MARCH 1978
DEAR BRETHREN:
GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
SOME MONTHS IT NOT ONLY RAINS IT POURS! THIS MONTH ALONE
WE HAD OVER 40 INCHES OF RAIN. WE HAD TWO WHOLE DAYS WITHOUT RAIN.
WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR THE RAINBOW.
LAST MONTH JOHN WALLACE WAS GIVEN UNTIL APRIL 1ST TO
MOVE FROM HIS RENT HOUSE THREE WEEKS! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
IF THERE HAD BEEN AVAILABLE HOUSING BUT THERE WASN'T AND ISN'T.
ON THE CHURCH PROPERTY HERE WE HAVE THREE LARGE METAL
WAREHOUSE TYPE BUILDINGS; 1 WORKSHOP FOR VEHICLE REPAIRS AND CARPENTRY
WORKSHOP; 1 USED FOR RECREATION AREA; 1 HOUSES OFFICES, CLASSROOMS
AND PRINTING AREA. IN THREE WEEKS WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE OUR OFFICES
AND CLASSROOMS AND BUILD THE WALLACES A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE INSIDE
THE SHELL OF THE BUILDING. - WE WORKED 16-18 HOURS A DAY AND FINALLY
GOT THEM MOVED IN APRIL 1ST. DURING THE BUILDING OF THE HOUSE
I TRIED TO BREAK MY BACK BY FLIPPING OFF A CHAIR WHILE PAINTING
THE CEILING AND TRIED TO CUT OFF A FINGER WITH A CHISEL WHILE
BUILDING KITCHEN CABINETS. ALL IN A DAY'S WORK AND PLAY!
THE PROPERTY HERE IN GOROKA IN ADDITION TO THE CHURCH
BUILDING AND THE THREE LARGE METAL BUILDINGS HAS A THREE BEDROOM
HOUSE WHERE BOB AND CINDY DUPONT LIVE AND A 2 BEDROOM HOUSE WHERE
LANCE FRITZ AND GLEN FARMER LIVE. LANCE AND GLEN ARE STUDENTS
FROM THE AIM PROGRAM AT SUNSET SCHOOL OF PREACHING IN LUBBOCK
TEXAS. THEY ARRIVED EARLY THIS MONTH AND HAVE BEEN A REAL BOOST
TO THE WORK FORCE HERE GOROKA. THEY WILL BE HERE FOR 18 MONTHS.
LAST MONTH WE MENTIONED THAT CURTIS HARRISON AND HIS
FAMILY RETURNED THERE TO THE STATES FOR SURGERY. THE DOCTORS
THERE FOUND A TUMOR IN HIS NECK, NONMALIGNANT BUT INOPERABLE.
THEY ARE PRESENTLY TREATING HIS WITH COBALT. HE IS PARALYZED
FROM THE WAIST DOWN WITH LITTLE MOVEMENT OF HIS FINGERS. PLEASE
PRAY WITH US FOR HIM AS THE DOCTORS SAY IT WILL BE SOMETIME BEFORE
CURTIS IS ABLE TO EVEN WALK AGAIN. THE HARRISON FAMILY HAD BEEN
HERE IN GOROKA FOR OVER FIVE YEARS AND WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE
FOUNDATION OF THE WORK HERE.
THE CONGREGATION HERE IN GOROKA HAD15 RESPONSES THIS
MONTH. THE ATTENDANCE HAS AVERAGED 85 ON SUNDAY MORNING AND 185
ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. OUR AVERAGES HAVE BEEN-DOWN PRIMARILY DUE
TO THE LARGE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS LAST
MONTH OR TWO. OUR SERVICES A It AFTER DARK ON WEDS AND WITH RAIN
THE PEOPLE JUST DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO RIDE THE BUS TO SERVICES.
SUNDAY WE HAVE THE,PROBLEM OF RUGBY WHICH THEY START PLAYING AT
THE SPORTS GROUND EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AND DON'T FINISH UP UNTIL
AFTER 6PM.
WE ARE AT THE PRESENT TIME TRYING TO TRANSFER MORE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE CONGREGATION'S RUNNING INTO THE LOCAL BRETHREN HANDS. THIS
TASK IS MADE DIFFICULT DUE TO THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE MAJORITY
OF THE CHRISTIANS HERE.
