Jan-March 1997

Dear Brethren and Friends;

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

MELANESIAN BIBLE COLLEGE
We did it. With re-organization in place classes resumed January 6th. We had to finish out two blocks which were not finished last year. We cut the length down to four weeks instead of five. During the re-organization one of my jobs was to evaluate the current curriculum and up-date classes. This bought in new classes that the 4th year students had not received before so we combined all classes for these new classes. It worked out that Jab and I taught combined classes both blocks and the other two teachers, Miamel Golabe (national) and Andrew Jackson (missionary) taught unit classes. I taught Major Discourses (Bikpela Stori bilong Jisas) and Evidences (Stori bilong God).

On March 1st we had the 6th Graduation Ceremony of MBC. We graduated the last of the 4 Year Program with 3 men receiving their diplomas, Wesley Kau, David Thomas and Duse Jerry. In addition, 18 men received their 2 year Diploma of Biblical Studies, 28 English class diplomas were presented and Jab was presented with his Bachelor of Ministry Degree from The Theological University of America.

On March 3rd we started the 1997 calendar school year with 23 students. This is made up of 3 First year (including our first intake of female students), 10 returning for the 3rd Year course, 9 continuing the 2nd Year and one of the ladies from the congregation continuing as a full-time student. I am teaching two courses and Kathy is teaching the Women's Section, Mon - Wed. She is teaching Hebrews.

Last year Kathy and I started teaching children's classes with the Boundary Road congregation on Sunday AM & PM and Weds PM. (The education ministry was not doing anything about it.) We were averaging 55 on Sunday AM and 70 on both PM's. I would lead them in singing, tell a Bible story and then we would supervise them coloring. It was fun. The only non-fun part was the amount of sweat we lost even with fans going full tilt.

In Dec while we were gone some of the men got the men's meeting to pass a motion that I was no longer welcome in the men's meetings but that as long as I did what teaching they marked I could worship with them. (This was brought about because I have been trying to bring about an accountability on some of the men's part and not to be dictators.) I wasn't happy with the motion but in order to maintain the unity in a bond of peace Kathy and I have since begun worshipping with a smaller congregation on the other side of town called "Tent City". This was the area we were heavily involved in the floods of 1983. We shipped down over 25 tons of food for relief when we were up in Goroka. After that the government gave the brethren some land and the building was put up. They only have a pole building (pipe uprights with tin roof) with a dirt floor. They have welcomed us with much Christian love and we are helping them put their Children Bible classes together better. One of the problems created by the men's decision is that many of the brethren have quit goes to services at Boundary Road and nobody took up teaching the children's classes. Tent City does not have evening services so I have been having classes for the MBC students at the College on Sunday PM & Weds PM. Some of the brethren who had quit Boundary Rd are starting to come back to my classes. After a month the children have pleaded with us to re-start our classes for them and we have done so up at the Bible College grounds. We will be using these children's classes as training classes for the 3rd year students.

HAPPENINGS IN VANUATU
In December I received a letter from an Australian brother who knew Sombo and had visited with the Dowara's in Vanuatu in November. His name was Bob Wickham and he was married to a lady from Vanuatu. They had gone to Vanuatu to make contact with her family. They went back to Australia determined to raise money for a vehicle for the Dowara's and to help establish a primary school in the village of Eton where the church is. Bob's daughter was going back to teach there. Bob also wrote that he would help me raise funds to pay off the loan I had to take out to pay for the Dowara's immigration bond if I needed. In January we received word that a tragedy had happened in Vanuatu when Bob went back up to establish the Primary school. He got caught in a rip while swimming and was thrown into the reef. He drowned while unconscious. We have received word that the student council of Redland Christian School in Brisbane (Aust.) is sending $10,000 to establish the primary school in Bob's name. Please keep the brethren there in your prayers and the family!

Family happenings
Some of you have probably wondered what I do from 2-4 am in the mornings. Since our last newsletter I have been awarded two additional degrees based on my academic and educational work and my professional and ministerial experiences. They are Master of Ministry - Missions and Doctorate of Ministry - Religious Instruction. These will help us in our validation of the MBC program with the local government officials. I am hoping to use this new accreditation with the University of Papua New Guinea here in Lae and the University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu in regard to starting accredited religious study classes on campus. I am thinking of a course on "Comparative World Religions".

You knew you would get a picture of Ragan. Here she is. She looks much like her mother at that age (but with hair). By this time she is probably crawling. We have received a couple of videos and stay in fax/phone contact.

We had over 29 inches of rain in January and 21 inches in February. These are our dry months. We have also had some very strong winds (the type that drop coconuts on houses.) On January 30th(a red letter day) I finally got the parts and fixed my laser printers. I have also been involved in maintenance of the MBC property. Becky Mesa is the new secretary and we have her on a McIntosh computer. In Christian service.

Tobey & Kathy Huff

Prayer needs: 1. MBC.; 2. Funds for loan on Dowara immigration bond ($2500). 3. Biblical leadership for PNG and Island churches.