June 24, 2013
Dearest Friends and family
BACK HOME
We have been back home (Vanuatu) for just over 5 weeks. Where has all the time
gone????
Whenever we leave the work for a while, unless we have someone we really trust, we pack most of the stuff and store it in the containers or boxes. So we have been trying to find where we put everything so we can get out what we need. We look and we look and usually find it the last place we look, duh! So far we are pretty organized. We are finding that some of the things we packed away, like foods items, have expired or lost there crunch.
I also found that rust is no respecter of persons and have had to sand down a number of things and grease them up. I am still waiting for the brake lines for the truck to arrive from the USA so I can repair the rear brakes. I have not attempted overhauling the transmission yet as the up-shifting lag is a minor annoyance. Once we get to 30 mph it shifts just fine. Driving around town is usually under 30 mph which causes the engine to rev high. The plates are not slipping it is just a problem with the shifter valves in the transmission. It will take time - I will have to schedule in on the calender.
I have had to continue to repair grass cutters and generators. The (Chinese made) brush cutters are both down as the head gears have worn out and I have not found any replacement parts in town yet.The small generator was fixed last month and has helped us cut down on fuel expenses as it does not use as much fuel as the larger ones. We have also been able to get more battery power, and although the sun has not been shining as much as we would like, we have been using the solar power batteries at night which makes for a quieter night as well as no fuel usage in the generators. During the day when we use the generators I also put a battery charger on the solar batteries as a booster.
When we got back many people were surprised that we came back. My leg scars are a talking point and the people show a higher respect for us now. With that respect we find that we are included in more of their discussions. We have entered the deeper relationship we were aiming for when we moved here and then out to the village. They see us living here daily, some think we are crazy others think we are more and more like them. This is called relationship - what I call family. It just takes time and effort to build and keep lasting relationships. This is not something one can build in short term trips annually.
WINTER TIME
This time of the year is our winter (cool). We have had a lot of rain and it
is windy most of the time. The winds are coming out of the Southeast, off New
Zealand and the snows there so it is really cool for us. The humidity stays
between 70-85% and at night the temperature even gets down to 68 (19c) some
nights. All the flower and vegetable seeds we brought back call for FULL SUN
so we have not planted anything yet. The Chinese cabbage we planted before we
left took off and everyone has had more than their fill from our garden.
The end of May I thought that a small wind-generator would supplement the solar panels for charging the battery. For some reason I thought the winds we were getting would be enough, HA (me thinking again)! It was too small and the winds are fickle so we took it back and settled for larger storage batteries.
SCHOOL PROPERTY
I talked with Morris and Steven and then went up to the school property to check
it out. Right now part of the land is not fenced on one side and the cousin
neighbor runs cattle on our land as well. We have to find the boundary markers
so we can pull a fence on that side and start clearing. I say "find the
boundary markers" as they were supposed to be concrete corner posts erected
prior to 1980. Not finding the markers means we have to get the property parties
to agree to where the marker should be. So far that is proving elusive, (everyone
in the families involved want to get involved but nobody wants to set the post,
and after 3 weeks I am still waiting for the the marker to be pegged so we can
get a fence up. We have a lot of lemon trees on our property which need to be
pruned back.
Front of the school property
Back boundary of school property
Underbrush
Some of the trees on the school property
ABANDONED BUILDING
I am still trying to get a take-over order for a building which has been abandoned
for over 14 years right in front of Morris' house, across the street from the
church property. It was used for a cooperative store until they had a land dispute
and then someone stole their money and stock. The cooperative was disbanded.
Front
Looking back toward the church property and our house
It would make a great classroom, library, sewing rooms, Children's Bible Classroom, etc. We would have to do a good clean inside, a fresh coat of paint, a new roof on it, new window frames and louvers and new doors. It would be cheaper to do than build a whole new building AFTER we cleared the school property. We can probably remodel for $15,000 if we had the funds. For any of you who would like to help especially here is a real need.
ETON SEWING CIRCLE
We have been talking of getting a sewing class going so I took apart all the
sewing machine we had brought over in the container and worked on them for several
days. I was able to get two good machines, a third one which still needs to
get the rust out of it and the fourth one was trash. So we took some of the
insurance money and bought two new electric and one hand turn sewing machines
from the Chinese merchants in town. The first day one of the electric machines
quit with the motor smoking. I was able to take it back and get a new motor
and it is working again. I will let Kathy talk more about the sewing circle
but the first day we spent quite awhile getting the machine sewable but once
we did the women went to work sewing. We are able to use the small generator
powering the machines from the US. The Chinese machines are 240 volt.
