38 Days Until the Latvian Invasion

This is the first of many posts about our adventure for the Summer of 2013.  Eileen, Peter and I are hosting a young woman, an orphan, from Latvia for five weeks this summer.  We are both terrified and excited all at the same time.  We don't know very much about her except that she is 17, her name is Daniela and she is studying cosmetology in Latvia.  Here is a photo of her:

What we do know are several things: we are thrilled to be hosting her; we believe that this is God's will for us to be hosting her; and, we KNOW that we will be forever changed by this experience.

We have been actively fundraising for several months now and things are going well on that front.  We have also been connecting with other families across the country who are hosting other orphans through the same organization, New Horizons for Children.  The meeting of other families of like spirit, heart and mission has been a blessing to us as we prepare for Daniela's arrival.

We have just completed our training for the summer this weekend.  Lots of information coupled with lots of questions made for a very exciting time.  Several of the families in our regions are planning a day with our guests at Hershey park (note: I will not be the one going on the roller coaster)!