February 23, 2013
Dear Friends, Brethren and Family
Since the last newsletter we have been trying to save as much of the damaged stuff out of the container as possible. It is so disappointing to lose any of it. I changed out the transmission fluid three times and we still have slippage getting into high gear. Once it is in high gear it drives just fine. However driving around Port Vila at snail pace seems not to be too good on it and you can smell the plates getting hot.
The end of January we had a rat in the house. We don't know how he/she got in but we used snap traps (it got away with wounded pride) glue trap (it left a bit of fur). We finally got it trapped under the cabinet baseboard. Then it would stick its head out of a small hole and pull Kathy's throw rug by the sink over to the hole and chew on it. We starved it (by putting everything edible out of reach or in footlockers and it finally made a run for it out the front window screening. There was a patch on the screen and it ran right through it never to be seen again (made a horrendous noise in the middle of the night doing so). The patch was fixed and reinforced and all means to reach it have been removed. Kathy was not a happy camper but happier now!
We have a weeping mirror. Every time the humidity is over 70% (which is usually every morning) water droplets form on it. It was one I got after my grandmother Vessels died.
Monday January 28
I went to town on the bike for (universal generic) transmission fluid for the
truck and on the way back a bug went up my short's leg and I ended up with an
infection like a boil.
Tuesday January 29
Took the truck to town to buy insurance for it.
Wednesday January 30
I changed out the differential oil as it had oil in it also. Changed out the
transmission oil as there is still water in it.
Thursday January 31
The village here has a sort of water supply and when the church put in the foundation
for this house they connected a line to the main supply which runs under and
along the highway. The neighbors had hooked up to it and had been using it for
a long time deciding it was easier than hooking up their own supply line. Well
the brethren told me to hook up to it and I did. I ran black polypipe from the
road to the side of the house and put a tap (faucet) on it. Some days it drips
about 20 gallons (other days it does not drip at all) which I drip into footlockers
and then pump up to the upper tank. It is a God send for the days we have no
rain. The village supposedly has it hooked to a holding tank up in the bush
feeding from a small stream. We have noticed that most households do not have
any way of shutting the pipe off and just let it run into containers and overflow.
Thus the no pressure!
I also got the tablesaw top sanded down and oiled that was rusted in the move. There is still rust under the top but at least the top is useable. With the container dried out I started putting stuff back in for storage.
Friday February 1
I took the motorbike into town and registered the truck. The first registration
you pay a 7% tax on the value of the vehicle plus the yearly registration, it
costs 74,000 vt (US$813)
February 2 - 7
Cleaned out one of the original containers finally so I could find things we
had packed in it from Fiji.
Sunday I am supposed to be teaching my series on Spiritual Gifts but Eddie wanted to talk so we let him preach.
I put together the solar kits we brought over, fixed weed-wackers for some village people, worked in the gardens - planting and cleaning, went to town in the truck and bought plywood to make cyclone shutters for the windows and cement board walling to finish the laundry room and put on the front and back of the church building to replace rotten bamboo blinds. The day I put the cement board on the laundry and make and put up the cyclone shutters it rained off and on.
Friday February 8
We went to town with an idea of towing the Opel car we had bought last year
and which was still sitting at the repair shop unrepaired (they do not know
how). We found that while it was at the repair shop someone stole the stereo
and car jack out of the car as well as breaking a number of things, including
the hook (bonnet) latch. We towed the car up to Stephen house and then got everything
we needed to get done in town before hooking the Opel to the truck to go home.
The Opel has electric windows and with the heat I decided to just chain and strap it to the truck back bumper and haul it that way.
Kathy did not want to drive the truck with the car in tow and as there was nobody else there to steer the car, I strapped the steering wheel as well.
