Congratulations, it's a teenager!

Because we would not want things to get boring around here, we have decided to host a foreign exchange student.  Actually a friend of mine and her family hosted last year which I thought was a neat idea, then we found out there is a chronic shortage of host families.

The organization they used (and that we are using) is the Program of Academic Exchange (PAX).  Many of their students come to the U.S. via two scholarship programs-Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) and the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES).  We thought is seemed like a raw deal for kids to work hard and get into these programs and then not have a place to go.  We also thought it was a very unique opportunity to meet new people and learn about another culture.  Fast forward to this spring and everything is now official!

 The young lady we have selected will be coming from Egypt as a part of the YES program.  The YES program was established after 9/11 and brings students from countries with significant Muslim populations to the U.S. for a year so that future generations can grow up with the opportunity to learn about other cultures peacefully and with the ability to  understand and accept differences.

We are looking forward to an exciting and adventurous year.  I'm sure many updates will be posted!