O = Orphans

Yes, I am aware that I have not posted in two months.  We have been a bit busy. Have you heard of New Horizons for Children?  It is through this organization that we have met the newest boy in our life:  M*rkus.

M*rkus is the orphan boy from Latvia that we hosted this summer.  He and Boy took to each other as well as any two little boys could.  They hit it off from day one.  Language was no barrier!  They laughed together, played together, learned together, and grew to love each other over the five short weeks that M*rkus was here.

Then the hosting period ended, and it was time for M*rkus to return to Latvia.  We brought M*rkus to the airport, checked his bag, got him on the line to go through security, and then waved good-bye and he disappeared to the terminal.  We turned around to walk away, and I could see Boy's face.  It got tense.  The sides of his mouth started to fall.  His lips parted.  His eyes squinched.  He lost it.  He was crying...sobbing over the loss of his new, Latvian brother.  Richard and I felt helpless as we tried to console our sweet Boy.  It was heartbreaking.

That was last Thursday.  On Friday we found out that, by the grace of God, we can host M*rkus again this December.  Merry Christmas!

This detail has made the transition a little easier for Boy because now he knows that he will see M*rkus again.  Boy has told us that it is okay with him if M*rkus comes to stay with us, and he will share all of his toys.  Oh, how I love the heart and mind of a small child.

Now, as the proverbial dust is settling from our whirlwind summer, and we are getting back to a normal (?) routine, I want to take a few minutes to tell you about how YOU can be so blessed during the next hosting season: Open your heart and home to an orphan child or children from Eastern Europe through New Horizons for Children.

Would you like to know more?  There are two ways that you can do this.

1.  Visit www.newhorizonsforchildren.com

2.  Ask us!

When these children come to the United States of America to be hosted, they are shown what life is like living in a loving, functioning, Christian household.  They get to be part of a real family.  They are given HOPE.  Additionally, these children learn life skills that can help them in their future.  They learn self-confidence.  They learn English, which is a second language common to many Eastern European countries that could seriously help them with their futures.  They learn about the love of Christ, and the fact that they DO have a father who loves them no matter where they are in life.

Additionally, while the program through New Horizons for Children IS for hosting, in the end, many of these children find forever homes.  Back home they have between a 0 and 1% chance of ever being adopted.  Here, about 65% of them wind up finding a family that wants to loves them for good.  It is not always the family that hosted them, but it seems to be that for many of them, it is someone.  THAT in itself is a gift that is truly a blessing!

Do you have any questions about New Horizons for Children?  Do you have any questions about our experience?  Do you want to host a child or sibling set yourself?  Do you want to help us raise the money to bring M*rkus back to America for Christmas?  Please tell us what we can do to help you do any of these things.