Volume 2, NO. 4 MAY 1979
DEAR BRETHREN:

WE BEGAN THE MONTH OF APRIL RUNNING AND NEVER HIT THE GROUND ONCE. DR. A.D.SMITH AND HIS FAMILY FROM TEXARKANA VISITED PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND STAYED WITH US FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THEM OUT AND MEET SOME OF THE BRETHREN AT SEREKOGI.

SIXTH ANNUAL PAPUA NEW GUINEA MISSIONARY WORKSHOP PICTURED BELOW ARE THE 68 PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED THIS YEARS WORKSHOP. WE HAD 68 IN ATTENDANCE (46 ADULTS). OUR THEME WAS "MAN and HIS MOUNTAIN". WE SPENT 5 DAYS IN SPIRITUAL FEASTING.

THE WORKSHOP WAS HOSTED BY GOROKA THIS YEAR. THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA TEAM REPRESENTS: USA, CANADA, SCOTLAND, ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND AUSTRALIA. WE REDEDICATED OURSELVES TO SPREADING THE GOSPEL THROUGHOUT PAPUA NEW GUINEA BY YEAR 2000 AND THEN BEYOND. THE ONENESS IN UNITY AND PURPOSE WHICH WAS EVIDENT SHOWS HOW THE LORD CAN USE SO MANY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES TO ONE GOAL IF WE BUT LET THE LORD CONTROL OUR LIVES. PRAISE THE LORD !!!!!!!!

AFTER THE WORKSHOP, ON SUNDAY I HEADED UP A CONTACT PATROL INTO THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS. THIS TYPE OF PATROL IS WHEN WE GO INTO AN AREA FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH THE GOSPEL AND FEEL OUT THE RECEPTIVITY OF THAT AREA FOR THE GOSPEL. WE HAVE CHRISTIANS IN OTHER AREAS FROM HERE AND THEY ACCOMPANY US BACK TO THEIR PEOPLE. REX MORGAN (MISSIONARY IN PORT MORESBY), SILI, TALI AND JAMES (WHO LIVE IN MORESBY BUT ARE FROM THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS WHERE WE ARE GOING), GLEN FARMER AND MYSELF LEFT GOROKA IN MY CAR. WE RETURNED 30 MINS LATER TO GET PLANE TICKETS REX HAD LEFT. OFF AGAIN!

WE DROVE TO MENDI ON SUNDAY (196 MILES, 7 HRS AND TWO ALMOST HEAD ON COLLISIONS WITH DUMP TRUCKS) AND SPENT THE NIGHT WITH SOME OF SILI'S LINE (FAMILY). IN THE BUSH HOUSE WE SLEPT THE COCKROACHES OUTNUMBERED US 3 million to 1. THE NEXT MORNING SAW US DRIVING OUT ON BUSH ROADS TO VISIT SILI'S HOME AREA. WE PARKED OUR CAR AT A CATHOLIC CHURCH WALKED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, OVER A SWINGING METAL BRIDGE AND UP THE OTHER SIDE. WE SPENT THE NIGHT AT THE CATHOLIC MISSION HOUSE. WE PREACHED TO THE LARGEST CROWD EVER ASSEMBLED IN THEIR CHURCH BUILDING. 150 ATTENDED WITH SOME COMING AS FAR AS 2 MILES AWAY (WALKING TN THE DARK). WE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE BUT THEY HADN'T KNOWN WE WERE COMING ONE CATHOLIC LEADER ASKED US TO COME BACK AND SIT DOWN WITH THEM, "SHOW US WHERE WE AREN'T CORRECT WITH THE BIBLE." THESE PEOPLE ARE RECEPTIVE !!!!!!!!!
WE DROVE BACK TO MENDI WEDS MORN (AFTER OPENING OUR PACKS AND LETTING A FEW OF  THE COCKROACHES LOOSE). WE HAD TO CATCH AN EARLY MORNING FLIGHT TO TARI ON THURSDAY. WE NOW ENTER TERRITORY NEVER BEFORE SEEN BY MISSIONARIES FOR THE CHURCH. TALI IS FROM TARI AND SO WE ARE STAYING WITH HIS LINE (FRIENDS). THERE IS A ROAD FROM MENDI TO TARI BUT RAINS HAVE KEPT IT IN REAL POOR CONDITION. JAMES HAD TOLD US WHILE WE WERE IN MENDI THAT THE ROAD WAS OPEN. ONE OF HIS FRIENDS HAD JUST DRIVEN THRU AND WE COULD GO ASK HIM HOW THE ROAD WAS. OH, HE WAS DOWN AT THE REPAIR SHOP TRYING TO GET HIS CAR FIXED NOW. WOW, WE FLEW !!!!!!!

