VOLUME II, NO. 2 FEBRUARY 1979

DEAR BRETHREN:

GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF JESUS AS WE BEGIN OUR FOURTH YEAR OF LABOR FOR THE LORD HERE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

JANUARY IS TYPICALLY THE SLOWEST MONTH OF THE YEAR. PUBLIC SCHOOL IS OUT AND MOST OF THE CHILDREN GO BACK TO THEIR HOME VILLAGES WITH THEIR PARENTS UNTIL SCHOOL RESUMES IN FEB. DURING JANUARY WE TRY TO READY PROGRAMS FOR THE RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION CLASSES To BE HELD DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AT THREE OF THE SCHOOLS HERE AROUND GOROKA. ALSO THIS MONTH GIVES US A BREATHER AND A TIME TO DO THING WITH OUR OWN CHILDREN

I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY IN JAN AND WALKED INTO ONE OF OUR CONGREGATIONS, BIMA PIAU, USUALLY WE DRIVE BUT THE RAINY SEASON IS IN FULL SWING AND I WASN'T SURE OF THE ROAD. IN GOOD DRY WEATHER THE ROAD IS PASSABLE AT BEST.- I DROVE MY CAR TO ANDY SCOTT'S HOUSE AND THEN CAUGHT A PMV ON INTO CHIMBU. A PMV IS A PUBLIC MOTOR VEHICLE, A CAR DRIVEN BY LOCAL DRIVERS FOR HIRE. SOME OF THE CARS SHOULD BE CALLED PATHETIC MOVING VEHICLES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, ONE TAKES LIFE INTO JEOPARDY EVEN RIDING THE HIGHLANDS HIGHWAY. (PLEASE DON'T TELL OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, THEY MIGHT CANCEL OUR POLICY FOR SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.) I WAS FORTUNATE AND HAD A GOOD CAR AND DRIVER BOTH UP AND BACK FROM ANDY'S HOUSE. I WENT UP SAT AFTERNOON WITH INTENTIONS OF WALKING INTO BIMA PIAU, SPENDING THE NIGHT, SUNDAY AM WORSHIP AND THEN HIKE DOWN OFF THE7500' RIDGE TO THE RIVER AND THEN BACK UP TO THE 7500' RIDGE SERIKOGI IS SITUATED ON, WORSHIP THERE, HIKE BACK TO THE MAIN HIGHWAY CATCH A PMV BACK TO ANDY'S AND THEN DROVE BACK TO GOROKA IN TIME FOR EVENING WORSHIP.

KOMANE, A CHRISTIAN FROM BIMA PIAU, WAS WITH ME. WE DIDN'T TRAVEL THE MAIN ROAD BUT TOOK TRAILS THROUGH THE BUSH. KOMANE WAS FEARFUL OF SOME OF THE VILLAGES ALONG THE ROAD. HIS TRIBE HAD BEEN DRIVING A CAR WHICH KILLED A YOUNG GIRL FROM ANOTHER TRIBE AND THERE WAS TALK OF "PAYBACK" (REVENGE) KILLING. AT PRESENT THERE ARE SOME 3-4 OF THESE THESE TRIBAL SCRIMMAGES GOING ON IN THIS AREA. AFTER LEAVING THE MAIN HIGHWAY WE ARRIVED IN BIMA PIAU 4 HOURS LATER. I SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE HAUS MAN" . A LARGE HOUSE IN THE VILLAGE USED AS A PUBLIC MEETING HOUSE AND WHERE THE MEN SLEEP WITH DOGS, PIGS AND GOATS. WE DID NOT WORSHIP UNTIL 11 AM. BECAUSE OF THIS AND THE FACTS: 4 HR WALK TO SEREKOGI + 2 1/2 HR WALK BACK TO MAIN ROAD + 1 HR RIDE BACK TO ANDY'S + 1 HR BACK TO GOROKA I DIDN'T GO TO SEREKOGI. INSTEAD WE WALKED BACK TO THE MAIN HIGHWAY AND BACK HOME TO GOROKA. THE BRETHREN AT BIMA PIAU COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT I HAD WALKED IN. WHITESKINS WHO HAVE CARS DON'T WALK HERE.

LANCE FRIIS AND I PLAN ON AN EXTENDED WALK INTO THIS AREA IN MARCH.

RIGHT AFTER THIS WALK-IN THE BRETHREN IN PORT MORESBY ASKED ME COME THERE AND HELP FIX THE CHURCH BUS WHICH WAS NOT RUNNING. KATHY AND I WENT AND I WORKED FOR 5 DAYS ON THAT STINKING THING AND HAD TO LEAVE BEFORE IF WAS RUNNING. WE DID COMPLETE ENGINE OVERHAUL AND HOPE FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE THEY CAN HAVE IT RUNNING AGAIN SOON.

KATHY AND I DID HAVE ONE DAY T0 GO SHOPPING. PORT MORESBY IS THE BIG CITY. WE FOUND REAL LIVE FRESH PEACHES ($2.10/lb), APRICOTS AND PLUMS. JAN WAS OUR 10th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY SO KATHY BOUGHT ME A FRESH CANTALOUPE AS A GIFT-$5.20 each !!! WE WERE IN THIRD HEAVEN WHEN WE FOUND SOME SNICKER CANDY BARS AVAILABLE (TIS THE WEE THINGS THAT BRING JOY). THE REX MORGANS ALSO HAD A BABY GIRL BORN WHILE WE WERE THERE. BY THE TIME WE ARRIVED BACK IN GOROKA OUR BAGGAGE WAS 60 lbs OVERWEIGHT. THE CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORE THERE IN PORT MORESBY HAD JUST RECEIVED A NEW SHIPMENT AND WE BOUGHT SEVERAL COPIES OF THE NIV BIBLE AND LOTS OF BIBLE CLASS BOOKS.

JAN 31 SAW THE FIRST TRAGIC ACCIDENT INVOLVING BUSES OPERATED BY THE CHURCH HERE IN PNG. THE LAE CONGREGATION HAD JUST PURCHASED A NEW TRUCK TO BE USED AS A CHURCH BUS. IT WAS STRUCK HEADON BY A SMALL UTILITY TRUCK STOLEN AND DRIVEN BY THREE MEN WHO WERE DRINKING. TWO MEN DIED IN THE UTILITY. DALE TEMPELTON, FROM TEXAS A&M WAS DRIVING TAKING BRETHREN HOME AFTER WEDS NIGHT SERVICES. HE RECEIVED A BROKEN RIGHT LEG, TWO BROKEN ARMS AND NUMEROUS LACERATIONS. THIRTEEN OF THE BRETHREN RECEIVED INJURIES THE MOST SERIOUS BEING A BROKEN ARM AND ONE HAVING THEIR RUPTURED SPLEEN REMOVED. PLEASE PRAY WITH US THAT THEIR INJURIES WILL HEAL AND THAT DALE WILL PULL THROUGH. WITHOUT THE LORD LOOKING AFTER US ON THESE ROADS WE ALL WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE FARM A LONG TIME AGO.

LAST YEAR WE WERE $3500+ OVER OUR BUDGET AND THE 1979 BUDGET IS HEADED IN THE SAME. WITH INFLATION AND THE LOSS IN US$ VALUE WE NEED YOUR HELP IN MEETING THE CHALLENGE THAT THE LORD HAS PLACED BEFORE US HERE IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA. PLEASE HELP BY INCREASING YOUR CONTRIBUTION BY 25, 50 OR EVEN 100%. IF POSSIBLE!!!

In Christian Service

The Huffs