THIS MONTH HAS BEEN A REAL RASCAL AS FAR AS OUR VEHICLES
GO. WE RUN A BUS ON SUNDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS BECAUSE MOST OF THE
ATTENDEES LIVE IN COMPOUNDS AROUND THE TOWN AND MOST DON'T LIKE
TO WALK AFTER DARK IN THE RAIN SO UNTIL THEY MATURE MORE AND THE
RAINS CEASE WE PLAN TO BUS. PROBLEM: WHEN THE BUS QUITS OUR ATTENDANCE
DROPS DUE TO NO PICKUPS. SOLUTION: PURCHASE ADDITIONAL BUS TO
SHARE THE WORK LOAD OF THE BUS ROUTE. OUR ONE BUS HAS TO USUALLY
MAKE FOUR OR MORE TRIPS LEAVING ONE LOAD AT THE BUILDING TO WAIT
UNTIL ALL HAVE ARRIVED. PROBLEM: NO MONEY! PERHAPS THERE IS A
CONGREGATION OR INDIVIDUAL WHO COULD HELP US WITH SPECIAL FUNDS
FOR PURCHASE OF BUS TO HELP THE WORK. THE COST WOULD BE AROUND
$2500.
AT THE CONGREGATION IN DUMUN WE HAD TWO BAPTISMS THIS
MONTH AND HAD 25 OF THE 37 CHRISTIANS REPENT AND ASK FOR PRAYERS.
ATTENDANCE AVERAGED 36 AT DUMUN AND 40 AT BIMA PIAU THIS MONTH.
KNOTES FROM KATHY:
ANOTHER MONTH HAS COME AND GONE WITH SUCH GREAT SPEED
IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.
THE WALLACES HAD TO BUILD A HOUSE. THEY ARE NOW IN THAT
HOUSE THANKS TO THE LORD. IT WAS A HARD THREE WEEKS OF THREE WORKING
SHIFTS; 6:00-12:00-7:00-11:00 OR AFTER. SOMETIMES (MOST TIMES)
THEY DIDN'T STOP TO COME HOME FOR SUPPER. WE CARRIED THEIR LUNCH
TO THEM. (THE KIDS PROBABLY THOUGHT THEY WERE ORPHANS FROM TIME
TO TIME .)
MOST MISSIONARIES WHEN THEY GO TO THE FIELD DON'T EXPECT
TO BUILD HOUSES OR SUCH BUT SOMETIMES IT IS THE ONLY WAY THEY
CAN STAY ON THE FIELD. THE METAL HOUSE WE ARE STILL TRYING TO
BUY IS STILL TIED UP IN PAPERWORK. WE TOOK PICTURES OF THE EXISTING
HOUSE TO THE SUPERVISOR OF EDUCATION AND HAVE ASK FOR HIS DECISION.
IF THE LORD WILLS AND WE GET THIS HOUSE WE WILL BE MOVING IT
HERE TO GOROKA AND BUILD IT UP OVER THE SMALL TWO BEDROOM HOUSE
HERE ON THE PROPERTY. THE PRESENT APARTMENT WE RENT HAS BEEN SOLD
AND WE ARE NOT CERTAIN AT TO OUR FUTURE HOUSING ACCOMMODATION.
TOBEY FELL THRU A CHAIR ONTO HIS BACK WHILE SPRAYING
PAINT ON THE CEILING . HE ONLY BRUISED HIS BACK, BUT COULD HARDLY
WALK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
BACK HERE AT THE FLAT (APARTMENT) JASON WAS HELPING SET
THE TABLE FOR DINNER ONE NIGHT AND DROPPED THREE PLATES ON HIS
BIG TOE. IT'S ALL BLACK AND HE WILL LOSE HIS NAIL. NEVER A DULL
MOMENT! MUST CLOSE AND MAIL SOME LETTERS.
PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR PRAYERS FOR OUR WORK AND THANK YOU
FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PURPOSED SUPPORT FOR THE LORD'S WORK HERE
IN THE FIELD OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA. THROUGH OUR WEAKNESSES THE LORD
CONTINUES TO BE GLORIFIED. PLEASE REMEMBER ANDY AND CATHERINE
SCOTT AS THEY RETURN TO THE WORK HERE IN APRIL.
YOURS IN THE MASTER'S SERVICE
TOBEY & KATHY HUFF
Box 878
GOROKA
PAPUA NEW GUINEA