VOLUME 4; NO. 11
NOVEMBER 1981
Dear Brethren:
GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!
At the end of Sept. the kids were out of school for a week so we made a survey
trip to Madang for a few days and then to Lae for a few days. Madang is located
on the northern coast. We drove. The last time we had driven to Madang was in
1975. The road went "thru and went up" over 20 rivers. This time we
had only 8 rivers to ford. During rainy season the rivers are impassible but
we went during the dry. Since Joe Reynolds left Madang in 1976 the church hasn't
had full time missionaries there. At present the church is represented by one
family who hold services in their home. We were very encouraged by Dau and Elizabeth.
Ha works for the phone company and she works and a retail clerk. While there
we looked into the possibility of moving there as our work here in Goroka is
taken over by new missionaries in the next few years. Schooling for the kids
is still only thru the 6th grade. The government was putting up some ground
for lease but monies needed to secure it at the present time non- existent.
Development would have had to be done within 12 months and we cannot see moving
there that soon. Just looking. The work there definitely needs full time workers.
Pray for this and for Dau and Elizabeth.
MADANG
HIGHWAY
SCHOOL IN SESSION
During the month of October we were again in school. During this session my
course was Survey of Romans, 2 Corinthians; Tim Titipu taught a four night course
on- Thief on the Cross; Jab Mesa taught a short course on, Marriage (he has
only been married a short time but now feels he is an expert); Wamel taught-
1 & 2 Peter.
CONFESSING ANOTHER'S SINS
Also During October final action was taken on 18 of our brethren here who have
gone back into the ways of the world. Several have been restored since. Here
in Papua New Guinea we have a custom of repenting for everybody else.
A mother will get up and repent for her daughter, (who isn't even there) because
she had gotten mad at her mother and yelled at her or someone will get up and
say they have been making "little" sins, BUT, "so & so I
saw them drinking and carousing with the women last night." Usually "so
& so" is right there in worship but hadn't really felt up to repenting
yet. Makes for some interesting repentances!
VISITING THE VILLAGE CONGREGATIONS
Kathy and I try to get out to the village congregations at least three Sundays
a month to see the brethren. where we go is usually determined by the reports
from the various congregations. SUCH AS: YUANA was having problems with the
Christians not wanting to worship but just come for communion. They would all
stay outside and play cards thru the singing, praying and the lesson and then
slide in for communion. (This practice is fostered by teachings on the Catholic
and Lutheran churches here who teach "you can do anything during the six
days that God has given you as long as you come GET COMMUNION on Sunday.) So
we decided to go see them about this. The Sunday we went everyone was in services
doing everything they were supposed to be doing (except for the three older
ladies who were viaing for the attentions of one of the small children- who
wanted to be left alone.) After this I gave a lesson to our school students
about communion. Here in PNG people continually repent for MISSING COMMUNION.
I showed them from the Bible that the sin wasn't in not partaking of communion
but in the forsaking of the assembly. OH!, there is so much denomenationalism
that still holds them strong.
HADN'T PLANNED TO WORSHIP UNTIL WE CAME
With the rainy season in full swing it is nearly impossible to drive to the
congregations in Chimbu. So we stick closer to home. We went to Watabung last
Sunday. Let me share the experience with you: We arrived about 9:30( the usual
gathering time- scriptural). Everybody was up on the road watching the cars
go by (#1 past time followed closely by: picking lice out of each other's hair
picking fleas off the dogs/ or pig; watching the grass grow; and listening to
the rain fall. who said life is boring here ?). QUESTION (mine to them) "Are
we having worship today?" Pregnant pause (their reply) "well, guess
so since you came." They then explained (hang on the your hats), the younger
people of the congregation had all left on Saturday afternoon to go to a marriage
feast a fur peace up the road and they weren't expected back anytime real soon
(Monday). So the older people had mutually decided to coast through the day
(until we showed up). Besides that the cupboard with the Bibles and communion
trays was locked up and guess what: that's right the younger men had carried
the key off (yep, they only have one key). But really that didn't matter because
most of the older people couldn't read anyway and the congregation hadn't had
grape juice for five weeks anyway. (The last time we had been with them.) Knowing
these people now for over 6 years we usually carry bread and juice in the car.
So after a fiery lesson I went up and got the bread and juice (I only had half
of them go to sleep on me).
MORE OF SATAN'S FIERY DARTS
Again this month Satan threw his fiery darts at our school students. However
this time as the threats of violence were yelled into the compound (in the dark
of the night by drunks staggering back to their villages next door) the students
didn't run away. No instead they all moved into one house. All of the married
couples (who have separate houses) shifted everything and themselves into the
house of the single students. One of the couples who also look after the food,
left the food but moved their beds in with the singles. When we bussed them
into worship they brought everything of theirs with them and then took it back
went they returned after worship.
GOODNEWS MEETING
In addition to teaching in the school this month we held a 4 day Gospel Meeting
here in Goroka. My topics were: Bad News- Goods News; The Faith which will save;
The Law, What the church of Christ is. Two brethren were restored and one of
the school students Kaupa, was baptized. Nightly average was 148. The meeting
was mainly held to strengthen the brethren. The Seventh Day Adventists have
been stirring up problems by saying, in 1982 all those who worship on Sunday
will be marked with the number 666". So every night after the lesson I
would explain the meaning of 666 as seen from the Bible to those who were present.
ENDING THE MONTH WITH A SEIZURE
As the month drew to a close the excitement didn't. Would you like to know what
some of us do the night before we get up to preach on Sunday. Well, Jab drove
the bus loaded with our school students back to their villages the Saturday
after school finished. oO the way back he was to load up with firewood for our
next session of school. When he hadn't returned by 8:00 PM Saturday night I
went looking. Thinking that it was a minor problem I drive my Subaru. It wasn't.
The engine was seized up -kaput! I had to return to Goroka to get Andy's Landcruiser
and the tow bar. Jab had broken down 40 miles from Goroka. We were returning
in Andy's car by 11:00. Five miles from Jab the center bolt on a rear spring
snapped and the rear axle on Andy's car shifted the rear wheels into the wheel
well. Dead stop Tim Titipu and I then spent until 2:15 AM Sunday morning in
the middle of the road replacing the center bolt so we could go tow Jab in.
(I just HAPPENED to have a spare bolt in my tool box.) We finally got back to
Jab and hooked up the bus at 3:15 AM. Using lowwwwww 4-wheel we got him back
on the main road and made it back to Goroka at 5:15 AM. Worship was at 9:00
(we got started by 10:00) and my lesson was short and sweet. Our bussing program
is now down to one bus. It will cost over $700 to fix this
Pray for our labors as the Lord continues to challenge us
The Huffs