October - December 1992

Dear Brethren and Friends;

So much for me writing more often! Many things have happened since our last report in September. Yes I did have my birthday and thank you for some of those rude cards.

FAMILY NEWS
October started off with the sad but happy news that Kathy's father had lost his fight with the brain tumor he has been suffering from. Sad because we have lost a great man of God but happy that his pain and suffering is finished and that he is with his Lord.

Kathy's mother is coming out for a couple of months over Christmas to be with us. Jason is also coming out at Christmas for two weeks. He is enjoying Harding and doing well in his studies.

Since I was back there in the States last year I had been having trouble with both of my elbows with 'Tennis Elbow". After cortisone shots and other treatments I finally had to have surgery on both of them. The doctor did both the same day and I know now why he did. He would not have gotten me back for a second operation! Things went well and both elbows are coming right. I was only in the hospital overnight. I was supposed to be off work for three weeks. I still have some restriction of movement but don't have the same pains I had before the surgery.

VANUATU UPDATE
Early in November Kathy & I made the decision to send Stephen Felix back to his home in Vanuatu over the summer break of the South Pacific Bible College, Dec-Jan 1993.

This was to encourage the brethren there and give him experience working with the congregation. The South Pacific Bible College held graduation ceremonies on November 28th and Stephen was to fly back home on Dec 1st. About a week before this though I received a phone call from Stephen's father, Morris Felix saying that the congregation at Eton Village had marked elders(?) and asked if I could come with Stephen to help them install elders (?) on December 6th. At the time I told him that we were too busy for me to be gone for a week. After I got off the phone I talked with Kathy that night and decided that since they had asked me to come I should go and thus booked my seat with Stephen to go the Vanuatu for 9 days. Kathy stayed back and ran the business. [I put the question mark after the word elders because I wasn't real clear what Morris had said as the entire conversation was in Bislama (somewhat different than Pidgin English).]

When I arrived with Stephen there was much surprise that I had come and joy to see Stephen. Two trucks full of brethren from Eton Village welcomed us. The airport is in Port Vila which is about 25 miles from Eton Village. On the drive back to Eton I found out that the congregation had marked Morris to be an elder. ONLY ONE! That afternoon and night we had Bible Studies showing the scripturality of a plurality of elders.

The next day Stephen and I headed back to town and spent the afternoon with Paul Vuhu who plans to come to Bible School in 1994. He is a school teacher and since school is out for Summer holiday was looking after the kids. His wife Miriam works for a bank in town. They are really looking forward to coming. They had hoped to come in 1993 but a cyclone this year destroyed his mother's house on another island and they had to rebuild it. There was much damage done on the main island of Efate with roads eroded badly and banana trees still fruitless. Other than a few coconut trees down and a few roofs opened the brethren had not sustained too much personal damage.

Thursday we went up to Morris' cattle farm and helped him round up five calves for market. They run about 125 cattle.

Every evening we would discuss Biblical topics and sing out of the Song of the Church song books until the early morning hours.

The congregation was preparing a feast for after church Sunday morning to mark Stephen's return and the installing of elders. Saturday preparations were made for the Sunday lunch. We went back to the farm and slaughtered a calf. Firewood was prepared, the pit dug and lined with stones. The meat and veggies were put into the ground at 3:00am Sunday morning.

On Sunday morning all the brethren gathered for worship . I led singing, Stephen preached and Eddie Karras explained to the brethren (who lived further away who we had not talked with) about the need for an addition elder. It was decided that we would have further discussion after lunch.

After lunch and a suitable siesta, the brethren gathered for more discussion on the eldership question. It was unanimously decided that Eddie Karras would be asked to serve as an elder along with Morris Felix.

The brethren asked me to install the new elders which I helped them do. I charged Eddie and Felix to look after the sheep of God and charged the brethren to honor and respect their elders. We had further discussions and singing until 6:30 pm when the brethren from North Efate had to board a truck to take them back home. From 8:30 am to 6:30 pm, what a great spiritual feast! It is good to see the spiritual maturity in these brethren. Acknowledgement must be given to the prior work of John Hall, Edwin Crookshank and Jab Mesa.

On Monday Stephen & I went into Port Vila and met with several World Bible School students.

Eddie and Morris both asked if I could send them NIV Bibles so they could be more efficient in their studies. They have been using King James and find it very hard to read.

On Tuesday while in Port Vila with Stephen I found NIV Study Bibles which I bought and presented to Eddie and Morris Monday night during devotional time. Tuesday night and Wednesday I spent time with Eddie and Morris helping them learn how to use their new Bibles. We also talked about ways in which they can best serve the church. I thank them for asking that I come.

OBSERVATIONS:
Stephen has multitudes of friends which will be a very good base to work from but difficult to pursue if he is in the village when he returns from school. Would be exceptional if Jab could join him for a few months after graduation next year.

Flys were unnumerous from 9 am - 5 pm after that is was cooler with a breeze. Dry now, waiting for the next cyclone (due end of Dec or early Jan '93).

I was able to read several new books which I had not had the time to do in New Zealand. Very challenging reading. ("Spilt Grape Juice", "The Worldly Church" and "The Cruciform Church".)

We have just finished printing 5,000 copies of the WBS Red book and Answer book in Pidgin English. We were asked by Andrew Jackson in PNG to print 10,000 copies but he was not able to raise adequate funding when he was back in the US earlier this year. If you would like to help toward this need please send your funds either to us here or our Lebanon address. We will notify the PNG brethren that you have assisted with this work. They need about $2,000 for the rest of the order.

Your servants because of the cross of Jesus Christ.

the Huffs