April 24, 2015
Dearest Friends and family
CYCLONE PAM
One of the tugs in Port Vila harbour recorded a gush of 405 kph during the height
of cyclone Pam - a night and many days to remember.
Bent power pole in Port Vila
It has been over 5 weeks and in some places it looks like it did right after
the storm. Many people have just given up for the moment and there were times
I thought the same thing. Days and weeks after I would wake up, go outside to
start the generator for breakfast and wonder what if anything I had been doing.
There was just so much destruction and there was no help coming from the states
around us or towns around us because we were all in the same situation (not
to mention there are no other states nor towns).
Hundreds of relief flights from all over the world came in a week after and brought in loads of stuff. Some of which I question because the people did not have large generators in the villages before the storm for a reason - they could not afford to maintain and pay the fuel costs. However China sent in over 400 large generators.
Having been involved in a similar exercise before I know that tarps were the first items that everyone would need however even this week it had been shown that they are still over 40,000 tarps short of helping people. Everyone wanted to give out food, which most people still had. The government set up a food ration system which some have called starvation rations but then have no come back with the second allotment they promised in 15 days. To say they are overwhelmed is an under statement.
We have been humbled by the funds that you entrusted to us to help rebuild. Before they started coming we had already been to the wholesale place in town and bought lots of rice, navy biscuits, noodles, canned fish and canned meat. We have also bought laundry soap, mosquito coils, matches, cookies and personal soap. The major of the gardens were damaged severely so though many of the villagers are getting a small amount of greens there is no way they can generate any revenue by selling garden produce like they did before. The vast majority of people here, especially in the village are subsistence farmers - what they grow they eat and sell for spendable income.
We use what we have to supplement what others provide but is not enough in most cases.
I have been buying nails to help rebuilding. Roofing iron is supposed to finally be delivered to us tomorrow - 139 sheets various lengths for various buildings. We are having a work day Saturday to get the church building roof repaired. The wind, we continue to have, has almost destroyed the tarp we have over the hole in the roof. Next Monday we plan to fix Eddie's roof.
THE BIBLE SCHOOL
As of Wednesday April 22 we have the classroom/library back in decent condition.
The roof was de-constructed (the last rafter came loose while I was under it
pinning me to the top of a ladder. Goman was able to get it off but not before
it left a large slash/tatoo across my chest from the ladder edge. Left a pretty
bruise!), we rebuilt the rafters, re framed the back wall, put the rafters back
up and the roof and screwed it all down, put up new masonite interior and new
cement board exterior. It still needs to be chalked and repainted, doors replaced,
electrical re run and new lights installed - but that is for another day - right
now it is weather tight again.
roof
classroom
back wall
back wall re-framed
Still lots and lots of vegetation down on the property which will take lots of manpower to clean up.
The student dorms are weather safe but I had to get up and put more screws in the roofing where some panels almost got ripped off. It too will be finished in due time.
THE HOUSE
One of the problems we are having is building supplies are in short supply here
with everyone rebuilding and fixing. So some repairs have to wait until new
supplies arrive by ship or one recycles if they can. For someone who likes to
get things done NOW - this frustrates me to no end.
temporary screen repairs
temporary verandah repairs until supplies get here
For awhile were were getting rain every day so I had stuff hanging out to dry all the time. Kind of reminds be of the prayer flags in Tibet.
I have the house pretty much re-built except for the verandah, ceiling fans,
chalking and new paint. There is no cement board in country right now so there
goes the lower wall for the verandah - gruuuuuuu!
I was tidying up the electrical wiring from the generator to the house
when I got a nasty shock - it had been damaged in the storm but it was still
working.
The batteries packs for my hand drill did not do well.
I sorted through the solar panels and had a few that still worked so we have the solar system working again and can shut down the generators when we sleep and during the daytime.
mango tree cut up
I mentioned last month that our muffler was not in very good shape.
While I was waiting for the one Jason bought and shipped I re welded the old
one and put a new sheet metal side on it and put lots of muffler putty on it.
Jason's arrived but the old one is still running quiet so I am not going to
replace it until I have to.
EPAU
Kathy and I went up to Epau the third weekend as normal to teach. They got hammered
as well with Arthur losing his house and the roof of the church building falling
down inside the walls.
old kitchen
church meets in the shelter behind the kitchen here
where Arthur's house stood
Uprooted
tree
Colin with fallen grapefruit
Goman and I went up with Tal and Juju the week after and took the church building roof apart so they can started rebuilding (which I understand will be a group from the USA in May). The villagers stood around and were amazed at how fast we de-constructed the roof.
THIS AND THAT
The VA have been sending threatening letters saying I was going to lose my compensation
because they could not verify my condition. They implied that I was on vacation
over here and being overseas is not an excuse for missing an appointment -even
though they set it up 4 days before I was to be there! I finally got help from
my rep in Joplin who sent me a form to have a doctor here fill out and they
would accept that as a review. We filled it out and sent it back but have not
heard anything.
Sometimes its the small things: #1 Last report I mentioned that I had lost my camera with pictures right after cyclone. I looked high and low and cut the grass and everything - no camera. Then last week when I was moving some old tyres there it was in one of the tyres - yep in a pool of water. The camera is no good but I was able to save the memory card and the pictures. I had put the camera in the pocket of my wet weather gear and somehow when I was moving the tyres one caught on the jacket and the camera came out right into a tyre.; #2 About a week after the cyclone one of the older men in the village brought me his radio which had gotten some water damage. I was able to get it working again and the smile on his face was more than enough payment. He had lost his house and gardens but as long as he had his radio life would get better.
Before we got slammed by the cyclone we had been planning on coming back in May to see the VA and you guys and report on the progress of the school. So far I have been able to get enough done to be able to leave for awhile. So we are booked to return to Joplin on May 4th hoping to return to Vanuatu August 18th.
The relief funds will be administered by a group of Christians here while we are gone but I do not think much will be needed until August/September when the government will get tired of feeding everyone and cut back even more. That is when our help will be needed more. We have a lot of food set aside in one of our containers. Rebekka Felix lost their house and she has been sleeping in the unused butchery. She will be staying in our house while Stephen rebuilds her house.
The day after the storm I cut my right middle knuckle on a sheet of
roofing. I was able to clean it out good and had Kathy super glue it and it
finally healed up. However the past few days I have a lot of swelling in that
knuckle and so I went to the doctor and found that I had nicked the tendon as
well and with all the hammering and stuff it was aggravated. So now I am on
antibodies and lots of Ibuprofen for the pain. - but I still have hammering
to do before we leave.
Thanking you all so much for your prayers and extra support for recovery. May
God bless you richly as He has us.
Onward and upward!
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 providing what we need!
Grace & Peace
Tobey & Kathy
Huff
Ph (and text): 678 596-4821 (Vanuatu is +17 hours)
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PS A cyclone relief fund has been set up at our sponsor and Jason can give instructions if anyone wants to wire TT money straight to our bank account here.
Contributions for the Huffs, the
Bible school and the Scholorship fund can be sent to:
Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870
or
Jason Huff
2730 E 24th St
Joplin MO 64804