Sharing Traditions:Muslim and MormonIn Indonesia, I knew six religions: Islam,

Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism,Buddhism and Confucianism. I had no ideaat all about the Mormon religion. Since myhost family is Mormon, I figured I wouldlearn about Mormonism.At home, we share a lot about our

religions. I showed them my scriptures,explained about my hijab, my holidays andwhat Muslims believe in. They alsoexplained to me about Mormonism. Theyinvited me to their church and took me tovisit the Salt Lake Temple, which is sobeautiful. We’ve discussed a lot of things andfound some similarities in our religions.Some of my concerns before I came here

were about with whom I would celebrate Eidal-Fitr, the end of Muslim Ramadan. Since itwas summer, the time to fast was longer thanwhat I was used to doing in my country. Thefirst couple days, I got sick and wasn't able tofast. But then, I did it! It was a surprise to methat I could fast even though there is no oneto care if I'm fasting or not.On the last day of fasting, my host mom

took me to her friend's house. It is a miracle

that my host mom's best friend is Indonesian!I slept over at her house for two days. Shetook care of me like her own child and Icalled her "Ibu", which means "Mom" inIndonesian language. We went downtown topray and I found out that there are a lot ofMuslims in America! After, we hadIndonesian food. I never imagined thisscenario. Now, I know that I have anotherMom here. Ibu's house is just like a piece ofIndonesia for me.

Azka Nafirul Hasna (Indonesia)Hosted by the Rubio family

West Valley City, UT

When I got here, my main fear was aboutthe first day of school because of theAmerican movies where students are mean to

newcomers. But thingsdid not turn out that way. Istarted making friendsfifteen minutes after Iarrived. That was when Irealized that what I saw inthe movies was just astereotype of Americans.

Teachers here are very friendly and havethe needs of the students in their hearts. Forexample, whenever a student doesn’t have apencil, my math teacher gives one, but asksthe student to do push ups, which the teacherdoes too. That has never happened in Ghana.Here, the students are allowed to eat anddrink in class, but not in Ghana. The teachersin Ghana are very strict.The schools here create a comfortable

learning environment. For example, wesometimes go out and sit in a circle in thegrass with the teacher. It gives the students a

break from learning in the classroom, whichis sometimes boring for all.There are a lot of activities here, but my

main interest is sports. I didn't know how toplay kickball and softball before. I will teachthese sports at my school in Ghana. Since myschool in Colorado is very small, I will playsoccer at a bigger school in the spring. I canhardly wait since soccer is my life.There are great differences in the

lifestyles, too. First of all, Ghanaians likespicy foods, but most Americans do not. InGhana, most men don’t take care of babies,but I found out that here the daddies also takecare of the babies and even cook.In Colorado, you barely see trash around.

Ghanaians hardly recycle. I plan to work onthis when I get back.Kids in Ghana are not allowed to date

until they are eighteen years old, but that lawis not in effect here. Kids in Ghana datesecretly nowadays, but I still find itsurprising when I see fourteen year oldAmerican kids dating. Also, the legal age fora Ghanaian to learn how to drive is eighteen,but here, sixteen year olds drive to school.The greatest thing of all is that, when I

came to America, I actually forgot that I amblack. The only time I remember is when Ilook in the mirror. Even if some Americansdon’t like black people, I have not met thoseAmericans. My coming to the States hasbroadened my thinking. I am proud to be inAmerica.

Abiba Mumuni (Ghana)Hosted by the Poole family

Fort Collins, CO

IN THIS ISSUECommitted to Caring . . . . . . . . .3

The Scoop on School . . . . . . . . .5

We Are Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Think Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Gain a New Perspective,Host a Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

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November 2010Vol. XVI, No. 1

Indonesian YES scholar Azka Nafirul Hasna,left, with her host mother’s friend, center.

A Circle of FriendsStudents in FLEX/YES Cluster Leader Tanya Barton’s Virginia group are developing bonds thatwill last a lifetime. In this circle are Atakan Güngördü (Turkey), Pier Paolo Rauco (Italy),Anastasiya Nevmerzhytska (Ukraine), Dinara Dauletbayeva (Kazakhstan), Aiperi Iusupova(Kyrgyzstan), Nadine Voelker (Germany), Aygul Shakirova (Russia), Rana Mansour (Egypt),Julia Fuchs (Germany) and Khabeer Gihouri (India).

The Girl with theMagic BagShe arrived with a magic bag. Just a

single, medium sized bag to last her tenmonths. Out of the bag she pulled not onlyclothes, but a komuz (Kyrgyz stringinstrument), presents for the entire familyincluding grandparents, historic andcontemporary news from Kyrgyzstan,cameras, and (she claims), a bicycle.Like her magic bag, she is a small

package full of surprises. Powderpufffootball? Marching band competitions?Bluegrass club? Knitting hats for Haitianorphans? Jazz club? Homecomingshopping? Volunteer work? Her surprises

continue to pull our family in newdirections. My daughter sees her joingroups and try new things. My sons see hertry new technologies. My husbandpractices his Russian with her. And I foundmyself standing at a high school bonfire,flames reaching 20 feet high.I tell my friends that everyone should

have a teenager "parachute in" with greatgrades, good manners, a helpful nature,and a smiling personality eager to join in.She has melded into our family withsmiles, love, and energy. She is ourdaughter, and this is one package we willbe very sad to return at the end of the year.

Tobi Moriarty, host mother forAiperi Iusupova (Kyrgyzstan)

Round Hill, VA

Breaking Through Stereotypes

Page 2

PAX–Program of Academic Exchangeis a not-for-profit educationalfoundation. Established in 1990, PAXsponsors international high schoolstudents from over 40 nations on fiveand ten month academic homestayprograms.For more information, contact:PAX–Program of Academic Exchange

14 Willett AvenuePort Chester, NY 10573

tel (800) 555-6211www.PAX.org

Thank you for submitting letters to PAXPress. Because of space limitations,however, we are unable to print eachletter in its entirety.

PAX Press is printed on recycled

paper with soy based ink.

Do-Re-MiIndonesian YES student Nadia Hardani andher host sister, Zoe Nardone, adored their partsas a nun and Louisa Von Trapp in a Vermontproduction of The Sound of Music.

