Left Shiloh in the pre-dawn gray of 5 a.m.  At 9 p.m. returned home in the pitch blackness of a  torrential downpour of Noah proportions.  Three hours down to Daoula.  Five and a half hours back to Yaounde.  Sandwiched in-between was a delightful visit with dear friends.

Five years of marriage.  Endless visits to doctors.  Final visit to fertility specialist resulted in "nothing more to try".  They were simply not able to have children.  Our friend looked at her specialist and declared "Now we will see what God will do."  Five months into the pregnancy that could not happen, went to visit the specialist.  Wanted to give testimony to what God alone can do.  Is going back when the baby they couldn't have turns five months old.  Wants the doctor to see for herself what only God can do.

We arrived one month and one day after the birth of their little "crowned prince".  They promised him that his one month party would be a day late.  The white grandparents were coming.  There would be a celebration.  And what a celebration we had!  We brought gifts, held him while he slept, took many pictures, and ate.  My how we ate!  Breakfast was waiting for us.  Didn't want us to starve.  Knew we had gotten up a great while before dawn. 

We ate and talked and talked and ate.  Stories came spilling out about our own babies that Guy had never heard before.  After working very closely with us for nine years, he thought he knew everything there was to know about Papa Jim and Mama Alice.   He can hardly wait for breakfast at Shiloh on Monday morning.  Has big plans for telling the rest of our team "Did you know that Papa Jim and Mama Alice..."  We'll see.

We weren't the only grandparents there.  The Crown Prince is the first on all sides of the family.  After a five year wait, and with him being the only one, and a BOY thrown in for good measure, well you can imagine the joy one small little bundle is bringing into the lives of all concerned.  

While waiting for the baby to wake up, the men took Guy on a tour of the house.  Mama Alice and the new mama settled down for some girl talk.  Confiding fears and hopes and dreams and plans for this new responsibilities' future.  We could have kept on talking, but the guys came back too soon.

The new parents had this strange notion that we would only want to see their pride and joy with his eyes open wide.  Silly people!  So we waited and waited and waited for the Crown Prince to wake up and come downstairs to meet us.  Eventually it was decided he had to make his grand appearance while sound asleep, or not at all.  

There he was!  His own sweet little self.  Looking now like Daddy and then a glimpse of Mommy.  Yes.  No doubt about it.  He's a keeper.  He never cried, never fussed, was the calmest, most peaceful baby ever.  So precious.  So sweet.  So tiny.  So loved.  Papa Jim prayed for this little life, that he might grow up to serve and honor God with all his heart. 

He was laid back into his little bed so we could all file back into the dining room for T-H-E feast.  There was chicken, and fish, and fried plantains, and rice, and a special sauce, and several kinds of tropical fruit, and surely there must have been something else which I have now forgotten.  And the grandmothers were there too.  How we enjoyed our last hour together around that table!

Then it was time to go.  We scooped up our happy memories and the many pictures we had taken.  All too soon we were giving good-bye hugs all around and heading back to the bus.