a lot like begging and they sought greener pastures in secular work with a more secure income and security. There is nothing wrong with this, I am just stating reality. I figured that when I became a Christian I died to self and if I have to become a beggar to get the job of sharing Christ to the rest of the world then so be it, I will be the best beggar the Lord has. There are some missionaries who have been blessed with a single congregation supporting their work and some of us who have multiple congregations over a large geographical area. I will be the first to tell you that I love sharing our dream with people. The problem is getting opportunities to do this sharing in the short time we have when we leave the mission field to return back to the USA for our reporting, re-evaluation and recharging or as some people have asked us the missionary comic word "how is your "vacation".

Have we lost the original vision?
We are saddened to see how much of the brotherhood has lost the vision that Jesus gave to His disciples to go into all the world sharing the good news and then grounding them in that young faith. This vision was ignited in the brotherhood after the GI's came back from WW 2 and saw the great need for the Gospel to be preached. We saw a huge sending out of missionaries into the whole world for several decades. However the vision of world evangelism is fading with the current generation which is more comfort and self-centered. We have a vision that says, "build it they will come" and have built some magnificent monuments in which to practice our evangelism. My personal observation is that most congregations designate less than 1% of their contribution to missions, home or overseas. Jesus said, "where your money is there your heart is also."

So for forty years we have tried to share with people our dream of "Church Planting, Leadership Training and Bible Training in Oceania". Various places have demanded differing roles in our work (Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Fiji). The current location is Vanuatu and the role is still the establishment of a located Bible Training facility to train and equip brethren from the island regions of Oceania to teach and train their own language groups in the Bible and Bible living. We are not trying to establish a preacher training school. We are planning to train and equip brethren in the Bible.

This is a plea: we need your help with finances to establish this facility.
#1 - You are our extended family with contacts that we do not have. You know people that we do not know. Unfortunately initial support for mission work comes not as a result of who you are and what great plans you have but who you know most times. We need you to MAKE CONTACTS FOR US, BY EITHER SETTING UP APPOINTMENTS FOR US OR SENDING US NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE OUR PLEA A REALITY (or sending this email to your email friends). Surely most of you can do that!

#2 - Can you personally help us with a one time financial gift of $50? Can you personally help us with $25 a month for a least a year? If enough of you gave $25 per month for a year this would give us funds on a monthly basis to build monthly. Will you PLEASE? 

I have had some ask how they can help financially on a monthly basis so I have attached an Autopay form which will allow you to have funds automatically deducted from your bank account and transferred to the school bank account.  It can be stopped at any time on your part. Simply fill it out, sign it and mail it back to the addresses supplied or scan it and email it back to me.

#3 - If you cannot help personally would you ask people and/or congregations you know to help one time or monthly? PLEASE!  One time help is critical right now!

#4 - School facilities NEEDS:

(3) Prayers -

We really need your help setting up appointments to talk with people about our plans and financial needs - personally and more importantly for The Christian Institute of Biblical Studies we are building in Eton Village, Vanuatu. Please talk with the powers that be where you are and see if we can come and talk with the brethren where you meet for a one time help or monthly help. Please set it up and/or give us a name and phone number who we can call and talk with. If nothing else just for a one time appeal for funds.

Thank you so much for all of you who are praying for us, supporting us and have contributed to our needs. God bless you! We look forward to being with you soon and sharing with you what the Lord is doing through us.  Thank you for your prayers!

Your seed sowing workers in the Kingdom.

Tobey & Kathy

Contributions for Huffs and building the Bible school, vehicle and house can be sent to:

Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870

Tobey & Kathy Huff
c/ 2730 E. 24th St
Joplin. MO 64804