Family Letter to Our Host Daughter
Happy Friday!
I wanted to share with you an update about our host daughter this summer!
We are hosting her through Project 143. It is a wonderful program that brings HOPE to orphans through hosting.
We are hosting a sweet little seven year old girl, (who looks ridiculously like our little Eli) and we are super, super excited about it!
She will be staying with us the whole month of July!
As part of our paperwork, we are asked to write her a letter, and I wanted to share it with you.
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We would be honored if you would pray for us as we prepare for her visit. And we would also love for you to pray for her. I know it will be a little scary for her to travel over to the states at her age, although she will have a chaperone. Pray that the Lord would keep his hand upon her until she is safely in our home. :)
There are still more orphans that need a host family this summer.
I found this information on the P143 Yahoo group board, and I wanted to share it with you:
What Are You Waiting For?
Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity!
NOW is the time to choose a host child. As director of Project One Forty Three’s International Host Program for Latvia I can promise you that now is the best time to choose a host child.
Why? You may ask…
1. We are beyond the half way point in our photo listing summer hosting sign ups. This is the time when you will find MORE LARGE GRANTS and THE MOST SCHOLARSHIPS placed on the children!
2. You still have ample time without rushing to complete your paperwork!
3. There are still many, many wonderful children on our listing WAITING, HOPING to have a family with whom to share their summer!
4. There is still plenty of time to fund raise to offset the initial costs of hosting!
5. THERE IS NO OTHER TIME LIKE THE SUMMER to give as a family, open your home, share your beliefs and express your love to a child who needs this most.
The Ultimate Answer…
Giving is like a mirror… The blessing you give – you will receive…
…Give, and it will be given to you:
good measure, pressed down, shaken together,
and running over will be put into your bosom.
For with the same measure that you use,
it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:38
I myself I am a witness to the truth of this scripture from my own personal hosting experiences. But also, as the director, I see countless orphan children blessed… but I also hear the countless miracles of changed families who were also unexpectedly blessed by their hosting experience.
Won’t you be blessed this summer?
Host An Orphan. “Give, and it will be given to you:”
~Angie S.
If you would like to prayerfully consider hosting a child this summer, you can find out more information by clicking the button below.
And of course you can email me at beneathmyheart4@gmail.com.
Out of curiosity, is your family considering adoption (or is there some medical reason for your orphan’s visit) ? I’m really having trouble wrapping my mind around the idea that hosting – without the ultimate goal of placement/medical care is beneficial to the child emotionally. Do the kiddos get to go on multiple hosted trips during their childhood? Is it like summer camp for them?
I think part of why this isn’t computing (for me) is the stress I experience when in completely new environments (e.g. new job, new school, new city) – and that’s without throwing culture and language into the mix. Would it be worse to experience this as a kiddo? idk. It seems like it would really stink to have to go back to an orphanage situation after such an awesome summer. But I also know some orphanages close down in the summer to save costs, and some “orphans” have a pretty extensive family network (just one that’s so poor it can’t provide food/shelter), so it’s not a black-and-white issue.
Anyways – more info would be terrific. Definitely sounds like a life-changing experience.
Hi Marie!
Yes, we are working on our adoption papers right now in hopes that we might be able to adopt our host daughter. I TOTALLY understand why it is hard to wrap your mind around the benefits of the hosting program. I thought the same thing at first too, until I started learning more about P143 and talking to the wonderful people who work in this program.
Some of the children are available for adoption, but some are not, for many different reasons. P143 has put so many older children in host homes that probably would have never experienced what a normal loving home life is like. I believe something like 75% of the children hosted have ended up being adopted. That is amazing for these older orphans who are usually overlooked. The cool thing is that for the orphans that are hosted and return back to their home country do so much better when they return. Their grades improves, their confidence improves, they seem happier. And their relationship with their host family doesn’t end. They can keep in contact through letters and calls, plus a lot of orphans return for second and third visits to their host families. It makes the host child feel very loved.
The children enjoy and look forward to their “special trips” to America! It is a life changing experience for both the child and host family. You can read more about the program by clicking on the links. :)
Thank you for your questions.
Hi Traci,
Wow, she does look a lot like your son, sheis adorable and so are all your boys.
What a lovely gift you are giving this little girl, will be praying for all of you and thatshe feels very comfortable and
warmed by your love as she is in your home all summer. We have supported a child that lives in Ethiopia for the last 4 years,
and that has been such a blessing to hear from him and know how he is doing……….
Blessings on this wonderful endeavour.
Nellie
Thank you so much for sharing Nellie! I can’t wait to share this entire journey with the blog world!
She is a very lucky girl…hope it all goes well and your paperwork is expedited. : )
Thank you for all the support…. I hope all this paperwork goes quickly too!
I cannot WAIT to hear more stories – she is such a doll and I know you cannot wait to have her join your family for the Summer!! xoxo