Volume 9, No.4 May 1986
Dear Brethren;
Greetings in. the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who provides life.
MISSIONARY JOURNEY NO.#
We have lost count the number of times we have been on the road in the past
years as per informing the brethren as to our plans and needs. This month us
having to go to New York to be interviewed for our visas to enter New Zealand.
After checking for the best airfares we found them to be out of Nashville. So
we drove to Jeffersonville Ind. and spent the weekend with them before driving
down to Nashville for the flight to New York. We flew to New York and flew back
the same afternoon. (i haven't ever lost anything in New York and didn't want
to give them the opportunity.) Steve Stamatis picked us up at the Airport and
bussed us around.From the airport the road goes through Queens. Everything I
had ever seen or heard about the Queens is true and more. At one intersection
traffic congestion left us in the intersection after the light hanged. I thought
"Oh no, the horns will really start honking now!" WRONG! The taxi
cab drivers started throwing ROCKS at the van. Wow! Shades of Papua New Guinea.
Ask me if I missed spending a few days in New York. HA!
After we arrived back in Nashville we spent the night with the David Lock family, former PNG missionaries now working in Nashville. It was good to be with them again. The following morning we put the kids on an airplane back to Joplin. We had a couple of weeks of appointments and they needed to get back to school. After we saw the kids airborne Kathy and I headed for Lexington Kentucky where I talked with the missions committee. From Lexington (ask us sometime about the castle built along side the highway just outside of Lexington) we drove thru Horse Cave, Kentucky where we visited with former SSOP classmates Wayne and Becky Hatcher. (He preaches and sells cars in Cave City.) We then returned to Nashville where I had to beat David at a game of golf before going on to Memphis. In Memphis we stayed with Joe and Rosabelle Cannon. They were having a Mongolian Barbeque when we arrived so we helped ourselves. The feast was for the Mission-1000 program that Joe has been working with since his return from Papua New Guinea. It is a para-missionary program designed to provide workers for existing mission works who need helpers. We REALLY enjoyed our visit with them. I'm crazy but Joe is absolutely
NUTS!
From Memphis we headed on down to Vicksburg M I S S I S S I P P I. They talk
slow down there. We stayed with Les and Marge Ferguson. It had been over 8 years
since we had seen the family and WOW ! They was all grown up (even little Amy).
Les and I went to Sunset together. We had a really good time and talked to the
congregation on Sunday AM about our needs.
We left Vicksburg and headed to Avinger Texas where we stayed with George and
Bertie Seaburg. George used to work for the FAA and now privately certifies
some of the pilots up there in the air. They live in a beautiful home on the
Lake of the Pines. One of the days I went with George as he only had a couple
of certifications to perform. The first guy we took up had to be completely
certified. I went along as "dead-weight" (as listed on the manifest
as per George's instruction). One of the maneuvers of the testing consisted
of stalling out at about 3500 feet. Not once but 4 times. I didn't feel like
dead weight then. After the first couple of times I was alright. I didn't know
they were going to do it. Later that day George and I went fishing. They weren't
biting ("But we always catch fish here.") however I caught a couple
of minnow size stripe bass and George had a small bass impale itself on his
hook. We had a super time there. at the Local Fish House!. Thanks Seaburgs!
From there we traveled to Shreveport. Like always as we arrived our host family was leaving for the day. The Ken Stamatis family was headed for Richlands Hills in Ft Worth for a workshop. They returned the next night. We were able to visit with Greg and Leonard Cannon (sons of Joe Cannon). Greg's wife and kids also had left town. We spoke to the brethren at North on Sunday evening. What a joy it was for Kathy and I to be where singing it taken seriously and with spirit. Keep it up Orlando, maybe you will be able to lead a few songs around the throne in heaven.
From Shreveport we drove to Morrilton Ark where we renewed fellowship with the Dale Ely family. Their children have grown up too. The only difference is that they must have been feeding them lion meat as compared to us feeding our's hamburger. They are big'uns. From the Ely's we drove on over to Ft Smith Ark and stayed with the Buster Herran family. We spoke with the brethren at West Ark and were encouraged by their involvement in the Kingdom. The ministers there are former missionaries to New Zealand and much interest was shown toward our plans. From Ft Smith we drove back toward Joplin thru Cave Springs. We stopped to say hello to Don Shores but he too had left town. (I do use deodorant now friends!)
We arrived back in Joplin after 19 days on the road traveling thru 11 states and over 2900 miles. Kathy's parents had stayed with the kids while we were gone. (Someone ask me the next day how our vacation had been !)
MORE GOING OUT THAN IN
When we got back to Joplin from our trip we had a letter from Papua New Guinea from the shipping company who shipped our equipment. Even though I have corresponded with them in regard to damages owing me they want their money yesterday (April 7) or they are going to serve the congregation with papers to recover the $3900 we owe them. Brethren we don't have it. We have appealed through our newsletter and personally but not received sufficient funds to retire this debt. The congregation in Joplin had a special contribution for Kathy's surgery but we still owe $600 and the bills for Jason's and my surgery was over $1200 (which was paid for as per instructions from our sponsoring elders from the work funds.) We also paid for the Mesa's airfare from PNG to New Zealand which totaled $1400. In addition we still owe $7000 (we have paid off $2000) to the bank in Indiana which was borrowed in November to pay for my trip to New Zealand and pay customs that was charged on OUT car. Used cars are so expensive in New Zealand that because we owned the car even paying customs it came out cheaper than buying in New Zealand.
Also awaiting on our return was notification of the loss of $300 per month support from a congregation hurt very bad with the oil crisis. Due to the nature of our airline tickets we are going to have to leave on faith that the Lord will raise up others of you to meet this need.
At noted last newsletter we have to be leaving May 23rd. Please give this your immediate consideration. We know that times are trying but also know that the Lord continues to provide. If you (as a congregation or individual) cannot help would you announce this need to the brethren and ask if individuals will support this need. This is one of those times we need your help desperately yesterday.
MAIL FUNDS TO:
NORTHSIDE CHURCH OF CHRIST
OCEANIA OUTREACH FUND
2510 HWY 62
JEFFERSONVILLE, IN. 47130
Our address for New Zealand is located on the front of this bulletin. Please write us or better yet come see us.
Your servants because of cross of Jesus,
the Huffs