Unfortunately there was a hard right hand turn to get on the main road which is a steep hill before we could get out of town. I had a hard time turning the right turn but did and then about 100 feet up the road, with the transmission slipping, the Opel started moving out into the oncoming traffic and then it pulled next to the truck before drifting back down the hill. It bent the chain hook and loosened the strap we were using. I had the steering wheel roped in place so as it drifted back down hill it stayed in behind me. I stopped, but before I could get to it, it rolled back into a small car but a bus behind him slammed into the back of the small car. There is always heavy traffic on this road and we backed it up. I was able to reconnect the tow rope and pulled the Opel on up the hill and off the road to wait for the police.
The small car was driven by an ex-pat (white man) who is the manager of one of major resorts here. He and his passengers were not injured and they came out of their (slightly damaged because everything was bumper to bumper) they were on the warpath immediately calling the police for instant action (at lunch hour, ha). The police finally came and calmed down the ex-pat and got everyone's details (they never asked for license or registration). Everyone has Third Party insurance here and liability insurance is just too prohibitive unless you have a new vehicle. Even though the bus driver was at fault for following to close and rear ending the small car I assured him I would fix the small damage to his van.
I hooked the Opel back on the truck and Kathy towed me home. I had the front door open since I could not power down the window. The Opel is now sitting under cover beside the container until I can get time to look at it. I brought a rebuild kit back for it but have been told by a reliable source that it needs shifter valves which we might be able to get from Australia.
I paid to repair the bus 82,000 vt and paying 40,000 vt lease for the
bus while it is not on the road. (about $1300 total) An expensive tow but a
learning experience.
Saturday February 9
Worked in the garden, fixed two village brush cutters, painted the shutters,
put all the solar panels on top of two of the containers and ran the wiring
down by the generators.
new cyclone shutters on the house
Saturday February 9
We had a meeting after services and it was decided that we would use the church
building to teach classes of "The Christian Institute of Biblical Studies".
So starting in March we are going to be offer courses. We will offer evening
classes on Sunday, Tuesday. Thursday from 6-8 pm and the same class will be
in the morning Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8-10 am. This is flexible enough
it someone needs to do something urgently then they can make up the class. Unfortunately
without housing facilities we cannot accommodate full-time students yet. These
classes will be for a month at a time. The first class will cover the book of
Galatians because the church here in going through a time of visiting missionaries
trying to get the brethren enslaved in a legalistic gospel.
Monday February 11
Worked in the garden, went to town and bought three deep cell batteries for
the solar storage (really golf cart batteries but they will work).
Tuesday February 12
We went to town with Morris. We picked up roofing iron I needed for the laundry
room, verandah and small porch overhang for the front of the church building.
Came back and worked on replacing the bamboo on the back of the church building.
Wednesday February 13
Finished replacing the bamboo on the church building and the porch overhang.
Saturday February 16
Planted new section of the garden with beans, lettuce, cabbage, onions, etc.
My radishes are ready I planted a week or so ago. We have flowers on the pumpkin,
cucumbers, almost on the tomatoes and the corn is "heading" out.
Corn with fence to keep the chickens out
Same with the tomatoes
I put the new roof on the laundry noticed I had an infection in my right leg up to my knee.
Sunday February 17
I finally found and located some medicine for the infection. I could hardly
walk. It rained in the morning and for some reason we had very few people in
services, Eight took communion: Morris and I were the only Christian men.
That evening the small generator we use to alternate with the larger one quit working. It was the one we brought from Fiji and they do not sell it here.
Monday February 18
I worked on the small generator to fix it but the ignition coil is no good.
(I have since been able to contact Kipor New Zealand and they are going to send
us the parts.)
Finally after lunch I bit the bullet and went to the doctor in town about my leg, it was not getting any better. The redness and swelling was getting worse, to the point that I had red bruising up the right calf.
I have had a number of tropical ulcers since we have been back here in Vanuatu. I had tried to make sure I use a lot of insect repellant and/or keep covered up. This is hard when the humidity is around 75-90% all the time. The flies are terrible here as we live in the village where they have pig pens behind their houses and and the villagers are not very hygienic.
