MARCH - APRIL 1990

Dear Brethren,

Greetings in the name of Jesus. You are right it has been two months since we last corresponded. I apologize, but have been very very busy with the WBS courses and printing. We had a lot of things to prepare for our trip to PNG. Now we are back we have even more to do. We are using the WBS courses faster than I can print them. I am going to have to reprint the Red, Yellow and Green Book. This is in addition to the new booklet I just put together on Evidences. In all we are going to need around $4000 to buy the paper and masters to print. Read our trip report and rejoice in the goodness of the Lord!

WORLD BIBLE SCHOOL FOLLOW UP TRIP TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA APRIL 4 - APRIL 25 1990 Tobey & Kathy Huff
Purposes:
1. To contact and visit some of the 1200 current students on the WBS course.
2. To introduce current students to the church/ and workers in the major centers.
3. To ascertain and initiate the most efficient follow-up for the maximum conversion rate.
4. To evaluate the need for further follow-up trips which win include classes and short schools for WBS students and leadership classes for local Christians.
5. To evaluate the present need for printed materials: local Bible class material, Bible training school material, extension course materials for leadership development.
6. To talk with the missionaries and the local evangelists and offer our help in any way that we could be used especially in the printed ministry.
7. To talk with the missionaries and local churches of the opportunity of further Bible training at the South Pacific Bible College in Tauranga New Zealand.
8. To visit where we had previously worked for 10 1/2 years and encourage the Christians in their service to the Lord.

4 April - With Bibles, tracts and books we were 85lbs overweight. Our takeoff was delayed. We were finally shunted to Gate-10 for boarding (there are only 8 Gates) and 11 hours after scheduled takeoff we walked across the tarmac to our plane.
5 April - very AM: Into Cairns Australia late. We had a scheduled overnight and were met at the airport by the motel bus. The motel bus took us back to the airport 4 hours later for our flight to PNG.
Arrived Port Moresby - zipped through customs (officer recognized us from before) transferred bags without re-weighting them - met by Kevin Dye - dropped off box of English chorus books talked with Kevin about recent developments - really encouraged by some WBS students progress.

Back to the sights and smells of PNG - feel at home - boarded plane to Goroka - arrived 10:35am - met by Andy a Catherine Scott, Becky Mesa and several of the local Christians. (Abraham had tried to fake sickness that morning and stay home from school but to no avail.)
Not much outward change in Goroka - they have to boil their town water now - malaria now in the Highlands -spent the afternoon at Andy's - Miguel (from Bima Piau) walked by and we talked (Andy said he hadn't seen them in worship for a year or so).

6 April AM: Downtown stores with wood windows instead of glass - hoards of people everywhere - town roads in pathetic condition - grounds unkempt.

7 April AM: Awoke to a mirage of sounds - neighbors fighting - radio blaring - rooster trying to learn to crow - babies crying.
Andy wanted to play golf. On the way to the course we saw a new utility truck wrapped around a tree after having flown over a ditch. This was just down from the hospital. On the golf course road we met a group of villagers with muddied faces (a mark that they had just had a death in their tribe) and carrying bows and arrows returning from the golf club area. They said that one of their family had been killed that morning in a road accident and they were "talking save" (negotiating) with the village that the driver was a member of. We said "Sorry to hear about it" and went on the the course. We started our golf. As we got up to the second green we noticed several village houses burning just over the fence boundary (about 20 yards away). One of the houses belonged to Kipa, a national golfer who was responsible for the death of the other villager. Kipa is in police custody for his protection until his court date. Their "talking save" (negotiating) got everyone's attention.

8 April -AM: Sunday spoke at English and Pidgin worship - A mumu was held after worship - 3 from Bima Piau repented Jab is working with several of the young men of the congregation in a leadership course; he teaches Religious instruction in the public schools; teaches Bible classes; preaches and counsels as well as personal Bible studies - Becky counsels the women; teaches children's classes on Sunday and alternately teaches the ladies Wednesday class .