Scare FareIn Bulgaria, we don’t really celebrate

Halloween, so it is completely new to me.When a group of friends and me decided togo to a haunted house, I realized that thescary haunted house is like the US, full ofsurprises at every turn.While I waited in the PAX line to be

placed, I was nervous about what state Iwould be going to and if I would have hostsiblings. Having these fears is like waiting inline for the haunted house. When you arewaiting outside, you have no idea what is onthe inside. It can be kind of scary notknowing what to expect, but it is too latewhen you are already in “the house”.You take a step inside, and in that instant,

you are terrified. That is why you go withfriends to haunted houses, not by yourself. Itis the same here. You have a host family thatis there for you, and they enlighten you inmany subjects, for example, how to write acheck for a lunch account, how to lock thehouse door, or how to do yard work.When you go out of the haunted house all

you want is to do is go again. I am sure thatthe same thing will happen with myexperience in the United States. It was newand scary in the beginning, but as the dayspassed by, America became my home andnow I feel like I actually belong here.

Gabriella Veleva (Bulgaria)Hosted by the Schmatt family

Mount Vernon, IA

Southern HospitalityWhat has impressed me the most here are

the attitudes toward me. Everybody in myschool and family are so nice and friendly!My host mom and sisters treat me like a realmember of their family. When I first came toour house, I even noticed they had insertedmy photo in frames and put them on thewalls near theirs!What is more, when I came to school,

everybody wanted to get to know me andhelp me to get used to my new school. Theyinvited me to hang out with them and tried toshow me “American” life. Now I have a lotof friends to spend time with, and they all arereally excited to know something new aboutmy culture. They help me enjoy this greatopportunity and prevent me from beinghomesick.

Anastasiya Gunko (Russia)Hosted by the Jones family

Chattanooga, TN

Getting Spooky“We celebrate Halloween in Germany, too, butnot like America does,” Dominique Scheitzsays. She and her host sisters, Jenna andMercedes Knaffle, carved pumpkins at theirhome in Cheboygan, Michigan.

Getting Sandy in South CarolinaAt a beach outing are Emilio Gutierrez (Mexico), Sonya Hakobyan (Armenia), Tatjana Brestovac(Bosnia), YES Cluster Leader Tracy Bolin, Zeba Mansuri (India), Dmitriy Alpeyev (Russia),Omar Al Nabati (Saudi Arabia) and Felipe de Silva (Brazil).

Beware of theJack O’LanternsHalloween is not celebrated in Europe,

so Veronika has never carved a pumpkin!We decided to host a pumpkin carvingparty for her friends and several otherexchange students. Watching these kidsdive into their pumpkins and create avariety of faces was quite entertaining!Dad even brought out the Dremel tool andthe pumpkin flew everywhere! Other firstswere caramel corn, hot apple cider, roastedseeds and pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins.Every single one of them gave me a strangelook when I told them what was in themuffins. After trying them rathercautiously, they all loved the new treat andate several muffins.In our photo you can't tell who is

American and who is international, whichis exactly the way it was at the party - just

a bunch of teenagers having fun togetherwith a silly activity, yummy snacks and agorgeous day!

Angela Horton, host mother forVeronika Ponomarenko (Ukraine)

Fort Collins, CO

Turned into pumpkin heads are YES andFLEX students Muhammad Jalalkhan(Kenya), Leart Sarachini (Macedonia), OlenaVyshnevska (Ukraine) and VeronikaPonomarenko (Ukraine) with their friendsand Cluster Leader Barry Carroll.

Dressed to ThrillCongratulations to Eleonora Visentin (Italy) who transformed herself into a butterfly and won the“Best Costume Award” at a Halloween party for Michigan Coordinator Candy Crick’s students.Pictured are Illayda Edali (Turkey), Susanna Tavella (Italy), Eleonora, Caroline Leite (Brazil),Nanthanut Apiwatanaphan (Thailand), Eveline Van Loock (Belgium) and Fabian Rutz (Germany).

Students:Don't forget to regularly check

your PAX email accounts for info,

news and contest announcements

from the national office.

Halloween MadnessIn Buckley, Michigan, Thai student Nanthanut“Jasmine” Apiwatanaphan, left, dove rightinto apple bobbing and won the “MasterBobber Award” at a party given by her hosts,the Bott family.

Do the King TutIn Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Jeff and TinaHoover ham it up with their student, EmirDuric (Bosnia and Herzegovina), at a birthdayparty for him.

AWeeklong BirthdayOn my exact birthday, I had a dinner with

American foods, went to a movie and had anice birthday cake with my family. On thenext day, my French class had a celebration.One of my friends made a cake and they sanga birthday song in French. My friends on theschool bus and at school said happy birthdayto me not only on my exact birthday, but alsofor almost a week.On the weekend, I had a surprise from my

PAX family. After a delicious pizza, theybrought out a cake and sang. I got some coolpresents. Afterward, we went to the pumpkinfestival in Keene, New Hampshire. It was myfirst time at a pumpkin festival and I saw22,949 cool pumpkins. We played hide andseek in the crowds while we watched thefireworks. It was so much fun.But the best surprise was everybody

around me. Nobody knows how happy and

proud I feel having all of them in my life. Ifound help, love and appreciation. Withoutthem, I would not have had this wonderfuland awesome experience in the USA as itactually is. Thanks to everybody.

Gianita Puspita Dewi (Indonesia)Hosted by the Abbott family

Jamaica, VT

Rollicking at the Keene Pumpkin Festival areJiaxin Yu (China), Chomanut “Natasha” Arif(Thailand), Gianita Dewi (Indonesia), hostbrother Ryan and Yeon Wook Choi (SouthKorea).

Smooth Goingin RoughWatersMykola Krasylynkov, aUkrainian FLEX scholar, is anatural in the water, despitebeing blind and never havinggone kayaking before. “It wasreal choppy and rough butnothing was going to stop thiskid,” says Coordinator SusanJames of St. Augustine, Florida.

Committed to CaringPAX Students Make a Difference

Page 3

Michigan Schools RockThe experiences I am having here are

helping me to grow and improve myself. Iwas amazed by how much fun school can be.I love art and drawing, so I go to Art Club. Ialso volunteer at the youth center. Activitieshelp you meet new friends, improve yourlanguage skills and have fun.

Lili Valtcheva (Bulgaria)Hosted by the Ackerman family

Cheboygan, MI

Gained by GivingI just want to share my first American

volunteering experience. My host dad andI raised Kiwanis Club funds on Saturdayduring Oktoberfest. Kiwanis is a serviceorganization. It was fun and it gave meexperience in communicating and helpingpeople. Besides, I learned one valuablething: that through doing communityservice you can learn something thatyou never expected to discover aboutthe American culture. We came backhome satisfied, knowing that the moneywe earned will go to help kids who needit. That day I really enjoyed the feeling ofbeing useful to society.