Usually I have contained the tropical ulcers and they have healed howbeit leaving me with me large scars on my shins. However a week or so ago I scratched my right heel (I wear sandals a lot). Last week it became infected so I aggressively treated it with antibiotic cream. The Saturday i noticed a tightening in my fright calf and it was red and hot. I knew I had a secondary infection so I found the Doxycycline from the VA and started taking it. By Sunday the leg was very painful. I could tell I was running a slight fever as well. I tried to keep the leg up but when I would get up the blood would go to the leg and I could hardly walk for awhile until he pain subsided. But once the blood settled in the leg I could hobble around for awhile. Once that lessened I was able to get around but the leg was redder and more swollen, now up to the right knee.
That was a fun 2 1/2 hours. It is a French clinic and the Doctor (emergency physician) took one look and put me on on my back and on an antibiotic drip. He redressed the wound (complimented me on my dressing of the wound) and gave me the following medicines, which I am now taking. He said it is a common bacteria infection he sees here but mine is a classic case of septic. I was hours away from the hospital. He even drew lines on my leg to see if it spreads.
Augmentin 500/125 (Amoxicillin 500mg/ clavulanic acid 125mg) 2 tablets,
3 x a day, 10 days
Ultralevure 200mg 1 tab morning- 10 days (it is for microorganisms, bacterial
infections)
He also gave me some Fucidine cream which I am not to use EVERY DAY.
The original sore has healed but the lymph gland behind by right knee is the size of a golf ball. I have not stayed off of it like I should but I hate just sitting in a chair sweating to death.
If we don't have rain I try to water the garden every afternoon.
We have filed the insurance claim for the damages and will be seeing what they will do about the truck. One of the hoses to the power steering unit corroded through due the salt water in the container. Jason is sending another (I have repaired this one with tape and hose clamps hoping it will hold together). I fear that more failures will occur in time. The idler/tensioner spring on the fan belt was also frozen with rust and had to be freed.
Onward and sideways!!!!!!!!
Kathy's knotes:
Tobey says it's my turn to write as some of you may think that I'm not really
here as it's usually Tobey that has all of the "fun" adventures. But
hey, who do you think takes all those pictures for you to see what he is actually
talking about. :0)
The ladies here were able to meet on the 11th and 18th, Monday mornings. Rebecca was able to attend the first meeting and we had Janet, Lucie, Marie, Leisong and Enia. We met at 9:00 am and sang, prayed and I taught on what a Godly woman is and what is expected of her the first week. Second week the topic was the Godly wife and what she can do to help her husband, family and others. We all like to sing so sang for close to 30 minutes. They have beautiful voices as they sing in four part harmony here. We discussed what/who needed prayers, especially our men as leaders of the church, the leaders of our country and those of the world. They prayed and read the Bible without having to be asked which is wonderful for a teacher. We had brought covered dishes for lunch and were finished by noon. Some of the ladies were unable to come as they work in Pt Vila or have small children to look after. Most "Grandmas" here look after their "Bubu" (grandchild) and the daughter works in town. They have wondered how Tobey and I can stand to have such a quiet house. I tell them I rather like it that way. Besides living in the village we hear all the neighborhood children.
Tobey has been able to plant a veggie garden and I have been "raking" stones and hoeing a few of the weeds around. Who knew growing up in Missouri where the ground is full of rocks that I would be in a place that has even more rocks (and coral) in it. The corn is not doing too well, a little stunted, but the green beans are putting out flowers along with the pumpkin and cucumbers. The tomatoes are mostly doing well but no flowers yet. The chickens got the carrots and we have not replanted as yet since we only got another packet of seed on Friday (yesterday). He planted two kinds of cabbage and some onion. We were having to shoo out the birds until we hit on the idea of stringing shining ribbons over the garden to flutter in the wind. Hopefully we will have lots to share with the brothers and sisters here.