PM: Decided to go to Mt Hagen to inventory printed literature (borrowed Andy's truck, Jab went along as well) - Fort Hagen: was taken back by the proliferation of coaster type buses plying the highlands highway (there were even more along the roads in workshops and junk yards) - the highway still in deplorable condition, even paved section full of deep potholes. - The Bouganville copper shut-down leaves the national government without sufficient money for road maintenance - even more so the provincial local governments.

Spent the night with Terry 6 Jean Stufflebeam, talked with Ken and Ilene Shoop and a new couple Roger and Paula Weimer - worship. - The printing material in sad condition - Het Toks and Konkodances in the cook house, full of cockroaches (and aren't talking midget roaches either.)

9 April: AM mid morning after going through the different piles of literature we loaded the truck and headed back to Goroka - new potholes installed overnight along the road.
PM: back in Goroka - unloaded Jab, books and roaches at church building (not all the roaches made it back alive, TOO BAD!)
Kathy and I walked down to the old property where we used to live (it was traded several years to a local company for supposed equal value in a new church building and evangelist house across town) - word around town was that the developer made a killing on the property swap.

10 April - AM: Jab and I went down to the old building and picked up several things.
PM: Peter from council camp came by and we talked for awhile.

11 April - Fixed Jab's typewriter - heavy rain - Bought Mesas a toaster (how can anyone live without a toaster).

12 April - AM: Rented truck to take Mesas and ourselves to Lae - Kainantu packed with people dropped Jab off at his father's house - we stayed in the Lifsey's house.

13 April - Good Friday AM: picked up Jab who took us to Sambo's (local evangelist) house. Sambo then took us out to 5 mile where we visited with a WBS student Elizabeth Posea.

Visited with other local Christians, Mialmel, Silas, Jim Free - - visited with Willie and Pam Franklin: they are doing a super job with the English speakers - they want to sign up 1,000 new WBS students before July.
PM: Heavy rain - Jason called to say that his car had been stolen while in the Greerton church building.

14 April - AM: Around town visiting. PM: Visited by Patrick Yeku (WBS) and his wife - wants to complete course and then back to village to establish church.

15 April - AM: Sunday - Worship 7:45 start - finished 12:45. Patrick 4 his wife in Pidgin worship met Daniel Itaar (WBS) who visited English worship - 2 baptisms that previous week.

16 April - AM: Sox Yalenameso (WBS) came by and we talked about his lessons.
PM: 3 hour study with Elizabeth and Peter Posea (WBS) at five mile - they are aware of what they need to do in obedience - Sambo will follow up.

17 April - AM: visited around town with Mea Vui (local English speaking evangelist) - tried to contact 5 other WBS students but they were either out or too busy - saw Thira Ephrai (WBS) at work.
PM: Picked up Elizabeth Ella (WBS) and a Christian sister from the local government offices Elizabeth was beaten severely when her husband caught her studying the Bible the first time, he is a Lutheran and has received his lessons also - she wanted to study away from the office so her husband would not see her. She knew Jab from school days together - she was really encouraged when we dropped her off after our lunch study together - Jab had been through the same problems with his family when he became a Christian, he had been a Lutheran.
Decided to take the suitcase back to NZ with cake mixes, crisco and brownie mixes - went to the store and loaded up. Returned to the house - message awaiting: call Auckland. Found out they had found Jason's car in Tauranga but my car had been rearranged in the rear end to the tune of $2000. KEEP TRYING SATAN!

Dinner with Yusi and Marika - rain hosed down. Good visit with Yusi and the local evangelists They as well as the majority of nationals in the major centers feel that the missionary work for the major centers is over. They want workers sent to the centers where the church does not exist. Bravo!

18 April AM: Woody Square stopped by to talk - he talked about their printing needs - we will be doing printing for them in the future. Jab drove us to Nadzab airport for our flight to Port Moresby.

