August 1983

Volume 6; No.8

Dear Brethren;

Greetings in the name of the Lord!

IMPORTANT DATE

5th ANNUAL PAPUA NEW GUINEA FORUM SEPT 30 - OCT 2
HIGHLAND STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST
443 S. HIGHLAND
MEMPHIS TENN. 38111
If you can go I know it will be worth your while.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
As we ended the last newsletter we brought you back to ground level after flying high with us on our return trip home. Or should I say we have crashed back to reality. We have now shifted most of the things we had packed into storage out and back on the wall, on the shelves, on the floor, etc, etc. We had packed most of the things into Jason's room when we left and since he needed a place to call "room" that was the first priority. So we cleared a space for his bed and moved it out of his sister's bedroom, so she could have her own f"room". My brother Greg slept on the couch.

FLAME OUT
I said the first priority had been to get Jason's room livable (it really has the lived in look by now). WRONG, I lied. The first order of business was to get hot water. We had installed a solar hot water system just before we went on leave but their efficiency is somewhat (a whole lot) lowered with the absence of sun (and the abundance of cool rain on the collector panels). We had purposely left our propane gas hot water heater installed for such cases.

You would think that with propane costing just over $72. per 100lbs (that's right Don $72/100 lbs.) that there would be a surplus, huh? Well, you would expect a reasonable supply OK? WRONG. There had been none in town for some time and it was a week or so after we got back that some came in (gone within minutes too!). We borrowed a bottle of propane from a good friend (thank you good friend) and Greg and I thought we would get Kathy some hot water right away. I know mom Greg and I aren't paid to think.

First off the thermal coupler had to be replaced. We did that. We finally got the pilot light to stay lit. Then whoom the whole hot water heater seemed to be on fire. Where are you "Red Adair"? Nowhere to be found. So "Red" Huff blew the flames out. The connection pipe into the water heater had a leak (good one too!) and the escaping gas had ignited from the pilot. I posted Greg at the heater while I ran (not away) to get a wrench to tighten the connection. By the time I had gotten back Greg had had opportunity to test his lung capacity twice, by blowing out the "flame outs". If for no other reason this is a good reason not to smoke, you have more lung capacity to blow out flaming gas leaks.

SHOWTIME
Because Greg was only going to be in PNG for a short period of time we wanted to show him around as much of the country as was possible. When we got back home we found out that the Annual Highlands Show was to be held July 1-4 in Mount Hagen. Usually they don't hold it until August or September. I guess they heard that Greg was coming and planned it just for him. (If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you.) Outside of Hagen is a bird sanctuary where they have a whole array of Papua New Guinea fauna and wildlife for tourist view. Greg got to see a lot of different Birds of Paradise.

We went to the sanctuary on Friday and attended the Highland's Show Saturday morning. Since we have been in PNG we have attended several Highland Shows. We were very disappointed at the whole panorama of this Show. It was very poorly organized and the people themselves were very overdemanding. Several times money was demanded from people in order for you to take their picture, even though we had to pay a camera fee in addition to the regular entrance fee. Overcast skies and rain didn't help matters any either.

Greg was able to see the main "singsing" groups and take several rolls of pictures. We saw highland dandies adorned with parrot wings, green beetle shells and gorgeous plumes of the Bird of Paradise. Many of the people wore bones through the nostrils and colorful armbands of woven orchid fibers were worn on the upper arms. The majority of the dancers had smeared themselves down with pig grease both for looks (a shiny sheen) and to ward off the cool highlands climate. We returned to Goroka on Saturday afternoon.

ON TO LAE
After spending the weekend in Goroka we traveled on the Lae so that Greg could see some of the hotter climate of PNG. We also went down to shop for things that were not available in Goroka. In Lae, while Kathy and the kids visited, Greg and I traveled out the Wau road. During the 1930's PNG experience (large gold rush in the Wau-Bulolo area. There is still an operation there but most claims are placer mines. Greg had wanted to see some of the goldfields. We ended up having a flat on the road and didn't get to see the actual gold mine or the dredge that had been flown-in and used in the '30s.

CROCODILES EVERYWHERE
While we were also in Lae we went out and visited a crocodile farm just outside of town. Here in PNG we call crocodiles, "pukpuks". This farm had over 11,000 croc's which were being raised commercially for their skins. The croc's are raised for 4 years and then skinned out. The skins being sold for about $190 each and the meat being smoked and sold to Hong Kong. The skins are sold the the US and France. This was the first time our family had seen the pukpuk farm in all the time we have been in PNG. It was really something to see when they fed them. The feed every afternoon. The company raising the crocs also has half interest in a chicken processing plant just down the road. They feed the crocs over 10 tons of chicken innards per week.

CONVIENENCES ???
Before Greg left to return to the States on the 13th the motor for Kathy's dishwasher burned up. I had shipped a spare motor while on leave and it had just arrived, so we replaced it. Also the timer for her washing machine went kapoot. It just came this week, but the timer motor on it doesn't work so Kathy gets to time every cycle and advance the dial manually.

REBIRTH OF PROGRAMS
We have begun our Wednesday night English Bible class in our home. We are studying the parables. Terasa has also begun her correspondence course. She and Kathy have had a trying time of it but I think they are getting into the groove with it. I have reconditioned both printing presses and am ready to start them up again. I have also begun my correspondence course on Microcomputers.
Another program begun is a surveilance system around the property due to the increase of crime. I installed motion sensors all over the property. Andy Scott had the use of Gordan Goldsmith's car while Gordan was gone to Australia for several weeks. Andy had brought over a test for Jab's brother one night and left the car keys in the car (just 15 feet away) and some guys came off the street (30 feet away) got into the car and drove off in the twinkling of an eye. Andy & I took after them. We reported it to the police and drove around looking for them. Finally a villager reported a car which had crashed by his village. A little over 2 hours after it was stolen we had the car back, with severe damage to the front end. If we hadn't found it that night it would have ended up in pieces. Live and learn!

Must go, I'm sure there is something else to repair.

Your servants for Christ,

the Huffs