Trust

Today held yet another swim lesson for our boy! Swim lessons have been a BIG lesson in trust for him. When you think about it, this whole experience has been an exercise in trust for him. We picked him up at the airport and he had to drive off with perfect strangers who didn't even speak the same language as him! That's pretty terrifying! Thankfully, Stephany excels at helping kids push past their fears. She has this knack for getting them to do exactly what they DO NOT want to do:) He's getting there! He actually can swim fairly well now, but every once in awhile his fears creep in and he starts to sink. So thankful for you Stephany and for your heart for Dzintars!!!

With Dzintars departure date just slightly over a week away I'm finding hosting to be a BIG lesson in trust for me as well. His future is uncertain, the odds and his age are not in his favor but I have no choice but to trust that the Lord has plans for this boy! I cannot believe our time with him is already coming to a close. I'm forcing myself NOT to think about it, so I won't waste our remaining days being sad, but it's getting harder by the day. He knows the end is near too and he's starting to say things like "I no like Latvia. I love you! Please I would like to stay here for life!" or "This is Brennan's homa, Kaelyn's homa and mine homa!" and tonight we got "Peter you mine papa and Stacey you mine mama! Yes?" My heart breaks each time he says things like this, and I find myself at a loss for words. I do not want to answer in a way that would give him false hope or empty promises. Truth is I love this kid and it's quite possible I might be the only mama he ever really knows:(

On a happier note...this week Brennan and Kaelyn are enjoying VBS at church each evening so that means Dzintars gets us all to himself for a few hours! Tonight we headed over to Dave and Buster's for some big kid arcade style fun!

This kid LOVES cars!!!

Enjoying the roller coaster simulator!

Then we decided to re-enact the way we rode the actual coasters at Knott's. Him with his eyes squeezed tight, white knuckling the handle bars and me screaming joyfully with my hands in the air. 

The biggest claw machine I've ever seen. He tried twice, no prize for Dz:( 

New Horizons for Children asks each family to select a Bible verse for their child. A promise from God just for them and write it on a piece of cardboard! They compile them all into a super powerful video at the end of hosting. We have selected "life verses" for both Brennan and Kaelyn, and I see this project as the same type of thing. I spent quite a bit of time pouring over my Bible before he arrived, jotting down verses I thought might be fitting. Then this Sunday I found it, or rather it found me! Our pastor reads a Psalm every Sunday, and this week he read Psalm 23. As I listened the words "he restores my soul" washed over me and caused me to reflect on our boy! His soul has been restored! He came to us a quiet, frightened boy, who rarely smiled or spoke! Now he's laughing, joking and teasing us at every opportunity! He gives us hugs frequently and says "I love you" just as often! He is a new kid! That's what a few weeks with a loving family can do for a child! Here is Dzintars with his sign! When the video project is complete I'll post the link, it is incredibly moving to see hundreds of orphans holding words of hope and truth that were chosen just for them!!

Tomorrow the Ellis boys and I are taking Dzintars to Raging Waters for some super wet fun!! Should be a blast!!