You didn't expect to hear from us so soon, did you? But things have been happening and we figured you'd be interested to know.

Firstly, the 12 trusses are all in position and nearly half the battens in place, so that means we'll be putting at least some of the iron roof up this week.

We had torrential rain on Friday and Friday night, and the workshop was several inches under water. It will be wonderful to have that roof in place. Alastair and one of his boys mopped / scooped up sixty ten litre buckets of water from the floor to give it a chance to dry out. The water had been running inside and making other things wet. We are glad to see the sun out today.

It's a holiday here - UNITY DAY - not sure what that entails, but the boys are possibly reluctant to have classes - maybe they'll be cheerful to nail battens and see their workshop roof in place. Next thing will be for each of them to build a sturdy workshop bench and we already have 20 vices to put one on each bench - they won't know themselves when they have a proper place to build their furniture.

A week ago Alastair went with Isaac (our Agriculture teacher for 2011) to view 11 hectares of land that was willed for the use of a training school. The land is very suitable and bordered by two rivers (quite a steep climb down to them). It was a hard walk into the property of about an hour, but the Electric Company proposes to put a public road in to that area in January, so that their present road will no longer be used by the public. That would make access very much easier, though it would be especially good to have our own truck/ute to reach the property.

Eight hundred men in the immediate vicinity have signed a petition requesting a clinic to be built in their area, so it may be that our building boys could work on that as a project, and the village people could provide food for the school in exchange. There is an abundance of softwood in the area, which, if we can treat it inexpensively, could be used for the buildings. Isaac would like to have a school there and if he had a tractor with some implements, the farm could be developed so that food could be sold and an income to keep the school running would thus be derived.

On the same afternoon, we were talking with our local friend who owns a ship and is keen for us to build a slipway on his lovely property about 8 miles south of our present school. The land of course is right close to a deep water channel, ideal for a slipway and boat building school - the breezes blow and the view is pleasant. He just called in while I've been typing this, and signed some letters which I'd typed for him to deliver to Conservation Dept, Lands Dept, Maritime Authority and so on, to make sure they have no opposition to the plan.

On Friday last week, during a torrential downpour, we experienced another shower of blessing. Alastair had asked that an accreditation officer from the Govt Education Dept, come this week some time to look at the boys' work and see how they are doing and to check out our records etc to make sure we are on the right track, as far as getting government certificates for our boys. Well the centre manager got the message wrong, and he came out Friday, so Alastair grabbed the opportunity while he was right there, to show him the furniture, the drawings, etc, and he was impressed beyond words and rang his counterpart in Vila and told him that our level should be upgraded to a 7 instead of 5, which means that the boys would get a Diploma! He really liked everything he saw, and even wanted to buy one of the boxes on display.

So we have gone ahead and typed up our list of boys to receive certificates this year - five for Building Construction and one for Furniture Making.

On Thursday we went to the shop that sells wholemeal flour and paid for 4 bags, plus a bag of salt. The owner offered to drive us home with it as she hadn't been to our 'place' before. She wanted to look at the furniture, and promptly ordered a big bed for herself. Sometimes when I bring market produce for the boys' meals in a taxi, the driver will ask about the school and then ask to come and look inside. It's a good way for people to get to know about our school.

Alastair preached at the main Mission church - Sarakata - on Sabbath. So he had a chance to bring greetings from the boys at Melcofe, and put in a word about the need for every boy to learn a trade.

On Sabbath afternoon I was playing hymns on my electric piano when one of the students came in to 'see how to play'. I asked what he had been doing this morning, knowing that he's not of our faith, and he told me he had been to church. And yes, his parents think he's silly, but he can see that the Bible is right. I asked if he enjoys bible classes and he assured me that he does, so please pray for Philip as he faces opposition from his family. Another boy Mark, was told to leave home by the aunt who was caring for him, so he came indoor early in the year, because of his belief that the seventh-day Sabbath is right. He's a nice boy - the youngest here, only 14, but bright and eager and guileless. I bought his food safe last week and have made this little room a bit tidier, having more room for my plates and dishes and pots.

The mangoes and pineapples continue in their abundance - such a nice sweet pineapple we had for breakfast - half of it was sufficient for us both, and it cost just 100 vatu - not much more than $1.