Met in Port Moresby by Kevin Dye (missionary) and Tumat Sogolik (WBS) temperature mild back to compound - met Tammie Dye and Leslie and Loopie Williams and grandma Orr (Les Williams grandma).

19 April - PM: Helen Gri (WBS) baptized in the ocean at Ela beach. 6:00-11:00pm Tumat and Cecilia Sogohk (WBS) came over for dinner and study - Tumat was a full graded sorcerer silver medalist in boxing (Bantam weight) in Commonwealth games in 1976 - fourth in the Montreal Olympics in boxing - he works for TNT Air cargo and lives in Bootless Bay about 10 miles from town. She is one of the spiritual leaders. She has agreed with what the Bible says but still feels that 'faith only saves.' We talked with him about what he would have to do after being baptized and his new relationship with the local body of believers. His need to be in worship with the brethren. Kevin agreed to pick him us Sunday for services. Tumat was very adamant about being baptized which we did when we took him home just below his house in Bootless Bay.

2U April -AM: Prayer meeting with missionaries. PM: Fellowship (I presented the lesson) in Hanuabada at Adolf Momberger's house (32 present). Adolf is an Australian working with the Airport married to a PNG national. They have a passel of kids and more than a houseful. A couple of his sons was converted in Lae by Willie Franklin while attending the Technical college. One son (Eric) was the PNG decathlon champion and is currently attending OCC in Oklahoma on an athletic scholarship. Adolf was finally converted when he saw a change in his family. He has been a exciting addition to the body there in Port Moresby.

Voulette (aged 20) is the adopted daughter of the owner of the Baptist bookshop who was baptized several months ago - he refused to let her attend services (but has since relented) Les Williams studied with him but he is unwilling to accept the truth - has no reply except "I only know what I feel." she is having a real hard time - she was restored in Kevin's car outside her house that night when we took her home - she had wanted to attend the Baptist Bible College before she was converted but now doesn't, she is interested in the South Pacific Bible College.

21 April -AM: One of Kevin's children. Bethany has hepatitis - Voulette came by and we counselled her for an hour after lunch PM: Went to stores - bought pickles (for Jason)

22 April -AM: Preached English and Pidgin - 7:30-12:30 - 3 repented in English - took Tumat back home to Bootless Bay - his wife was very unresponsive.

PM: Adolf's house for worship - Helen Gri introduced to the group (English speaking) - she lives quite close - she recognized another Christian, Margaret. They had gone to school together in Wewak through high school, now they are both Christians. FANTASTIC HOW GOD WORKS !

23 April -PM: Shared South Pacific vision with the English speakers - challenged them to either attend or support someone to the South Pacific Bible College. We were suppose to have services in the village(houses out over the water) but another clan was trying to dynamite the village while the village was defending themselves with homemade shotguns - the police had broken it up once with tear gas. Met at Adolf's. (Wise decision!)

24 April -AM: Up early - to airport - overweight. Off to Australia - met at Cairns airport by Phil and Nanci Lifsey. They are staying with Colin and Nan Portch until their baby is born. Only two families meeting in Cairns now. Talked with Phil about his work in Lae. PM: Talked with Colin about the work in Cairns. Worship at Ron Doyle's house. 9:30pm to the airport for our flight home

25 April -AM: Arrived Auckland with 4 hours sleep - ANZAC Day: nothing open so the tourists were a little unhappy not to be able to exchange money. (Welcome to the Third World).

Our car was repaired. Stopped at Denny's for breakfast. Back home 11:00 - heavy rains over the past two days - ants were swarming in the dining room - get out the spray - dryer not heating up - took apart - heater coils broken - took car door apart - window winder has to be replaced - mowed the pasture which was suppose to be our lawn - Printshop over flowing with orders to be filled.

WELCOME HOME!

Your servants in Christ,

the Huffs