September 25, 2015
Dearest Friends and family
BACK HOME
Since we have arrived back home in Vanuatu it has been full time getting things back to working conditions as prior to cyclone Pam in March. Many things could only be repaired because I brought back repair parts from the US.
There was a new fuel valve for the bike, a new weather station was installed, rebuilt the solar system, painted and installed a new front door Red........
Last week I planted tomato seeds, cleaned the garden, rebuild chain saws, worked
on the lawn mower...
I found out the VA has cut my compensation back to 40% which means in essence we have lost $2400 a month support - this will slow down the school rebuild a bit (until we can get additional support lined up) but we are still hoping and planning to have our first full classes Feb 2016.
I helped put cement board (outside) and masonite (inside) on Rebecca's house, installed fans in our house, caulked more cracks,.......
I located millions of ants. They were in
my G4 Apple laptops computers on a shelf above the desk which got soaked in
the cyclone. The computers we protected from the water by the shelves but not
from ants.... computers unrepairable - ants dead!
SERVICES
I spoke at the combined service in Port Vila the first of the month and at Epau
the third Sunday.
Goman
leading singing
Tobey
teaching
combined service representing 4 congregations
Ladies preparing plates of food after our combined service in Port Vila
TRACTOR
and TRUCK
We were blessed to be able to purchase a tractor and truck since we got back.
We bought a Massey Ferguson 1440V tractor w/ a front end loader, plow, road
blade, brush hog, digger/leveling box, trailer; and a 1997 Dodge Ram 2500 with
25 foot trailer.
I had to expalin to Jason why I bought the '97 Ram as he is the one who has to get and send me any spare parts I need: "I know my buying a Dodge might make more work for you but please let me explain my thinking in a way I hope you appreciate. Sure I could get a Toyota, Nissan , Chevy or Isuzu, (if I could afford a decent used model $16-25,000 here). New vehicles here go for $30-46,000). Just because one can buy them here does not mean the spare parts are even readily available or any cheaper - in fact they are dearer. A new starter for a Toyota here is $450-650, mufflers are over $500. The same with other brands and most of them are under powered and pretty worn if second hand.
So I figure, since I have learned to be patient getting any part I need, it should be cheaper in the long run to go ahead and buy a brand truck I know and that has the power and equipment I need. In other words, I can get more for my buck than if I bought local.
worked with the tractor in garden at the house
the
RAM truck (unfortunately is limited in work due to a transmission
fault while I wait on a repair part)
MORE REBUILDING
I put the louver window glass in and the front door on Rebecca's house, cleaned
our yard of stumps w/tractor, ripped and painted wood for trim on windows for
Rebecca, finished trimming out Rebecca's windows (main house ready for occupant)
BIRTHDAYS
Kathy's birthday was the 4th and my birthday was the 17th (67) @ 9:30am my blood
pressure was 106/66, pulse 82 so I came in and sat for a while. The VA was just
so sure I needed BP medicine because my BP was elevated EVERY TIME I SAW THEM,
dah. I will be regulating it myself!
THIS WAS
THE DAY THAT WAS
Some days are best not to get up........ My Birthday was on a Thursday ......
And then there was Friday (our normal day to go to town). We went to town and
stopped at a vegetable stall at the edge of town and Kathy was able to get all
that she needed for the women's retreat at Eton this weekend (this
is good) I found out I forgot my wallet and Kathy didn't know the pin
to her bank card (this is bad) so we went back
home and when I picked up my wallet I heard that the toilet was not shutting
off so the water was just going down the toilet from our tank (this
is bad but good that I caught it before it drained
the tank) - I tried to start the truck and a NEW starter Jason sent would
not engage (this is bad) so I replaced it with
the old starter and it worked (this is good) and
so back to town having ordered over $3000 worth of supplies to help rebuild
Sul's family house (a Christian) and bought other parts I needed, checked mail
then ate at Jill's Cafe before going to the grocery store and getting some ice
cream for Kathy to eat with the peach pie she baked Thursday yesterday for my
BD. THIS IS GOOD!
(I have figured out the contacts in the ignition switch are not always working
to start the truck so I have run a direct wire from the starter to inside the
truck to a push switch since there are no replacement ignition switches for
the Ram here in Vanuatu.)
WOMEN'S RETREAT AT ETON - SEPT 18-19 By Kathy
Kathy
speaking
Eton hosted the Ladies Class this quarter.
We had a sleep over with everyone bringing their mats, blankets/pillows and
dish and cup. We had just under 45 altogether (with children over 50). Hard
to count with everyone moving about taking care of little ones. I was asked
to give a lesson so chose "Yu Hu?" (or Who are You?) It was about
what the Bible calls Christians (thanks to Charles Speer's lesson in NZ many
years ago). I wanted them to know just how important they are to God and His
family. Their role in the Church is over shadowed by the "importance"
of the role of men here. This is what has been taught and passed down through
the years from the 1800's with the first "missionaries" that came
with the "gospel". We sang, reported what was happening in our congregations,
prayed and ate together (Saturday lunch was "Tanna soup"(everything
stew) studied God's word and enjoyed one another. I got everyone's cell number
and will make a list to hand out at the next combined meeting (first Sunday
of each month all the congregations take turns hosting it, Oct will be Eton's
turn). The women want to be able to contact each other and the list will help.
Ladies from Etas singing to us. Eton ladies sang a couple of "welcoming songs" the night before to all who came.
Ladies enjoying the new chairs that were bought before we returned.
THIS 'N' THAT
This past Tuesday I was able to get a replacement alternator for the generator
that broke when we were in New Zealand earlier this year. (was that this year
- seems so long ago).
I had meetings with Goman about what needs to be done immediately - a couple of houses still for brethren and the classroom/library, the dorm and more cleanup and cleaning of the the Bible School property.
library (w/goat)
classroom
dorm
room 1
room
2
room
3
school grounds
We have been able to pick up some seed potatoes ($70
for 44 pounds for planting.
My allergies and sinuses are in full whatever right now and if I am not sneezing
I am stopped up or running. The dry weather and smoke from people burning fires
day and night are the cause.
We have been working on the walls of the extension of Rebecca's house and attached the old rafters to the new rafters of the main part of the house - good to live in now!
We are going to paint the floor in the main house tomorrow (after I get the paint) so Rebecca can move back out this weekend or next week.
Since paint bothers Kathy I will have to wait to repaint the inside of our house sometime when she is not around for a couple of days.
It is nice to start to see some progress in rebuilding. Our rebuilt solar system now gives us power throughout the night and part of the daylight (when Kathy isn't doing laundry or I need more power for power tools) thus saving us gasoline for our generators.
The rebuilding is a partnership with all of you who have contributed and continue to give to the needs we have here. Thank you so very, very much and those of the brethren we have helped and continue to help in recovering from the after effects of cyclone Pam say, THANK YOU!
Thus far we have expended over $30,000 on relief efforts
and have about $3,000 in the account over here right now.
Onward
and upward!
Thank you so much for all of you who are praying for us, supporting us and
have contributed to our needs. God bless you! Thank you for your prayers and
fellowship!
Thank you Lord for healing and providing what we need!
Grace & Peace
Tobey & Kathy Huff
Ph: (678) 596-4821 (Vanuatu) We do texting.
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PS A cyclone relief fund has been set up at our sponsor and Jason can give instructions if anyone wants to wire TT money straight to our bank account there.
Contributions for the Huffs, the
Bible school and the Scholorship fund can be sent to:
Huffs/Bible School
c/ Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Rd
Webb City MO 64870
or
Jason Huff
2730 E 24th St
Joplin MO 64804