March 7, 2008

Dear Friends, Family and Brethren

Bula Vinaka. We are finally having sunny days with only spotty afternoon showers.

Our container might be sea worthy but I found out it is not waterproof. I had to go out yesterday to the container and find a couple of books for some research I am doing on Old Testament times and found that three of the banana boxes full of books had been sitting on the floor were soaked with water. When I checked after the first cyclone I did not see any water on the floor. After the last cyclone I didn't look very close, obviously. Most everything is on pallets however in the moving around of things these boxes were set on the floor with other boxes on top of them. I brought the books home and have them sitting out in the sun to dry. I do not hold much hope for them as they are stuck together and most of them were about 1/4 soaked and not mildewed and moulded. In the next days I will have to go out and unload the container and repack making sure things are up off the floor. I will have to spray for ants as well.

This is one of the things about living in the wet and humid South Pacific. If you are a lover of books it will break your heart. Many of the books which were ruined are College Press Old Testament and New Testament series which some I have had since Sunset days. I understand that College Press now has those books on CD which would be a better retrieval system of information for me as we travel so much now and books are heavy.

The books which are sitting out in the sun will never be in our house again because of our allergies to mould.

Please keep us in your prayers with our needs for the Christian Institute of Biblical Studies-Fiji.

In Christ

Tobey & Kathy