JEFF’S JOURNAL

ALL THE LATEST SPIRITUAL NEWS AND VIEWS – FIT TO PRINT - FROM GHANA, WEST AFRICA.

                                SEPTEMBER, 2009

 FINISHING HARD AND STARTING STRONG!

     On Tuesday, September 14^th, our Summer Tour, ’09, was completed when we (Sherrie, Keziah, Jackson, and I) boarded our KLM flight for Accra, Ghana, via Amsterdam. Thus culminated an incredible adventure for Christ that took us …to 14 States and about 18,000 miles by car and another 36,000 miles by plane.  All those miles, and no mishaps.  (But Sherrie’s plane from Amsterdam was violently rocked by the jet stream of another plane!!)

     On Monday, Sept. 13, a forty foot shipping container was completely loaded and locked for Ghana.  Included is 2005 Dodge Sebring car, which will be a great help in our ministry.  Getting it into the container at six feet high on the back of a truck, in Christ’s Church’s parking lot was a challenge.  A man with a special truck bed just picked it up and backed up and we were in, after a few adjustments.  Our crew of helpers included the preacher, Tim Turner, Keziah and Jackson, Connie and Travis, Beth Ann, her parents, and some other members of Christ’s Church, one of which was blind and yet outworked us all!  What a blessing!  I got into th container at 9:35 a.m and worked until 12:35, loading box after box of supplies donated or purchased by us.  Medical and school supplies, canned food, furniture, used clothes, a trampoline, weights for the gym ministry, and more resources were all packed.  Our great Jehovah-Jireh does provide! And I am glad I lift weights!

     As soon as we had finished packing, we had to rent a car, head to Sherrie’s parent’s house, pack for the plane ride, say our sad final farewells, and drive towards Washington, D.C.  More last minute shopping and then on to the airport.  We had already traveled 13 hours on Saturday, Sept.12, from Indianapolis by car, and the day before, had flown from Montana.  No wonder our bodies are slowly readjusting from jet and car-lag!

TRAVEL, TRAVEL TEACH, TRAVEL SOME MORE, PREACH, REPEAT.

     As an evangelist, called by God and sent out by His church, I am personally very grateful for all the many opportunities to preach and teach about missions, plus share about our ministry.  America needs us, just as we too, need America.  Missions help sending churches be saved from harmful self centeredness and isolation.  Not that I look for the gift itself, as said by Paul in Phil.4:17, but for the benefit and blessing that accrues to those who involve themselves in the greatest task mankind has ever undertaken – the salvation of lost people from all peoples on earth and the creating of the worldwide body of Christ, an eternal temple of praise and prayer of God’s glory. 

     We met so many wonderful people, who especially showed kindness to Keziah and Jackson.  The former really saw the best of America.  It was fun to see him go canoe, collect shells on the beach at Florida, take his first amusement ride –extreme ride with Sherrie, (the Steel Hog at Indiana Beach), and so forth.  We reminded him of the fact that these people were nice mainly because they were Christians – the best people on earth.  Keziah and Jackson can also testify that Sherrie and I were not “just going through the motions”, as one popular hit talked about.  (Well, we were going and were constantly in motion)J  I think this trip helped them see the BIG picture of how we are to be spiritual revolutionaries, not Christian couch potatoes.

     Thanks to all of you who are reading this report for your wonderful hospitality and love extended towards us in so many ways.  If I begin mentioning names, where will I stop?  But the Lord knows and will repay.

SPECIAL REPORT ON THE MONTANA FAMILY CAMP

     This year’s camp, which was attended by 460 people, was the “Household of God”.  It was encouraging and is interesting that our family got to share much this year.  Sherrie, Jeremiah, Rebecca, Binoy and I all shared, plus Rhys Thomas and Steve Icenogle.  May the Lord add His own special blessing to our efforts to emphasize God’s plan to use families as a cultural change agents of a spiritual sort in this dark world of sin.  The camp was awesome and I greatly appreciate Jay and Lonna’s special love towards us.

SHERRIE’S KNEES REPORT

      Her second knee surgery is now 8 weeks old.  She was able to walk through all the airports without assistance – no small feat at all!  Since returning, she continues her self-therapy.  She has still had much pain from all the activity, but today she says they are doing better, praise God!

LEGAL CHALLENGES AT ATIA

     Returning, I jumped back into the stress of the legal challenge at Atia.  Godwin was called for questioning by the local police .At first, Willie said that the land and school buildings did not belong to him, but only that he wanted “compensation”, for having to stop running his own profit-making school there, to the tune of $50,000! Now he is falsely claiming ownership! I spent many hours yesterday going to see my lawyer and visit the police, all in thick city traffic. Pray that we can soon get an injunction and get him out, until the courts determine ownership.  We need $600 more dollars for additional legal costs, so please pray for this. 

BCA STARTS FOR THE 14^th SCHOOL YEAR, and SCHOLARSHIPS NEEDED

    On Wednesday, Sept. 21 after two days of frantic work sanding, painting, mopping and getting things ready, we began our 14^th year of BCA.  It is hard to seeing the poverty here and the run-down condition of things after being in the States for three months. You have to just mentally filter out the mold, fungus, peeling paint, chipped concrete, half-finished walls, rotting wood and so forth … and just press on anyway!  At 7:30 am, I’m doing daily staff meetings (Did you know that Moses really relied on his “staff” also. Ex.4:2J).  Then openings each day at 8:00 a.m Then I coach weight lifting each day – first the students at 3:30 p.m and then staff at 4:30 every other day.  Then, family’s evening devotions at 7:00 p.m.  I will start scheduling personal studies next.  And Sherrie is just as busy. 

     Do you realize that only $60 dollars per month provides a bare-basic feeding regimen for one BCA student per month so that they can get a great, Christ-centered, Bible-based education?  We also need scholarships for our students to press on for further education  What a difference you can make in such a person’s life, for both now and eternity.  Remember, the best thing we can do in a recession is to invest in the kingdom of God, with a guaranteed eternal return with no defaulting or need of bailouts in that bank!

NEWSFLASH:  “Edward and Elizabeth Immersed Into Christ.”  Elizabeth’s parents are charter members of the local assembly here in Kumasi that I started in 1996.  She’s the oldest daughter and now works in BCA as a monitor.  Edward has been attending for several years and doing personal studies with Emmanuel Ayensu, who graduated from BCA this June.” 

Love and peace in Christ Jesus our Lord and King,

Jeff and Sherrie Hostetter

Check our website:  www.gloryinghana.com, for the newest photos soon!