By Marty Shoup

Hosting experiences come in all shapes and sizes.  We plan and pray, but the reality is the Lord’s…and it is always far better than what we could have imagined.

Our first hosting was in the summer of 2011.  And it was… ok.  Not great, not bad. Just ok. But overall, it went well enough that we knew we wanted to host another child the following summer.

When the winter photo-listing was released, we of course poured over it.  We would look at photos, read bios, and pray for the kids on the list. We would check back every so often to see who went on hold and whether any new kids were added—but never with the intention of looking for someone to host.

However, as He usually does, the Lord had other plans.  We “stumbled” across a photo of “M”, a teenage boy. Well, a man, really. I wish I could say I embraced the idea of hosting a teenager right away. But I didn’t. Our children at home (both boys) were at the time, 7 and 5, which is a FAR CRY from teenagerdom. But the Lord kept nudging. I ignored it for a while.

“I don’t know anything about teenage boys other than that they eat and sleep!”
“We don’t even have any friends with teenagers!”
“We don’t have teenage stuff! We have Legos and Matchbox and play Memory and Chutes and Ladders!”
“He’ll be so BORED! We live in the middle of nowhere!”
“We’re driving halfway across the country for Christmas. He’s SO not going to want to do that!”
“He’s practically a grown man, what if he’s impatient or aggressive with my kids?”
“What if… you know… well, you hear all these horror stories about kids who grow up in orphanages. What if he’s been abused… and what does that mean for MY kids?”

Oh, I had LOTS of excuses.  But they amounted to very little. We kept feeling the pull, and chose to host “M” that winter, and it was fantastic!

He was great with my kids! He played soccer with them, made cup towers and domino courses, and took a 2,500-mile road trip like a champ. Yes, he slept a lot, and he ate a lot (though nothing green), and he was AMAZED that you could get free refills and all the ketchup you wanted at Wendy’s. He brought us a Christmas present from his country and we were able to bless him with gifts as well.  We walked through Google maps together and “M” showed me where he lived, as well as pictures of famous landmarks in his city. I learned about Christmas and New Year’s practices from the other side of the world, and he experienced some of our quirky family holiday traditions. “M” was nearly fluent in English, but we learned (and butchered) bits and pieces of his national language as well.

It was an AMAZING 4 weeks, and it went by way too quickly.

We’ve kept in touch since then, messaging back and forth on social media, keeping track of what was going on in each other’s lives, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, etc. It’s been a joy to be able to maintain that relationship, even though he’s 5,000 miles away.

“M” was set to “graduate” the summer of 2014.  And that spring, over Facebook, he asked if we could come to watch him graduate.

We couldn’t all go, but I could.  And so I did. At the heartfelt request of my host son from 3 ½ years before, I flew to Eastern Europe to watch him graduate.  I couldn’t understand a word of the ceremony, but that didn’t matter.  I didn’t know any of the traditions or customs (by the way they don’t play Pomp and Circumstance), but that didn’t matter either.

I was there. Supporting him. Encouraging him. Cheering his accomplishment. Doing what family does.

It was an experience I’ll never forget.

People are often hesitant to host teenagers- especially teenage boys.  I get it. I was there, too. They’re like a different species, sometimes. And if you don’t have experience with teens, well… the very idea of having one in your home can be intimidating.

But oh, what I would have missed if I’d let my fear and worries guide my decision.

You’ll often hear host parents say that they went into hosting to be a blessing to a child in need, but that they came out of the experience as the ones who were blessed.  Truer words were never spoken, and I have an extra stamp in my passport to prove it.

Don’t discount those older kids on the photo-listing. They are blessings just waiting to happen.

Interested in hosting a teen boy or another child this summer? If you have not already signed up for the photolistings you can do so here and your regional coordinator will contact you to answer any questions you may have.

 

 Marty and her husband have two children and are three-time host parents. Marty began volunteering for NHFC in 2012 and currently serves as Board chair.

By Guest Blogger Natalie Meeks

“But what if I can’t love him enough?”

The October morning is balmy, the grass is soft and dewy, and I pace, bare footed. I’m flushed with fear and anxiety.  I dial her number, and when our hosting coordinator answers, the question tumbles out before I can order my tongue to cease and desist.  Our coordinator breathes reassurance and Gospel-words into my ear.

“Natalie, you can do what God calls you to do.  You are not called to heal him. You are called to provide a safe place for him to heal.”

Exhale.

