Capitol windfall builds Christian Institute of Biblical Studies in Fiji?

As I stated in our last newsletter we are getting very frustrated here not building the school because of lack of funding. There is really no reason for us to remain here if funding does not come through. We have researched property and costings. We either need to be building the school facilities and get on with the teaching program or come back there and beat the bushes and raise the needed support to build the school facilities and get on with the teaching program. So before we make a commitment to come back and raise funds I got a brain bubble when I heard about the "upcoming economic stimulus payment" by the US government to every US tax filer (we will get it also).

Wouldn't you love to see this headline in Christian Chronicle

"Capitol windfall builds Christian Institute of Biblical Studies in Fiji"

American Christians have turned an unexpected windfall of funds from the US Government into a teaching and training school of Biblical Studies in Fiji. The US Government for years has been trying to undermine the core values of America by legislating and removing the influence of God and Godly values out of our educational and government bodies. Now however He who sets up and removes governments has influenced this administration to provide a windfall of funds to His people through the government tax system. Christians throughout American have donated these funds for economic stimulus not only for the establishment of the "Christian Institute of Biblical Studies" in Fiji but have stimulated many other works that the church has going on throughout the world to fulfill the great commission as given by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20. At no time in history has such an occasion met with such an outpouring. Praise the Lord!
----------------------------------------------------------
The US government has signed into law that all US tax filers will be receiving a lump sum from the Federal Government. As this is an unexpected windfall (which will be charged against your tax bill next year) we would like to ask your consideration of the following and perhaps we together can make the above story a reality.

The Lord desires that the whole world know of His forgiveness and grace. The Lord is the one who puts governments into power and takes them out of power. The Lord is the one who influences governments. I for one see this windfall as an influence from the Lord and it will be up to everyone who receives this windfall how they steward these funds. In the 1990's when our family lived in New Zealand the local electrical supplier went public and everyone who had an electric meter received $1,000 worth of stock shares in the new company. Since we had a business and a house we received $2,000 worth of shares, At the time the local Bible College was trying to set up a trust fund and we donated our stock to this trust fund. We also encouraged other Christians to do the same since the stock shares were an unexpected windfall and the benefit to the Lord's long term work was far greater than any short term pleasure one would receive cashing the shares in. Over $20,000 of stock was donated.

The new windfall is of the same nature and we would like to encourage those people who are receiving the upcoming payment from the US Federal government to consider purposing these funds to the building of the "Christian Institute of Biblical Studies - Fiji". We understand that the sums will be $600 per adult and $300 per child.

Here are the needs for the — "The Christian Institute of Biblical Studies - Fiji"
>Immediate one-time funds of $50,000 to buy land and build basic facilities (URGENT!)
>Additional one-time funds to update facilities: classroom, office, student & faculty housing $75,000-$125,000
>Monthly funds of $3,600 for 5 years or until the school can be self-supporting from planted cash crops

For some time now we have talked about the need for a Basic English-Speaking Bible School in the Oceania region. These discussions have been with the brethren in Fiji, the Cook Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. It is recognized that there is a Pidgin English Bible school in PNG and a very good English school in Tauranga, New Zealand and Australia but the consensus is that the English level is too difficult for most island English speakers. The cultural stress has been extreme for some of those coming from a more temperate climate and the more mature Christians with families are handicapped from attending the school in New Zealand due to higher costs. So here is the proposal: we need to have a Basic English-Speaking Bible school in the temperate zone of the Island region; we would like to have an intake of 10-15 students per year with a total enrollment of 25 boarding students; we would like to build the facilities to accommodate these students and at least three teachers and their families.

We have talked with a contractor who is prepared to build a 2 bedroom house for $12,200 and a 3 bedroom house for $16,700. Another contractor submitted a bid of $72,000 to build the classroom office block, staff housing (1 x 2bd, 1 x 3 bd) and student housing (1 x 2 bd duplex). So with land to cost up to $30,000 (27 acres) and building costs we are in the neighborhood of a minimum of $100,000. Realistically we need $150,000. The sooner we can get the land and facilities in place the sooner we can get to teaching and training full-time the workers who will indeed take the gospel to the ends of the Oceania region.

One of the main reasons this school is so important is that we need to be training local Christians in their own cultural settings to evangelize their own people language groups. As an example: even though the country of Fiji is English speaking a lot of the communication is done in Fijian or in Hindi among the Indo-Fijian people. The Fijian people are the indigenous people of Fiji. The Indo-Fijian people are decedents of the people from India who were brought to Fiji in the late 1880's to work the sugar cane for the British. They now make up about 39% of the population and most of them where born and raised here so they are Fiji citizens. Many Indo-Fijians follow the Hindu faith and almost all speak in Hindi. Kathy and I have picked up a smattering of Fijian and can sing most of the Fijian songs we have in the printed songbook we helped prepare. However we don't know what the Fijian words mean in the songs! When the brethren get together most of the conversation is done in Fijian. We understand this and don't want them to think they have to speak English all the time we are around them but it does make us feel a bit shut out. One Sunday night last year we attended services at the Lautoka congregation. They knew we were there but all the communication, singing, preaching etc was done in Fijian without any effort to include us in the service. It was not intentional they just figured we had been here several months and might know Fijian, we didn't and we don't.

Our primary mission for being here in Fiji is the establishment of the Proposed "Christian Institute of Biblical Studies". We did not come here to do the work of evangelizing Fiji which is in the capable hands of the local Fiji brethren. (Though we will do our part in the great commission of "as you go, teach.....") We came here to help equip them to do a better job and to encourage them to continue in the faith. Because of that we didn't come with the thought in mind of having to learn either Hindi or Fijian to accomplish our mission. (I am almost 60 years old and my memory chips are maxed out for languages (We are fluent in English, Pidgin English and Bislama)!) English is one of the official languages in Fiji and we speak that to a large degree. So what we have to do is get this school up and going so we can get about the job we are here to do otherwise we are just existing here.

If 83 adults would purpose their "Upcoming Economic Stimulus Payment" (further known as UESP) to CIBS-FIJI we could buy the land and build basic facilities. If 293 adults purposed their UESP to CIBS-Fiji that would provide the funds we need to buy the land and build all the facilities to get the school started. Anything over and above would be applied to the running expenses of the school until we can secure the needed monthly support.

Your donation of the UESP payment is not only using government money to do the Lord's work but this donation can be deducted against your taxes next year. If you are not aware you will be levied taxes on this refund from the government. So a double whammy can be accomplished by donating and deducting.

So what do you think? Is it possible that the Lord is providing the funds through this unexpected avenue so that His work can go ahead with the teaching of workers here in the South Pacific. For those who have said they think that this type of school is an answer to the training of foreign workers and would like to help the school but up to now have been financially strapped, here is a heavenly opportunity for you to purpose those funds. What say ye?

You can help - Will you help?

Will you ask the leadership at your congregation to allow you to make this request to the brethren there? Will you forward this request to everyone on your e-mail list for their consideration as well?

Funds can be send to our sponsor:

Mt Hope church of Christ
2830 Mt Hope Road
Webb City MO 64870

you can contact my son about helping Jason Huff <j13huff@yahoo.com> or John Boehning/Missions Chairman <jboehning@sbcglobal.net>

Please pray fervently with us for the need we have and that the Lord will indeed use this opportunity to provide the funds to accomplish this.

Your servants in Christ

Tobey & Kathy
--
Dr Tobey & Kathy Huff
PO Box 4615
Lautoka, Fiji Islands

Home (679) 664-5808
Mobile (679) 938-2808
web Site: http://cibs-fiji.fiji.com/CIBS-Fiji/Index.html