After moving with my family to Reading, PA, in 1989, I attended Lancaster Mennonite High School, where I met and became friends with (but did not date) my future wife, Melody Nolt. We both graduated in 1994 and went to college at Eastern Mennonite University. I attended there for only a year and a half before I transferred to Millersville University near Lancaster, PA. I graduated in December 1999 with degrees in mathematics and economics. Melody graduated from EMU in 1998 with an elementary teaching certificate with an endorsement in teaching English as a second language.

Melody and I began dating in 1997 and were married on June 4, 2000. I moved to Alexandria, VA, in January 2000, and Melody joined me there after we were married. Melody is employed by the Fairfax County Public Schools as a teacher of English to speakers of other languages at an elementary school near Falls Church, VA. She is in her second year at Belvedere Elementary and is really enjoying the experience. I am employed as a statistician in the Economic Directorate at the US Census Bureau. I currently compile and publish manufacturing statistics having to do with the chemical and plastics industries in the U.S. Melody and I are both taking graduate courses part time at George Mason University. Melody is working toward a master’s in multicultural/multilingual education. I am working toward a master’s in economics.

We attend Washington Community Fellowship, a Mennonite-affiliated church in Washington D.C. For the past year we have also been part of a small group that meets in D.C.

So what's up with the Hostetters? Let's see . . . We're into our eighth year with our lawn care business that Steve Burkholder helped jump-start in 1993. It's called Creation Care Lawn Service, and Jay does all of the hard work, and Evie takes care of bookkeeping and office stuff. For the most part Jay works on his own, though he'll take on a part timer from time to time. The business has done well and has become quite a place for ministry, too. It's amazing how many people feel free to share their troubles with "the lawn man," and they're always glad for a listening ear and prayer.

Evie's been busy homeschooling Timmy (12) and Rosie (11). Cindy (3) thinks she's being schooled as well. Rosie pushed hard during the summer to complete her 6th grade work so we could school Timmy and Rosie together in 7th grade this year. Timmy loves to play basketball and has made the JV Patriots team. He's also learning guitar. Rosie is very creative and loves to draw, sew, and make anything out of nothing; she's also learning piano. She loves cats. Cindy sings and sings and makes up songs. She also loves to draw and write her letters and words. Like I said, she thinks she's in school, too, and takes it quite seriously.

We've been attending St. Giles Presbyterian Church for the last four years, and while it has been quite a change for us, we've also found it healthy to learn that there are other kinds of Christians we'll be in heaven with. Ha! Evie has enjoyed being involved in the choir. Jay and Evie have together been involved in the Marriage Mentoring program, where we mentor a couple before they are married or mentor a couple experiencing some troubles in their marriage. We've enjoyed the new friendships formed through these mentoring relationships. We also are involved in a small group from church that meets during the week and in a cell group in our community.