NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1988
2721 Salem
Joplin Mo 64801
(417) 624-4016

Dear Brethren;

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You're right, it has been a while since we last wrote. Would you believe that I have been held hostage by the tooth fairy? That's right the tooth fairy. No? Really there is a very good reason but I will leave that until I have brought you up to date on the family.

TERASA: As mentioned in the last letter Terasa started college at Missouri Southern State College. She is carrying 17 hours toward a psychology major. When she started she was on the volleyball team. She was the only non-scholarship player and didn't get to play in the games, only practice. Needing money, she quit so she could get a job. She was a salesgirl for a clothes shop on the mall. She didn't particularly care for the high pressure sales they wanted her to pursue so when someone stole $20 from her purse at work she terminated her employment. Since her boyfriend is due in from New Zealand the 5th of Dec. and she has finals the week after she isn't looking for new employment. While Kathy and I were on a trip in October we stopped in at Harding University and were encouraged to enroll Terasa there. They will allow a 50% reduction in tuition because we are missionaries. She should get the rest in grants. She has been accepted to begin the spring semester at Harding. We think this will be very good for her. One of the things that missionary children miss by growing up in the mission field is the social interaction of their cultural/peer group. Remember that Terasa was only 4 years old when we went to Papua New Guinea and Jason wasn't quite 2 years old. Though we have been in New Zealand for 2 years its not the same as the American culture.

JASON: The girls still follow him. We have had a few hiccups with his schooling. The PNG and New Zealand school systems both give English grammar a passing whiff. When Jason enrolled here in Joplin they put him in the 10th grade. Here they teach the basics of English grammar in the 8th and 9th grade and in the 10th grade build on that basis to develop writing skills. Jason received a failing midterm grade in grammar. He had no clue what the teacher was talking about. He spent not a few afternoons after school getting extra help. Kathy and I had a discussion with the teacher and finally got her to understand that even though Jason is an American he should be considered a foreign exchange student as he lives overseas. He brought his grade-up enough to pass at the end of the semester. He is taking literature now.
Since we arrived back we have been to: Spring City MG, Joplin MO, Bona MO, Kansas City MO, Jane MO, Carthage MO, Cave Springs ARK, Miami OK, Avinger TX, Pittsburg KS, Rogersville MO, Memphis TN (visited with Joe and Rosabelle Cannon and Mission 1000 program), Lebanon TN (played golf at the Beck Country Club), Nashville TN, (John and Cornelia Murphree, former missionaries in Papua New Guinea and Tom and Kathy Moore, current PNG missionaries who were on their way back to PNG), Indianapolis IN, St Louis (Sam and Margaret Kirkpatrick, former PNG missionaries visiting from Perth Australia), Bethany MO, Kansas City MO, Vinita OK, DeQueen ARK, Graceson TX, Harding, West Union MO, Mt Vernon MO, Center Pt Rogersville MO, Pleasant Valley Little Rock ARK (visited), Sylvan Hills No Little Rock ARK, Sulphur Springs TX, Vicksburg MS, Shreveport LA.

Everywhere vie have talked we received a very warm and welcome response. Even though we have fewer missionaries on the foreign field I see a movement toward a more positive approach. More people are finally seeing the need for training faithful men to train faithful men. This training can be a formal classroom situation or a local village leadership training program. This is the whole basis of the Oceania Outreach Program. Training the local men and women to teach their own people in their own culture. Along with the training provide Biblical literature for a stronger and more lasting ministry.

SUPPORT UPDATE
When we came back to "report all that the Lord was accomplishing" through our labors we in essence took a cut in support. In our last letter I mentioned that we were receiving $980 per month in support. While we were in New Zealand Kathy's salary of $600 as Bible College secretary enabled us to stay that last year. This stopped when we came back. When we arrived back Kathy's parents have opened their home to us and even provided a car for our use while here. Even without having these expenses it has been very difficult at times to make ends meet. We still have $500 per month expense in New Zealand with the storage of our household effects and printing equipment. Then we have travel expenses, the kid's school expenses and new clothes (they wore school uniforms in NZ), telephone calls to set up appointments, postage, food, etc .

The Lord has/and continues to provide to meet the needs. A number of you have graciously provided funds for our needs and we appreciate your sacrifice . This newsletter was delayed as we are still awaiting reply from a number of congregations who are still working up their 1989 budgets. We are praying for a positive response.

IT IS HARD TO WAIT.
WAITING IS THE HARDEST THING.
THE MIND HAS NOTHING TO OCCUPY IT AND THE QUESTIONS COME.

HEADED BACK

We are planning our return to New Zealand in early January. WHOA WHOA! "I thought you just said you don't have adequate monthly support?'' I did. "Then how can you go back?''

With the monthly support already pledged and Kathy's salary as College secretary we can live. The visas we have allow me to operate the printshop as a commercial venture if I have too. It would be better to have sufficient support to work full-time in the ministry but if the Lord wants me to "build tents", like Paul I can do so. If that comes about then the current monthly funds will be used in the outreach program as much as possible.

It could be that after this letter is mailed we will secure the needed monthly support to be fulltime laborers, the Lord will provide.
But if this becomes a reality (commercial printing) then we need to be concentrating our fund raising on the travel fund. We still lack over $5000 we need for the travel fund. We had to sell the car to pay for the tickets to come home. CAN YOU HELP? CAN THE CONGREGATION HELP?

Jason's school year begins the end of January. Kathy has been requested back by the 20th of January to start the Bible College session.
We so appreciate the prayers being offered on our behalf and the Lord will answer. We also appreciate the encouraging notes telling us to hang in there. As stated WAITING IS THE HARDEST THING.

Lest you think I am sluffing off when we are not on the road: I was able to pick up some traveling money painting my brother's house. I have been over at my dad's house scrapping old telephone relays of metal: brass, copper and steel, which we will sell.

There is a week or two here where appointments have not firmed up and we are tying up loose ends and preparing Terasa for Harding and for our return to New Zealand in January.

Your servants in the Master's service,

the Huffs