a piece of my heart

June has become the month of goodbyes for Steve and me.  Last year we sent our first German daughter, Tessa back to Waldshut and last week Jule, our second German daughter made her way back to Berlin.

Just like real kids, each of these girls were unique and special in their own ways.  Coming from a large city, Jule was incredibly independent and fearless when it came to making friends.  I was amazed by her ability to connect with so many juniors and seniors from different friend groups.  Most of the time we saw these interactions happen virtually through texting, snapchat, facebook, instagram, twitter and most recently vine (can there be any more social options?!)  But at her surprise going away party we saw many of her close friends come together and it was really a rewarding moment.

I realized that her short stay with us was much larger than just her experience.  Of course as host parents we connect, learn, change and grow throughout the year but it was such a gift to see how her friends also broke boundaries and made strong bonds that changed their school year experience for the better.   They even made this heartwarming goodbye video for her!

I was recently listening to a message from Andy Stanley about having a faith that frees us from fear.  And there’s no doubt that making the choice to have a teenager you don’t know from a different country live with you for a year is a bit scary.  It is.  And it’s not all happy instagram photos (but I’m going to show those to you anyways ;-)

But making these kind of choices in life does free you from fear and opens up your capacity to love… and that’s a pretty amazing thing.

Jule’s short stay in the mitten will always have a dear place in her heart so I designed this frame as a goodbye present and wrote a personal message on the back.   Even though I’ve never been to Berlin, part of my heart will also be connected to that city as I continue to track with Jule in the upcoming years.

People always ask Steve and me if we’re going to host again.   Since we’ve done it for the past 2 years, we’ve been saying that we were going to take a year off… but when we step away from the everyday and look at the impact we have on these kids and the people they meet it does make you see things differently.

If this is an adventure you would like to experience please don’t hesitate to email me with any concerns, questions or curiosities.  Host families come in all sizes and ages.   I’d be happy  to chat candidly about our experiences with you.  To see what students still need homes in your area for the upcoming school year, I encourage you to visit YFU-USA.org

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