JEFF’S JOURNAL

                                      MAY, 2009

All the vital spiritual news and views from Kumasi, Ghana of Jeff & Sherrie Hostetter’s Ministry!

Konkomba Family Camp 2009: Crocodiles, scorpions, 100 degree Heat, big rocks, skinny kids who run like the wind and Konkomba girls who sing like angels and men who dance like they’re stomping on super-fast, lunker-size spiders.

Shotguns are not required when attending Family Camp in “Konkomba Country”, but not a bad idea.  (Shooting the giant spiders might be a good idea, without blowing off one’s feet!)  Bibles are certainly a necessity though, since we are getting the WORD out and with about six of us preaching for a total of about 15 hours. ( I did about 50%) Getting here takes some doing, as we left Kumasi on Friday, April 17^th at 7:15 am and arrived by 4:15 pm.  Roads are very, very dangerous, with many potholes, slow-moving trucks, stray goats, sheep, chickens, children.  Thank God for His amazing providential watch care all these years!  Calculating probability, it seems that I would at least have been in a serious accident by now after 26 adult years in Africa, with all the travel I’ve done for the gospel.  God is good!

Showing videos at night was my plan, but we had many technical difficulties and weird gremlins.  After discovering that a vital piece of equipment was missing, on the first night, I went ahead and preached.  The next night, after a complicated handover from one brother, Lazarus, who came more than half-way up from Kumasi with the needed item, to Augustine at the ferry crossing at Makongo, all of the equipment – projector, DVD player, and karaoke machine were fried crisp by our small generator!  So I ended up preaching to the assembled saints, curious onlookers and multiplied hordes of bugs all enjoying the only electric lights for miles around. (But the electricity is now only within three miles or less.  It used to be 25 miles away!)

Adam Akola came with two brothers from Bolgatanga, Gottfried and Titus, all very “wakawaka” (enthusiastic) young men.  They were both very impressed by my preaching and teaching and by the fact that they were Frafra’s in Konkomba territory.  Learning the new “praise dance steps” of a different tribe made a big impression on them, as an example of the spiritual unity of the Lord’s church.  Also impressing them was when my “Can’t Dance White Boy” from Missouri, Caleb Wilson, tried his hand …or feet, at the “Spider Stomp” dance.  Beth Ann was shy to try – dancing - but was a real trooper otherwise, being our safari photographer, cooking food with Abby like salmon or tuna with beans for our crew, which also included Keziah, Alima and Jackson, all of my household. (Joanna and K.K also came along with us, as well as several Konkoma students at BCA, Abraham and Jacob.)  We left Sherrie at home taking care of things there.  Camping out in Konkomba country makes one feel like a Survivor episode participant, minus the safety net they enjoy.  Sleeping outside under the stars is nicer than roasting in the tiny school room, but does also give the mosquitoes a good target. We also praise God for protecting all of us from scorpions and super-fast spiders, who must be meat eating hunters.  (No sneaky webs and waiting, for these big guys!  Grab and snatch is their style.)  Caleb nearly stepped on a scorpion one night, and then killed it with his flashlight, with some encouragement from me.  As usual, the bush was our bathrooms, and a bucket over our heads our bath.

Like last year, I organized a “Strongest Man Contest”, hurling rocks, pressing logs overhead, kicking soccer balls and clean and jerking weights that I brought.  I also had the first every road race to the lake and back, about 1.5 miles.  Three skinny teenagers won, with only a  modest 200 meter head-start over the big boys.  We also organized outdoor activities for the children, like “Red Rover, Red Rover, Come Over”.  This was a big hit.  We need to recruit some of these kids for future NFL teams!  The smaller boys (at this age, they always are) won over the much larger girls in very hard fought victory – to their utter jubilation.  I really appreciate our students’ hearty participation with the village munchkins.  These activities really help us overcome the language barrier and forge friendships and show Christ’s love in a tangible way.

Evenings, I took my youngsters to the lake to cool off in the dark waters.  Fortunately, they really believed me about there being no more crocodiles. (Hey, its true, except every now and then.)  I’m just glad that we saw a fairly large specimen only at a small lake miles away whilst leaving.  Caleb also got to shoot my shotgun, and all were treated to lukewarm fantas and cokes at small store three miles away when our water ran out

Finally, Monday morning, we returned safely home to Kumasi, appreciative to once more sleep in our own beds with all the modern amenities.  (Except for water now, which has run out in our house… and the power, which has gone off nearly every other day.)  I hope that you will appreciate the importance of such camp outs and preaching sessions in building up my teens, encouraging poverty stricken African saints, and sowing seeds for future Kingdom building in the remotest places on earth.  Our van always takes beating, and our health is often at risk.  For instance, in February,  Laura Swift went up there with Augustine, and came back sick with viral infection that has continued to haunt her.

