May-June 1998

Dear Brethren and Friends;

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN - MOVING ON

In our last newsletter we mentioned that we hoped to be moved to Port Vila, Vanuatu by July 1st. As I write this letter our actual scheduled arrival date is June 30th. The containers of our personal effects are to be packed and on the wharf here in Lae no later then June 12th. They are to arrive in Port Vila on the 30th of June.

We made our trip to Vanuatu and Fiji in April/May and accessed that the Lord was calling us to Vanuatu at this present time. We will also be involved with the Fiji brethren from time to time with their teaching and printing needs. We are in the throes of packing again - oh thrill!!!!!!

Wow what a trip! Glad we made it, just wish we were moved already. Walked back into a mildew and moldy house. Forgot what we didn't miss. Doesn't seem to be as much mold in Vanuatu because they are further South and have more breeze. We found out several things we wouldn't have known if we hadn't gone. Malaria is less frequent. Most household things are very expensive to buy in Vanuatu and whatever we can ship will be worth it there. The major thing is that the Vanuatu brethren need us more at this moment then the Fiji brethren. We can get to Fiji pretty quick if we need to.

We had talked of selling down to one container. After this trip we feel that it would be worth it if we shipped two containers. (See pricing in budget below.) We are living in a three bedroom house now with my office and printshop under it. The house we are moving to is of comparable size. The rent will be $1,000 per month. The things that we had thought of selling would not realize a comparable price to re-buy in Vanuatu as the economic climate is very down here and prices are high there. Therefore instead of selling off at give-away prices we think it would be best to just go ahead and take what we can to Vanuatu. Two containers would allow us to get the bigger household stuff packed last. We would not have to pack things so tightly and this would also let us pack quicker.

We put immigration things that will be required in place when we were there in Port Vila. The brethren will follow it through and let us know when the visas are ready to be issued. We are only allowed 20kg (44lbs)of luggage per airplane ticket.

The house deal was another way showing God at work. When we got to Port Vila we talked with a Realtor who said he would keep a lookout for what we were looking for (a house with room for my office and printing machines without having to rent additional facilities elsewhere). He said he didn't have anything then but since we wouldn't be coming until July he would keep an eye out. He was pretty sure something would turn up. Well, the following Monday (the day before we were to travel to Fiji) he called and said a house had become vacant on the weekend unexpectedly. When the Realtor said the house was available I told him I had to go see what the Lord was opening up for us. (Above all that we ask or hope?????) We went up and looked from the outside (the previous people hadn't even turned in their key yet) and we verbally said we would take it. The house is located just up the hill from the Parliament building and overlooks the town. The rental price is less then what the owner was asking and a fair one for the fact that we will not have to rent additional space for printing machines. It is a 3 bedroom with an out-building suitable for a printing room. It has a large living room and verandah for when we have groups over.

Vehicles are not cheap either. We will not be taking either vehicle from here but don't figure to get more then $3500 from the sale of both. We might be able to use that as a deposit for something in Vanuatu and finance the difference. They have buses in Port Vila so we may have to use them for a while. There is a bus stop just outside our gate.

QUICK TRIP TO TAMI ISLAND

On May 29th we travelled to Tami Is which is the home of Jab Mesa. The people there had been hounding us to come see them before we left. Through Jab's tireless efforts the church now meets there and the brethren wanted to thank us for encouraging Jab all these years. It just goes to show that: some plant, some water and God gives the increase. It was a wet and hairy trip out to the island with big seas and a little boat. (We were only lost out in the deep for an hour, literally!) After we got back to Lae we had a first birthday party with one of the MBC students children.

CONTINUING RELIEF EFFORTS

The month of June will see the last of the relief efforts going out that I have been coordinating. We are sending 800 day old chicks out to the Waria Valley for restocking and making funds available for 12 full-time workers to purchase their own piglets. We hope this is a start to them becoming more self-sufficient by providing a source of income for them to be able to purchase their own tickets to go to church workshops and such in the future.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please continue to include the following in your prayers: (1) Melanesian Bible College; (2) Our move from PNG; (3) Kathy's & my health; (4) Biblical leadership for the PNG and Island churches; (5) Political stability in the region; (6) Thanking the Lord for the immediate/sufficient monetary response to disaster needs and returning rains here in PNG; (7) Additional funding for our move.