June 2001

February - June 2001

Dear Friends and Brethren

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who brings us into each new day for opportunities to share His great and wonderful news of salvation. I am so sorry that I have not been diligent in sending our newsletter out in printed form. I thought I had mailed one in April but see it has been since January. Shame on me! I do try to send an e.mail report each month. If you have e.mail or access to an e.mail account please drop me a note to include you in the e.mail. I know many of you do not have e.mail and thus will try to be more faithful in the future to send a newsletter out at least every three months.

 

CYCLONES: PAULA & SOSE

The end of February we were hit with Cyclone Paula. We hung on but the foliage took a beating. We had several days of wind and rain and the storm moved over us at midnight on February 28th. The local power company cut power until 6:30am the next morning. We lost several pieces of roofing on the container and over the truck shed. Our satellite dish was twisted 180 degrees off center. The avocado trees had all but two branches sheered off in the winds. But while the avocados were still coming off the trees they sounded like bombs hitting the tin roof. Over 200 came off and some weighted about 2 pounds each. We had sustained winds for 3 hours of 75 knots with gusts up to 120 knots. The branches were stripped off all the coconut trees and most of the banana trees were on the ground. Our papaya trees are no more. We took the full force of the cyclone as it came right over us. With the gale force winds we received over 6 inches of driving rain. The day after the cyclone was a local holiday so people could clean up their yards and fix their homes. We had major water flooding in the building and a number of low lying boxes full of printed stuff were soaked. The building is also in a rat infested area and I put out bait for them. Usually I can sniff out when they die. After the cyclone two carcasses were sniffed out under the counters a week after they expired. Glad you were not here.

 

On April 8th Cyclone Sose roared by early in the morning. It went west of us with 45-65 knot winds. It was not as strong as cyclone Paula but we had 4.5 inches of rain and the winds came from a southerly direction. Cyclone Paula blew from the Northeast. So this season we have been hit from both sides. I boarded up the living room and bedroom windows before we went to bed. We lost two large limbs on a tree next to the truck shelter and all the remaining branches on the coconut trees. Banana trees which survived Paula have now been knocked down by Sose. The northern islands of Ambae and Santo which escaped serious wind damage with cyclone Paula suffered total crop distruction as cyclone Sose lingered in their area while it was building up and before moving on southeast to us. Because of rain, local flooding and high winds worship services were not held. We also live on an active earthquake plate in this area and we experience at least one or more tremors a week. They seem to be getting more active. Rockin' and rollin'. In May we had several "knock pictures off the shelves" earth tremors.

 

Even without the cyclones we were in rainy season and the ground was soupy. The road from our house to the main road made the Rocky Mountains look flat. Some of the pot holes were 2 feet before they dumped a load of rock in them. Now they are only a foot deep. Because the building we use for worship services has a tin roof there are times when it rains that you can not literally hear yourself speak. We have an agreement here with the brethren that if it is raining heavy on Thursday night we do not have class. One Thursday night it was borderline with the rain but just as we were talking about going down to the building, lightning hit and we were without electricity for 30 minutes. So no class that night! That same lightning took out computers, fax machines and telephones across town as some of it hit a telephone exchange box. We were fortunate here (low lying area) and only lost electricity.

THE SKY IS FALLING

You should have been here when the Mir Space Station re-entered. The local emergency response people sent everyone home from the government and the schools that afternoon. They said it would be better if they were home if they got hit by space debris. Many rumors were going around as to what to expect. One good one was that a whole lot of new diseases would be brought back from space and millions of people would die. Some even asked if the people in the station would be alright. It was cloudy and rainy so we did not even get a look. I hope the people in Mir were okay after they landed!

 

NEW BRETHREN - 5 BAPTISMS ON AMBRYUM

Shem and his wife were able to finally travel out to his home island of Ambryum in February. He held gospel meetings every night (rain and pressure light permitting) and as a result of teaching, 5 people from his family were baptized. They are planning to put up a thatch building. This might have to wait until Shem goes back as we have heard that the Presbyterian elders in the village have threatened court action and the village people lack the courage to stand up to them. Please keep them in your prayers!

