February 2010
Dear Brethren, Friends and Family
Ni sa bula.
Ever since we moved here to this house in September 2008 there has
been a water leak in the supply line to our property. The leak is out on the
main road which goes past the side of our house. It hasn't bothered the supply
of water to us but it was a waste of water. I have reported it to the water
people over a couple of dozen times. Early this year the government formed a
new entity they call The Water Authority of Fiji. This new entity even put their
phone number in the paper for people to call about leaks, I did!
They still didn't come so I put up a sign "Vuda Spa" and wrote another
letter to the editor. The birds used the pool every morning and evening, they
loved it.
Then there was a piece in the paper saying the new boss of The Water Authority
had read my letter and they would be checking out this leak, they finally did.
(I pointed out two additional leaks I knew about and they fixed them as well.)
They came out and dug up the street and found the leak and fixed it. The boss
gave me his personal cell phone number to call about other leaks I might know
about. (Does this make me the Vuda Point water monitor?) The next morning the
leak was back, I called the boss, so they came back the next day and dug it
up again and re-fixed it. However two days later our water was off for some
reason and when it came back the pressure popped the fixed pipe under the road
and there was a stream coming out. It took them two days to get back out and
dig it up again and try fixing it again. They did a better job and so far it
has held for three weeks. Every time the pipe was being fixed we did not have
any water in our lines. The constant pressure on and off saw some pin holes
develop in the black water pipe at the side of our house. So I got to repair
our water lines as well.
Somewhere up the water line where they have been repairing other water
lines gravel, sand and stuff has recently gotten in the pipe and Kathy would
get a glass full and bring it in to show me. I got the hint and installed a
filter for drinkable water.
The same time this water leak/fix/leak/fix was going on a container truck (taller than normal) took out our phone line which was hanging across the main road. I was in my office and heard a "twang" and went into the living room to see what it was. Kathy said the truck just pulled our phone line down. He stopped but by the time I got to the road he had rolled up the wire, thrown it on the side of the road and was getting ready to drive away. I was a bit rabid as this is our internet connection as well. "Oh, it wasn't his fault. It was mine that the wire was hanging over the road." Of course, our electric lines hang over the road and he almost hit them as well. I finally got him to at least give me a telephone number of his company. I had to use Kathy's cell phone as I did not have any time on mine. I also called the telephone people who were overjoyed to hear their line was down.
The driver's boss was not too happy to hear about the incident and
said he would call after talking to the driver. (I thought about holding my
breath but some might think of that as suicide, so I didn't!) He did return
the call (knock me down and bury me surprise!) about an hour later and said
he was sorry and he would call the telephone people to come out and reconnect
us. This was Thursday afternoon. Friday afternoon, after figuring they were
not coming, I went out and strung the cable back over the road as high as I
could get it and jerry-rigged the phone/internet connection back so we could
use it. It was still active and we were fortunate the connection was ripped
off the house not off their box connection. The phone people came Monday afternoon
and re-connected to a higher point and we are good-to-go for awhile, until........
Still dry, hot and humid
This is our rainy season but we have been very dry, hot and humid.
You can pry the air conditioner out of our bedroom when I am dead and gone.
This past month two additional tropical cyclones formed in the region but neither
one posed any danger or brought any rain to our region of Fiji.
Up until last night (Sunday 28th Feb) we only had .5 inches (13 mm) of rain
all month. Last night we received 1.3 inches (33 mm) of rain. It is still cloudy
today and the chance for more rain the next two days. Other parts of Fiji have
had downpours and major flooding.
Most of the trips to town I make by myself (check and send mail since
we don't have home delivery here) because Kathy does not like the roads here
(and my driving sometimes). Usually something happens and when I come back and
tell her she has no sympathy but says it is just "lucky ole me".
I use toner cartridges in our laser printer for all the Bible material we print.
The toners have gotten very expensive here but no one refills the Brother brand
so I brought some bottles of toner in from the USA. I had already brought some
in in December and found I could get twice the copies from a refill as from
an original cartridge. The first box of toner I was not charged customs. However
this box I was charged customs but the agent did not know the proper classification
and charged me 30%. They not only charge you for the cost of the goods but the
postage as well. I paid and came home to check out the customs website to see
what the duty should have been. I took my finding into the Customs office the
next day (which is different than the customs desk at the Post Office which
charged me the 30%). The head customs man could not find a classification which
fit "toner replacement for laser printer". He wanted to declare it
as "ink". I tried to explain the difference. So after an hour he asked
me to come back in an hour and he would call Suva and find out their ruling.
I went to a customs clearing agency and asked them how they would classify it
and they said "ink" also. When I went back to customs and the ruling
was "whatever" (they still did not have it in the right classification)
and the duty was 17.5%. Was I happy with that, they asked. I said I wasn't looking
for happiness, I was just asking for the proper classification (it only took
three trips and two days). Now how do I get a refund - the procedure is you
fill out a form pay $25 and lodge it. You know how people get blue in the face.