watering the beans
Tobey has been able to run a line/hose from the tap out by the road so that
we have access to water. It comes at a trickle but we can fill up 2-3 containers
through the day and then Tobey pumps it up into the water tank (on the container
for water pressure into the house and washing machine). It is great not having
to wait for the rain to fill up the tanks to be able to wash clothes. Also we
can water the garden each night.
hedge and flowers planted alone front fence
Kathy's new plants in front of the house
Lucie, (daughter of Morris and Rebecca Felix) has been back from Australia for the past 3 months. She has helped them with the baking of the bread (village bread baked in an oven that is made of a 55 gallon drum and cement). She comes over and helps with the raking of leaves here as well. She helped me put in some palm trees and flowers at the side of the house (the side faces the road).
With the humidity here so high, all I have to do is walk ten feet and sweat pours off my face and I turn bright red. The ladies are amazed that both Tobey and I sweat so much. They have not seen too many "whiteskins" sweat. I tell them that my dad was the same way. Daddy always carried a handkerchief with him.
This past week, Tobey and I went into town to see the doctor. Tobey has another sore that got infected (on the heel/ankle area). Once flies get to it the infection starts. This one went up to the gland behind his knee and still was heading "north". So a drip with antibiotics in it was given and the doctor cleaned it up and dressed it. Of course Tobey was told to rest, elevated the leg and keep it dry. I just looked at the doctor and thought "you have no idea who you are talking to do you?" He's been on medicine (a total of 10 day course to be taken) but it looks like we may be going back on Monday as the gland is still bright red, hot to the touch and has a knot in it. We will see! It really doesn't take much of a cut or scrape to be infected in a couple of days here. When the doctors say to keep it dry, they have no idea that Tobey goes through 3-5 t-shirts and a couple pairs of shorts each day just working out on the car, in the containers, on someone's grass cutter or tv. We have no a/c here and really the breeze we get off the ocean is lovely. We do have fans overhead and floor fans so that I am not too hot unless I am hanging out and getting in clothes from the line or working in the garden (I try to do my gardening after 4 pm when it is cooler) or cleaning the house.
As Tobey has mentioned before, he tries to fix/mend TVs, DVDs or grass cutters that are brought to him. Most of the time they pay him with bananas. I guess Morris has told everyone that I make banana bread but we have no banana trees on our property here. Tobey reckons it's because they have asked a "monkey" to do a job and bananas are the payment! :0)
So I try to keep busy with the cooking, cleaning, washing clothes and dishes. We go into town (usually) Tuesdays and Fridays for fuel and any shopping that needs to be done. Sometimes that can take from 8:30-3:00 and that can be very tiring for me in the heat. It's always lovely to come back home to the wonderful sea breezes. People don't just visit each other here. If they come, there is a reason (that eventually comes out). It is taking some adjustments to life in the village but the Lord is opening "doors".
Tobey is planning to start teaching a class in March, the book of Galatians. Three mornings a week and three nights a week for those who can't come through the day. That way they'll have a choice. It will be in English and have tests. The ladies are excited that they are invited to come as well. More on that next month.
Thank you everyone for the prayers and love you have and are showing us through your support of the Lord's work here in Vanuatu. We pray daily for you to be blessed richly because of your love for the lost and thirsty souls in this part of the world.
PS I just had to go back to the clinic/Doctor and they lanced three large pus pockets behind my right knee, I could hardly walk. The lanocaine did not deaden it because there was so much other stuff. He left a gauze drain in the largest one and will retry tomorrow to get more of the pus out.
Your seed-sowing brother and sister.
Tobey & Kathy
--
Contributions for the Huffs, the Bible school and house can be sent to:
Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870
or
Tobey & Kathy Huff
c/ 2730 E. 24th St
Joplin. MO 64804
Mailing Address:
PO Box 3229
Port Vila
Vanuatu
Ph: Mobile: (678) 596-8421
Web Site: http://www.oceania-outreach.com/Index.html