Time flies when your having fun...and get'n stuff done!

Time flies when your having fun...and get'n stuff done! It's hard to believe Mom and Dad Hostetter have been here for over a week already. They arrived 10 days after we got back to Cameroon and it has been such a blessing having them here. They have participated in preaching, encouraging the Saints, helping reach out to gym members, cleaning up mold, doing laundry (which is a big ordeal here when the water doesn't come on everyday), cooking, playing with the grand-kids, helping the kids with morning devotions and school, etc. We also appreciate their advice on how to "excel still more" with the ministry as they have been on the mission field for over 30 years.

Tag team! The first Sunday Jeremiah's parents were here we drove to Douala to assemble with the Saints. Jeremiah did the Sunday School class about freedom in Christ (Romans 6, 7, & 8 are some of my favorite chapters in the Bible!) while Jeremiah's dad preached about being disciples of Jesus. Great team work men of faith!

This may look like Jeremiah in the picture of above but this is Jeremiah's dad preaching. Jeremiah likes to say "like in the Bible, if you've seen the son you've seen the father." :)

Jonathan and Hannah with some of the children in the congregation. I encourage Hannah and Jonathan to overcome being too shy and to be friendly to the new people we meet because we are bright lights for Jesus.

We've had several Cameroonians visit us and sometimes they bring meals for our family. This is one of my favorite Cameroonian foods, ekwa. It's made with ground coco yams wrapped in casava leaves and boiled in a sauce that consists of red pepper, ginger, garlic, onions, palm oil and fish.

We have put Mom H to work! She got us all caught up on laundry which is a big ordeal since the water is on sporadically and we had lots of clothes and sheets to wash due to mold. She has also been cooking us delicious meals so I can work on other things.

Grandpa and Jonathan after taking an adventure and finding some arrows for his homemade bow. It seems like some of the funnest things for kids are also the cheapest! :)

Grandpa and Hannah with the beautiful bouquet they made. 

Carys is such a happy baby and she has been enjoying extra attention from Grandma H.  

Mom H found a snail and Hannah wanted to keep it as a pet. She is responsible for feeding it, giving it water and cleaning out its "cage." She takes it out several times a day to play with it and named him Mordecai. Who knew a snail would make such a good pet? Teaching a kid how to care for a pet is one of many ways to teach them how to be responsible.

It's been hard on the kids not having a routine in the States as we traveled around (though we had a super encouraging time there!) so it is good getting them back into somewhat of a routine. I have to be patient with myself and the kids as everything takes time and work. We also appreciate Mom and Dad H's advice about training up kids in the Lord. We really take their advice to heart as they have 3 of their own and many "adopted" grown up children who love the Lord with all their hearts.

This is a picture Jeremiah took of Mount Cameroon on which we live. " The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." Psalms 19:1

More about how God uses Mom and Dad Hostetter's visit to help encourage us and others in the next blog!