Knowing the truth of His calling doesn’t eliminate my fear of the unknown. Not for this weak-minded woman. We have five young children at home. My husband works relentless hours. My plate is full and my heart, ever so much more so. Where will I find room for an orphan who needs me to love him?

I agonize and I pray. I pray on bare knees in the early dark, while chauffeuring kids to and fro, while bouncing a baby girl on my hip. I pray.

And, as He ever will, God answers.  We love because he first loved us.  We commit to hosting.

November storms past in a fury and December marks herself boldly onto my calendar squares. And finally it is the day our host child arrives.  The children are excited, nervous. We kiss the three youngest goodbye, and hurry to the airport to greet a child who has agreed to come to spend Christmas in America with an unknown family. A child whom we have chosen, but who has not chosen us; a child who has not been chosen by the very parents ordained to bear and raise him.

I am afraid. I pray.

The airport arrivals lounge is large and bright. White shines everywhere, the ceiling and floor scored geometrically by cheerful colored patterns. We have rushed all day, all month. Now, we wait.

The children begin to stream in and the excitement builds. Posters are raised, brightly proclaiming Eastern European names that I cannot pronounce and pasted with photos of beautiful children. We lift our poster high, with our gift of a soccer ball and snack at the ready, and we hold our breaths.

He arrives. I watch as he cautiously approaches. His hair is shorter than in his picture, he is taller than I imagined, and he is broken. Exhausted from 20 hours of travel, overwhelmed by the sight of this new family in a new country, speaking a foreign language. He buckles. His tears flow and my heart aches to comfort him. This little-big boy has walls that I don’t know how to climb and I pray. Lord, show me how to reach him. He bravely and obediently follows us out of the airport, into the big wide world of America, and we walk to the car to begin our two-hour drive home. I worry and I pray.

My oldest two children’s eyes watch wide as he climbs into the backseat. A new world has opened up to them and they are unsure how to respond. We cruise in the dark under the city lights and I relax as I see his eyes close, head leant against the window. Sleep. Yes, sleep child. You must be so tired. Then I hear the sound. Do all mothers know the sound? The peculiar cough… Oh please, Lord, please let it not be vomit…

God’s ways are not our own.

We pull to the side of the road and I dash into the back to assess and tend. He looks full at me for the first time. Helpless, his beautiful eyes are wide and desperate. My hands reach for his soiled fingers, and I plead unspoken if I may? He nods. I cradle his hands while I clean them, his face, his shirt. He relaxes into me. Walls crumble, and he accepts this meager mama-nursing effort as one that he can trust. And I pray.  Lord, thank you for the vomit.

The irony does not escape me.

A month flies and this child-without-family becomes an integral part of our family in the most miraculous and mysterious of ways. Each smile, each laugh, each hug extend roots which lengthen and strengthen.  Shy grins and giggles between children give way to trust and camaraderie and Gospel-brotherhood. We fall head over heals and he soaks it in. Daily, his smile grows wider and his chuckle comes more easily. He hugs and he loves and he joins in their silly pranks. He makes mistakes and he apologizes and he basks in childhood with all of the grace it offers. He melds into us, and we into him. And then, all too soon, he leaves. And we grieve. But most of all, we pray.

Is it possible to love a child too much? Of course the answer is a resounding no. Love multiplies and the Father who first loved us has filled our hearts so overflowing for one of His own: for an orphan who is fatherless, but never Fatherless. He, and we, all are loved by a God who is enough and who loves enough.

We don’t know what God’s plan is for our beloved host child. But we know that His plan is Love and it is Enough.

Interested in taking a leap of faith to host this summer? If you have not already signed up for the photolistings you can do so here and your regional coordinator will contact you to answer any questions you may have.

 

Natalie resides in South Carolina with her husband and five children.  They are eagerly awaiting the return of their host child this summer.

By Guest Blogger Rev. Greg Gunn

And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

 

 

 

The Philippians understood generosity! The Philippians practiced generosity! This early, struggling group of believers was aware of a great truth: God’s people are givers.

The Bible teaches that the apostle Paul was on a mission to share the good news of the gospel with others and to do the hard work of establishing churches. God blessed Paul’s work and it was rich with success, but the work was not always easy.  Paul experienced tremendous challenges while serving the Lord. The scriptures teach that Paul endured beatings, shipwreck, hunger, and a myriad of other challenges. The needs of the mission were massive and Paul’s resources were often scant.

