A few years ago my parents discovered there was this thing called "Orphan Hosting". Basically it is exactly what it sounds like; you host an orphan for a few weeks, usually over Christmas or during the summer. My parents thought it would be a good experience for us kids and that it would be a good way to do a "good deed" for a kid in need. To be honest, I thought it sounded pretty weird to have a kid you've never met to come and stay with you for 5 weeks. My parents told me to think of it as a distant cousin from Eastern Europe coming to stay with us for Christmas. It still sounded weird to me.
When "N" arrived (I'll just call him N) , he was completely overwhelmed. I suppose I would have been too if I was only 10 years old and traveled from Latvia to spend Christmas with complete strangers. Oh and SURPRISE, he didn't speak English. Thank God for google translate. Funny enough, he wasn't overwhelmed by the flight, the language barrier, or even the fact that we were strangers. He was on emotional overload because he had his own room, with a big bed, and a drawer filled with clothes just for him.
Those few weeks weren't awkward like I had assumed they would be. "N" fit right in. It was fun to watch him enjoy and appreciate the things that I take for granted everyday. You could see he loved just being part of a family. The more comfortable he became with us, the more he shared about his story and his past, and the more I realized how lucky I am.
I am blessed enough to belong to a complete and solid family unit. My parents are still married. Both sets of my grandparents are still married. I have three siblings, I have aunts and uncles and cousins, all who love and support me. Our hosting experience helped me realize how fortunate I am to have a loving family. We've hosted two more times since that first Christmas. Having "G" and "D" come and stay with us was just as rewarding as the first hosting with "N".
If Orphan Hosting sounds like something your family would be interested in. I highly recommend it. But beware, you may end up falling for your host child. We did. After a year long international adoption experience, "N" is now my little brother.
For more information on Orphan Hosting, check out this website: www.p143.org
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