Tea & Whiskers: Hosting Hearts

I still remember the day I saw the poster to become a Host Parent hanging on the oddly placed community notice board at Aberfoyle Hub. I say oddly placed because it was near the toilets, but I suppose, I always did stop to read it - so perhaps it was correctly placed.

I'd been drifting. I was bitter, I was sad. I had no direction. I kept flittering back and forth - wondering about fostering, or maybe looking into artificial insemination. I didn't know what to do, no matter where I looked, or what I attempted, my chronic illness seemed to infest my life and I felt vulnerable and helpless.

So when I happened to notice the poster asking for more Host Parents in the area, I thought 'oh, you know, that actually sounds like something I could do...' So - I applied.

One of the fascinating things about becoming a host parent to international students is how it redefines the concept of time.

In 2024 I had my first student from Japan. Saki. She stayed with me for a full school year. There was so much to learn, very suddenly becoming the responsible adult of a teenager, and I learnt much that year.

It was during Saki's last few months here that I made the decision to turn my old office into an extra bedroom, turning my two bedroom house into a three bedroom house. This required adding in some wall, boarding up a doorway between the office and the living room. Then would come the wall-paper stripping.

I attempted to do this wall-paper stripping myself, until I fell off a chair backwards and went straight through the wall. After that my Dad came to help.

By the time Saki left, the room was furnished.

Saki helped me put together the flat-pack bed, which honestly, I wouldn't have been able to do without her. It was really hard. ^_^;;

And so rolled around 2025.

This was the Psalm I wrote in my journal New Years Eve, Dec 31 2024. Never has a year been more adequality described, and I am so blessed by my Father Creator by all that he provides.

I welcomed Haru in Jan 2025. She stayed with me for the first three months of the year, and it felt like so much happiness was stuffed into those three months. Saying goodbye to Haru was very hard, as she brightened up my life with her laughter and smiles.

While Haru was with me, Dad and I continued to work on the new bedroom, and by the time she left, we had it entirely finished.

After Haru left, I then promptly filled the entire room with books as I emptied all the bookshelves in the main room so that I could strip the wallpaper.

A new season brought a new soul into the house. Anna reminded me of starlight personified. One of the first things we did together was chase the Australis Aurora. I saw the world anew through Anna's eyes, and took great joy in hearing about her adventures with her friends. It was also the first time that I started meeting other Host Parent's across Adelaide, and totally upgraded my networking skills.

Saying farewell to Anna was very difficult. She was only here for three months, but those three months felt like a lifetime lived. I think it just goes to show that it isn't always the time spent, sometimes its how you live it. I have Anna to thank for my kitchen reno. She lived through much chaos, but if she'd never initiated it, the kitchen would never have been done. So - thank you Anna.

While Anna was with me, I was finally offered the opportunity to use my second bedroom! And so, we welcomed Risako into the Writer's Cottage. Risako was only with us for a month, but she filled the house with much joy. By the time it came for Risako to leave, it was a sad parting, as I truly wish she could have stayed longer.

In October, after a bit of a break - I welcomed Ella and Tomoka into the Writer's Cottage. Once again, the house was full and I had to readjust and learn many things.

The last few months of the year saw changes. The cafe closed down. I'm struggling to write. I've gained weight, despite being a regular five day a week gym goer, and feel pretty awful about that. My hope of finding a husband this year - well - I guess that didn't work out at all. But amongst all the uncertainty the Lord provided, and I know he will continue to provide. Probably not in the way I expect, and I acknowledge that it's frustrating and scary to look ahead at another year in which I still feel directionless and a little bit hopeless.

For the new year ahead, I will leave you all with one of my favorite verses.

Hebrews talks about the Promise gifted to us, I'll harken back to my earlier Tea & Whiskers 'Key of Promise'. It's not just a promise about land, or children, or victories, or healing, or earthly blessings - such things are perhaps like shadows that get cast by The Promise:

Full redemption from sin by the death and resurrection of Christ. This was a restoration of humanity, for now we can stand in God's presence thanks to Christ in us.

The Promise doesn't magically cure the grief that comes with loneliness, or the things a chronic illness has stolen from me, but God is ever present, and even in the depths of whatever life throws at me, I always know 'everything will be okay.'

So, what does 2026 hold?

Well. I have no idea. Hopefully I'll finish two books, three if I try really hard. And I'm starting a reading list. I plan to do a lot of reading and book reviews.

But let's just see where life goes. I plan to really enjoy the last few years of my 30s.