Volume 4; Number 2
February 1981
Dear Brethren;
We are back home at last. After spending overnight in Honolulu we boarded Air
Niugini for our flight back to PNG. Also returning to PNG were Joe and Rosabelle
Cannon. They had Willie Franklin with them. Willie was spending 4 weeks in PNG
in a Campaign For Christ. On the flight to Port Moresby Willie was all over
the plane talking with everyone. When our plane landed in Moresby our family
had 45 minutes to catch our flight to Goroka. Not only was it hot and sultry
in Moresby but a Jumbo 747 had landed prior to our arrival so we had a long
wait in the customs lines. Finally cleared through customs we went out in the
terminal area. Many of the Moresby brethren were there including the missionaries.
We didn't get to say much more than "Hi-Bye" because believe it or
not Air Niugini was holding the Goroka flight for us. Scoot-scat we were on
and up in the air. Even all our 8 trunks and 8 carry on bags.
BACK HOME
Forty minutes later we landed in Goroka- back home at last! It sure was a welcome
sight to see the Scott's, Wallaces and a bus load of the brethren.
CAMPAIGN FOR CHRIST
Willie Franklin and the Cannons remained in Moresby where Willie began his Campaign
For Christ lessons that night. Advertising for this campaign had been over the
national radio (only 1 station) and interest was high.(One of the stewardesses
on our flight knew who Willie was from hearing the radio and seeing him reading
his Bible on the flight.) In Goroka they had advertised on the movie theater
screen.
During the Port Moresby campaign they averaged over 300 per night even with
heavy rains.
4 baptisms and 2 restorations. This was an especially joyful time for Kathy
and I as Terasa was baptized into Christ on Weds
morning.
During the Mt Hagen campaign they had over 1300 there the first night, but
heavy rains kept the average down under 250 the remaining nights. They had 6
baptisms.
During the Lae campaign they had over 650 there Sunday AM and over 500 there
Sunday Night. Sunday the Premier of the Province was in attendance.
The Lord's Word has really been proclaimed. BCC's and additional studies continue
as a result of these campaigns.
WELCOME BACK
Now as every other time we have returned to PNG we came during the rainy season.
HELLO rain! So much has changed yet so much has remained the same. (Our 12'
trees in front of the house are now over 30' tall. One thing which hasn't changed
is the work load, there's still plenty to do.
Andy Scott had broken the chassis on his Land Cruiser while we were gone. (Remember
the slides showing his car on the village roads, that's it !) Well the workshops
here wanted $300 for a used chassis plus $1200 minimum for at least a 7 day
job (their estimate). Andy bought the chassis and we changed it out in a day
and a half.
One of the our three buses had to have the gear box replaced before we even
did Andy's car. Another of our buses is down needing a new clutch and $450 to
register it. All of the car/bus repairs occurred within the first half week
of our return- good to be home
NO WATER
During the second week of our return while Willie Franklin was here for our
campaign we had no water. During the week despite heavy, heavy rains every afternoon
and evening we had no water in the city water pipes. We all ended up putting
44 gal drums under our down pipes to get water for toilets and cooking. No showers-
just sponge baths. The heavy rains had dumped silt and mud into the intake pipes
and clogged them up. We have city water back now if one doesn't mind the light
brown color. (I haven't installed the filter yet Don.)
ANNIVERSARY
Saturday January 17th Kathy and I celebrated our 12th Wedding Anniversary. Her
Montgomery Ward washing machine which we had shipped in Dec arrived the 20th.
This last week another of the buses feeling left out dropped it's muffler off
which had to be welded on. Then while taking people home after services Thursday
night the same bus decided to disconnect it's coil and distributor wire. Of
course this happened 2 miles out of town in the pouring rain. (Shades of Herbie!)
FLOOD
One of the duties one does during heavy rains here is the patrol the property
to see that the drains are handling the rains. Saturday night (24th) we received
over 120mm (4 ins) of rain in less than an hour. I was out digging trenches
to reroute runoff away from the buildings. Wham-bam-- a banana tree lodged in
the big drainage ditch in front of print shop backing up the water flow. Before
the water flow abated we had over l~2 inches of water in the print shop. Not
too good when you have over 300 reams of paper stacked on the floor. We'll only
lose the reams that were on the bottom, about 10 reams. Everything was a mess.
We scrapped and broomed the majority of the water and then we had new revelations.
Not only had water come into the print shop but had gone thru it, into the workshop
where we repair our buses. We had a new baptistry, our workpit had 5' of water
in it.
My belief in the Scriptures has been reinforced. We are told the Lord can do
ABOVE ALL that we ask or THINK! I had been thinking of cleaning the floors soon.
I guess I was thinking too small. Thank you Lord ! (I really hadn't planned
on hosing down the printroom floor, but it does look better.)
9 BAPTIZED
Due to the school break from Dec I-Feb 1 and the buses breaking down the Goroka
attendance has fallen. Jan averages were: Sunday 150; Thursday night 200. There
have been 9 baptisms thus far in 1981. Feb 1st we begin fulltime with our Bible
Training School with 30 students. Andy will be teaching: prayer and fasting;
John Acts; and I will be teaching Bible backgrounds
MOTORIAC ARREST
I almost forgot to mention that our printing press is down. It was a direct
result of overwork.MOTORIAC arrest (the motor gave out). We are attempting to
get it rewound as they wanted over $800 just for a new motor. I mean we have
bunches of things to be printed. We bought and shipped a used 1250 Multilith
from the states which should arrive in March sometime. This should take a big
load off this press, if it's fixed by then.
Until next month- In Christian love
THE HUFF'S