December 31, 2015
(85 F 29.5C - 60-80% humidity)
Dearest Friends and family
CONTINUED REBUILDING
The Bible School library is mostly finished, except for repainting the floor
damaged by cyclone Pam. After 8 years my library books are out of the containers
and accessible. They have an odor about them because of the moisture and they
don't look like they used to either (mostly thicker), BUT THEY ARE OUT!!!!!
I was also able to use some table tops I had salvaged in 2006 while I was building
cabinets and had shipped to Fiji when we moved there. I used them for the desk
tops.
The desks and shelves are made from mahogany wood I bought in Fiji when we were there.
Finished shelves being transported to the library on the bike.
THIS 'N' THAT
CHICKENS
The chickens are three weeks old and they are growing leaps and bounds.
Goman has 50 at the school, Sul has 50 at his house and I am looking after 100.
The local chicken farm used to kill at 6-8 weeks (because that was the size
local restaurants wanted). I am hoping for 10 weeks with more meat per bird.
We plan to sell them locally and on the road. It is costly with feed costing
$28 a 20 kg (44#) bag but we should be able to make a profit selling for $11-13
per bird. Eggs here in the village are 60¢ each so we might get the school
into egg production as well.
When I got the day old chicks I put the four larger birds, that I had hatched in October,over into the hen side of the chicken house. When I came back a short time later the local chickens had attacked the broilers and at least two had sustained significant damage and were bleeding. I put them back in with the small chicks and ended up giving two to Goman and one to Sul hoping they would not die too soon. They were eaten! We still have one for us and right now it weighs around 10 pounds. I knew the village chickens are more aggressive but didn't think they would attack the other birds. I think they saw how much bigger they were and were afraid they would eat all their feed so they attacked them! Chicken discrimination!!!!!
I have decided that if I am ever asked how prospective mission workers should train I will recommend raising day old chicken to eating stage. It teaches dedication, decision making, feeding, nurturing, caring and self-control (when you want to kill them all and shouldn't). A lot like bring a person to Christ and grounding them!!! At least you can eat the young chickens in this case!!!!!
RAIN
We have finally had some rain. We had some small rains in November but
nothing to soak into the ground. However now we have had several downpours with
a total of over 6 inches. Half of this came one afternoon with a six hour lightening,
wall shaking thunder, wind and rain. 3 inches of rain in deluges!!!!!
The horizontal lightening blew out the LNB on the satellite dish which I had to replace the next morning so we could watch TV news (BBC, CNN and NHK) and of course all the ESPN bowl games). We do not get any local TV or radio here in the village and the DAILY newspaper is not always delivered as I have paid for, so satellite TV is how we keep up.
MAIL
Jason sent me a box this past month which I received after 4 weeks.
There was a hand written note on the front of the box we got saying: "missent
to Ho Chi Minh". It had first gone to Taiwan before Vietnam. I still have
to wonder what monkey at the Postal Service sent it out of California? The address
even says SOUTH PACIFIC. There are daily flights
from LA to Australia and Fiji which have connecting flights to Vanuatu. How
hard can it be???? Obviously pretty hard because all our AIRMAIL takes 3-4 weeks
to get here.
GARDEN
Due to the rains (and me watering when it is dry) we have had green
beans already, spring onions, tomatoes (even though having been attacked by
nematodes I have had some) and the pineapples and bananas are growing.
Kathy's flowers are also doing well,
especially her amaryllises.
With the moisture of course the grass and weeds grow as well. And since we have not had to use the grass cutters and mowers since the cyclone they all had to be overhauled before they would work.
On Christmas day I was able to get the Dodge Ram's transmission fixed. I had to drop the pan and replace the governor pressure switch. I found that the filter I had for the Dakota does not fit the Ram and so I just cleaned the old one, put the pan back on and filled it with fluid. (I am getting to old to keep climbing under trucks!) Drove it up and down the road a couple of times and it drove and shifted okay. Stephen came over this past week and asked it he could borrow it to go to the farm and I said sure (a good test drive I thought). He went up the long way because of not being sure the condition of the shorter back road. But he came back on the back road and said it only stalled on him once when he was going very slow during a washed-out spot) but it started right back up and gave him no problems (thank you Jesus!). He is not used to driving an automatic. His Toyota is also a 4 wheel drive and neither of our Dodges are 4WD.
Now I have to get it inspected (in town) and registered before March 31 next year. It will be a great work truck for the school along with the tractor and trailers. There are a few things I need to fix first though: a rear brake light burned out, no (installed) back bumper (I have it but I just have to weld out the rust and remount it), no license plate lights (the wiring was been ripped off but Jason is sending me a new harness I bought with lights). The acceleration cable has to also be replaced as when it broke before someone just jerry-rigged it up and it does not respond like it should). But the horn works!!!!!!
I taught at Port Vila, Epa and Eton this month.
This next week is the 1 year anniversary of Morris Felix's passing. The custom here is to have a time of reflection and eating to close this part of their lives. I ask and was able to carve a memorial for Morris' internment up at the farm. It is a slab left over from local logging. He was a great man and a Christian and is already being missed.
Kathy and I want to wish everyone a Happy and safe holiday season. Thank you for your prayers and support!!!
Please pray for additional monthly personal support in 2016 as we have lost some of what we need as well as additional support for the Bible Institute ($1500 per month) as we hope to get it in operation early next year.
The rebuilding is a partnership with all of you who have contributed and continue to give to the needs we have here. Thank you so very, very much and those of the brethren we have helped and continue to help in recovering from the after effects of cyclone Pam say, THANK YOU!
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 and
fellowship!
Thank you Lord for healing and providing what we need!
Grace & Peace
Tobey & Kathy Huff
Ph: (678) 596-4821 (Vanuatu) We do texting.
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Contributions for the Huffs, the
Bible school, the Scholorship fund and/or cyclone/drought relief 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
(417) 396-9122
j13huff@yahoo.com