December 2008

Dear Friends, Brethren and Family

Bula Vinaka!

Bible Courses and other material
We now have over 20 students on external courses of CIBS here in Fiji. I had been thinking of contacting the local prisons to offer courses because the new police chief has started a campaign to get the local churches better connected with the inmates. But before I contacted the prisons we had two inmates request courses. So they must get the local paper in prison. One prisoner is due for release soon the other is a lifer, both are in the Suva prison. In the new year I plan to contact the prison system and try to get more inmates on Bible courses.
I am also working on additional courses to be offered in the new year. Since getting back I have been updating the Fijian/English songbook with notes that I first published in 2000. There are two versions this time: one version is for people like Kathy and me and is with the Fiji words printed phonetically the other is for Fiji speakers who read Fijian. In Fijian: "c" is pronounced "th"; "g" and "q" are pronounced as "ng"; "b" is voiced as "mb"and "n" is voiced as "nd". Nadi is pronounced Nandi. Sabeto is pronounced as Sambeto. Eventually as one learns Fijian they will automatically pronounce the different consonants but right now it helps us to be able to pronounce it phonetically when we are singing the songs. I have printed 2 copies of the phonetic version and 20 copies of the revised version. With Laser printers it is cost effective to print copies as they are needed and this is what we will do.
Congregational Lovo
A lovo is when the food is cooked in the ground. Most Fijian have one around Christmas time and we of the Sabeto congregation are no different. We hold our lovo because many of the brethren will be traveling over the Holiday season and the congregation will not be back to full strength until after the New Year. We had our celebration last Sunday with over 50 people and one dog in attendance. I finished the series I was teaching on "The Christian's Personal Life".

Josua Conivanua leading us in communion.

Digging in at the chow line.

Who moved the furniture?
I hit my right foot on a piece of furniture in the hallway last week and bend my right little toe completely back. I was in full stride but quickly pulled up. I have been able to get it so it is only partly sticking out from the rest of the foot. If it had been furniture made here it probably would not have hurt but it was something I build out of red oak. The pain is just relative - whose I don't know. It is going on two weeks now and the swelling is subsiding and the black and blue areas is getting smaller. I can get my sandal on the right foot if I do it very, very slowly. 

LIVESTOCK WOES
The pigs have still been coming into our yard no matter how many times I fix the fence. In early December the owner of the pigs threatened to kill me if his pigs came to any harm. This was after the local police gave me permission to trap and kill them if they were in my yard again (over 20 incursions to date). I tried to reason with him and he verbally threw me off his property. He is about 6' 4" tall and over 300 lbs. Afterwards we were together at the police post (he came while I was explaining his ranting and raving to the police after I tried to talk to him and he threw me off his property). His first defense was his pigs liked to take walks every morning and every evening and "who were we to try and dissuade them from their appointed rounds". The police pointed out the problem with this reasoning as the law says owners have to contain their animals (which is a novel thought with all the cows and goats walking free on the roads throughout Fiji). He then said his pigs had rights under the constitution?????????? He apologized after talking a bit more with the policeman (and having been told what a stupid argument he had made about the pigs having constitutional rights) and said he would fix his fence to keep the pigs in. So far his pigs have only been in the yard twice after he said he would fix the fence and the last time I saw him he was jovial and still apologetic. The people around here have given me the name "tula tula" which respectfully means, "Rabbi". As I told you before, in the Melanesian society they respect you if you stand up for what is right. As Christians we just have to not push the situation over the edge where we would have no witness to these people in the future. That was all we were asking for - pig owners to keep their pigs out of our yard (which is what the law says they have to do) and away from our mangos. The mango season is over and the pigs should not have any reason to visit our yard now. Yeah that will work!

Prayers appreciated and requested
We have received word that due to the financial situation there in the USA we will be losing $400 per month from one of our supporting congregations. If you know of anyone or any congregation who can help make up this windfall please contact us. And please do not forget our need for funds to buy land and buildings for a located site for "The Christian Institute of Biblical Studies."

The political situation was notched up another level this morning with the Fiji government giving the New Zealand High Commissioner 7 days to leave Fiji and the New Zealand government doing tit-for-tat to the Fiji High Commissioner. This new situation was precipitated by the New Zealand government denying visas for some people related to military members of the current regime here in Fiji. This has been the policy of New Zealand and Australia since the coup in December 2006. Elections were supposed to be held in March 2009 but the military commander says he is not ready for such so the Kiwis and Aussies have put more pressure on the current Fiji government through visas approval/disapproval. This does not have much effect on the grass roots people (and ourselves) here in Fiji . Visitors and tourists have nothing to fear. So much so John McCain and his family are here in Fiji for their Holiday vacation (16th time in 26 years). They are staying at a very exclusive resort just off the mainland from where we live. They are staying at the Turtle Island Resort. To visit Turtle Island one has to fly by seaplane or go out by boat. Obviously US Senators get paid more them missionaries! You think!

We love and appreciate all the support and prayers you offer for our ministry and wish God's richest blessings on you and your house. Thank you so much for the Northland Mission church in Kansas City who sent us a box with Kool-Aid, Saltine crackers, Swiffter Dusters refills and a furniture brush for the vacuum cleaner.

Have a Very Happy Holiday Season and a Prosperous New Year!

In the Master's Service

Tobey & Kathy Huff