January - April 1992

Dear Brethren and Friends;

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?
Where HAS the time gone? Seventeen years ago a young family left Joplin Mo and moved to Papua New Guinea. A young man with a full head of hair and young woman wondering if they still ate people in this hither land, a bouncy red head just 4 years old and a blond headed toddler not yet 2 years old. Today we have an older man with more pink than brown hair, a mature woman who gracefully shows silver hair intermixed with her blond hair, a vibrant redhead who just celebrated her 21st birthday (with her husband) and a blond headed young man who is coping with university life.

Where has the time gone? You tell me and then we will both know. So much yet not so much has happened since we last wrote. We have been extremely busy. But first of all our family: we are doing well physically (some would question the mental side). Kathy had to return to Joplin for three weeks because her father was diagnosed with a tumor. While she was there they performed surgery and began radiation treatment. The Lord answers our prayers brethren. Her father, Rusty Haynes, is recovering and both he and Bonnie are hoping to come out to New Zealand later this year. (Praise God!)

We didn't have the money to send Kathy back but we know the Lord win provide the $1500. It was good for Kathy to go back to be with her family. She also got to see Terasa and Jason while there. Jason is coping with life at Harding University (with his steady girl). They went to her home in Colorado during Spring break (snow and an). Terasa is working hard and doing extremely well at graduate school. She was really upset that she got her first "B". She and Chris had moved house and she said that she didn't study enough. (Some of us would have been overjoyed to even get a "B", wouldn't we son.)

THE PRINTING WORK
We are still trying to establish the Printing Service to provide most of our personal support. To provide sufficient support and to still be able to go out and be personally involved in the work is a very, very fine line.
We finally finished and shipped 3500 song books in Pidgin English to Papua New Guinea. This was a $6500 investment. We are processing a number of tracts which we will be printing in a dual format. One side is in English, the other side in Fijian, Pidgin English or Bislama (Vanuatu).

THROUGHOUT THE REGION
We have been asked to visit with the brethren in Vanuatu, The Solomon Islands and Papua New-Guinea- later this year. We are praying that finances will allow us to make this trip in September. I recently read in Christian Chronicle a headline which read "Printing Ministry a service whose time has come". Many of us came to this realization many years ago. The printed page goes places and stays longer than missionary personnel have or can. More and more we see the power of the printed page as we provide tracts and World Bible School courses in the South Pacific (New Zealand, Australia, PNG, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji) and South East Asia (Korea, Indonesia, Thailand). It is exciting to receive letters from people in these far flung places requesting more information about God, Jesus and His church. Usually they get our address from a tract or a course. You are a part of this with your support and prayers. We thank God for you continually. There are times when Kathy and I yearn to get back into the islands on a full-time basis. Lord willing either the printshop will be sufficient one day or sufficient support will be available to enable us to do this.

Remember Steven Felix, the young man from Vanuatu who is attending the South Pacific Bible College, he is doing extremely well. He is a quiet young man but is coming out more and talking and mixing with everyone in the congregation. He is maintaining high marks in school. This is an encouragement to us in that our goal of providing training to local people to take the Gospel to their own people is the correct direction.

The biggest growth in our tract ministry is from past and present students of the Bible College who submit tracts for printing which are then being put into the dual format.

The booklet mentioned in the enclosed newspaper article was a TV guide with advertising. It went to 20,000 local homes every week. Last month we advertised for free Bible Courses and to date 18 people are signed up. New Zealand is a very materialistic society. Sunday is "THEIR" day for sleeping late and sports. Many are from "religious" backgrounds but few have time for Biblical discussions. Overall very hard nuts to crack. Very frustrating at times in comparison with the openness and freshness of the people in the islands. Please pray with us for these new students! Until next letter. Thank you for your prayers and continued support. Your help makes an eternal difference for some people.

I thought you might like to read how we are seen through the eyes of the local community, a non-Christian view point.

the Huffs