Day 25 - Buy 4 Get 1 Free

Wow day 25.  This week has been much more emotional that I have let you all know about.  Normally the 4th week of Christmas hosting is difficult because it is the last week and emotions are high as the departure day approaches.  This week has been even more emotional for us since the onset of the Chicken Pox.  Sunday the chicken pox showed up and we notified the people in charge and we were monitoring the situation.  We woke up Monday with more "red pokey dots".   After trying to figure out what we were going to do we got him in to see our Dr.  The Dr. gave him a prescription that was supposed to suppress the lesions.  The medicine did not appear to have slowed it much because on Tuesday and Wednesday he woke up with even more.

While all of this was going on we were in constant communication with the organization with pictures and updates.  It was not until today that the call was made that he would not be going back with the rest of the children that will be returning on Saturday/Sunday.  It would be very dangerous for some people on board if they were to get infected.  So we are taking the buy 4 weeks of hosting and get 1 free journey.

After 20 hosting periods this is the first time that an infectious disease has prevented a child to not return as expected.  That being said no one really knew what to do.  There are so many different things that come into play.  It is not like we are dealing with keeping someones kid for another week.  We are hosting a child from a foreign country and thus the organization has to deal with the U.S. Embassy and his Orphan Court in L@tvia.

Today was a very emotional day for Linda.  As of 8:00 pm this evening we were not sure when he was going to be going home, so we had to start the packing process. He and Linda went through all of the things that he was given and decide what he wanted to take and what he wanted to leave.  We are limited to a 50 lb suitcase and what he can fit in a backpack.  In that 50lbs we have to put many winter clothing items and then any toys and things that he would like to take back with him.  While I was home for lunch it was hard to watch him go through his things and decide which ones he wanted to take.  It made me think about what was going through his mind as he made the decision as to what he wanted to take and what he wanted to leave.

Fast forward a couple of hours to this evening and we realize now that we have another week with him.  We told him by showing him the calendar that he was supposed to go back on Saturday and then we showed him that he would not be going back until the 20th and his face lit up and he said yay (however you spell that).  This journey has been quite the roller coaster ride and we are just holding on.

God is doing some amazing things and I can not wait to see the results.