July 19, 2013
Dearest Friends and family
BACK HOME
We have been back home (Vanuatu) here 2 months. There are times it seems like
a time warp or ground hog day. The weather has not changed much the past month.
Because it can cloud up and rain any and all the time I have not been able to
get under the truck and replace the brake line going to the rear brakes. You
see my work shop is out in front of the containers in the open. We have not
replanted the garden because we have too much rain and not enough sun.
VEHICLE PROBLEMS
On Tuedsay - July 9th when we went to town I started hearing a metal on metal
sound on the truck. When we filled up the water bottles at Steve's I looked
and found the front wheel bearing on the passenger side was coming apart (due
somewhat to being in water in the container coming over). I had intended to
repack the bearings when I got the truck out of the container but didn't. Shame
on me! (Though I did get sidetracked having to come back for my leg and all.)
I drove back home because that is where my tools are and I would be the one
replacing the bearing. Noisy but no problem.
Even with all the tools I have I did not have a 1 3/8" socket to get the axle nut off the truck to extract the bearing. (I have 1", 1 1/4", 1 3/16" and 1 1/2".) I got on the bike and started to town (I have not used it much since we got back.) I had to come back after a mile or so because the bike had no power. I worked on it (cleaned the carburetor, reset the float), tested it, came back and worked on it (cleaned the fuel lines and filter) and tested it for over 3 hours until finally I thought I could get to town if I nursed the bike. As long as I didn't push it (over 70 kph) it seemed to go alright until I got to the first hill (there are 9 hills between town and home). The bike just quit about half way up the hill. I started it back up and let it idle (I also was tapping on the carburetor thinking the float was sticking). I was able to rev it and nurse the bike to the last hill which is in Port Vila by the University. No good, the bike would idle and run but not go any further, so I called Steve and he came with his truck and pulled me on up the hill and to his house. (I had given him a new tow strap a week or so before this and he had commented then that he hoped this did not mean he would have to be towing me. His prior tow cable was a 3/8' piece of rope. Above all your ask or think......)
Steve then took me around to the tool place (before they closed) to see if they had a 1 3/8" socket. Sure they did, no singles but in a set of 7 larger sockets! I had to have it so I bought the set ($75).
He also took me by the Chinese store where we had bought the inverter (changes 12v power to 240v power) we use in the solar power system we have. The inverter had burned out the night before and we had to use the small generator the whole night. There are no warranties here so I had to buy another inverter for $380. It is a better kind and I hope it lasts more that 6 weeks.
We went by the motorcycle shop and bought a replacement carburetor thinking that might be my problem on the bike as it seemed to not be getting enough fuel. I tried the bike but it still lacked power. So Steve then took me back home as it was getting dark and Kathy was waiting for me.
The next day after class I got the nut off and the axle hub with the bearing. I tried to get a ride into town but with it being afternoon and raining there were no vehicles headed back to town so I finally decided to just wait until the next morning and ask Steve to come get me.
Friday: He did. Kathy and I both went in and Steve loaned us his truck once in town so we could get our running around/shopping done. I took the axle hub to a workshop and had them press out the bearing. I then went hither and yon trying to find a replacement bearing, to no avail (Dodge trucks are very rare in Vanuatu). There were some very close but with axle bearings close is not good enough. So I finally send an email to Jason requesting urgent help!
I then went to the motorcycle shop and bought a replacement spark plug for the bike. We went back to Steve's and I put the new spark plug in. Steve had a flat tyre on his wheelbarrow and was trying to get it apart to replace it but the bolts were too rusted. I know how to fix that but Steve did not have a hacksaw so I took a test drive on the bike down to the hardware store for a hacksaw and replacement bolts. The bike drove like a new one! I got back and fixed Steve's wheelbarrow and presented him with a hacksaw.
