March 2017
Dearest Friends and family
In February 1975 our family arrived in Papua New Guinea which has become an epic adventure in the South Pacific. We served in Papua New Guinea during two different times, New Zealand, Fiji and two different times in Vanuatu where we now live and serve. The 42 years have been a roller coaster ride which never seems to end. So many Christian Brothers and Sisters as well as other characters we have met along the way all over the world. I would have it no other way! (Kathy will have to speak for herself!) Let us not forget all the Christian Brothers and Sisters we have met in the USA while on the quest for the elusive missionary support and those students who had to attend my classes when I taught at Harding in 1999-2000. You, who have and those who continue our support, are the ones we thank you so very much. God bless you! (and you too John boy!)
SOME DAYS
VEHICLES
My Dodge Dakota truck has a new whine in the back left axle which is likely
an axle bearing going out. It does not make much noise until I go over 40 mph.
It might be I shouldn't have been hauling those 2-3 ton loads in a 1/2 pickup.
Jason is sending me the replacement parts and I just have to find the time to
fix it before we leave May 1st.
After 5 hours repairing (cleaning the back brakes which were oil soaked due to a seal leaking, fixing a leaky exhaust pipe, rebuilding the parking brake cable because it was rusted beyond working, painting surface rust spots, etc) a bit of hassle and threatening a law suit (because the inspection people were not following the statutes which are the Vanuatu traffic laws in respect to "roadworthy") we were able to get the school Dodge Ram registered. (We will have to replace the seals on the rear axle and the drive shaft but those parts have to come through Jason as well.) Did I ever tell you how much we rely on Jason for parts and marshmallows for my cereal? Love that boy! (and you too Terasa!)
JUST ONE DAY
On the 20th of this month: I had a solar panel quit that I had to take apart
and rewire because wires had rusted apart; had a flat tire on my Dodge truck
( had to have Goman take it into town to get fixed); and had one of the generators
vibrate the exhaust pipes off the engine and broke one of the bolts holding
the muffler on the engine as well as having a leaking fuel line because the
rubber supply line had rotted. This on top of teaching every morning. That was
a fun day!
It took me two days to fix the generator because I had to dismantle it completely, fix everything and then try and get it back together without too many left over parts. Of course, I did have a bolt left over. As soon as I saw the leftover bolt I knew exactly where it was SUPPOSED to go! I had to take it apart again to secure a cover on inside the machine with THAT bolt. LIfe lessons AFTER the fact!
VISAS
We were able to get our Resident Visas renewed since they would have expired
while we were back there. It is just a matter of revenue money to the government
since we have been here so long. It costs $1600 a year for both of us.
GENERATOR
The medium generator spit the dummy (dummy is a pacifier here and it means "the
thing broke down"). The regulator springs rusted out and there is no regulation.
That means if I have the generator on it is only on idle speed. I tried to jerry-rig
a spring but it is modulatiing between 220-240 volts which is wonderful with
the fans speeding up and slowing down etc etc. It broke down on Saturday night
and tonight (Sunday I tried to fix it. (At least I waited until after the Sabbath!)
It was after 5 pm and the sun was down but the temperature was still 87 and
the humidity 80%. We'll see if the suppliers have a spring tomorrow. As Kathy
would say, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
HOT HOT HOT
I helped cut the grass around the building yesterday and the three hours I helped
I sweat out over 2 gallons of sweat (literally I wrung it out). In the past
three days I have changed shirts 8 times. Yesterday after cutting the grass
(with a back pack grass cutter and the lawn mower) I took a small rest only
to wake up thinking I was trying to pass a gall stone/ kidney stone/ baby through
the side of my left thigh. I had been drinking a lot of gatoraide but no salt
tablets. The cramp lasted about 5-10 minutes (who tells time when you are having
fun) and was VERY awakening.
TV VIEWING
Last month our satellite signal ceased right in the middle of a movie and it
took us a full month to get it restarted. The company, Sky Pacific Fiji, was
bought out by a mobile phone company in PNG (Digicel) last year. They never
gave notice when the payment was due and when I finally contacted them, for
two weeks they did not reply HOW TO MAKE PAYMENT and to WHOM! I finally emailed
them enough times (20 times a day) they figured out how to get paid and we got
our signal back. We read a lot more books and watched more DVD's during that
time!