Roman Kohut (Ukraine)Hosted by the Blunt family

Lees Summit, MOKeeping America BeautifulThis crew couldn’t believe how much garbage they collected in Newport, Oregon. The FLEXand YES students cleaned the beach after they saw an art sculpture (behind them) made ofpink bottle lids and trash that had washed up on the beach. Once they learned that some fishare found with two pounds of plastic in their stomachs, the teens hit the beach to rid it ofdebris. Pictured are Ditra Ambarani (Indonesia), Emilija Pereska (Macedonia), FiruzjonSodikov (Tajikistan), Irvan Fathurohman (Indonesia), Nicu Ribas (Moldova), LelaOkromelidze (Georgia), OlgaMagneyeva (Russia), Sheena Seth (India), Malkhazi Khvedelidze(Georgia), Michelle Gyasi (Ghana), Ozge Demirci (Turkey) and Marisa Gixha (Albania).

Six Friends, Six FlagsAs the sun rose, the warmness of the rays

penetrated deeply in my soul. In the nextmoment I was surrounded by angels calledfriends. We all headed toward Six FlagsAmusement Park. Thailand, Indonesia,Ghana, China, Macedonia and Americayielded into one road. Excitement dominatedour faces. None of us had been in such a parkor ridden on a roller coaster before. Weshared our fears and happiness. We heldstrong to one another, as we were one bigfamily. This was an experience I will neverforget. Even though we were from differentsides of the world, we felt as if we had grownup together. We felt that this experience builta really strong connection.

Arjeta Rushiti (Macedonia)Hosted by the Martin family

Brattleboro, VT

Part of the TeamIn Chevy Chase, Maryland, host mother TerriSalus reports that Egyptian Ahmed Youssif(center) was on the soccer team and had hisfirst Boy Scout camping trip where he was“literally learning the ropes from his hostbrothers who are Eagle Scouts.”

Another Way of Life“The life here is very different because

I'm from a big city and here it is a smalltown,” says Eugenio “Keno” Guerra(Mexico), who is spending the year withRoger Dennis and Ruth Rouse inGardnerville, Nevada. “This experience ishelping me to grow up. I'm gainingindependence, and my English is gettingbetter.”

Standing in front of a mountain of trash areJohn and Lori Candalino with South KoreanSeongjae Hong and his friends.

Food for AllYES students Blagoja Srbov (Macedonia),Rizki Muhammad (Indonesia) and MusarrafAli (India) distributed food and other neededitems from a Seventh Day Adventist foodbank in Washington State.

Restoring the LandOur foreign exchange student chose to

volunteer on September 25 for NationalPublic Lands Day. To start, Kathy Augustfrom the Bureau of Land Managementgave us a brief talk about the area in whichwe were standing, Lucky Strike Canyon, aplace that many people are not aware of.Unfortunately, those that do know about ituse it for target practice leaving behindendless trash. It was our goal to clean-upthe area, restoring it to its natural beauty.We were provided with gloves, trash bags,water and snacks to complete this project.In appreciation of our efforts, we weregiven a "National Public Lands Day 2010"t-shirt and a free day pass to any NationalPark.

The Candalino family, hosts forSeongjae Hong (South Korea)

Las Vegas, NV

Interact Club:Helping Stop PolioOctober 21 was the beginning of my

friends and I being officially involved inthe Interact Club, a youth volunteeringgroup that is part of Rotary International.That night I was invited to come for anInteract meeting in Columbus Center inSalt Lake, Utah. I thought we would justtalk about our next projects, but I waswrong. There was an official ceremonyfor new members, including me. We gotrotary pins, a t-shirt and another pin as apart of a campaign to fight polio. It was sospecial.I feel like I am really lucky being a

member of this amazing club that doesprojects to make people around us knowwe care about them. The polio projectbenefits not only local people, but alsopeople outside America because it is apartner of Rotary International ofHispano-Latinos. Every dollar that we getdonated now will be sent to providevaccines and other stuff. I hope I can domy best for this club.

Dian Fahdhila Lestari (Indonesia)Hosted by the Kergaye family

Salt Lake City, UT

Fix a Home, Fix a LifeI thought it would be a good idea to help

the community that is hosting me duringmy exchange year so I joined the ServiceClub at Jefferson High School. One of ourprojects is helping the families who losttheir homes in the flood of 2008 bypainting and fixing their homes.Since I am from

Saudi Arabia and weonly get rain one ortwo days a year, itseemed unusual to seepictures and hearstories of how muchwater flooded theCedar Rapids area. Even though the workwas challenging, we had fun workingtogether and helping another family getback into a home.

Mohammed Al Jabr (Saudi Arabia)Hosted by the Watson family

Cedar Rapids, IA

PAX Goes GREENGet involved in the PAX Goes GREEN campaign by

organizing a project to reduce your carbon footprint.

You can submit it to PAX to win a prize. Check out past

projects and find contest information at the bottom of

the What’s New Page on the website www.pax.org. The

first deadline is January 30, 2011.

Pedal PowerIn Richmond, Indiana, Filipino YES student Janeen Hassan and the Stosberg familyconserve energy using a cargo bike to get to their activities. Janeen has also helped testmonitors at a computer re-use/recycle center that her host father started.

Prince for a DayCongrats to Natthapat Wongcharoenyong, theMorro Bay High Homecoming prince. TheMagids host the Thai teen in California.

Page 4

The Key to SuccessOne thing I suggest to new students is to

be yourself, be positive and keep busy. Beflexible. Life here is different but amazing.I am so happy to be here, especially with

my new family. My host family is big. Itconsists of nine members. They support mein everything and help me have experiences.The nature in Utah andArmenia is similar.

Both are surrounded with a lot of mountains.The weather is mostly the same, but it isgoing to get cold very soon. Utah has manytrees and flowers, and it is almost all green. Itis very beautiful.I am going to the Salt Lake School for the

Performing Arts. It is huge. Besidesacademic classes, I am taking acting anddancing. I’ve started to audition for plays,which is a new and a good experience for me.

