July 2009

Dear Friends, Brethren and Family

Ni Sa Bula from Fiji land.

I didn't realize that so many things go haywire when you are gone. The ants tried to come back into the house. Tried is the operative word, they are dead now. Security lights quit working, had to replace the whole units. The weather cannot decide if it wants to be hot and humid or cold and humid, calm or windy.

Still working on the congestion
In the last report I mentioned that Kathy and I were trying to come to grips with head and chest congestion. The croop just doesn't want to give up. We still have coughs and are taking medicine to relieve the symptoms, some days to no avail. The sugar cane is in bloom prior to cutting, the mango trees are in bloom and all the wild grass around has heads on it. When the mango trees are in bloom there has to be several days without rain for the pollination to occur or the fruit will not appear. We had several heavy periods of rain during the mango blooming time and we thought we might not have as much fruit this year as last. Wrong, the trees are already heavy with the first fruits and I am glad I have a good store of surgical gloves to pick the fruit up.

All fun in the life of Fiji
This month I had to re-register the car and that was fun. Last time Joshua did it for me because we were in the States. It seems you are supposed to make an appointment with the government Land Transport Authority who does the inspections as well as the registration of vehicles here. I fronted up at the counter in Lautoka about 9:30 am the day my registration was due. No, my name was not on the list of appointments. Yes, I would wait in case someone did not show up for their appointment (other wise I would have to make an appointment for another day, drive back into town and then front up for everything). I sat with a book for an hour and a half until my name was called. I paid the $13 for the inspection, went out and found the inspector, drove my car up on the ramp so he could look under the car, tried all my lights, drove off the ramp where he popped the hood (bonnet) to check the engine for leaks, honked the horn, tried the wipers, parked the car and took the passed inspection slip back into the LTA. Waited in line for another hour to pay the fees, paid another $13 for the inspection sticker, $56 for wheel tax and $7.50 for road user taxes. Registered car for another year! Doesn't get any better than this.

Opportunity to Help

Joshua and Anna have lived in rented houses since they came back from the Bible School in New Zealand in 1988. They now have s ix children. Earlier this year they were given a piece of land in a housing development on the outskirts of Lautoka which already had a concrete pad on it (approx 520 sq feet). They are building as they can and were able to put up the framework and the roof by the end of June. They had money enough to put siding on it and Josh asked if I would help him do so as the carpenter he had been using was busy (and I am cheaper!). So for three days Josh and I put up the mahogany siding. Mahogany lap board(#3 grade) was even cheaper than pine so that is what we used. I have already told them that I would build kitchen cabinets for them and Kathy and I will be paying for a tile floor in the kitchen and living area. (Remember it is a concrete slab). The tile is reasonably cheap here ($1.50 per 16" tile) and I plan on personally laying it so it will be done when I need to put the cabinets in.

Front of the house

Joshua nailing on siding

Opportunity to Help

This brings me to present an opportunity for anyone who wishes to also help. They still need to put masonite on the walls and ceiling, paint all of it, wire for electricity, build a shower and toilet block next to the house, plumb the house and block for water and drainage and a number of other things before they can move in. As mentioned Josh and Anna are building as they can come up with the funds. So far they have expended US$2,000. He is supported as an evangelist from funds of friends in New Zealand (and we know how much that does not pay and the fact that they like us have no pension plan as we get older). Anna is looking for a job in a very, very tight labor market. Can we help this worthy family? As mentioned Kathy and I are doing the cabinets ($850) and the floor ($450) in the kitchen and living area.  Estimated costs still needed are: masonite for walls and ceiling, $450; electrical. $625; bedroom floors tile, $375; plumbing $325; toilet block, $435. If you wish to help funds can be sent to our sponsor marked "Conivanua House". You cannot know how much your help will be appreciated by these tireless workers in God's Kingdom here in Fiji. They will complete the house eventually but much quicker with our help. Thank you so much!!!!!!!

Extension Courses for CIBS
I have been able to finish another of the extension courses for the Bible School. One more to go and I will have the first 10 courses ready to offer. There seems to have been a slow down with the students returning the courses for grading but they are still sending them back.

This N' That
Kathy took an overnight trip to Suva with several of the ladies from around the marina here this month. They went to see an Opera being performed in Suva (now you know why I didn't go). They left on a Friday afternoon and returned Saturday night. All day Saturday the wind blew 50-70 mph here at home. It had all the boats jumping that are tied up at the marina. On Sunday morning the rains began and because of the severity of the winds and rain we were not able to have services at Sabeto. That is one downside to not having a permanent facility to meet in but even then most of those travelling to Sabeto would not have come because they would have had to find transport (taxi or bus) in the driving rain.
With the mango season starting soon the neighborhood pigs are on the loose again. In the past they have always visited our yard to scarf up the fallen mangoes even if it meant breaking through our fence to do so. Our dogs have shown that our yard is off limits to pigs now. When the pigs came close to the fence the other afternoon the dogs were at the boundary letting them know "this is a no go zone" and the pigs ran off. You might remember the problems had with the pig owner last year and I don't wish to repeat it this year. We find it bad enough driving down the highway trying not to hit goats, horses and cattle which drift from one side of the road to the other.
Again we appreciate and thank all of you who make it possible for us to be here and assist in the workings of the Kingdom of God here in the South Pacific. Your prayers and support are a God-send in times we feel we are but spinning our wheels.

Your seed sowing workers in the Kingdom.
.

Tobey & Kathy