 

THE MIOPAS

Yusi and Marika are doing a great job with their neighborhood devotionals and as a result our Sunday morning gatherings are averaging over 50. Most of the group from Blacksands are still struggling. Sara and Simon no longer come and cannot be found. Jeffery always seems to find reasons why not to attend services. Jeffery was convicted and sent to prison for 10 months for rape in May. He was drunk at the time and pleaded guilty. Yusi is now teaching at the prison on Sunday afternoons. About a week after Jeffrey went to prison his son, Ham and daughter in law, Monika obeyed the gospel. We had thought that the door might be shut to teaching others but it has not. Please continue to pray for Jeffrey, new Christians and open doors!

 

Port Vila Youth Camp

In May the schools here had a school break for two weeks. One of the weekends the Port Vila brethren held a youth camp at Eton beach. There were about 45 youth in attendance from Eton and Port Vila. It was planned and executed by the local brethren with help from the PNG brethren. I taught a class on Sunday morning and we had combined worship with all the brethren. Afterwards we shared in a fellowship meal together.

 

US

I finished teaching the book of Acts (ol Wok blong ol Aposol) on Thursday nights and I am now teaching The Parables. I hope to print the Bislama songbook in June/July so our brethren through-out the islands can have access to the songs. I am still working on the Fiji songs for the Fiji songbook. Health wise we are still alive. The ankle I twisted in December still gives me fits from time to time. During times of high humidity we use the air conditioner in the back part of the house for the computers and at night in the bedroom which is helpful as Kathy is still trying to deal with hot flashes. As of mid May/June it has cooled down, it is the start of our winter months. Last night it got down to 54 degrees.

 

After cyclone Sose I cut down a soursop tree which had fallen over. The sap from the tree got on my hands and clothes. I ended up with 'poisen ivy like' swelling on my forehead, left eyelid and "slum housing size' blisters on my right and left forearms and both left and right lower legs. Low humidity and no sweating is recommended for healing to occur. Fat chance of that during the humid and hot season! The only way I was able to get it to clear up was to scrap off the blisters and wipe the area with handiwipes and finally found some calamine lotion in Fiji (See the Fiji story below) to cover the areas. I took the swelling and blisters to Fiji and the first few days there was not much improvement except the facial swelling went down. After a week in Fiji it was drying up. When we got back home to Port Vila the itching (due to healing) got so bad in my feet and ankles that I had to slap the areas with a flyswatter to get the itch under control. Again no blisters on the shins and feet as there is not enough fat underneath. That only lasted a couple of days to Kathy's relief even though she had offered to beat me with the flyswatter if I wanted. However on Tuesday, May 1st, I burned a stack of branches which had dried after the cyclone. Somehow I got some of the sap on my fingers and though I was careful and thought I washed well - I had the itchies back on my forehead, a swollen left eyelid and a few blisters in the crook of my right elbow. It was cooler so I was able to stay on the top of the situation with calamine.

 

FIJI TRIP

In December when the new board was set up in Fiji for the proposed "Christian Institute of Biblical Studies - Fiji" it was decided that we would have another meeting prior to the Easter weekend annual Fijian Workshop in April 2001. We needed to discuss and pass by-laws, okay a letterhead and logo design for the school and finalize the registration with the government. The trip to Fiji was good. We had a good talk with other board members as well as Christians in the Nadi area. We approved a set of By-laws and have invited three more Fijian men to sit on the board. During the weekend we attended the Fijian annual workshop. A lot of the talks were in Fijian and some were translated. We were able to meet up with a lot of the Fijian brethren we have come to know over the years. We had an announcement made to the Fijian brethren about the proposed school. There is a lot of interest. The last four days we returned and stayed in Nadi, visited with Josua and Anna and the Nadi brethren and checked out prices for housing, vehicles, food and such.

 

Though the "proposed Bible School" is a campus school it has been suggested by some that we look at an extension type school for Fiji until and when we had funds to build a campus school. It was suggested that we should look at moving over to Fiji and begin to put courses in place which would be used for the school whenever it got started. It was thought it would be good if we offered some short courses to the various congregations in Fiji so they would know what to expect from us and that they could get some Biblical knowledge as well. It was also talked about that thru CIBS maybe offering a series of courses to the public such as 2/3 nights a week for three hours a night over a 6/8 weeks period.