KATHY KNOTES
Tobey finally got most of the sewing machines working and the parts off of the
others that can be used for spares. So last week we went into town for supplies
and looked around for some machines to replace the ones that were drowned in
the container last year on its way here. The only problem is with the ones here
is that they are cheaply made Chinese machines (not cheap to buy - $100 each).
We had seven women come last week and the same seven came today (Monday). After looking at all of the pillow case dresses, we decided to give them out here at the school. We have 97 girls at the school, Kindergarten through Grade 8. We can use the dresses for all but the older girls. So after looking at all the boxes of white pillow cases we thought that we could make them into half slips. We have been using some lace to "flash" them on the hem. The only slips that are here are nylon and they are really hot, also they are Chinese made and very small. This way we can give the older girls something as well. The boys will have to wait for shorts until we can sew them up. The ladies are keen to help the children and have decided to meet for a couple of months and then "spell" (rest) for a month and then meet again for a couple of months. They give up the whole of Monday to do this. We try to start by 9 am and go until 11:30 (when the children are out of school for lunch) and then come back around 1:00-3:30 pm. They practiced last week on some for themselves to get the hang of it. This week's were done a bit better. I'm very proud of them. We do have a need of lace or rick-rack to finish them off as that is very expensive here for some reason. If any of you ladies or ladies' classes could send over some packs, they would be put to really good use here. (Elastic would also be very welcome.)
1. Ladies getting the hang of making slips.
2. Ladies trimming up pillow cases for half slips.
3. Do even ask me to sit like that if you want me to get back up.
4. Between the eyes not being what they were once and the fingers not working like they use to, threading a very small needle eye can take awhile.
5. Always turn the wheel toward you!
6. Rebecca overseeing the work.
I was told last week that the ladies in Port Vila were coming out on the 13th of July for a Ladies' Day and I had been "marked" (appointed) to teach. I haven't decided on a topic just yet but have a few things in mind. I ask that you keep us in your prayers that day. They are asking the ladies from Epau also to come, which is about 45 minutes on North of here. Morris and Rebecca Felix started that congregation several years ago.
It's been cloudy and rainy which means cold (to us, mid 60's to mid 70's) at this time of year. We had to find our blankets and get them washed. We have been sleeping without the fan as the wind has been blowing day and night. Good sleeping weather if we could just have some quiet to go with it. We have several roosters around the village and you know when one crows they all try to out do the other. This starts around 3 am. Then we have the mice (or rats) that are playing in the ceiling above our bed. They start around 10 pm just as we are trying to sleep. Tobey got the ladder out yesterday morning before services and placed rat poison up there. Last night was a bit quieter.
Without very much sun, we haven't planted the garden yet.
Hoping for warmer weather soon.
Thanks so very much for all your prayers and financial support for the work
here. We feel that we are just now getting into the lives of the Christians
and that they are comfortable around us and can come to us with anything. We
thank God for this.
BIRTHDAY BOY
Morris Felix had a birthday last week. He is 69. We had to get tickled as he
would say Happy New Year instead of Happy Birthday.
RATS
Before we left early this year we had rats in the roof and I put block baits
in the roof. Until last weekend we had not heard any there but a new generation
of rats are back. So I put bait in the roof as well as we have been baiting
the washing machine room. We have found several small rats dead outside in the
yard since we came back. We have to stay on top or they will take over.
PRESCRIPTION WOOS
I have told you before that until I started getting treatment at the Veterans
Clinics I was not on any prescriptions. At present I have cut down to only one,
which is for my thyroid. The one they had me on for blood pressure (which I
did not really need) caused me to cough, so they stopped that one. Just before
we came back I was started on TAMSULOSIN for my prostrate. However after being
on it for 5 weeks I noticed that my allergies seemed to get worse and I was
using everything and nothing was clearing up my sinuses (a ro-to rooter was
next). I pulled out the paperwork for the medicine and found some of the possible
side effects were: lightheadedness, drowsiness and runny/stuffy nose
- BINGO. I took myself off the medicine Saturday
night and for the past two days I have been able to breathe through my nose
again. Just love all that medicine which is supposed to help.
BIBLE CLASSES
I had hoped to start my Bible classes a couple of weeks ago but the annual traveling
visiting American Missionaries were in country so I have waited until they left
(so we would not be accused of causing conflict with their classes) and we have
plans to start the classes tomorrow. They will three days a week, two hours
a day for three weeks. The first book we are studying is Galatians. It should
be interesting as for the past several months the Seventh Day Adventist church
have been holding campaigns teaching the people that Jesus is coming back and
He will be re-establishing the law from Jerusalem so everyone needs to get back
to Sabbath keeping - right now - to be ready! I think Paul has something to
say about that "new good news" which is not good news at all.
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