Syuzanna Hovsepyan (Armenia)Hosted by the Mortensen family

West Valley City, UT

Loving Oreos & UtahThis is a completely new experience for

me because I’ve never had siblings before(now four). I’ve learned to share everythingand there’s a lot more action going on thanI’m used to. Just a few streets away are theRocky Mountains. We can go hiking orcamping there whenever we want.I love school, especially theater class. The

teachers are all about 20 to 30 years old andthey’re awesome. Some of them are like realfriends. I’ve always wanted to be acheerleader and now I’m even a cheercaptain leading a squad. Doing well at schoolis not too hard. I even got an award forknowledge today, which was very moving,standing in front of so many people in anassembly with a big orchestra and theprincipal shaking my hand. I also like myballroom class, which is very professional. Intwo weeks I will be in a serious dancecompetition with my class at BYU, a biguniversity here in Utah.Something I’m famous for in the whole

school is my love for Oreos. People keepgiving me huge packages because they knowI’m addicted to them. Another great passionis going to Wal-Mart. It fascinates me how Ican go there again and again, but stilldiscover something new. When it’s Sundaynight, 3 a.m., and you feel like buying a fish,just go to Wal-Mart!I love being here and am thankful to my

hosts for letting me be part of their family.They treat me like their own daughter.

Lisa Wegling (Germany)Hosted by the Fox family

Springville, UT

History Comes AliveThis group told us it was fascinating to visitPresident Truman’s home in Independence,Missouri: Coordinator Liz Carver with AnyaShibayeva (Russia), Flavio Cabas (Italy),Masha Vorotilina (Ukraine) and Roman Kohut(Ukraine).

You Go GirlThe most entertaining thing that I have

done is something I had never done before. Iattended a Red Hat Lady’s Tea with my hostmother. The “Red Hat Society” is a funnationwide organization for women of allages. The meeting took place in an eleganthotel restaurant, and each lady wore purpleclothing and a red hat except me. I worelavender with a pink hat, as I was the onlyperson under the age of 50 there. We had agreat time shopping, finding clothes and hats,for this event. We ate a delicious, perfectlyserved meal, and very talented women sangfor us. I felt like a true lady, and my mom andI had an unforgettable time there.

Irina Klimova (Russia)Hosted by the Eklund family

Orange, MA

AYouTube HitThe words of Miley Cyrus’s hit song “Party inthe USA” rang true for PetchnamnuengYimsomboonpat. Like Miley, the Thai studentovercame her nervousness in a new land bytaking inspiration from her favorite songs. Seethis creative YouTube video by searching“OEG#17 - my first time”.

ShowtimeOn October 16, PAX students from Las

Vegas traveled to St. George, Utah to camp,hike and attend a musical theater productionwith the Southern Utah PAX group. Picturedafter the show with the performers areCoordinator Margaret Hoppe’s students andCoordinator Laurel Paul’s students: JakobTraxler (Germany), Morgana Signorini(Italy), Anne Husmann (Germany),Madeleine Bergman (Sweden), ThitaTunlayadechanont (Thailand), Seonjae Hong(South Korea), Rachata Sakpuaram(Thailand), Manuela Flores (Spain) andNattaya Tasawat (Thailand).

On Top of the WorldTaking in a breathtaking view of the Grand Canyon are hikers from Washington County, Utah:FLEX Cluster Director Shanda Enfield, Haykuhi Harutyunyan (Armenia), Madeleine Bergman(Sweden), Jannik Klemme (Germany), Community Coordinator Laurel Paul, Jakob Traxler(Germany), Thita Tunlayadechanont (Thailand), Baktybek uulu (Kyrgyzstan), Elena MolinaLledo (Spain), Jon Ostolazo (Spain) and Manuela Flores (Spain).

Being an exchange student iscomparable with being one of the pilgrimswho settled in the United States. You geton the plane with a lot of expectations,like the settlers when they entered theMayflower in 1602. As an exchangestudent, you don’t hope you will have itbetter there, because you have a home inyour country with your loving family, butyou still have a lot of expectations. Myexpectations were having a really nicefamily and finding new friends. What canI say, both became real.After spending just one day with my

family, I knew that I couldn’t have wishedfor a better family. Two days later I joinedthe swim team, making one of my biggestdreams coming true. Now the swim teamis like another little family for me. I traveland spend a lot of time with them.Apart from the sport, the school is like

a big family, too. The school spirit isamazing, and everyone knows everyone. Ilike how you do every class veryintensely, five hours a week, and youchoose what to study. There are big eventslike football games, spirit week, prom, andothers, which every student looks forward

to for months. I started planning with myfriends in August for our Homecoming inOctober.But even if you are busy and loving it

here, you will have days where you startcrying during class because you arehomesick. You wish you could talk to yourmother just to hear her voice, to feel likeshe’s next to you. It comes and goes away.You can’t control it.When I came here, I felt homesick after

a couple of weeks. Everything was sodifferent to me, especially the lifestyle. InGermany I had my bike and I was a lotmore independent, but now I can’t reallyride the bike because it is very dangerous.I always have to look for someone whocan drive me somewhere.Now, I’m nearly three months here, and

I love it more and more, day by day. It wasdefinitely the best decision to come hereand I will never miss a single second ofmy exchange year, both the good ones aswell as the bad ones.

Julia Hahn (Germany)Hosted by the Gerard family

Bay City, MI

The Adventures of a Modern Day Explorer

Pleased to Meet YouFLEX Cluster Leader Beth Huddlestonintroduces her students at an Arkansas streetfair: Ajla Omerbasic (Bosnia andHerzegovina), Olena Tsvitok (Ukraine) andKateryna Averchenko (Ukraine).

The Music ManShantanu More (India) plays the baritone saxwith the marching band. The Holst familyhosts the YES student in Dexter, Minnesota.

Fired UpReveling at a lakeside picnic and bonfire in Central Michigan are Coordinator Heidi Rocha’sstudents: Estefania Velasco De la Torre (Spain), Maitane Lujua (Spain), Nikolozi Chacia(Georgia), Daniela Carvajal Ramos (Mexico), Anastasia Jovanovic (Germany), JaeYeon Shin(South Korea), Isabel Nienhoff (Germany), Soojin Lee (South Korea).

My First AutumnThis is my first fall because my country

has just two seasons: the wet season and thedry season. Fall is really beautiful. Althoughthe weather is getting cold, the scenery is sopretty because the leaves change colors. A lotof places have decorations for fall andHalloween. I can find pumpkins in manyplaces. My host family and I went to some offall festivals where we saw some crafts andate a lot of food. I had an apple dumpling forthe first time. It was really good.

