AFS Intercultural Exchange Experiences

We as a family have been involved with AFS for 8 years now. It all started with our oldest... Anneka... who decided that she wanted to go to France as an exchange student. She check out about a dozen different programs and compared not only cost, but the level of involvment of the people with the student. She settled on AFS. Lori and I were kind of familiar with them as we had students at our high school with this program. For the history of AFS as well as other information go to the AFS site.
With Anneka going to France we decided to be a host-family for a student from another country. When Lori and Anneka looked over the applications for several students the found Annika from Germany. So we switched an AnnEka for AnnIka.
Anneka left in Sept. 1999 for Crest, France. It is about 1/2 way between Lyon and Marsille(ok so I can't spell a French city..) near Valance. She lived with a family on a goat farm in a 300 year old house. After taking 3 years of French in school she figured that the language would be easy... It wasn't... However by the first of January 2000 she was fluent. Since being home she has had the opportunity to work with the French figure skating team before the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. They were practicing in Logan. She was even interviewed for French TV. This was due to her exchange and her love of figure skating. Her education goals now include a major in history, a minor in French and to teach either or both.
While Anneka was in France we were the host-family for Annika Brachmann from Belm, Germany. She went from the youngest of 2 to being the oldest of 4. What a change, but she handled it great. Annika is very much part of us now. In fact she will be coming to visit Sitka in 4 days!! While with us in Logan she participated in high school tennis and dance. Her English became so good that the other kids at school didn't realize that she was from another country and that her native language wasn't English. She now going to a university in Cologne, Germany where she is learning about historica art restoration.
A couple of years later we hosted Jo Donze from Geneva, Switzerland. He got along well with Richard and Charles. While a good soccer player(he played for the varsity team at school) he got to play American football. He was one of the kickers. He also liked to run even when it was -10 degrees F. He is now in training for hotel management and has been in Spain for several months.
Right after Jo left Richard(19) went to Portugal. He lived in the rainy northern part. He had to adjust to living in an apartment instead of a good size house which made him feel a bit closed in. He enjoyed walking around the city with all its OLD streets and buildings. The rain didn't bother him and prepared him somewhat for the time he spent here in Sitka.
Meg just returned from her exchange to Udine, Italy(not too far from Venice). Her biggest challenge was learning to be an only child. She also learned that cats can be evil when the family(Mineos) got her a kitten. This cat was referred to as the "evil cat". While there she got to go to Slovinia, Austria, and central Italy.
Charles, if he gets the chance wants to go to Spain...we'll see. Currently I am acting as a liaison for a young man from Japan who will be here in Sitka.
We have had a chance to work with some great people in AFS...especially Barbara Calney... What a great lady who loves all those kids that come to experience Utah.