The good news is that God always has the way and one of the ways God provided for Paul was through the church at Philippi. The believers at Philippi came alongside Paul and supported and provided for him as he worked tirelessly to serve the Lord. In fact, so generous were those same believers that they continued their support of Paul’s work even after he departed and went on to serve elsewhere! The Philippians understood and practiced Christian generosity.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he expresses deep gratitude for their obedience to the Lord and for their gifts. In chapter four of Philippians, Paul teaches a rock solid Biblical truth: giving to the Lord’s work is not just a benefit to the recipient, but it is a blessing to the giver and the giver can be sure that God will in turn provide their own needs.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

This is one of the glorious mysteries of God’s economy – as we give cheerfully and generously to the Lord’s work, we are actually the ones who are blessed! God’s word promises that he will supply every one of my needs.

As I prayed through and pondered Philippians 4:14-19, two things came to my mind. First, I am reminded that Christian giving is not an expense; it is an investment – a great investment! All great investments have one thing in common: great returns. When I give generously and invest in the work of the Lord, I have the promise that God will take care of my needs and use my giving to accomplish His purposes. Second, I am reminded that Christian giving is an act of worship and a shout out of my Christian confession. My possessions (including my money) are not for my purposes, they are for HIS purposes. As a steward of the good things God has provided, it is an exciting journey for my family to give generously to things like our church, to missions, and to host orphans through New Horizons for Children.

God’s people are givers. Join the adventure of giving and watch God be faithful to His promise of supplying all your needs.

 

Rev. Gunn is a member of the NHFC board of directors and pastor at Providence Church in Spring Hill, Florida. He and his wife, Aimee, are looking forward to sharing their home with a host daughter from Ukraine this holiday season.

It has come upon us again: the time of year when we give thanks and then go shopping.  My internet surfing has been inundated by Black Friday deals extended for a few more days, Cyber Monday discounts piling up, and Facebook countdowns of the number of shopping days until Christmas.

It is easy to get caught up in it all and run after the latest deal.  Or to lament the state of our society that we so quickly turn to consumerism after consuming a family meal.

But I think that there’s a middle ground.

I imagine my son opening up the gift I went out to buy early Friday morning.  He’s going to love it.  Seeing that joy is one of my favorite things about the holiday season.  I can’t wait until Christmas morning.  And I’m really thankful that there was a deal that turned something unaffordable and not within my budget into a very special gift that I could bless him with.

Setting aside a time that allows you to stretch your money is actually a pretty great idea.

I think the key is to remember what you are stretching your money FOR.  Is it to be able to get more “stuff” with the same amount of cash, or is it to be able to purchase something really special  that you would not have been able to otherwise afford?  Is it to increase your own pile of things, or to bring joy to others?  Is it creating greed and selfishness in your heart, or joy and excitement?

I love being able to bless in the holiday season, and I like that I get this opportunity to do it more effectively.

And that’s why I’m so excited about #GivingTuesday.  This year, Tuesday has been set aside to do a different kind of stretching with our dollars.  To bless in ways other than with physical presents.  To bring joy in tangible ways.

It’s an opportunity for us to work together to make what would be unattainable on our own into a very special gift for others.

#GivingTuesday is a day to give to charitable organizations.  And this year, New Horizons for Children has a special “deal” so that we can reach a goal that is beyond what we can each do with our individual budgets:

Thanks to a corporate sponsor, every dollar given on #GIVINGTUESDAY will be matched up to $5000! 

How many of us went out this weekend and bought something that was 50% off?  How many of us were excited to get something that was otherwise out of our price range?

On #GivingTuesday, we can do something together that will be a gift none of us could afford on our own.  It’s a deal that will bring joy and hope and help.  If we all work together, we can raise $10,000 in a day.

That is a stretching of a dollar that fills my heart with more excitement than a deal on a video game or a toy or television ever could.

And taking advantage of this deal on #GivingTuesday means that New Horizons for Children will be halfway to its year-end goal of filling its Bright Future Fund with $20,000.  These funds will be used to support the mission trips that NHFC has planned to our current host countries, but more importantly, it will be used to reach a new country in Eastern Europe.

A whole new country of orphans in need.  A whole new country of children able to have arms wrapped around them and songs sung to them and love poured into them.  A whole new country of hearts waiting to hear the love of God.

That is a gift I want to give this holiday season.  It’s a deal that is bigger than any I got on the presents that will be under my tree this Christmas.

It’s a gift that will resonate in eternity.

All funds donated now through midnight Tuesday will be doubled, up to $5000.  To participate in #GivingTuesday, donate to the Bright Future Fund, go here:  www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/bright-future-fund/269050

 Veldorah Rice is a three-time host parent and a volunteer for New Horizons for Children.  You can find her at www.hexagonalpeg.com

By Guest Blogger Hyacynth Worth

Love isn’t always an easy road; but it’s always a worthwhile one. Just ask Jesus.

