Dear Brethren:

 

The "haus lotu" (church building) at Dumun is finally finished. Late in August the ground was given on which to build. Then early in September it was decided to move location as this particular ground had been given away several years before and thus was not really available. The sides are build of woven pitpit with the top out of thatch. The door is made from old packing crates.

 

During September I spent a day helping the bakery settle a pig compensation claim. The bakery is located immediately behind our house. One of the bakery trucks had run over and killed a pig while delivering bread. The baker (from Canada) can't speak Pidgin English and ask if I would "turn tok" (translate). The papa of the pig spoke only "ples tok" (village language) which was then turned Into Pidgin English by one of his friends which was then turned into English by me for the baker's knowledge.

This exchange of talk went on for several hours before it was finally settled with the bakery paying $65 to the papa of the pig. The papa started at $260 for his dead pig. Legally with the pig being on the road when it was killed the bakery didn't have to pay any compensation but if they hadn't paid they wouldn't have been able to go through this area to sell bread, so they paid.

September saw the closure of the School of Life in Lae until February next year. The school taught men the Bible to enable them to teach their own people better. The school boys began to demand too much and felt that they didn't have to follow the rules of the school so the missionaries in Lae closed the school up until February and shipped all the boys home. Those of the boys who show that they are truly interested in doing the Lord's work by preaching and teaching in their villages will be allowed to return to school next year. 19 of these boys are now back up here in our area.

 

David Lock brought these boys back home and then continued on to Waipi in the Enga Province (190 miles from our house). While David was going into Waipi he tried to cut his father's bus too sharply while trying to navigate a bridge and was brought to a complete halt. He tore the whole side out of the bus and also broke a motor mount. They called from Laigaim (12 miles from Waipi) via two way radio-telephone and asked if I could come up and fix the bus or drag it home. I told them somethings they might try and to let me know if they still needed me to come. They called the following morning and said we had to come and suggested I bring a motor mount. So I left that morning, fixed the car (to at least get to my house) and followed them back to my house the following day. We then made more permanent repairs and saw them off on their way to Lae the next day.

 

With coffee season over spending money is becoming harder to acquire for these people and stealing is on the up swing here. As we went to get into our car one Sunday morning early we noticed that someone had tried to break the lock on our back door but had failed. They them attempted and succeded in gaining access through a sliding side window. (They broke the lock.) They stole a shovel (used to dig oneself out of the mud) and our medicine box which we took to with us to the villages for "pasim sua" (bandaging wounds, treat colds, etc,) My tool box was also there but they failed to lift the #200 through the window opening.

 

In Sept. we saw the addition of two souls at Dumun.

Statistics average (per week) were: Dumun: 44 (atten.)/.74 (contri.); Masul

5/.15; Bima Plau:35/1.67; Kumogoko 15/,50,

 

We wish to thank all of you here regularly pray for our work and we continue to solicit your prayers. Without your prayers for the Lord's continuing watch care and guidance we would but fall.

 

In the Master's service

 

The Tobey Huff's
Box 69
Kundiawa
Papua New Guinea