Hello and goodbye...

7/28/2011

Three weeks ago our foreign exchange student arrived from Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, France. We anticipated her visit and prayed for a good experience, new friendships, safety and for positive memories to be created. Along with this anticipation was a tiny bit of doubt, “Have we done the right thing?”, “Are we capable of being a host family?” “What if…” and with each doubt I hurled a prayer up to God to eliminate the concerns and replace them with all the more good times and love.

Oh my goodness, did He ever answer those prayers! At first we were saying, “What will we ever do for three whole weeks?” yet as we closed our eyes last night and finalized last preparations we were saying, “I wish we had one more week? Or even a day?” We had a wonderful time with our newly adopted daughter from France, Miss Coline. She brought positive, creative and joyful energy with her along with a healthy curiosity for the United States and bonding with her American host sister.

We enjoyed three weeks of sight-seeing and laughter as our family opened its arms to include Coline as its newest member. This morning…with the last souvenir and item tucked into her suitcase, we zip her luggage shut to lock it for a twenty-three hour journey back to her home in France. We stayed up until our eyes couldn’t stay open in order to enjoy every minute together. This morning we are a home of mixed emotions. Happy Coline will be reunited with her family yet sad because we will have a quiet sot missing where our newest family member once stayed.

A bittersweet and emotional day…it may have been a short three weeks yet God showed me I do have the ability to love and equally. He blessed Mary with a forever French sister and us with another daughter. Coline’s presence will be missed yet our bond and friendship will last as long as we are on earth. I pray it will last into eternity.

Please keep Coline and the other students returning to France in your prayers – for safe travels and friendships to last them a lifetime. Pray for our family as we grieve the silence and embrace the family we are blessed with, adjusting back to a family of three.

It was an amazing experience and I encourage everyone to host a foreign exchange student…your heart and life will never be the same.

Psalm 136:1-3 NIV

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.