Our Exchange Student Has Arrived

          We’re trying to diversify the neighborhood, I guess.  That’s the answer to this week’s most asked question, “Why would you want to host an exchange student?”  Honestly, I am not sure why we agreed, but I am sure glad we did.  Caterina is great!  She is adorable.  I don’t want to say too much because I want to respect her privacy, but we love her already.  She is great with the kids, and we have had a lot of fun getting to know her. Today was her first day of school, and I was nervous for her.  I remember my first day as a new student at Caldwell.  I must say she seemed much less nervous than I was after transferring there my junior year.  I had a few known enemies from sports though, so it was a bit different for me.  A few of my basketball players took care of her today, and I am so proud of them.  Watching my players do cool things like that is almost as rewarding as when my own children do something admirable.  That’s why I coach.  

          I’m not sure that taking Caterina to Wal-Mart on the first day of her arrival was a good idea, but it was very entertaining.  It made me realize how easily our adopted child could get overwhelmed when we bring him/her home.  I really think that’s part of the reason she’s with us.  Also, I have thought about how difficult it could be to communicate with our son/daughter. French is the official language in Haiti, but most people speak Creole, and I don't know much about either of those.  Caterina’s English is good, but we’ve had a few barriers.  Did you know that a "fon" pronounced "phone" is a hair dryer in Italian?  That was a fun conversation.  It’s neat how God works and puts things in all the right places.  Having Caterina with us will be a blessing, and I have a feeling we don’t even know the half of it yet. 

          The only update on the adoption is that my passport arrived in the mail.  I was looking at it today and noticed that it expires in ten years. My only thought was, “Surely, this adoption thing won’t take that long.”  Waiting.