God knows where each of us would be without His extravagant love that came all the way down from His high place to dwell among us. God knows where we would be without Immanuel, without God with us.

How powerful that the Maker of the Universe would come to us from perfection to live in an imperfect world and love imperfect people. And all out of love. There’s something quite powerful about being with someone, about walking with someone.

Most of us can name people who walk closely with us in our lives, and for many of us those names are the people in our families. And we know the kinds of impacts these people have had in our lives! What a gift!

Perhaps God is inviting you into this kind of extravagant love this Christmas season; perhaps God is inviting your family to give the gift of family, the gift of having someone to walk with to a child who doesn’t have a family.

Maybe you’ve read about hosting an orphan or know someone who has and don’t know much more … and perhaps something calls to you about opening your own home and sharing your own family with a child who doesn’t have one of his or her own.

But maybe the reality is that you’re still on the fence about hosting. There are so many reasons that tempt us to toss the idea out of our minds because honestly it can seem daunting or even impossible.

Before you let the thought fade, though, here are six reasons you may want to consider allowing God to show you that He specializes in making the impossible possible, just like He did the very first Christmas when Jesus was born.

6) It’s Heartwarming

Hosting a child from another country who doesn’t have a family is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. As we shared Christmas and all of the traditions that accompany our advent and Christmas celebrations, I witnessed so much beautiful interactions between our host daughter and our young boys, then 6 and 4. My children thoughtfully included her into our traditions and she in turn embraced our family and our traditions eagerly. Watching the love grow between all of our members in our family with a complete stranger turned family member has forever changed my heart and has reminded me that Christmas is about love — God’s great love for us in sending His son to us.

5) It’s Eye-Opening

Before our host daughter came to live with us for a month, I knew there were orphans. But I didn’t think about them because I didn’t see orphans on a daily basis. They were not even on my radar. But then I held her in my arms. And I knew her name. And I loved her in a way I cannot explain. And orphans then became to me people instead of numbers I had read in statistics. We can ignore numbers. We couldn’t ignore Eta. Or Vika. Or Alina. Or Nauris. Or any of the number of other children we’ve come across during hosting.

4) It’s Inspiring

Our host daughter boarded an airplane in her native country and traveled across the Atlantic via plane for the first time to spend a month with a family she’d never met and who didn’t even speak the same language. And she was only 12 years old. When we first met our beautiful host daughter, she looked completely bewildered and overwhelmed. We quickly learned that hugs and laughter translate well into any language. As we settled into life during the first few hours and then days of her visit, I was inspired by her resilience and her desire to receive and give love despite all of the disappointments and hardships she’d faced in her short life. I recalled the feeling of terror I’d experienced before hosting began about welcoming a stranger into our family and recalled how others had said we were so brave for doing this. As I watched our host daughter strive to make heart connections, I realized bravery was involved in hosting — but most of it was needed by the children being hosted! After all, we were in our own home, with our own families, speaking our own language. Talk about bravery! These children are so courageous, and our host daughter showed me that I could live and love courageously, too.

3) It’s Humbling

The world is so much bigger, so much more vast than what I can see when I’m looking at what’s before me. I recall days when I thought and lived like the world revolved around me and my small family. When we met our host daughter I began to realize on a greater scale just how small I am and just how vast the world is. My children also began to grasp the smallest realizations of just how big our world is and how great the needs. We’ve realized as a family that while we cannot nearly meet the worlds great needs, we can do something. No one can do everything; but everyone can do something. We have learned that while we cannot save the world we can go where our deep passion meets the world’s great need. And we have taken to heart a great perspective from Andy Stanley: “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.

2) It’s Perspective Altering

Though we’d read James 1:27 many times — “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for the orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” — we didn’t really understand it until our host daughter came into our lives. We then began understanding how God wants us to love and how God loves us. Orphans have no standing in the world — they have nothing with which to repay for the love, time and effort. This is the way God loves us — though we have nothing to offer him but our hearts, he loves us and cares for us as His own.

1) It’s Life-changing

People have often mused about how we’ve changed our host daughter’s life for the better. And I know this is true without a doubt. We loved her with every ounce of love we had and then some —  often praying and asking God to multiply our efforts in only a way He could deep within her heart. I know we’ve given her a picture of what it means to be welcomed into a family and what it means to be part of a family. I know we’ve made a difference in her life, and our love has been tattooed on her heart.