Three weeks ago, Amos told me that his wife was planning to come and sew with me for three weeks. I knew she had done very little sewing if any, until I gave her a machine early in the year. She was wanting to learn to sew a shirt and other things, so I set her to work with a pre-cut shirt, and she had it completed the first day, and because it was not big enough for Amos, she cut out another and had it ready for him the next day. She sewed for their little son, and when an aunt saw the shirt, she asked who had sewn it, and told Marina "I want you to sew shirts for me to sell to the tourist boats". I'll buy the fabric, and you sew, and I'll pay you for sewing."

So that made her happy. She also asked her to sew some 'baskets' - just simple cloth zip up bag with a handle - light weight - easy for a tourist to use while roaming the streets. I also taught her to make nappy holders and little children's shorts, and she sewed a layered gathered skirt for herself, which we'll spray with dye one of these sunny days. She also sewed up pieces to make bed covers, and I think she was quite happy with what she learned in the three weeks. I was glad of her company too.

We've also had a lady coming to learn to take over the books - two days a week. While it is an expense that would otherwise not be incurred if I continued with it myself, yet we want to make this school to be run wholly by the local people, so we have to start handing over and I think she'll do well.

Three of the boys finishing building this year have job offers and four others want to stay on at school to help in the workshop or with teaching. It's all a step towards handing over to them.

I can hear the bang-bang-bang of battens being nailed in place - it's music to my ears. The boys will finish up here December 10, so on December 9 we will have an Annual General Meeting of the stakeholders, and possibly ask the first year boys to make laplap and have a small meal together to celebrate the end of the first year at this new location. Or maybe, since the boys are keen to have a picnic this coming Thursday, we'll have our meal then. They are eager and busy on the roof - Alastair said to me that maybe we'll have some of the roof on TODAY! They've made up a list of food required for their picnic.

Are you interested? 1 bag rice 18 kg, 4,000 vt 1 bottle curry, 6 pkts noodles, round head cabbage, tomatoes, onions, garlic, capsicum, oil, potatoes (for a veg soup), lemon, mangoes, juice (when I asked if they wanted the sugar lolly tooth rot kind, they said they could make pineapple juice with the blender but it would cost more - I think I'll opt for the pineapple juice!), plus transport of 3,000 - the total to cost 10,000 vatu - $100. But the boys say they'll club together to pay for the transport. If we didn't have food to carry we could all walk there - a couple or three hours one way! Should be a pleasant time, and I think they've already decided they won't go fishing, after the fish poisoning that most of them succumbed to after the last picnic.

We will make use of the following six to eight weeks to see the roof completed and continue with putting a second storey above the office and getting the building sealed off and lockable, then we'll be off to Victoria for a family wedding and a break in a cooler clime for a month or two. We are keen to see how the boys will go, running the school themselves for the first couple of months of the year, without Alastair here. Of course he is schooling them up constantly so that it should be a gentle transition.

Next year Alastair will be overseeing his young teachers, plus hoping to get the Agriculture School built and also the slipway with a classroom, and some living accommodation for staff and students. So the pace will not slacken yet.

Women keep asking for sewing machines so we'll be looking out for more when we go to Australia. The old-fashioned ones that have an externally attached motor running on a pulley are the most popular, because they can be converted to a hand machine - ideal in the villages where there is no source of electric power. At the same time, there are women in town who are glad to use a modern machine with just the press of the foot, and two hands to guide their sewing!

We are thinking of setting up a scholarship fund for boys who find it difficult to bring their fees. A number of boys have not been successful in paying all their fees this year, including the two mentioned above. It may be that some would be willing to sponsor a boy for a year, or even a month. The fees are approximately A$1,000 per year, and if the student is placed on 'bond' so that he gives a year of work to the school at the completion of his studies, that would help to replenish the fund for other needy students. It would work out at about $100 per month for ten months of the year.

Well if I've forgotten anything newsworthy, you'll hear from us again soon! Until then, may you each and every one enjoy some quality family time as the pace of a busy year slackens to bid the old year goodbye and welcome another untried, challenging year.

Alastair and Jill