Maulida Herradiyanti (Indonesia)Hosted by the Leiby family

Williamsport, PA

Careful with the CritterKosuke Suetsugu (Japan) was quick enough tocatch this squirrel, but not quick enough toavoid a nip. Kosuke, who lives with the Leongfamily in Old Tappan, New Jersey, says he isletting the wildlife stay wild now.

Page 5

Let’s DanceAnastasia Jovanovic (Germany), a friend, hostsister Celia Morris and JaeYeon Shin (SouthKorea) pause for a picture before going to theirMichigan school’s Homecoming dance.

The Scoop on SchoolAnother Hogwarts?The first question that came to my mind

when I saw East High School was "Is thislike Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movie?"The school is enormous with 2000 students.There are lots of students from abroad:Mexican, German, Senegalese and Hmongstudents.There are some things that I still can't get

used to. When a teacher comes into the class,nobody says “Good Morning” or “Hello”.Nobody stands up! In my mind it's impolite,but the students are really friendly and theytry to help each other.This school has a lot of after school clubs

that you can join. That's a great differencebetween the US and Russian schools. Here Ican chose subjects that I'm interested in,while in Russia we have a program that allstudents must pass. I like my high school andthe students.

Yuliya Korovitskaya (Russia)Hosted by the Bergerson-Auner family

Madison, WI

Far from AsiaThe most surprising experience for me so

far was the Homecoming Dance. It's waydifferent from the Philippines because herethe girls and boys are really close to eachother when dancing. That night, I wasshocked. But in the end, I had fun becausethere were other girls who approached meand asked if I wanted to be with them so thatI wasn’t alone.I am enjoying my school. Everyone is

friendly. I have twice a week training fortable tennis. I am so lucky because mytrainer, Jeff Savage, gave me this training forfree for the rest of my stay. I reallyappreciate it because it helps me improve.Although I sometimes feel homesick,

every day here is worth keeping, whether it'sgood or bad.I realize that this exchange program is not

just about experiencing American culture,but also realizing who you really are. Here,you should stand on your own and beindependent. I know this will be a lifechanging experience.

Kasharel Ayra Mayo (Philippines)Hosted by the Salazar family

Greencastle, PA

No More UniformsMorro Bay High School is very different

from my school in my homeland. Here theyuse an A and B day system, and the studentswalk to their classes instead of the teachers.The students here don't have uniforms. Theycan wear whatever they want to school.I take six classes but the most interesting

one is Film Production. I really like it and it'swhat I’ve wanted to do since I was a child.For the clubs, I signed up for Swing Club,Asian Pacific Club, and Key Club(volunteers to help people). Furthermore, I'min the Treble Choir.

Petchnamnueng “Pleng”Yimsomboonpat (Thailand)

Hosted by the Rutstein familyLos Osos, CA

Powderpuff Seniors RuleIn the center is Romy Van Oorschot (Netherlands) who is whooping it up at a schoolassembly for the all-female Powderpuff football game. She lives with the Shireman familyin Thornton, Colorado.

Ringing in the AwardsBravo to Floriana Ayumurti, left, for heroutstanding xylophone performances and forwinning “best in percussion/best in class” intwo band competitions. The Clay County HighSchool Marching Band wishes she could staywith them forever! The Indonesian YESstudent is spending this year in Ashland,Alabama with the Ariails family.

From Confusion to Clarity“A lot of things made me confused in the first week,” says Indonesian Ayeshadira Putri, on theleft. “It was not a big deal because my teachers and friends helped me. Day by day, I started tolike my school days. I study subjects that I like. In my country we don’t have photography class,so I’m taking that now. It is really fun.” TheWeezorak family hosts the YES student in Charlotte,North Carolina.

Friday Night LightsThese two didn’t let the football rivalry of theirschools hold them back from getting togetherfor the first game of the season! Amara Oribe(Spain) lives with the Trentel family in Avonand Carlos Druzian (Brazil) is with the Koskifamily in Avon Lake, Ohio.

Just Do ItSports are very

important for mostAmericans, no matter ifit’s football, soccer,cross-country or basket-ball. I decided to join thehigh school volleyballteam right after my arrival in the USA. Eventhough I’ve never played volleyball before,my teammates and coach helped me getbetter. Practice is always fun and teams are agreat way to find friends. Unfortunately, thevolleyball season is over soon, but in thespring I’m going to play soccer. One thingI’ve already learned from my team: Don’tworry if you make a mistake. Pushyourself and try your best to do it betternext time!

Sarah Botterbrodt (Germany)Hosted by the Jaeger family

Hillsdale, MI

Stoke Up Your SpiritIndonesians Muhammad Hakim and Muhammad Lutfi, along with cheerleaders McKinzie Smithand Emma Kirtz, get the fans pumped up at a Southland High School football game. The twoYESstudents are hosted by Bob Roberts in Elkton and the Smith family in Adams, Minnesota.

First DayDiego Gladig from Switzerland was psychedfor his first day at Morro Bay High School. TheFosee family hosts him in Cayucos, California.

Float that BoatColumbus Signature Academy is very

different from other high schools in the USAbecause it is a project-based-learning school.We do many fun projects in class. I am veryhappy that I am in thisnice school. It has givenme the opportunity to doa lot of things that I havenever thought to do.For example, in

physics, we had to builda boat out of cardboard.We were in teams of twopeople. It was a tough project and it took along time to build. We brought the boat toNorth High School for a race where we hadto maneuver the boat for three lengths of aswimming pool. It was a lot of fun and agreat experience.I really appreciate my school and my host

family. Without them I would never have hadthe chance to do these great projects.

Sebastian Sydow (Germany)Hosted by the Waddle family

Elizabethtown, IN

Congratulations to YES student Azka MaulidaBastaman, center, for being selected for the allcounty choral festival.

Singing PraisesDuring the first week of school, my

chorus teacher asked me to lead the singingwarm-up using my language, then asked myclassmates to follow me.After we finished, she asked the whole

class, "Was it hard? Were you confused?"They said yes. Then she continued, "That'swhat Azka feels everyday, every time. That'swhy you have to help her, because youunderstand that it's not easy to live alone farfrom her family and adjust to everything thatis new and different."It was only a simple thing that my teacher

did, but it remains in my memory. On thatday, I learned how showing care can have abig effect on others. I really love my choralclass.

