Ardilla de Ecuador

Yesterday, my family and I said goodbye to a wonderful young woman, Gaby. She came to us in August of 2011 as an exchange student, not knowing who she would be staying with or what God would do with that school year. We were incredibly blessed to get to know her, and she is as much a sister to me now as my own flesh and blood. I know this will fade with time, but every time I think about her departure, I get a little teary-eyed. It's not easy to entrust family to an airplane and another country, even if it is the place she grew up. She is seriously considering coming back to the States in the fall for college, and she's even been accepted to my alma mater. Mom and Dad have offered to let her stay with them throughout her university career if she returns, and money is starting to come in from various places. I pray that God continues to open doors for her and makes His will evident... and, selfishly, I hope that His plans for her involve a return into our homes and our lives.

When I feel particularly emotional, whether it's positive or negative, I write music and poetry (the line is often blurred for me). This one is for you, Gaby - if my Spanish is terrible, lo siento. :)

Ardilla de Ecuador

A summer spent anxious, so incierto

To see what future God would deliver

Blindly she stepped into el aeropuerto

And yet, she trusted that He would be with her

She fell into our lives with love and abandon

A passionate learner and iniciador

Risk taker, thrill seeker, lover and fighter

Our little ardilla de Ecuador

Baila, baila, hermana linda

Tu alegría se llena la sala
Bella luz tu sonrisa brinda

Nos vemos pronto, ojalá!

She came para vivencia y conocimiento

But also found a place en mi corazón

A year of happy divertimento

The girl with two families, the girl with two homes

But all good things must come to an end

So we hugged and cried and said our goodbyes

We watched tu avión as it rounded the bend

And prayed for seguridad up in the skies.

Baila, baila, hermana linda

Tu alegría se llena la sala
Bella luz tu sonrisa brinda

Nos vemos pronto, ojalá!

Que Dios los bendiga toda tu vida
Our prayers and hopes go with you still

Hasta la vista, amiga querida

We love you and we always will!