For those 4 weeks the only TV we had was four free-to-air channels (2 South Korean: one in English and one in Korean, Indonesian: in Indonesian and the worldwide Catholic church channel). The South Korean channel would have news on at 8pm every evening (for less than 15 minutes)and by the time we got Sky back I knew more than I ever wanted to know about the impeachment of the South Korean president. At least they followed through, not like the US government with Bill Clinton!
I have been trying to tune the dish to Australia Plus TV which is free-to-air with news and sports but even though I have found the satellite (IS 19) I have been unable to get a picture because they transmit with a circular C band signal unlike the signal we get from Sky (IS 18).
SONG BOOK
The Song Book is STILL ready to print. Just have to find the time and hope the
small laser printers last. (I did find some other corrections I should have
made, didn't and now have!) Better sooner that later!
CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE OF
BIBLICAL STUDIES
I have been teaching every morning the past five weeks. I have between 3 and
6 students. Usually at least two. There is so much going on out here sometimes
they have to live life instead of coming to Bible classes. I do understand.
We were at the school but with the thick foliage the mosquitoes were very bad.
They carry dengue here and the students were doing more swatting than writing
notes so we moved it to the church building right in front of our house. I have
1 more week for this term. I am going to finish early because I am not sure
my students are going to last out. We are also going to set the school up for
extension classes hoping more people can avail themselves of the Bible studies
we are offering. It will give me time to get the song book printed and get the
house ready for us to be gone for a few months.
HEALTH
The VA is going to have fun with me this time. My right eye's cataract is really
starting to affect my sight. I also have a carcinoma behind my left ear that
I had to have cut out twice in 2001 and it is back. I also have a spot behind
my right ear. And I KNOW I am allergic to my own sweat! I have had to go back
on antibiotics this past week due to cysts (pus pockets) popping up under the
skin on my legs and face.
I was cutting weeds in the side yard last weekend and got hit by a yellow jacket on my left forearm (I was pretty much covered up even though it was stiffling but it hit me where the long sleeve was not buttoned). Man did it hurt and the whole lower arm was swollen and itchy for a week. I had pain in the thumb joint even after the swelling went down. I was fortunate that it did not hit my neck or face as my Epipen has expired (over 3 years) and it was in the house anyway, somewhere. I don't think he liked my weed-wacker! The impact wound now looks like a volcano crater but at least it is not infected. I found out from a local man that if I had put some gasoline on it right after it happened it would have been okay. Life lessons learned, AFTER the fact!
Kathy's allergies are not getting any better and they burn wood to cook with out in the village and with rainy season in full swing someone is always cutting grass and the wind also seems to blow it in our direction. The nights are still hot and humid so not a real good sleep any night.
We received over 180 mm (7 inches) of rain this month. Just this week a cyclone has developed East of Australia which will be threatening them but the back side of the system is bringing us hot and humid winds from the north and threatening more rain. This does not help the solar power!
TICKETS BOOKED
We booked our tickets and will be back in Joplin, May 3rd. We have a graduation
(grandson) May 12th and a wedding (which I will perform for our 1st granddaughter)
May 13th. Both in Coker/Tuscaloosa ALA. The following week I have a day, May
17th, at the VA. If I have to have any surgeries with the VA I guess they will
have to be scheduled. After that I guess we will be helping Jason pack up and
move (since a lot of my stuff is stored at his house also).
Thank you for your prayers - God hears!
We are still looking for additional monthly support for the running of the Bible School. If you can help please do and especially remember us and the brethren here in your prayers - thank you!
God is good!!!!!!!!!
Onward and upward!
We especially want to thank all of you so much for praying for us, supporting
us and have contributed to our needs so we can do what we are doing. God bless
you! Thank you for your prayers and fellowship!
Thank you Lord for healing and providing what we need!
Grace & Peace
Tobey & Kathy Huff
Ph: +678 596-4821 (Vanuatu) We do texting.
Thank you for your prayers - God hears!
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Contributions for the Huffs, the
Bible school, the Scholarship fund and/or cyclone/drought relief can be sent
to:
Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870
or
Jason Huff
2730 E 24th St
Joplin MO 64804
(417) 396-9122
j13huff@yahoo.com