Steve was waiting for the girls to get out of school and he was planning to take Morris and Rebecca out to the village so I thought I would try and see if the bike was fixed. I loaded up and told Kathy to come out with Steve and I left for home. The bike cruised home and it is now our primary means of transportation again until replacement axle bearings arrive for the truck. Steve, in his truck, with everyone else got there about an hour later. I gave him three of our gasoline containers to fill up and bring back the next time he came, please. (Since I had no immediate plan to return to town, ha!)
Jason sent a text that he had looked for the bearing but was unsure so he had emailed two URLs with pictures for me to look at. (ONE BIG PROBLEM - WE DO NOT GET INTERNET IN THE VILLAGE!) So I sent a text back asking if I really needed to check my email and he said, please! (Back to town it was then, 24 miles!)
So early Saturday morning I took pictures of the bearing and axle on the truck, got on the bike and went to town. I checked email, looked at the bearings and sent him my pictures as well as the number of the Timken bearing I needed. I then went by and bought three bags of flour to take out to the village. Since getting the truck we have been buying 5-8 25kg (55#) bags of flour a week which we sell to the villagers for making village bread. The bike is light in the rear end so I bought and took back three bags of flour as ballast. Both coming and going back I was able to climb all the hills in 5th gear, so the bike is running well.
Steve came back out Sunday morning and brought the three containers of gasoline for the generators.
COMBINED WORSHIP
July 7th we had a combined worship in Port Vila. The congregation here in Eton
took a bus load in and we went with our truck full. Trucks also came from Epau
and Etas. Steve preached on commitment and then I talked a bit on a major problem
here in Vanuatu. The local hospital is predicting 350 babies per month being
born, the majority to unwed mothers and many of these don't even have a man
in the house. I discussed that we need to have a series of lessons on Marriage
and Family Life. We had a fellowship meal following before returning home mid
afternoon.
THIS N' THAT
It is our winter time right now but we didn't know it was going to be this chilly
- it has gotten down in the upper 60's several times and usually in the low
70's. To us that is cold! And the wind just KEEPS BLOWING!
I was asked by the local paper to start my weekly column
back up. So I submitted my first column and it was printed Saturday, July 6th.
It is under the heading -
In the next few weeks I have columns on: Punishment the Bible Way, Cohabitation
is Bad, Marriage God's Way, How to be Radically Different and As Seen by Children.
From then I will be making application of the local news and my comments on
such.
Just another avenue to reach out to the people of this nation at no cost to us!
CIBS COURSE - GALATIANS
From June 25 - July 11 I taught a course on the book of Galatians every Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday morning from 8:00-10:00am. I had 5 who stayed the course.
It was a real eye opener to these brethren to see how we have been called to
Freedom in Christ and how over and over others try to put us back under law
keeping for our salvation. I think it will make a real difference in their spiritual
lives. They are already asking when my next course is. We are using the church
building for our classes and I have hooked up our generator to have lights there
when needed.
Last Sunday I preached on the problem the church is facing here in Vanuatu with many of the members not ever having formally been married and living as families with children. I looked at Marriage God's Way and why cohabitation is bad (and ungodly). After the lesson it was decided I would teach my CIBS course on "Marriage and Family life". I wrote and put it together (looking and dealing with the Melanesian way of marriage in contrast to God's way) when we were in Fiji and this will be the first time I will get to formally teach it. The brethren here have expressed a desire to know God's way and why some of their cultural/custom ways are not right. This is also the reason for some of the topics in my weekly column.
There is still a need for a Christian counseling service to help with the increased spousal abuse and non-understanding of the different roles in the family as God sees it. This is something we plan to implement when we get the time.
SCHOOL PROPERTY
We are still waiting for the big property to get a proper survey. But in the
meantime we have been assured we can build on the church property and behind
our house if we need to.
Negotiations for the decrapide (new word) house we showed you last month are having problems also. The owner acknowledges it is worthless the way it is but when Morris offered him $1,000 he asked, "what about the ground?" He is being greedy!
