VOLUME 2, No.4 APRIL 1979
DEAR BRETHREN:
PHEW!! SOME MONTHS WE NEED FIFTEEN PAGES TO BRING YOU UP TO DATE ON THE WORK
AND OTHER MONTHS 1 BULLETIN IS HARD TO FILL UP.
THIS MONTH WAS A HUMDINGER!!!! EARLY IN MARCH LANCE FRIIS AND I WALKED INTO
THE VILLAGE OF KAGE- 60 MILES FROM GOROKA. THIS CONGREGATION WAS STARTED IN
1978 AND THE GOROKA CONGREGATION SUPPORTS A LOCAL MAN AND HIS FAMILY TO WORK
THERE, UBE, GORAI & THEIR BABY TOBI. THEY RECEIVE $70 PER MONTH. THE MEN
OF THE GOROKA CONGREGATION HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET UP AND CHECK ON THE WORK
BUT THE HEAVY RAINS AND ALL HAVE MADE THE ROADS IMPASSABLE. SO LANCE AND I TOOK
A PMV (PUBLIC MOTOR VEHICLE) AS FAR AS POSSIBLE AND THEN WE WALKED ON INTO THE
VILLAGE. WE LEFT GOROKA FRIDAY MORNING AT 8:30 ARRIVING IN KAGE 6:00 THAT NIGHT.
THE FOLLOWING DAY WE WERE WITNESS TO A CEREMONIAL WEDDING FEAST AND FOOD EXCHANGE.
THREE PIGS WERE SLAUGHTERED FOR THE OCCASION. AFTER SUNDAY WORSHIP LANCE AND
I HOOFED IT OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND THRU THE DALES TO SEREKOGI (ANOTHER CONGREGATION),
WHERE WE SPENT THE NIGHT.- WE HIKED BACK TO THE MAIN HIGHWAY MONDAY MORNING
AND CAUGHT A CAR BACK TO GOROKA. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP WAS RIDING
BACK TO GOROKA IN THE BACK OF A PICK-UP DRINKING COLD FANTAS AND EATING CRACKERS.
LANCE'S FAVORITE SAYING WAS, "WE ARE ALWAYS GOING UP, WE HAVE TO GO DOWN
SOMETIME, DON'T WE ???????" SHADES OF ROKAMUNDA (SEE JUNE 78 REPORT).
THE RAINS CONTINUED TO FALL DURING MARCH WITH OVER 25 INCHES RECORDED. THERE
IS NO FACT TO THE RUMOR THAT AN ARK WAS SIGHTED OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN HERE.
DURING MARCH 2 COUPLES RESPONDED TO THE GOSPEL HERE IN GOROKA. ONE COUPLE IS
KEN AND JUDY. THEY LIVE AT KAINTANTU 50 MILES FROM GOROKA WHERE HE IS FOREMAN
FOR THE GOVERNMENT ROAD CREWS THERE. THE OTHER COUPLE IS DEMIAN AND OUTO. THEY
LIVE HERE IN GOROKA. THEY BOTH WERE MEMBERS OF DENOMINATIONS AND NEITHER WANTED
TO HAVE TO JOIN THE OTHERS MISSION. THEY AGREED TO VISIT AROUND AND FIND A CHURCH
THEY COULD BOTH BELONG TO WITHOUT OFFENDNG THE OTHER. THEY VISITED AND SUBSEQUENT
STUDIES FOUND THEM PURE IN HEART. THEY NOW HAVE NO WORRIES OVER THEIR DENOMINATIONAL
DIFFERENCES BUT FOUND THAT THEY COULD BE ONE IN CHRIST, CHRISTIAN'S ONLY BY
FOLLOWING THE NEW TESTAMENT PATTERN OF CHRISTIANITY. THE LAST WEEK IN MARCH
SAW YET ANOTHER UNION BETWEEN MISSIONARIES HERE IN PM. JIM MCGEACHY AND BESSIE
PHYPHERS WERE UNITED IN MARRIAGE. ANDY AND CATHERINE SCOTT ANNOUNCE THE ARRIVAL
OF RACHEAL ELIZABETH SCOTT, MARCH 24. MOTHER BABY AND DADDY ARE DOING FINE.
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MEN WHO ATTENDED THE LATEST VILLAGE LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
AT WATABUNG, FEB 1979.
A WOMAN CARRYING A LOAD OF KUNAI GRASS FOR THATCHING ROOFS. SHE ALSO HAS A BABY
IN THE BAG ON TOP AND IS CARRYING ANOTHER CHILD HER ARMS IN FRONT.
MY CAR ON THE ROAD TO KAGE WHERE WE LET UBE AND HIS FAMILY
OFF TO WALK ON INTO KAGE WHERE THEY LABOR WITH THE CONGREGATION.
A BRIDGE ON THE KAGE ROAD. WE HAD TO DRIVE UPON, TAKE BOARDS FROM THE BACK,
MOVE THEM TO THE FRONT. AT ONE POINT, THE BOARDS WHICH ARE NOT BOLTED DOWN SLIPPED
AND THE WHOLE FRONT RIGHT TIRE WAS SUSPENDED OFF THE BRIDGE.
AFTER GETTING THE CAR SOMEWHAT SITUATED I GUNNED IT OFF THE BRIDGE LANCE, WHO
WAS WITH ME DECIDED THAT SOMEONE MIGHT NEED TO NOTIFY NEXT OF KIN AND THUS WAS
HIDING OFF IN BUSHES UNTIL I WAS BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN. A REAL FRIEND!!!!
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRAYERS AND ALL THAT YOU DO FOR US.
YOURS IN CHRIST
THE HUFFS