| From Trevor:
November 30, 2006
Hi Jack,
The good news is that its none of the nasty things. Just a bit of food poisoning on top a chest infection. Am starting to feel a little better this afternoon. Even starting to feel like food again.
I sure could use your help in Vanimo, no question. Let me see what I can find when I go up there. I am sure the Lord will open the way for His will to be done. I will be surprised if we need to have you lying around on the floor somewhere. I booked the tickets for Lorretta and I today. Will cost more than her return trip to Sydney!! But I want her to see the place and have a feel for it.
Maybe the Lord has her needs in mind as well in pointing us towards Vanimo. The elder up there tells me that there are a few break ins around town but basically it is safe to walk around there. Simon was talking to Gayle who is an Australian lady working with Dove Air –the Catholic mission flying operation and she told him that she feels safe going about town in Vanimo on her own.
The other issue for her is heat. She has a very poor tolerance to extremes of temperature as I have mentioned. The fact that she is willing to go see is great. I am sure if I can accommodate her with air conditioning she would acclimatize ok.
I am not sure how much cash I will have left after the move. I would be happy to help out with some of your expenses as able. The biggest cash flow issue I will have that I know of is buying in the first lot of fuel. Fortunately one supplier will let me order in small amounts. As I build up cash reserves I can order more at a time to insulate us from supply problems that always seem to crop up with distributors here. Fuel is just over 1000 kina a drum and typically I would use between one and two drums per day. I don’t expect much income now until we are under way at Vanimo. Work has really dropped off around here. I have only done 4 or 5 hours in the last fortnight. But God is good and in control and has a path way laid out for us to where we need to be and where He needs us to tenderly care for His forgotten children in the Sepik.
Roger sees no problem with me staying on a “Volunteer / Aid worker” Visa with the move to Vanimo. I have been liaising with the SPD director of Mission Pr. Ray Coombe and have developed a cordial relationship with him. As I move away from the nest here and Rogers oversight, I sense the need to make links with others in the church organization so that there are good channels of communications between us and the church. The director of Adventist Volunteer Services in our Division is Mel Lemke. I went to college with Mel – quite a few years ago now. The recently retired director Pr. Eric White I know quite well and he is very supportive of what we are trying to do. I don’t think it should be a problem to get a Volunteer / Aid worker visa for yourself and Elana when we decide to do that. A visitors visa in the mean time would be no problem. If we have any visa issues, we are right on the border. It is inexpensive I believe to travel to Jayapura and then re enter the country on another visitors visa. The elder who has been so helpful is the quarantine inspector at Vanimo. He seems to know a lot about customs issues etc too. I am sure he can introduce us to the immigration people there and help us smooth the way if there are any issues arising.
I want you to know I would be delighted to have your company in Vanimo. If you can’t cook better than me though, you will be in for humble fare. I have a bread maker which I have learned how to use. Home made bread is so much nicer that the bought stuff here in Goroka anyways. I don’t know what they put in it but it doesn’t taste good. I will try by best to find a source of fresh fruit and vegetables. I understand there is some work right up into Telefomin and around into the highlands in the Sundaun area. I know the church members at Tumolbil will be delighted. To give us veggies. I will insist on paying something for them though if I can get there on a regular basis. I cant wait to take you in there. It is right on the border. In fact you have to fly into Indonesia to make the approach to land. The people are some of the poorest I have ever know but some of the most lovely at the same time. The Baptists used to run the clinic there. When nearly all the people became SDAs they felt there was not much point them staying there so they asked the SDA church to take it over. The clinic has been an outstanding example of the power of medical missionary work. There are a lot of people who have walked for days from deep inside Irian Jaya to be cared for at our clinic. There is now at least one church established over the border as a result. Pr. Coombe has requested some suggestions regarding where he can take a film crew to see cutting edge missionary work in operation. I could not think of a better place. When I get to visit there, I will try and catch up on what has been going on since I have had time to sit down with the people there. It would be a great place for us to build a simple resting place for when we get tired of the heat and problems arising and just want to come apart and rest awhile in the cool mountain air. I have a special attachment for these people as I do for the people at Maimafu. That is near here and I already have a house built there thinking I was going to stick around here for a while. I am happy to follow the Masters calling though but will take the opportunity to get to Maimafu when it arises so that they don’t get discouraged and think we have forgotten them. You will love that place if you love the grandeur of Gods creation.
I will pray as you are that God will work things out for you to come on His time signal. We may have more indication about that when I have had time to explore our needs and the resources available up there. I am really excited that God is opening the way for us to start up there in Vanimo. I am also encouraged that I may not need to be doing this alone.
May God continue to bless and guide
Regards
Trevor
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