Epilogue (pt. 1)

Monday night, at the “Bal Rheto”, similar to Prom, my date asked me whether I had found my host family par hazard or if I had worked the situation out.

My host family has been an extraordinary match for me. Two years, ago I got turned down by Rotary International who judged that I was not a good candidate for a year abroad. Yesterday, I received an award from my school for the Best Exchange Student. How did I go from rejection to success?

The idea started as my mom’s. “Soren, you would really benefit from an experience abroad, in another culture, speaking another language.” I followed the idea, eventually making it my own project. However, I wanted to be part of the small Christian community here in Belgium. How to find a Christian family?

Through the organization Amicus, an exchange program run by Young Life USA, my family has hosted 3 German exchange students. We spoke to our US representative and asked if she would be willing to contact Belgium with our request for a Christian family, willing to host. The Young Life leader in Belgium, who has played an essential role in my experience found a family for me. Weeks later, we called AFS, requesting to be put with a designated family. Hesitating, since they have never had a situation like this before, AFS proceeded to vet my future host family. Thus, on August 18^th, 2017, I greeted the host family in my awkwardly absent French.

It’s been a family that is perfect for me. I desired to be accepted into the family ring, not to have the relationship of a lodger. Though uncommon among host families, they desired to accept a student into the family, like an adopted son. They have shown me Belgium and Western Europe and have loved me as a son. Each step of the way made me step back in disbelief for how God arranges the tiny details for our benefit.