Why do people host orphans? In previous blog posts here on this page, we have discussed various reasons “why” families choose to host.
I want to elaborate a little more on the mentorship side of hosting.
When I met “V” during a winter interview trip in Ukraine in 2018, I knew that I would be hosting her. It was explained to us that she did in fact have a family, and we later learned that she is very much loved by her family. So why bring her to the US? The director took some time with us and explained that she had many siblings and they were very poor. V was living in primitive conditions and only went to the orphanage for school. This director loved her very much and was her biggest advocate in getting her on the host list. She just wanted someone to champion her and let her be a child while she was in America. Responsibilities know no border when there is a large, broken family and the children are expected to step up and take care of the younger siblings. This happens all the time in every country, but this director just knew that V needed a break. She needed another family to help guide her and know that she is loved in both countries. This is exactly where the mentorship side of hosting comes into play. We have since hosted her several times and another P143 family has hosted her as well. She knows that she is loved and that God loves her as well. Both families have tried to plant the seeds to help disrupt the vicious cycle of settling for low expectations in life. Her Ukrainian family does their best, but they are stuck in a situation that is hard to get out of. Hopefully God will see fit that with her Ukrainian family support and the support she has here in the US, she will know that she can do and be anything she wants to be in life. And also, we hope that she will take faith seriously where it may otherwise be void. This summer we are looking forward to hosting V once again. We are her family and she is part of ours. We hope to continue this relationship as long as she allows us.
V is a fierce girl with no fear. She loves roller coasters and waterslides. She loves hard and is a joy to be around. She is always smiling and her favorite word is “ridiculous”...and it is so cute to hear it with her accent. She is kind and creative and is a blessing to our family.
If ever you see a child on our list that is marked “host only”, please do not shy away from them. They need some guidance as well. V has a family that loves her, but some social orphans don’t have that luxury at home. They might be stuck where their home-life is bad but they go to the orphanage during the week. They cannot be adopted but yet, they need to be helped and sometimes fall through the cracks. Again, it is up to us to help change the trajectory of their futures. In most cases, they don’t know any better. Once they are exposed, they can start to develop goals and find ways to achieve them. Mentorship is critical.
