OCTOBER 1, 1986

Dear Brethren;

Greeting in the name of Jesus!

CRUISING OVER THE HILL
For those of you who consider us over the hill at 37 and 38 RESPECTIVELY, then we are cruisin'. I have threatened to retire but someone said I had to work first. Oh, well! Now that Kathy and my birthdays are over we can get back to more serious things. I always thought that the older you got the amount of work you do should decrease. WRONG! This past month saw our first edition of a monthly magazine called, "The Communicator". We are using this to inform, edify and build up the body of Christ here in the South Pacific. We are sending copies throughout New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the other numerous island nations. We are also printing a quarterly newsletter to be used by the South Pacific Bible College here. Along with this printing I printed several new tracts and Bible class material. Needless to say the printing is a pressing work.

HAPPENINGS WITH THE KIDS

Last month I reported that we would be going with the youth group down to the ski fields. I said the fields were only an hour and a half away. Maybe by air but it was three hours by road. We arrived early in the morning and after a short wait, rented chains (for the vans), sleds, and skis for the fun.

The weather was less than good. The sky was overcast and as soon as we began our drive up the mountain it began to snow. By the time we reached the car park the snow was really coming down. I dropped the kids off at the building and went to park the car. I had to end up putting the chains on to back the car up into the parking place. I finally got it parked and met up with the kids.
Terasa had brought a friend from school who knew how to ski so we had hired her some skis so she could learn. Jason and I stuck with sleds (saucers). In all there were over 20 of us on the trip. Terasa and Wendy went on up the mountain with Howard Scott while the rest of the kids took off for the hills just behind the buildings for sledding. Kathy and I and Lorna (another parent) went in search of warmth. We found it in the cafeteria. After a time in there we went to another building. Finally braving the elements we went out to watch the kids playing in the snow. (Remember it is still snowing very heavily and it was hard to see 20 feet in front of you!) One of the older boys had lodged himself up on a little hill and was defending it against all comers. He was throwing snowballs and no one had been able to get near him to dislodge him. (You know what is coming don't you!) I THOUGHT I MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! DUMB. I started my assault up the hill only to be repelled the first time. Then with a diversion from another flank I was able to scale the ice and snow and come up behind Eddy before he could recover. I finally helped him down the hill (he just got the saucer under him before he went). Then Jason threw me a saucer and said I should try my hand at getting down the hill on it (I'll never trust that boy again!). If it had just been my hand that would have been fine but the rest of my body didn't make the trip so good. Here I was a grown man with my sunglasses on (to keep the snow off my contacts) ready to take on "the hill". I was doing real good until the saucer started moving down the hill then LOOK-OUT: within two feet my sunglasses were snowed up and I couldn't see where I was going anyway; I knew there was a 'small' ramp down further and was trying to steer away from it; I hit the bump full tilt and the saucer and Tobey went sperate ways; the saucer out and over and me out and down. I finished the run on my back praying that I stopped before I hit an immovable object at the end. I lay there trying to collect my thoughts and trying to figure if I needed to collect any pieces. You think Kathy and Lorna were worried, HA, HA- they were noted for their presence not by silence, but by their ear piercing laughter.

I came out of it alright though, just bruised and expect to heal within a year or so. We went to the picnic hut to dry out. The kids were having a good time. The snow was making it too difficult to ski so the skiers in our group had come back to the hut also. Terasa became a walking wounded and had to go to the First Aid room. She had fallen while trying to sld and had gashed her leg with the ski. She didn't ever know she had done it until she saw blood on the snow the second time she fell. (All in the family.) After a while longer we loaded the kids in the vans and drove off the mountain back to the rental place. On our way back to Tauranga we stopped for the kids to swim in the spa pools along the way. (There are numerous hot pools due to geothermal activity.) We stopped for a devotional on the shores of Lake Taupo and drove back into Tauranga 16 hours after we had left. It was fun really.

KNOTES FROM KATHY:
"Having lived in Papua New Guinea for so many years where the culture and customs are so different, I felt that moving here would be a breeze. Wrong!

Sure the people here speak English (the Queen's), and there are stores to shop in, but when you meet a person on the aisle or on the sidewalk which direction do you move when you pass them? You move to the right, RIGHT? WRONG! Try is with a cart full of groceries. Then there is watching everyone around eating with a knife and an up-side-down fork. (you should see them push their baked beans up onto their forks, ed.)

Some things are really good though. The people are really friendly and they don't stare at everything you do. Those of you who love gardens and flowers would love it here. At an auction here in town there are weeks where you can buy an orchid plant with five or six blooms for $610. Sometimes the keeping of the yards here in New Zealand almost seems like a religion in itself. Every weekend people work for hours to have an immaculate lawn.

Up until about the 1st of September, I was not involved in much out of the house. After getting settled into the house and things were in order, I had very little to do and was terribly lonely. After talking with some of the ladies here, I started attending the Care Group. These ladies visit others, send cards, help those who need help and plan things so that things get done concerning the church. Also I've been helping out in the library of the Bible College, which I have really enjoyed. I teach a Bible class of young girls on Wednesday night. And last, I've started to put a church calender out once a month so activities, birthdays and work crews will be remembered.

Please remember us as we remember you in our prayers." - Kathy

SUNDRY ITEMS
Last month I mentioned that I saw spring one day. I stand corrected: Spring is finally here. The weather is turning beautiful. I even had a bit of sweat the other day when out in the yard. The trees are blooming and the grass and leaves are turning a spring green again. We have even taken to wearing short sleeves in the afternoons. You have to understand that after 11 years in Papua New Guinea we have to get used to a climate with more that two seasons. We are hoping that with vacations over for the majority of you that you will brush off the writing tools and drop us a line. Surely your broken arms are healed by now (I just assumed everyone had broken their arms because we have not gotten many letters from anyone of late!). We do appreciate hearing from you.

Some have ask if we need anything here like we did in PNG. They do not have Kool-Aid or Jello Instant Puddings here. There have a wee selection of Jello gelatin. Good ole American cake mixes do not exist either. Surface mail only takes about 6 weeks to here as compared with 4 months to PNG. Oh, you're right no M & M's either. Thank you for asking.

We appreciate all of your prayers and support. Please remember the Mesa's need for support to remain in school and our need for additional support to be able to fully expand the Oceania Outreach Program into the Islands.

Your servant because of the Cross of Christ.

the Huffs