KATHY KNOTES
Brrr, from the land that is suppose to be sunny and warm. We have had a low
pressure system sitting on us for more than two weeks. The wind has blown up
to 20 mph with a constant wind of 7-10 mph with the rain bands that come with
it. All this is coming up from New Zealand and it is their winter months there
with snow. So Burrrr!
In the sewing classes on Monday, the ladies were able to complete 26 "under skirts" (half slips) with the pillowcases. This past Monday we were able to give them out to the grade 7 and 8 girls. Also the school headmaster let us give out the dresses that we were given for the rest of the girls in the school. They were so helpful. With each dress brought out, some one would say a girl's name because it was her favorite color or it suited her. The older ones also got a dress that they could use as a blouse. We have enough to take with us to the next Ladies Day in the village of Epau and give to the little girls. This is a way for the ladies to be a shining light into the community they live and share with others.
The boys stood around and commented on everything. We
told them that they would have to wait awhile before they got a pair of shorts.
We will need to sew probably 80 or more of them and I need to go into Pt Vila
to look for the material for them.
Kathy and Janet handing out dresses and slips to the
school girls
One of the classrooms at the Eton village school
Tobey brought the five boxes down on the back of the tri-motorbike.
The kids loved that. With the truck down for repairs (axle bearing out on the
right front tire) Tobey has been using the motorbike to get around. He has been
going into town without me. The wind, cold and rain is not good for all the
aches and pains of this old lady.
This past Saturday, the 13th, we had a Ladies' Day here at Eton village. There
were 20 ladies, 6 children and a few dogs that had followed their mistresses.
We were a bit late starting as it rained from 6:00-7:30 that morning. We had
ladies from Epau, Etas and Pt Vila come to share. We sang, had a time for praying
about our needs here, reading our favorite Bible verses and telling why along
with a couple of lessons. We discussed Martha, Mary and Lazarus at great length
and the way Jesus was accepted into their lives, the way He was loved by them.
There are so many lessons for women in their stories, The wind blew all day
but the rain held off until around 4 pm when the ladies had all gone home. We
all look forward to the next Ladies' Day in Epau.
Ladies' Day Eton Village
Thank you so very much for all your thoughts and prayers on our behalf. We pray the Lord will richly bless you and all that you do for Him and His children.
FINALLY
To some of you this will not be a surprise - the Veterans' Administration has
finally given us a finding on my medical case - I am at this point in time 100%
Disabled. I told you some of you would not be surprised. They didn't say whether
this was physical or mental - go figure! This brings with it a monthly stipend
(which will help with the recent loss of some monthly support) and a check for
back allowance. We are going to use some of these funds to develop the school
and some of the funds will pay for our trip back the end of this year for the
prostate surgery and back to Vanuatu after recovery.
Our plans - Lord willing - your
help providing
With the plans we have (Lord willing) we ask for your continued consideration
of the needs we have in this work. We see this as the Lord showing us that He
is still with us and perhaps "piece meal" building the school at this
time is the best way (we have not won the lottery nor been included in anyone's
large estate). If we can get the land cleared, fruit trees and crops planted
and a caretaker house build before we have to come back for the prostate surgery
toward the end of the year then that will get us along the road to making the
school self-supporting. This would also give us funds to continue to build facilities
as we need them.
By doing the development "piece meal" we might also not need monthly operating funds for the school and perhaps by the time we need monthly support the gardens and fruit trees will be suppling funds back into the school.
Please continue to pray that the cancer is manageable, the leg will heal (still open) and that we will secure funds to start clearing land and building for the school.
Thank you so much for all of you who are praying for us, supporting us and have contributed to our needs. God bless you! Thank you for your prayers!
Thank you Lord for healing and what we have!
Grace & Peace
Tobey & Kathy
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Contributions for the Huffs, the Bible school and house can be sent to:
Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870
or
Tobey & Kathy Huff
c/ 2730 E. 24th St
Joplin. MO 64804
Ph: 678 596-4821 (Vanuatu is + 17 hours)
Web Site: http://www.oceania-outreach.com/Index.html