Azka Maulida Bastaman (Indonesia)Hosted by the Dawson family

Gastonia, NC

Page 6

Got Hot Milk?A lot of funny stories have happened to

me. I think it is all related to the culturaldifferences. Today I heated a milk to have acereal for the breakfast. My host sister andmom were standing next to me and they weresurprised! In my country we have hot milkwith breakfast. When I let them try it, theyfound it tasty to drink. That is why exchangeprograms were created: to try somethingnew!

Aiperi Iusupova (Kyrgyzstan)Hosted by the Moriarty family

Round Hill, VAAn Armenian Addition

There are eight of us in our family. Weapplied to the program early so it was a longtime to wait until August for Syuzanna tocome. We thought she was so beautiful in herpictures she sent us, and she was so kind inher letters.

The day she came to Utah was anawesome day. We made her a welcome signand everyone was talking. She probablywanted to run the other way but she smiledand gave us all hugs and we took her out forhamburgers.

We are a very busy family as everyone hasoutside activities. Syuzanna participates withthe family like she has always been with us.She is especially good at teasing her brothersand they love the attention. We talk to hermother and grandmother through Skype andthey treat us like we are all a family. They arevery kind and loving and our 17-year-olddaughter Ashley is already talking with themabout visiting Armenia.

We have learned that life in Armenia isvery modern and similar to the United States.Syuzanna likes the same music and has seenmost of the same movies. The Armenianlanguage is very intimidating but we areserious about learning. We love Syuzannaand are so blessed to have her with us.

The Mortensen family, hosts forSyuzanna Hovsepyan (Armenia)

West Valley City, UT

Off to a Great StartVilma Ronkainen (Finland) and theHilzendeger family get acquainted at theairport in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Ukrainian FLEX students Olena Vyshnevska and Veronika Ponomarenko, in front, enjoy theRocky Mountains with the Horton family.

Meet FranziskaThe Murry family couldn’t wait to introduceGerman Franziska Eibenstein to their friendsin Bismarck, North Dakota.

Say What?Before coming to the US, they told us in

orientation camp that we should learn how tolaugh at our mistakes. And so I am sharingwith you my funny story …

I woke up on a Saturday morningsmelling a good cakein the air. I went to myhost mother Katherine,gave her a hug andtold her that the “crap”the she just madesmells very delicious!She looked at me in a funny way and said,“Well Ahmed, I don’t think that’s what youreally wanted to say, but thank you, Ahmed.”I then realized that I said something wrongand thought “Umm, I believe that crap meanssomething else. Maybe crep(e) is whatsmells good.”

Ahmed El Serougui (Egypt)Hosted by the Tyner family

Cedar Rapids, IA

A Peak Moment in ColoradoColorado is known for its national parks

and places to visit. A week after I arrived, myhost family suggested going hiking. It wasmy first time in real mountains. In Ukraine Ilive far away from the place wheremountains are situated. The journey waslong, but so much fun. The fresh air, theforests, even a deer! Moreover, we climbedup the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains

that is called Horsetooth. The feeling at thisaltitude was amazing. I felt the freedom of aneagle flying in the air and watchingeverything from above. This experience wasgripping and exciting. Plus, it was veryhealthy and inspiring.

Veronika Ponomarenko (Ukraine)Hosted by the Horton family

Fort Collins, CO

We AreFamily

A Potluck with PizzazzSince the beginning of my "career" with

PAX in 2005, I have combined orientationwith a potluck. This year I asked my PAXstudents to make something traditional fromtheir home country. We had some veryinteresting as well as delicious food. Theonly dish that some people did not try waskimchi, Korean pickled cabbage. Those thattried it either liked it very much or not at all.

Two of my students from South Koreaspent a lot of time making the dish that issimilar to sushi with rice and seaweed, butstuffed with ham and cheese. It was reallyquite good. Using their family recipes, GloriaMueller from Germany made a poppy seedcake and Diana Chamsoutdinova fromFrance made the salad. Leif Gruenerbarbequed some German sausages. BrechtMinen brought some yummy Belgiumchocolates.

The potluck was a hit and made theorientation a lot more fun. It was a great wayfor the host families and students to get toknow one another. They are looking forwardto the next get together, which is beingplanned for when we have some snow so wecan do some sledding!

Kathleen CassidyCommunity Coordinator

Bonners Ferry, ID

Ole! Ole!When it comes to soccer, it is said that “theEnglish invented it; the Brazilians perfectedit.” Sporting fan gear and eager to learn moreabout Brazilians, the Sanstead familywelcomes Isabela Couto to Bismarck, NorthDakota.

California DreamsSouth Korean Soeun Kim is excited to beginher exchange with the Tuttobene family inSanta Maria, California.

Trust MePinar Ozkan (Turkey) leads her host sisterSammy Govreau in a trust exercise duringCoordinator Kala Davidson’s orientation inSalina, Kansas.

Nine Sibs and MeI have a big American family with five

brothers and four sisters. It's so much fun!We spend a lot of time together learning newthings about each other. I danced the Kazakhnational dance and cooked our national dishbaursaki, which they liked very much.

We have visited different interestingplaces in Virginia: George Washington'soffice, "Stonewall" Jackson's house inWinchester, the Waterford Fair andWashington, DC. In August we went toKings Dominion Amusement Park inRichmond. I have never been on rollercoasters before, so it was a great experience.We laughed a lot and had a great timetogether!

I like going to high school because I'minvolved in many extracurricular activities.I'm on a dance team with my sister. I also goto Key Club, French Club and Spirit Club,where I have found new friends. We hadHomecoming dance, and I liked it verymuch. Everybody was so beautiful andhappy. I was an active participant in SpiritWeek: Pajama day, Walkie Talkie day, 80'sday. It was a lot of fun!

I'm really enjoying being an exchangestudent! It gives me an opportunity to tellothers about my country and to learn moreabout how other cultures can be different,and it's really exciting!

Dinara Dauletbayeva (Kazakhstan)Hosted by the Dean family

Waterford, VA

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The Great OutdoorsHost father Tod Hileman shows Theresa Basset(Germany) the terrain around Colby, Kansas.

Many Thank YousOne full year of steps to apply for

exchange (forms, interviews, tests,immunizations, orientations) have finallyresulted in my reaching Salt Lake City! Forthis, I give very special votes of thanks to mynatural family for sending me, the local andnational exchange offices for selecting me,and then to PAX Coordinator Vicky Wasonfor choosing such a wonderful family. To myhost family, whom I don't like to call 'host', Isay thank you, too, for accepting a stranger tobe your daughter. A hearty thanks to all forchanging a dream into a reality.