WE SLEPT IN A TRADESTORE ABOUT 5 MILES OUT OF TARI. THE VILLAGE HEADMEN ASKED US TO SPEAK TO THEIR PEOPLE AT THE UNITED CHURCH ON THE MORROW. THEY EVEN OFFERED US GROUND ON WHICH TO BUILD NOW. ONE LEADER SAID, "GOD HAS SEEN OUR DIVISION AND HAS SENT YOU HERE TO HELP US KNOW THE WAY. WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU HAVE COME. THIS IS NOT USUALLY THE WAY OF THE WHITESKIN, TO COME, SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH US."

ON THURS MORN WE WENT TO THE UNITED CHURCH BUILDING TO MEET EVERYONE. BANG-GO ! THE PREACHER THERE CUSSED US OUT AND ORDERED US OFF HIS PROPERTY. WE STOOD FOR 2 HOURS IN DISCUSSION BEFORE THE HEADMEN QUIETED HIM DOWN. HIS NAME IS PETER IRATE (QUITE APPROPRIATE I THOUGHT). WE ALL FINALLY WENT INTO THE BUILDING WHERE PETER TAUGHT A CLASS AND THEM ALLOWED US TO GIVE A SMALL TALK. AFTER SERVICES WE WERE GIVEN A LIVE CHICKEN AS A PRESENT. THE PREACHER COOKED IT WITH VEGETABLES AND WE LUNCHED WITH HIM (THE CHICKEN HEAD WAS RIGHT THERE IN THE POT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE). AFTER LUNCH ON OUR WAY BACK TO TOWN WE WERE WAYLAID TO EAT AGAIN WITH ANOTHER FAMILY.

WE DROVE A LOCAL TRUCK BACK TO TARI (NO WINDSHIELD) TO BUY SUPPLIES AND THEN WE CONTINUED ON THE TALI'S FATHER'S HOUSE OUT OF TOWN. WE WERE GIVEN YET ANOTHER LIVE CHICKEN AS A PRESENT (THEY ARE THE TOUGHEST BIRDS I'VE EVER TRIED TO EAT. SAY DR. STAMATIS DO YOU SUPPLY "DO IT YOURSELF" CROWN FIXING KITS?) TALI'S DAD TRIED THE SDA CHURCH FOR A YEAR BUT GOT TIRED OF NO PIG MEAT AND IS NOW READY TO BE BAPTIZED AS A JW. HIS FIVE WIVES DON'T BELONG TO ANY MISSION. MUCH, MUCH TEACHING IS NEEDED HERE. THERE ARE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH IN THE AREA. MOST HAD BEEN CONVERTED IN MORESBY AND RETURNED HOME. AGAIN THE LEADERS BESEECH US TO COME AND TEACH.

FRIDAY, ON THE ROAD AGAIN. WE HEAD FOR KOROBA WHERE JAMES IS FROM. WE HAD TO STAND UP IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK FOR THE 45 MIN RIDE BECAUSE THE ROAD IS SO BAD. WE ARE NOW WITHIN 100 MILES OF THE END OF THE HIGHLANDS HIGHWAY (I WOULD SWEAR WE HAD COME TO THE END SEVERAL TIMES). THE PEOPLE WERE VERY GLAD TO SEE ANOTHER CHICKEN WAS KILLED FOR US!!

WE LEFT KOROBA SAT MORN BY AIR BACK TO TARI. BEFORE WE LEFT THOUGH GLEN DID A BACK SWAN DIVE OFF A LOG BRIDGE INTO A MUD HOLE. HE RUINED HIS CAMERA AND DIDN'T DO A LOT OF GOOD FOR HIS BACKPACK EITHER. WE WORSHIPED IN TARI SUNDAY. FLEW BACK TO MENDI MONDAY MORN AND DROVE MY CAR BACK TO GOROKA . BACK TO MAMA AND HOME !!

SUMMARY. 8 DAYS; 550 MILES by CAR; 200 MILES by AIR; 50 MILES WALKING. THE PEOPLE ARE RECEPTIVE. (WITHIN THE YEAR REX AND THE PORT MORESBY CONGREGATION HOPE TO RETURN FOR A GOSPEL- PREACHING PATROL TO ESTABLISH CONGREGATIONS OF THE LORD'S CHURCH THERE, THROUGH POOLING OF THE EXISTING CHRISTIANS AND CONVERTING OF OTHERS.

WE PRAY FOR THE LORD TO USE US UP IN HIS SERVICE BUT GOLLY I DIDN'T KNOW HE WOULD USE US UP SO FAST !!!!!!!!!

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THE HUFF'S