October 21, 2013

Dearest Friends and family

It seems like only last month I was sending you a newsletter. Wow! How time flies!

LIFE
We finally agreed that we needed additional classroom space at Eton and a toilet when we had workshops and combined fellowships as well as when CIBS was in session. So we marked the space out and ordered the wood. It was provided by the village sawmill from local trees. Again very wet and heavy!
In just under a week we had the classroom up once we got the wood. The toilet took another week. The brethren will put a coral gravel or concrete floor in while we are gone.

Tal and Sul


Baldy (me), Sul and Eddie Karris on his knees scooping dirt and rock out of the post hole


Finished classroom

Kathy with the pikinini (children's) Sunday morning Bible class

New toilet block on the back of the building.


Connecting the downspout from the guttering to the water holding tank (waiting for rain)


This is how you make a downspout when they don't have any in the store.

Though we have not had any rain we have been watering the garden every night and the last week we were getting lots of fresh green beans. The capsicums were growing as well as the tomatoes. The corn was up and the sun flowers, carrots, beets and egg plant were getting bigger. Again someone else will enjoy the food when it is mature.


The cantaloupe not so good.

COMBINED WORSHIP
On October 6th the combined worship was at Epau which is 35 kms North of Eton. Again there was a good turnout from the other congregations. We had about 100 in attendance. Amazing speaker - kept me awake - me!

I was able to finish teaching the series at Eton the last Sunday. I was teaching on "God's Plan and Purpose for Marriage". It opened up a lot of eyes as to what was accepted in marriage in our present day society which is not is not Godly. I will follow up when we get back with making application on what we taught.

On October 12th the ladies had a Ladies Day at Epau. The Port Vila Ladies had a full bus load there. Kathy was able to hand out the rest of the dresses we had brought over.



The VA
We arrived back in Tulsa late Thursday night (Oct 17th). We stopped over in Fiji for two days to visit with Anna, Malika and others. Josua was up on the Northern island at his farm working so I was not able to see him.

Friday I had an appointment with my Primary Care Team in Mount Vernon for them to look at a bump that had recently come up on my right leg under my knee.

The first reading of my blood pressure was high but after two more times it was down to 138/70. The recorded reading was the last one and the comment was "we take the BP until we get one we like".

The doctor looked at the bump and was perplexed. She didn't come up with any conclusion. She did comment that it was a "funky" bump and then said, "you seem to have a lot of funky things". What could I say!

On the way back home, to Joplin , we got a call from the Fayetteville VA apologizing that the Wednesday (thus week) bone scan has to be cancelled because the technician for the nuclear solution they inject had gone back to Virginia and was not returning. They said they would be calling within the week arranging for the bone scan in a local hospital.

I still have to be in Fayetteville on the 24th:
- 8:30 AM Lab work (3 hour fast before, no food or drink)
- 9:30 AM CT scans
- 10:00 AM X rays

All of these tests - bone and CT scans, X Rays and lab work (and some other I have been told) have to be completed and send to Houston for evaluation before the prostate removal surgery can be scheduled. They want to make sure the prostate cancer has stayed in the prostate.

So until we can get all the tests done and evaluated we are chilling. We still hope to be back in Vanuatu by January 2014 - cancer free, Lord willing!

Until then we have time to visit and talk about our work and needs if anyone out there can arrange for us to come. Call me on 417 434-8367.

Yesterday (Oct 20) we were able to go to Kansas City to see close friends Jerry and Pat Carpenter and speak with the brethren at Northland Mission in preparation for their Mission Contribution Sunday in November. Great time with good people!!!!!!!

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 prayed for financing and were able to use some of the money that we are now getting for my disability to build the classroom and the toilet block. It just goes to show the Lord will provide! (sometimes from other sources)

Perhaps the property for the school will be settled while we are back for the surgery.

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