A Proud Papa’s Pronouncement About His Son, Jeremiah As the No. One Graduate from His Department (1000 students) at UST

Sherrie and I, and all the family and Christian brethren here are rejoicing with my son and his wife, Brittney… and two year old Hanna, of course…in ferocious finish with a flourish for a BA in Political Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).  As class valedictorian, he will be addressing about 5000 students and attendees for a short speech.  What an awesome opportunity!  Here is a white boy on a very “black” campus – not that I care, but it is a BIG issue here, with all Ghanaians supporting Obama just for that reason – who is a Christian missionaries son, from a tiny private Christian school which isn’t even registered, who voluntarily left an $18,000 per year Presidential Scholarship at Marist College, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y, to come here, who is also married with little girl, getting this honor.  June 20 is the graduation date.  Pray that Jeremiah has utterance to boldly speak for Christ on that date.  Our God is able to open doors that no man can close, even in an increasingly secular and sin-sick world! (Rev.3:8)

Final Thoughts – The Hostetter’s Second Family and Short Summer Furlough Plans

First, I want to thank all of you for continuing your faithful support of our mission during the recession.  Truly your loyalty to the Lord, and then to us, is praiseworthy and very encouraging.  We are weathering the financial storms so far with you help.  I know that it hasn’t been easy for many of you.  We have had first hand experience of a recession economy in Africa for the last 26 years, for the most part!  Sherrie and I covet your prayers for our USA Summer Tour. 2009.  When many people would be just enjoying grandparenthood, we will have two of our teenagers with us:  Jackson, who just had his 14^th birthday April 21^st  & Keziah, who turned 16 on April 23^rd.  They are orphans and have no other place to go.  Staying with us seems vital to their continued spiritual and physical well-being and maturing.  Of course, well have logistical obstacles to overcome.  For instance, if we need to stay in a hotel, we will be getting separate rooms, thus adding to the cost of just Sherrie and I traveling together.  But we have been working so hard with them and want to continue to finish and perfect what we’ve started.  Keziah has had nearly three weeks - and only three weeks - of good school work and doing most things right.  But everything has to be checked and re-checked. 

Please pray for us to have patience and wisdom to present those in our house to Christ as powerful disciples and living sacrifices.  It would be so much easier to not have this responsibility at this stage in our lives.  But we have hope for a wonderful outcome and actual multiplication of the Lord’s work through them.  They already have so much to add and give to us.  Alima is the most perfect student, but cannot come due to passport and visa issues.  This saddens me a bit because she is in some ways the most deserving.  Nevertheless, we trust God’s providence and timing.  I am not asking for sympathy or pity, but powerful prayers of faith.  We are training future missionaries to carry on after we are too old to continue, or gone.  Also pray for Caleb, who will be leaving us and returning to his uncle and aunts house, who he calls mom and dad, in Missouri.  His time here has been good, but not easy.  Sometimes I just see what remains for his development, not what is attained.  (A common fault of fathers.)  Yet if he so chooses, he can use what he’s seen and learned here to become a great man for God. 

Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to read this report.  Please take a few minutes and pray, right now if possible and then drop us a line.  I am so encouraged by your feedback!

Prayer Points

-       Court case concerning our property at Atia, May 21^st, in criminal court.  I will need to be very alert and wise in my testimony, according to the police prosecutor.  I have been vilified by Willie’s lawyer in the court as a bad white man who wants to take advantage of Africans.  Very racist!

-       Boldness and wisdom for Jeremiah at his graduation address on June 20^th.

-       Sherrie and I, and Keziah and Jackson’s summer trip to the States, June 21^st – September 8^th.

-       Sherrie’s knee surgery, still to be scheduled.

-       Finishing hard this year of school. 

-       Health for Gloria Asher, who has been hospitalized and treated for malaria 4 times this year already!  She is still nursing Ethan. 

-       New Christian schools for Accra, Bolgatanga, Konkomba country and Togo.

-       Safety for daughter Rebecca and her husband Binoy Thomas and our three grandkids to the States from Cochin, India. May 13^th.

-       Visa to be granted to Attah Osebreh on May 14^th by the American embassy, for he and Jessica, who is pregnant, with Zion.  Jessica hasn’t been “home” in the States for six years.  Letters for the embassy are also appreciated.

-       The gathering of funds and stuff for a shipping container.  Last month, in Jeff’s Journal,  I added a list.

God bless and keep you in His love as we partner together to build a BEACON of Christ’s hope in Kumasi and all around Ghana and beyond, preaching the GLORY of God in the Face of Christ. (II Cor.4:4-6), the transforming message of the gospel.

Serving King Jesus,

Jeff Hostetter