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My EXCHANGE STUDENTS

It all started back in 1985 when my son was in the Army and stationed in Germany. I had not seen him for over a year and this seemed like a good excuse to visit Germany.Well, my husband and I did just that.We visited Ansbach Germany and I fell in love with the country. When we returned home we answered a plea from a local paper for families to Host Students from Germany for 6 weeks in the summer.We answered and so summer of 1986 Bernd Westoff came to our family.He was from Marl Germany and came here with a German Student Band to play locally.We have been over to Marl Germany to visit Bernd and his family and he has been back here two more times to visit us.


In the summer of 1988 we hosted Juha Luuri from Finland. Juha was a delightful boy who stayed longer than the 6 weeks since he fell out of a Jeep and broke his hip.He remained with us until able to travel.We have visited Juha and his family in Finland twice.The first time we went there to attend Juha's Wedding.At this time we Traveled the Southern half of Finland in a motor home with Juha's Family.The next year we returned for his sister Suntu's graduation and we toured the Northern half of Finland,going to the Arctic Circle and into Norway.

For the school year 1989-1990 we welcomed into our home Kai Kopsch from Berlin Germany.Kai attended our local high school and graduated from there. Kai was in our home when the Berlin Wall came down.This had a tremendous effect on Kai when he realized that he would be returning to a very different city than he had left.I have bits of the Wall that Kai's grandfather sent me and I have a piece of the Wall that my son collected when he visited Kai the summer of 1990. This is the piece of the Wall that my son brought home to me.(What would I ever do without my trusty scanner)

Kai has been back to visit us every year since he lived with us and my husband and I have been to Berlin to visit him.He really is like another son to me and definitely a member of our family.One of my grand daughters spent a month in Berlin visiting with Kai's family,and Kai made a trip over here to attend my oldest grandaughters wedding.

This is not the end of my exchange students. In 1992 Suntu Luuri (Juha's sister)

came over to spend the a month in the summer with us.Suntu loved to shop and sit in the sun.All the students that come over from other countries seem to love to shop...clothing is so much cheaper here for them.

Summer before last Christophe Casaubon,from Paris France, came to spend a month with us.He was the chaperone for a group of French students.It sure was nice to have Christophe here...I did not have to be the "mother figure" and could enjoy him as an adult,even tho he is young enough to be my son.Christophe still phones me about once a month and sends me post cards from his travels.

I certainly would recommend the Exchange Student experience to anyone.

Some links to more informaation about Student Exchange

INTRAX
AYUSA
AFS

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