At dinner last September my kids said, “Dad, we have something we want to talk to you about. We want to go on another Christmas Mission trip.” Randy looked at me and smiled. He said, “Tell me more about it” All the kids began talking enthusiastically about this 12-year-old orphan, they saw online. They wanted him to come to spend Christmas with us. They began discussing with Randy all the things our kids could do with him. This boy, Emil loved dogs, loved everything outside, and loved building things. My kids thought this little boy would be so much fun! I showed Randy the picture of Emil and we began making preparations for another family Christmas Mission trip.
We started to learn about the country of Latvia and educate ourselves about sports, the culture, and the language. We bought Emil a Latvian Bible and began to familiarize ourselves with it. We spent months praying for this little boy to see Jesus and have a great time in our home. Finally, the day arrived to pick up our host son at the airport. Our kids were all waiting with anticipation at the bottom of the escalator for Emil to arrive. They practiced saying Hello! Merry Christmas in Latvian. (They were never going to get that, but goodness did our kids try!) Our kids held up their signs and had the biggest smiles as he came down the escalator. He smiled and waved. He was quiet, scared, shy, and did not speak English.
In the car on the way home, he sat behind our twin girls. The girls were so excited and began giggling while throwing their blankies to Emil. His face started changing from timid to thrilled. He initiated poking my sons and laughing. We told him we are excited he was here and told him what we would do for the day when we arrived home. He didn’t have to say anything, You could tell he was excited to be in America and we were excited to start our mission trip.
Over the next few weeks, our schedules did not change. This sweet shy boy loved to just be a kid. He wanted to play dress up and be silly. Many of these kids in orphanages were never given the chance to just be a kid and they missed out on that experience. Emil wanted to play pizza shop and play with play dough. He participated in school, we did crafts, baked together, fixed things around the house, made cookies for our neighbors, played games, watched Christmas movies, saw Christmas lights, went to church, and spent time with family. He became more than a part of our family. He was family. He loved my daughters and would hold their hands. He asked to help put them to bed and loved caring for them around the house. My girls absolutely adored him.
Our boys loved having another brother to help them do farm chores, play football, and basketball, build Legos together, and take care of our animals. He picked up English very fast and enjoyed reading words in English. We saw Emil’s life change during Christmas. This kid learned who Jesus was and what it means to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father. He began to pray by himself and understood that our Father loves him and is there for him every single day.
In 1 John 3:18, it says, “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” With each hosting experience, my kids are learning that actions speak more than words when sharing Jesus. They also discovered how we respond to situations can show more about our character and our perception of Christ is to us. They are beginning to experience that God gives us opportunities to examine our hearts and shows us ways we need to make them more aligned with His. I desire for my kids to be servants and to have a reverent heart that fears the Lord in DOING the work of God that breaks His heart. God does something in each of my kids every time we have hosted, it is pretty amazing to see the work of God.
When the final day came for our mission trip to end, it was hard. We brought Emil to the airport early in the morning for his return flight. I will never forget making the turn into the airport. He saw all the planes and began talking loudly both in Latvian and English saying, “I am not happy! I am not happy! I do not like this!! I want to stay. Can I stay? Can I come back?” We got out of the car, and he grabbed both of my twin’s hands as we walked inside the airport. He didn’t want to leave, and we didn’t want him to leave either. He loved being the biggest kid and being adored by these small kiddos. We said our goodbyes and watched him go through security. On the way out of the airport, my kids said, “We are going to miss him. Can we host him again?” Our house is a little quieter now, feels different, and someone special is missing. We continue to pray for Emil every night and every child that comes through our home. We have made cards and have sent packages to this sweet Emil. We do not know when we will see him again only God knows. We lean on Him and trust our Creator for His plan for this wonderful boy He loves very much.
Is hosting something that you would like to do? People often ask what we love about hosting. Oh goodness. It brings our family together. We are more intentional with our kids in trying to create fun memories for our host children and in the process we create memories as a family that is unforgettable. Randy and my relationship blossoms as we serve each other better every day. There are many laughs we share and we enjoy seeing the joy on each child’s face in our home, during hosting. Yes, there are times it is tiring, but WOW is there many blessings. We see so much of God and what he does each day in our home, it’s amazing. People often ask, will we keep hosting? The answer is absolutely! Our marriage and family are better when we host and only God can do the miracles we see in our home, through hosting.
If you want more information about hosting or what it would look like for you, please contact us. If you have a spouse that may not be on board, start praying. That is not unique. Usually, the hosting idea starts with only one. We would love to talk with you!!!
Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do right! Seek justice, and encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, and plead the case of the widow. “
John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
