VOLUME 4; No. 3
MARCH 1981
Dear Brethren;
Greetings in the name of the Lord
RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN
As I was reading the latest Newsweek last night I saw where you all are still
experiencing water shortages there in the States. I also thought that if you
would send us your buckets we would send you some of our rain we have been receiving.
Boy has it ever been coming down. We have been getting al least 1-3 inches per
night it seems. As most of our highways (misnomer) are dirt the continuous rains
have played havoc on the condition of these roads. The fellows operating the
pot-hole digging machine are a lot quicker than the graders. (There has to be
a pothole digging machine for the quickness of these holes, the next thing you'll
tell me is there isn't an Easter Bunny either!) !)
35 NEW BIRTH
So far this year we. have had 35 baptisms here in Goroka. Usually they are late
at night with 3 or 4 responding at once. This keeps us in line for our goal
of 250 baptisms for Goroka this year. The brethren have really gotten excited
and are sharing with their friends and fellow-workers.
FIRST TERM ENDS
WHEEW! The first term of school is finished. To say the least I was not a prepared
as I would have liked to have been. We started this first term of the Bible
Training School with just over 20 students. We finished with 18. As I mentioned
last month I taught Bible Backgrounds. This was a brief survey of Old New Testament
times and the cultured which had an influence upon the people then. I can't
figure out why it took Richard Rogers so tong to get through the Old Testament
at Sunset. I was through it in three weeks and then took a whole week to go
through Acts. (I'll try to take longer next time Richard and Abe.)
RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION
With the starting up of the school in February we began our classes again in
the local schools. The education system here has a compulsory one hour class
each week called "Religious Education." This allows the different
religious groups to have Bible classes for their converts children. Kathy and
l, between us teach in four of the schools. They work out like this: local High
School-4-6: Primary school 40; International School (our kids) 13, North Primary
School 8590. With the primary schools we have been using VBS materials which
have been send by Creive Hall church of Christ (Thank You). During the hour
class we do the two hour material. Since they haven't had much experience with
punch-out material Kathy and I have had to prepunch all the lessons. Then we
put the glue on the page and let them stick the picture in place. This method
isn't too bad unless you have the North School with 90 kids.
MORE ILLS MORE PILLS
During February Kathy has had some severe abdominal pains. With all the gall
she has we thought maybe gall stones, but that was ruled out as on the wrong
side. (Pregnancy was also ruled out.) Have you ever noticed that when you read
a medical book you find out you have all the symptoms of terminal illnesses?
We sent her to the Doctor in Lae who thinks that after 6 years she may have
some parasites in her. He has her on medication which seems to have relieved
most of her pain.
SOEB DROUGHT
Brethren we have entered a very 6severe drought here. We hereby notify you of
our SOEB. This stands for SHORT ON ENGLISH BIBLES. More and more of our contact
is with English speaking nationals here in PNG. Not only " the need for
English Bibles but ones which they can understand We have used King James in
the past but find this too difficult for most of them here. We have been in
contact with the NY Bible Society who will ship 210 NIV Bibles for the total
price of $619.50. Won't you take this need to your congregation or elders and
send us 600 Bibles???? If you can't sent them all, how about 210? For the Kingdom's
sake ???
You can sent you check straight to:
NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY
144 TICES LANE
EAST BRUNSWICK NEW JERSEY 08816
and tell them to ship the Bibles direct to us at
CHURCH OF CHRIST
TOBEY HUFF
BOX 878
GOROKA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
NEED GLASS CUPS
With all the baptisms we have had thus far this year we have come into another
area of shortage. We are on the short end of communion cups. White we were in
the states last year we noticed that a large number of you had switched to the
plastic communion cups from the glass ones. WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR GLASS
ONES ? Would you be willing to package them up in such a way they wouldn't break
and ship them to us? If you read this and know you can help, please do so now.
Please don't think,"Oh, someone else will read and heed this need. Therefore
my part would only be duplication." Not so usually. Most times we get no
response Very few VERY VERY FEW times we have more than we need. If we could
buy them here we would but we can't. If you don't have any glass ones then how
about sending us a 1000 plastic cups? THANK VOU!
ADDITIONAL PRINTING GEAR
During February I was notified that I was the successful bidder on a sealed
bid tender. The University of Technology in Lae was getting rid of a bunch of
printing equipment. For $545. we bought the following: 1 sml printing press
1 lg printing press; 1 duplicator; 1 book binding machine; and the typewriter
which is typing this newsletter. The whole lot needs repairs but we feel that
all of the items were a great buy.
FREE PRINTING PRESS
After we got all this additional printing gear up from Lae we found out that
one of the major airlines here in Goroka had a printing press that was surplus
because they had just purchased an new Multilith 1250. As luck (or is it providence)
would have it the surplus press was the same machine as one of the ones we had
just gotten from Lae. Both had some parts which we worn out. But guess what:
the worn parts on one were almost new parts on the other WOW! The Lord scores
again! Isn't it great working for the Lord!!! I wasn't going to tell you but
I know you won't tell anyone else so I'll tell you anyway. (Besides that I need
to fill up the rest of this page.) While we were moving the press the airlines
had GIVEN US FREE over to the print shop we had a slight accident. The press
was in the back of a small pickup and the truck had to go across a ditch. WELLLLLLLL
while coming out of the ditch the press tipped over out of the truck did a back
flip & plopped on the road. Small press? It took 8 of us to get it back
in the truck. It received a fracture of the left structure and bent ink roller
but since we are going to make one good press from two we were alright.
Thank you to all of you for your continued prayers and support of the Lord's
work through us.
the HUFFS