 

With the CIBS in Fiji moving forward we decided not to pay $500 per year for a work permit so our residental visas for Vanuatu ran out in June. We are now on tourist visas until the end of September. We have no income tax here but by the time we get through paying all the duties and other taxes the rate is about 40% on top of some of the highest prices in the uncivilized world. We were very upbeat about the Fiji trip and liked what we saw. We found that airline tickets from Fiji to the States are reasonably cheap and maybe a trip back every year to see family is a possibility. Housing is about 25% cheaper. Food is about 30% cheaper. The money conversion rate is 2.22 Fiji dollar per US dollar. Overall it looks like a move on to Fiji would be in the better interest of our work. I can also see a great opportunity for printing in Fiji but don't know if I want to take the presses there and get stuck in that again in a big way. I think we would take at least one sea container full of stuff with us. We cannot do anything until the school is registered and we make application for our visas under the school. We will have to have the same bond in place for Fiji as we do here ($2500 in a local bank). Costs for visas in Fiji are $100 per three years as compared with $500 per year here in Vanuatu. If we go ahead with this train of thought we are thinking we will move over to Fiji sometime after late July or in August.

 

A GOD-SEND?

In the past we have been called mercenaries instead of missionaries because we are always seemingly begging for funds to do the Lord's work. I do not apologise for having to beg for funds for the Lord's work. If I am to beg then I will be the best begger the Lord has. When I opened the USA Today newspaper this past week (May 29th issue) I noticed that the Lord is blessing every US taxpayer with a small windfall and I would like to take a moment and ask for your consideration for the special needs we have at this time in the Lord's work. We saw where the US government is sending single taxpayer's $300 and married $600. Many of you will have it spent already but since it was money (a blessing) that you hadn't expected would you consider giving to extent the Lord's work where the blessing (funds) will bring about an opportunity to preach the gospel throughout the South Pacific by the training of faithful men to teach and train faithful men and women. I am not asking for any funds for our personal work. I am asking that you please give part of this blessing (windfall) to help us get the "Christian Institute of Biblical Studies - Fiji" up and going. With the current monetary situation in Fiji it is a buyer's market for land and property but the buyer has to have funds. At this point we do not have any funds. It is very difficult, nigh to impossible, for us to raise awareness and funds while we are still here in Vanuatu. When I saw this in the paper I thought, "here is a Godsend."

 

We would like your consideration of the "Christian Institute of Biblical Studies - Fiji". We have been asking for $75,000-125,000 for land purchase, structural buildings and furnishings. If we could raise at least $50,000 there are several properties with a house and land which we could purchase and get started. This would allow us to get crops planted for when we get the funds to build student housing and classrooms. More structures can be built as funding becomes available. We would like to ask you to consider how this can be accomplished with the blessing (tax refund) you are now receiving. If 166.67 of you would just give $300 each that would raise $50,000. We are not asking for the complete blessing (refund) but if you wish to give it all the Lord will bless you for it. Some of you can help more and some can help less but with the help of everyone we can reach this amount.

 

I am not going to put a guilt trip on you (as if that would work) but Jesus talked about how we will be judged in the final day by the way we met opportunities with the responsibilities and blessings God has provided. Could we not say like what was said to Esther that this might be a case of, "for this reason such an opportunity came in the Lord's work" when a blessing (funds) came which were not expected. What better way to use your blessing to bless others. We are only asking for your consideration. If you can help and if you think others should be aware of this great opportunity then please share this letter with them, maybe even the congregation where you worship. A special contribution for sharing of the blessing. What a novel idea!

 

Please send funds to the address below marked "Fiji Bible School Fund". Until we can secure a proper sponsor for the school our personal sponsor have agreed to handle the funds thru our account there. If you cannot help at this time please pray for this need. God bless you!

 

NEEDS for the "Christian Institute of Biblical Studies - Fiji"

(1) A congregation who will accept the challenge of sponsoring the "Christian Institute of Biblical Studies - Fiji". This would include majority (but not necessarily total) support of the school, help in planning, raising of funds, oversight of and working with the CIBS board members for the implementation of qualified personnel to operate and run the school.

 

(2) Finances - (for a five year period, at the end of which we hope to have established crops which will provide for the future operating expenses)

a. $75-125,000 (for land purchase, structural buildings and furnishings)

b. $3,500 per month (staff salaries, student and operating expenses)

 

As always your prayers and support are very much appreciated and we ask for you to continue to remember us to the Father.

 

In the Service of the King of Kings

Tobey & Kathy Huff

 

"Fiji Bible School Fund"

College St church of Christ

134 South College Street

Lebanon TN 37087