Pratima Padghan (India)Hosted by Smith family

Salt Lake City, UT

Page 7

Cultures Converge in Washington StateThese students in Coordinators Marcella Hansen and Elena Brown’s clusters are gainingknowledge about many nations: Chanadda Tachanantakul from Thailand, Youssouf Keita fromBelgium, Meerim Ibraeva from Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Bladu fromMoldova, Juliette Vincent fromFrance and Alessandra Altimare from Italy. Daniel Radeck, Patrick Goldner and Celine Hemlinghail from Germany. Tetyana Pyantkovska and Oksana Khlanevska are from Ukraine, whileYekaterina Agapova and Polina Aksenova are from Russia.

Indonesian YES students Azka Bastaman andAyeshadira Putri with Mayor Anthony Foxx

Humanity Unites UsOn September 11th, I went to the Greek

Festival with my family and the otherIndonesian exchange student, Azka. Asusual, I wore my veil/hijab. When I arrived,everyone was praying for 9/11 victims. Theprayer was led by the Charlotte, NorthCarolina Mayor Foxx. I thought peoplewould treat me bad that day because it was a9/11 memorial and I appeared with aMoslem’s cloth. But actually I had fun thatday! Moreover, I took a picture with themayor! He was so casual and friendly. I’mhappy that I was praying, too. I could showthat my religion doesn’t agree with theevents of 9/11 either.

Ayeshadira Putri (Indonesia)Hosted by Weezorak family

Charlotte, NC

YES student Salamatu Mohammed answers questions about Ghana at a cultural fair.

YES student Esin Gurgur explains theimportance of Turkeyʼs geography tostudents in a Vermont school.

Wearing a traditional mask made ofmuciro root, YES student Eunice Amisseteaches a dance from Mozambique.

Think GlobalDuring InternationalEducation Week, PAXstudents madepresentations about theirhomelands as part of aninitiative that encouragesexchange students to helpbuild global understanding.For IEW news, see the “WhatʼsNew Page” on www.pax.org.

A Little Bit of GeorgiaProspers in OregonThe nicest day I had in my life so far was

my first day in Portland, Oregon when I metmy host mother, father, and my lovely sister.At the airport, they were holding a big posterwith my name written with big letters and aballoon. They greeted me like I was alreadya member of the family.After that, they took me home and showed

me my room. The room was full of surprises!They had hung photos from my country onthe walls. One of them was a picture of thecamp where I had been this summer andanother was a picture of Borjomi-KharagauliNational Park which is located not far frommy city. The third photo was of the capital ofthe Republic of Georgia, Tbilisi.The thing that fascinated me most was

that my new mother had prepared one of myfavorite Georgian dishes, chakhokhbili, andbought Georgian sparkling water, Borjomi,for me! I found out that she had even boughta Georgian feast book to prepare Georgianmeals for me during my exchange year.These people are the biggest present I

have ever had! I feel like a part of theirfamily. I am very thankful to the USgovernment, American Councils and PAXfor giving me the opportunity to meet thesepeople and have the best year in my life!

Lela Okromelidze (Georgia)Hosted by the McDonnell-Roberts family

Portland, OR

Talk PoliticsSwede Ludvig Noring never expected tomeet Washington’s movers and shakerswhen he moved to Maine. However, withinweeks of his arrival, Ludvig had his chancewith Congressman Michaud. Meanwhile in

C o n n e c t i c u t ,Pongpanot “Ochi”Vannapong metDan Malloy. Thenow electedGovernor Malloy

invited the Thai YES student to learn aboutthe election process.

From Korea to KansasSung Won Hwang and Hee Soo Han donKorean dresses for their host families, theDavidsons and Falks.

AWorld Class FeastSeventeen families attended a potluck

dinner at my home, which is in a formerchurch that has a big space. Each PAXstudent brought food from their country and

introduced their dish.Misato Kurihara broughtJapanese sushi she hadprepared, Nicu Ribasshowed his host momhow to make a dish fromMoldova and MarisaGixha brought a yummy

Albanian dish.About 50 people watched as many of the

girls performed the folk dances of theircountries, some in elaborate costumes. LelaOkromelidze performed a Georgian danceaided by Malkhazi Khvedelidze. OlgaMagneyeva did a Russian Kalmatyan dance,while Ditra Ambarani showed a traditionalIndonesian dance. Emilija Pereskaperformed a Macedonian dance, and OzgeDemirci showed some Turkish Black Seadances, and then Sheena Seth demonstratedIndian Kathak steps. Michelle Gyasi fromGhana sang a lively song about being astrong woman.All of the students gave a brief talk about

their country with some wearing theirnational costumes like Irvan Fathurohmanfrom Indonesia and Firuzjon Sodikov fromTajikistan. The students hope they can sharetheir dances at the high schools this year.

Maranee SandersCluster Director/Leader

Portland, OR

Oktoberfest Comes to the SouthOn October 16, Ralph and Geri Saxton brought Bavarian style to Aberdeen, Mississippi duringtheir Oktoberfest celebration. Pictured are PAX area Manager Mary Payne Hairald, MercedesArcila Rodriquez (Mexico), Laura Neudecker (Germany), Juan Alvo Prieto (Spain), NadineHeinzer (Germany), Paola Arena (Italy), Pierre Koerner (Germany), DoRyang Kang (SouthKorea), Junyeong Park (South Korea) and PAX alum Jean Russo (Argentina).

FromAcross the OceanThe Nishijima family is thrilled to have HikaruMochizuki (Japan) spend the year with themin Los Osos, California.

Americans in SpainSusan Heyman, Zak Adams, Haley Hirt andGrace Fiorita are each spending a semester ortwo in Spain with PAX Abroad.

Page 8

Novice Wins BigBefore Maike arrived, we wanted to make

her transition to her new school easier, so weemailed her and encouraged her to thinkabout playing volleyball. Our daughterMaddie plays and we knew it would be agood way for Maike to meet many of herclassmates before school and also give her achance to become familiar with the schooland some faculty.

Even though Maike had never playedvolleyball and was very nervous aboutmaking mistakes, we were happy to hear shewas going to join the team. Maike enjoyedmeeting new friends and learning the game.She continued to improve her game andplayed the front row where her height helpedblock shots and spike the ball.

