Home away from home

     It has been almost a week since I arrived here in Belgium and it is certainly wonderful to be back at my home away from home. This is my third term as a caregiver for Rebecca, but it has been almost three years since I was last here and I was just overjoyed to return. When I arrived Rebecca was at the bottom of the garden where she likes to spend her quite times,  I felt like a child running down the stairs on Christmas morning as I went to the bottom of the garden to greet her. She is such a delight and I feel incredibly privileged to serve her.

   The household here is busy and recently has had a number of friends in and out. It has been great reuniting with friends from my previous trip like Annie, Mary, and Susanna. As well as meeting and making friends with the departing Haven and Tess and making new friends with Susanna's adorable children Fillip and Marta and my wonderful co-caregiver Naomi. It has also been fun to represent Ohio with Caleb.

     Sunday was my 22nd birthday and I began the day doing one of my favorite things, which is caring for Rebecca. I was given my first of many birthday serenades from Paul and Rebecca when I entered her room to help get her up and shortly afterwards I received another birthday song from two-year old Marta. Later in the morning while most of the household was at church, Rebecca did a little Bible study with Naomi and I. We began Ephesians and I was overwhelmed with gratitude as the passage reminded me how we were chosen before the creation of the world to be pure and blameless before God and that is was his pleasure to make this possible by adopting us as sons and daughters through Christ Jesus. Later we had a lovely birthday celebration and I felt incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people. To top off the day we watched the Euro Cup Final (Europe's Super Bowl) between Italy and Spain, the game itself was a blow out but the trash talk between Susanna and Rebecca was quite entertaining. I was able to end the day the way I started it, caring for Rebecca. As I left her room after the midnight turn I felt in awe of God's perfect guidance in my life. He knows exactly what I need in this season and has brought me to a place where I can be at rest and experience his joy as I serve Rebecca.

"I run in the path of your commands for you have set my heart free" Psalm 119:32

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