Luis, we are now a family of seven

When we moved into "la casa grande" I had a sneaking suspicion that God had plans for this huge house that went beyond just housing our family and the Honduras Language Institute. When Nolvia * arrived, I was confident that she was part of that plan and had little expectations of anything beyond that, other than the occasional student or passerby spending the night with us.

And then Luis arrived. 

Luis 

Just like Nolvia, we have known Luis for quite some time. We first met him in a children's home not far from here. We visited there quite a lot and he even went with us last Semana Santa to see Las Alfombras de Comayagua. At that time we had no idea that someday he would be living with us.

Luis is a smart, good looking boy who loves to study and read. He is friendly, bilingual and has a beautiful singing voice. For legal reasons I cannot write much more than this about him, but I know that if the right opportunities are given him, Luis has an amazing future ahead of him.

So long story short - Luis needed a temporary home to stay in as he is on a fast track to be adopted by a family in the US. (Adoptions are very difficult here in HN and the fast track could be a year or two) We assisted in searching for a good temporary home or orphanage for Luis and just couldn't find one that we all felt comfortable with. As a last resort, Barbe and I made the decision to go through all the legal requirements necessary to become a Honduran "familia sustativa" (foster family equivalent), something we had been planning on doing anyway for quite some time. Home visits, psychological exams (yep, we passed, so believe it or not, we are not crazy...or so they said), paperwork, etc. and within a few weeks we were officially recognized as a Honduran home who can receive children of all ages.

We brought Luis home the same day we signed papers and he is fitting right in as though he has been with us for years. He is excited to begin school again, the same one he has gone to since first grade.  Tonight, as he and I squeezed into the recliner together to watch a little TV, I realized that it's going to be very easy for me to get very attached to this young man.  But, I know that he has a family anxiously waiting for him, and one who will be far more capable of offering him the quality education that he deserves and who will love him equally as much...or even more. All of us are aware that one day Luis will move on to his new family, but we feel so fortunate to be able to give him a home where he will be loved and cared for until then.

* Note: Nolvia is doing great! Each day I am amazed at the strength of her character. She is growing and blossoming  as she meets and interacts with the students and others who come and go from our house. It was a beautiful thing to see her have her first ever "girls night out" a few days ago. Two of our young female students invited her over to share dinner and a movie with them. The excitement and joy on her face was touching as she recounted her evening to me. She is helpful in every way, neat and tidy and is quick to observe what needs to be done...and does it with out being asked. She loves to work on outdoor projects with me and seems up to any challenge or new adventure that comes her way.