But you know what else? God used her and hosting to change our lives … to change our hearts. Our family has had our collective heart broken for children who don’t have families. Even our young sons at ages 5 and 7 are vested in praying.  When discussing if we should host again our oldest son exclaimed, “Yes! Of course! Every kid needs a family!”

 

May we know more than His name this Christmas; may we know the love of God with us, and may we emulate His love in our very lives.

Hyacynth Worth lives with her husband John and their two boys in a northern suburb of Chicago. They have hosted twice with New Horizons For Children. Hyacynth writes at www.UndercoverMother.com about family, faith and the intersection of it all. 

If you are like most people, when you look at old family pictures, your eyes are drawn to the children.  Wedding pictures are always cuter with a scowling flowergirl sitting on a bride’s train; a vacation shot of a tiny boy staring in wide-eyed wonder at the vast ocean is the one that is framed and hung on the wall.

No one frames pictures of the 15-year-old with the bad perm.  No one gets the warm fuzzies when a pimply teenager scowls in a family photo.

Teens aren’t cute.  They are awkward and pointy in all the wrong places.  They have a sense of style that is foreign to adults, and the music they like, well, it’s just…strange.  They are struggling with that land halfway between child and adult.  One moment they are sweet and engaged, and the next they are looking at you like you have three heads because how can you possibly understand their world?

No one willingly desires to go back to their teen years.  They are hard, and confusing, and seem so overwhelming.  Parenting children through those years isn’t a whole lot easier.

And this is the struggle that orphan teens face.  Many people are looking at the New Horizons for Children photolisting right now.  Who would want the girl with the bad perm?  Who would want the lanky boy who is all elbows?

But hosting isn’t about picking the cutest or the youngest or the one who looks the happiest.  It’s about loving a hurting child.  It’s about showing a child who doesn’t know what a functional family is that they are not alone.  It’s about being Christ to them…being a servant who helps set the lonely into families.

Unfortunately, teens often go overlooked.  They don’t look vulnerable the way a six year old does.  They don’t show their fear, or appear to need a family.  They look confident and brave and maybe even defiant.

That’s because they have to.  They spent years learning that no one wanted them, that they can only trust themselves.  Of course they are going to look brave.  If they made it this far, they had to be.

And that should break our hearts.

One host mom of a teen boy had this to say, “As we looked through the 300 pictures of available orphans and read all their bios (all deserving to come and be loved by a family), one thing really struck us. One of the teen boys interviewed said, ‘I am still looking for my family.’ The reality is that once an orphan reaches the age of 5, their chances of ever being adopted are slim. The chances of an unadoptable teen boy being invited into someone’s home are astronomically slim. There is a huge group of hurting kids who need love that are being dismissed because they have ‘aged out.’ Our hearts broke for these boys who cannot be adopted but still want the love of a family.”

Five reasons you should consider hosting a teen:

1)      They are at a critical point where they can make really good or really devastating decisions. Think back to your own childhood.  Think of the most important conversation you had with your dad.  Think of the time your mom spoke her heart and you realized the depth of your actions.  Think of that time your trusted mentor had a true heart-to-heart with you.  Those moments likely happened in your teens.   These children don’t have those people around them.  But they could—you could be that person for them.  You can have a huge impact on them!

2)      They tend to understand and appreciate hosting. While they might not express it verbally to you, they know the losses they have suffered.  They know what they have missed out on.  And they are eager to experience it, even if they pretend that they aren’t.  They understand the amazing opportunity they are being given.  They just might not tell you about it.  But it doesn’t matter.  You didn’t get into this for the accolades anyway.

3)      They have the ability to create lasting relationships.  They might not be adoptable, but adoption is not the only way to bond with a child.  Sometimes student visas are possible.  Sometimes they can come for hosting again.  Regardless, most teens have greater access to social media and other communication methods, like Skype.  With today’s possibilities for international connections, an ongoing relationship IS possible. Imagine someone choosing YOU to walk alongside as you transition to young adulthood – after you believe your opportunity has passed!

4)      They need affection.  There is no age limit on loneliness.  There is no magical year when you suddenly don’t need your mom to say, “I’m so proud of you!” or your dad to say, “You really are talented!”  They need to hear it.  You can say it.