However, she struggled with serving inpractices and did not serve in a game. Well,that is until the last game of the year. Withour team winning and needing two points towin the game, our coach told Maike to go inand serve. She stood up from the bench andsubstituted in with a roar of the crowd andher teammates. Her face was red and she saidlater she was so nervous. Her first serve wasa little shaky and it hit the top of the net androlled over. Ace… screamed her team andthe crowd again cheered. Her next serve, forgame point, was much better and the otherteam was unsuccessful in returning it overthe net. Maike had won the game with hertwo serves. Her teammates jumped into herarms and cheered. It was such a thrill towatch her interact with everyone and to seehow far she had come in two months.

Dale and Sherry Wirth, hosts forMaike Steinmann (Germany)

Clear Lake, WI

Oh Baby!Anastasia Jovanovic (Germany) cuddles withher baby host sister, Paris Rocha, in Mt.Pleasant, Michigan.

Team KilleenThe most surprising thing about being a

host family has been how easy it was towelcome a new son into our home. We havefive sons of our own and Andreas makes six!He fits right in and goofs around with hisnew brothers like he has lived with usforever. It has been a very seamlesstransition.

Andreas had never been to a footballgame before coming to America. Four of oursons play football so he has gone to quite afew games this season. It did not take himlong to get into cheering his school team on!

On October 1, Andreas got to experience“Spirit Day” at Highland High School. Onthis day, the students get to dress in theirclass color to show how much spirit theyhave. Andreas said, “At my school inGermany, we would get in trouble for doingthese things.”

On October 2, Andreas attended his firstschool dance. He asked a girl at school to goas his date and they seemed to have a greattime. He said, “I danced the whole time!”

I think he is truly enjoying life in theUnited States! It has been a lot of funwatching him experience new things here.

Terry and Barb KilleenHosts for Andreas Hey (Germany)

Medina, OH

GAIN A NEW PERSPECTIVE IN THE NEW YEAR

From Russia with LoveWe have been hosting foreign exchange

students since 2001. Some have stayedwith us long term, others not so long, butwe reserve a special place in our hearts foreach one of them. When people ask us if weare paid to host students, we tell them, “No,but we find the experience enriching in somany wonderful ways!”

This year we have the privilege ofhosting a lovely young lady from Russia,Irina Klimova, and she is a delight to havein our lives. Since we have hosted moreboys than girls, we love having a girl thisschool year. She fits into our family justperfectly, and we have made her our ownspecial “daughter”. As a matter of fact,when we were at a restaurant for dinnerrecently, the waitress asked if she was ourdaughter!

We have had the pleasure of showingher Massachusetts, as well as some of theother New England states. We recently tookIrina for a ride along the Mohawk Trail.This is a scenic highway acrossMassachusetts. Irina became a “leafpeeper” for the first time. We walked on theFrench King Bridge that spans theConnecticut River and took pictures of thebeautiful fall foliage. Then we drovefurther up the trail to Shelburne Falls wherewe ate homemade ice cream and walkedacross the Bridge of Flowers. Of course shetakes pictures of everything she sees!

We can’t wait for our trip to New YorkCity this weekend.

Clint and Sandi Eklund, hosts forIrina Klimova (Russia)

Orange, MA

What is Life in Borneo Like?Learn about Malaysia first hand by

hosting a Malaysian student, starting in

early January.

You can give students the opportunity of a lifetime while enriching your

own community when you host a student for a semester or academic year.

To learn more, call PAX at 800-555-6211 or visit www.pax.org.

PAX students speak English, have personal spending money and are fully insured.

The Daughter IAlways Wanted

At first, I was nervous about bringing an18-year-old girl into our home. We only havea 4-year-old boy and I am fully aware of howemotional teenage girls can be. I could not behappier with the choice we made. I feel likeRomy is my own daughter and I am soblessed to have her. She has brought so muchjoy and laughter into our home.

I look forward to hearing all about her dayafter school every day. She is not one to hangout in her room. She is so comfortable withour family, which gives us such joy. At arecent parent teacher meeting for my son,they told me that he talks about "his big sisterfrom the Netherlands" all the time. Theyhave a great relationship.

My husband loves to give her a hard timeand she just gives it right back. My motherlives with us, too, and she loved herimmediately. The two of them stay up andtalk most nights. Romy has tons of friendsand we know most of them well already.

She helps at our church on Wednesdaynights at Awana with kids ages 3 to 5. At firstshe wasn't sure how to handle the kids. Now,she is a pro. The kids love her and she isfalling in love with them. It has been fun towatch her grow in this area.

I have always wanted a daughter but Inever knew what I wanted in a daughter untilnow. She is full of love, life and excitement.She has given so much to my family and me.

Melinda Shireman, host mother forRomy Van Oorschot (Netherlands)

Thornton, CO

Roadside HonorSystem Wows Teen

One weekend we picked out pumpkinsfrom a roadside stand. It had an "honorsystem", which means you put money in alittle deposit box and you take what youwant. Roman said, “Never could you haveone in Russia. All the pumpkins would begone and there would be no money.” I thinkhe was shocked and amused at our Americantrustworthiness. His first Halloween will beexciting. With an exchange student, all thethings we take for granted are new andexciting again!

Edwin Shireman, host father forRoman Turkin (Russia)

Harrisburg, PA

Scaling New HeightsVermont students in Tracey McFadden’s cluster tested their fears and cemented theirrelationships during a high ropes course at the Hulbert Outdoor Center. Ready for action areDaniel Sesma (Spain), Qian Fang (China), Aleksandra Gorczyca (Poland), Hannah McFadden(Vermont), Fitha Rizki (Indonesia) and Maira Villarim (Brazil).

Life as Soccer ParentsKeno is a junior in the Douglas High

School and so far is a straight "A" student.He is a good soccer player and scorer. Wehave been busy learning to be a Soccer Momand Soccer Dad. Over Labor Day weekend,we took Keno to the Scottish HighlandGames in Pleasanton, California.

Keno wants to play basketball and alsolearn some winter sports. The latter will beno problem as the ski runs are only 35minutes from our home up in the SierraNevada Mountains.

Roger Dennis and Ruth Rouse, hosts forEugenio “Keno” Guerra (Mexico)

Gardnerville, NV

This Takes the CakeBismarck, North Dakota students marvel over the welcome cake shaped like the United States.Pictured are Isabela Couto (Brazil), Nicola Bonkowski (Germany), Dominik Bini Falconi(Mexico) and Pablo Garcia Robla (Spain).

Top Chef in IdahoWe hear that German student Anna-KatharinaFelgentreu has been whipping up wonderfuldishes for Marty Stitsel and Krista Everle.