I do, I was trying to show the illogic of me having to pay for a refund on
their mistake! I have since written letters to the higher powers with
Customs in Suva but don't expect any satisfaction. I was also encouraged to
file for a proper classification by submitting a form with a sample and $45.
How blue can my face get!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your donation Tobey! Move
on!
I eat cereal for breakfast and usually buy Frosties (Frosted Flakes).
When we first came to Fiji in 2007 they cost FJ$9.00 (US$8.00) per medium sized
box. Since de-valuation of the Fiji dollar last year they cost FJ$18.00 (US$12.00)
per box. Two weeks ago when I went to pick up a couple of boxes they were marked
FJ$21.00. I left the store in shock. I refused to pay the new price. When I
got home I did the calculation and figured FJ$21.00 is still ONLY US$14.00.
I do not eat Frosties by themselves but mix a number of other American cereals
I can get from a Cost-U-Less store in Suva (when they have stock, they deliver).
We can get Mini shredded wheats, Life, and some other. I can get double the
amount for less then one box of Frosties.
Well, Kathy and I went in to shop a week later and as I was wandering
past the cereal isle I noticed the price for the Frosties was back to FJ$18.00.
Now that is miraculous! I bought two boxes before they went
up again.
I finished "The Reign of Christ" and I am now teaching on
the "Road to Maturity" on Sunday mornings at Sabeto.
As I mentioned last month with school out for summer (Dec-Jan) the
BBC work slowed down but with school starting back up the answer sheets are
starting to come back fast and many. We also had requests from 8 new students
this month. One student is in the maximum security prison in Suva serving a
9 year sentence for robbery with violence. He says he would have gotten more
if the judge had acted on all the charges that had been laid against him.
We have one of our students on Course 3 of the extension course now.
I am working on Course 17 (of 32) for the Bible Institute curriculum.
Kathy and I are both on Facebook now. It amazes me the number of people
who chat on Facebook but never respond to email. On my site I put up some pictures
and started a separate group for PNG workers Past and Present. We still try
to video conference with our kids and grandkids from time to time. The grandkids
are growing so fast.
Our oldest, daughter Terasa celebrated her 39th this past month. She
is probably also asking, where has the time gone!
Davis Clan (l-r):
Harrison,Taylor, Truman, Chris, McKinley, Terasa, Ragan, Jackson
Huff clan: (l-r): Jason, Jonah, Mel, Morgan
Do you have time for me to tell you about visa renewal in Fiji? Late
last year I went into immigration here in Lautoka and the person said they could
do the renewal and all I had to bring was a letter of application for renewal,
the current visas and FJ$464.00 (US$ 310.00). I sent the letter off to Suva
to get signed by a couple of the brothers over there but for some reason it
was taking too long and I could not make contact with either of them to find
out where the letter was. Since our visas expire on March 9th I got two signatures
from here and took the letter into immigration only to be told by someone else
we ALSO HAD TO HAVE medical examinations and local police reports. I went to
the doctors office and she was able to fill out the forms only on my word that
Kathy was still alive. The cost FJ$60.00 (US$40.00). The police station only
does police reports from 9:00 am-1:00 pm so back home until the next day. Arrived
at the police station at 9:30, waited an hour, they needed copies of our passports
but didn't have any toner for the photocopy machine so I had get in the car
to go to the Post Office for passport copies and I made visa copies also. Back
to the police station, where did I put the passports? All the paper work is
fine, the new charge for police reports is FJ$150.00 (US$100.00) EACH. Last
year it was FJ$22.50 each.) Milk those foreign workers! Didn't have that much
money on me so down to the bank, past the Post Office (picked up my passports
I had left there), spoke kindly to the ATM, it spit out FJ$300.00, back to the
police station, paid the charge, was given a receipt. It will take three weeks
- what? Sure enough the paperwork goes to Suva and
they will check to see if we have a record. So much for having a computer system!
Well I went ahead and took all the paper work into immigration, everything was in order and they will mail me the visas when they get the word from Suva. It is now a waiting game. The whole time we have been here we have never been asked for our visas. The way things are going, after March 9th someone will ask for our visas, now we don't have valid ones.
We have a typhoid epidemic right now here in some sections of Fiji. Sounds like more fun doesn't it! We'll try not to get it.
FYI: A good friend, Craig Ford, who was raised and has served on the mission field in Papua New Guinea has produced a Missions Resource book which might be of interest to some of you. You can source the book on the following site; http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/short-term-missions-handbook/ I read a copy and found it very good! It is a Short Term Missions handbook.Thank you all so much for your support and prayers.
Your seed sowing workers in the Kingdom.