5)      God calls us to love the ones the world sees as “unlovable.”  Jesus ate with sinners.  His best friends were lowly fishermen.  His inner circle was constantly bickering and posturing.  These people weren’t cute and cuddly.  They were prickly and awkward, constantly challenging and questioning.  They said a lot of mean things and made choices foolishly.  They were sort of like a group of hurting teens.  And he more than loved them…he invited them into his inner circle.  They became his family.  He never “adopted” them with legal paperwork.  He just loved them with everything he had.  And in return, they betrayed him and denied him and made all kinds of drama around him.  But he was faithful in loving them.  And what did they become?  His children.  And they took his love and spread it to the nations.

 

Don’t miss the opportunity to plant in the fertile soil of teenage hearts.  Host a teen.  Show God’s love in a tangible way.  Change a life.

Click here to view the photolisting of available children.

Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love.  A day to tell your dear ones how much they mean to you.  A day to count the ways that they have changed your life.

Not all of us have significant others, but we have family—mothers and fathers, siblings and friends, some with us and some gone from our lives—and all of them mattered.  All of them made a difference in helping us become the people we are today.

But what if you didn’t have anyone to celebrate?  What if you had no one to love you?  No one to tell you the ways you matter?

This Valentine’s Day, consider showing your love by donating towards a scholarship for hosting an orphan this summer.  Instead of asking for flowers or candy or jewelry, sign up for the photo listing and select a child to sponsor.

Give the gift of love this Valentine’s Day.

Scholarships make a HUGE difference—80% of the children with a scholarship are chosen for hosting.  What is a $10 box of candy, or a $25 bouquet of flowers compared to helping someone else know that they matter and that they are loved?

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, New Horizons will double any scholarship donation of $25 or more for unmatched children.  DOUBLE your gift of love February 13-16, 2014.

Scholarships help change lives.  Please give one today. 

 

“Someone made a $500 donation scholarship to our host daughter before we were matched with her. That donation spurred us to choose her from the 2-3 girls we were still praying about. We are now pursuing her adoption to be her forever family. Your gift got that moving. We are so grateful for your generous gift that allowed us to meet her. The other girls we were praying over were all hosted and are in process to be adopted at this point, too. Maybe that would have happened under different pairings. The fact is that this arrangement of children and families was tipped and guided by your act of kindness. Thank you and God Bless!” –Rob and Julie, New York

 

“We waited until the final hours…literally three hours to go until matching ended.   If our boys didn’t have a scholarship, we NEVER would have been able to host both of them. I was only looking at hosting one child…..then my TWO boys had a scholarship that made them an option.   To think–money almost kept us from having the most amazing 4 weeks.  I’m so grateful to the donors for contributing and believing that these boys needed a family.” –Bobby and Chelsey, Wisconsin

 

“Hosting was a stretch for us financially. We stepped forward with hopeful hearts. But when our chosen host child was unable to come, we gave away our gathered funds to others so that they would find a family. THEN we found the child that God had for us…but we had no money. The beauty of scholarship money coming in at the “last minute” from people that we had never met in person, but who shared a passion for these kids and love for Christ, was like a heavenly nod of approval. It was the encouragement we needed to go on. Thanks to those gifts, we enjoyed the most amazing summer and are on the way to bringing our host child home forever!! Each of you who gave made that possible. Please don’t underestimate what scholarships of any amount can do for a child or for a potential host family.” — Bryan and Suzan, Maryland

 

“We were considering hosting a set of three siblings a second time.  The thought of paying the hosting fees for three children again was a bit overwhelming. It was the biggest obstacle in our decision. We contacted NHFC, and they offered us a partial scholarship.  This brought a sense of relief to us and was the encouraging factor that helped us make the decision to host again.  After that hosting, we committed ourselves to adopting them and now are waiting on travel dates to bring them home.  We are so appreciative of the help we received from them.  It helped make our decision a whole lot easier!” –Wendell and Melody, Ohio

 

“We decided to host on one of the last days possible. Our two host children had a scholarship, and that played a part in our decision to host them. We would have hosted regardless, but since we were paying for two children instead of one and the cost was doubled, it helped us decide to host a sibling group.”–Dan and Lori, Pennsylvania

 

“We were only able to host because someone who had met our child on a mission trip chose to offer him a hefty scholarship on the very last day of matching if someone would agree to host him. That was the push we needed to say yes. Our host son was amazing. He was so incredible, in fact, that people were falling in love with him everywhere. Because of that scholarship, we were able to help him find his forever family and now he is an orphan no more.” — Peter and Stacey, California

 

THIS WEEKEND ONLY! All scholarship donations of $25 or more given February 13-16, 2014 for children not yet on hold or being rehosted by the same family will be doubled.   Click here to donate.