Foreign Exchange Student

Posted by My Heart Song

6/29/2012

Earlier this week, we welcomed Sebastian into our home. He is a foreign exchange student from Spain and will be with us for about one month. 

Sebastian is 18 years old. He has traveled internationally with his family but is being stretched by a month-long visit with complete strangers in America! 

My 8-year-old daughter really likes introducing Sebastian to board games like Candyland and Sorry. My 4-year-old son isn't sure what to think of him yet. But Sebastian is very friendly, laid-back, and curious about life in America.

The exchange program is set up so that Sebastian has language/culture classes each weekday morning. Then the group eats a sack lunch and goes on an afternoon outing to local sites. Yesterday was the beach. Today is a tour of a local chocolate company. 

During the evenings, he is back here observing family life. We hope to take him to the county fair next week and are excited for him to experience our neighborhood 4th-of-July parade too.

We view this opportunity as one way to show hospitality in the name of Jesus. To welcome someone who needs a place for a while. To learn about another culture and maybe make a lifelong friend... what a great bonus!  

PS: Some blog readers may remember that we hosted a different student through this same program 3 years ago. You can read a blog post about that here   and here.