Becoming a host family is an awesome responsibility and opportunity. Please read comments by participating families. Many have had rewarding experiences as a result of hosting an Ethiopian student.
The Berger Family: Raleigh, NC
“Since childhood, I have been fascinated with Africa. It's been a longtime dream to go there someday, one which has not yet been fulfilled. However, God has brought Africa to our family, and what a tremendous experience it is! Having an exchange student from Ethiopia via Cherokee's Ethiopian Education Program has been life-changing. My husband, children and I have loved having Merhawit come to live with us and attend St. David's as a junior. I am so grateful for the educational opportunities afforded Merhawit via Cherokee's generosity.
Our family has truly been blessed with the unique and wonderful opportunity to host a student who is bright, eager to learn, gracious, appreciate and in a word....delightful !"
The Flynn Family: Greensboro, NC
As a family we had often talked about really stretching ourselves and caring for someone else. Having an exchange student – especially a student who might not have the chance to come to America without some help seemed to be the perfect opportunity. As we entered the process with Cherokee we began to get more and more excited. It was a thrill to receive our first email from Firehiwot, our precious exchange student from Ethiopia. Bringing Fre (“Fray” as she lets us call her) into our family has been a true blessing. She is a delight with a hundred watt smile and a quick wit. Her desire to learn, work hard, and share about her country has been inspiring to our entire family. She is quick to joke around with our youngest, Cooper and help our oldest, Shelbi with her chemistry! Our middle son, Coleman, loves music and Fre has really thrown herself into this area by joining the band and chorus at our school. We are slowly learning a few Amharic words. One of the first words Fre taught our family was “raseberha”, which means bald headed - very funny on her part since her American dad is a little short on hair! We look forward to learning so much more and hopefully Fre will learn from us as well.
The Stein Family: Somerset, KY
“Our decision to accept a student from Ethiopia was a rather quick one. We heard about the opportunity one day and a decision was required the next day. We are so grateful we said YES! Zehafta has become a part of our family. The blessings she brings to each member of our family is indescribable. She is a wonderful daughter and big sister. Although the transition to American culture was quite shocking for her, she has adjusted incredibly well with pepperoni pizza being one of her favorite meals. You can't get much more American than that! A few days ago we were online and saw a picture of some elves. Zehafta asked, "What is an elf?"" An elf is one of Santa's helpers.
Do you know who Santa is?" I responded, realizing she probably had no clue. “Who?" she asked, I felt so silly telling her about this fat man in a red suit that lives at the top of the world and takes toys to children on Christmas Eve. She just laughed and said, “You silly Americans!" There was no condemnation when Zehafta said these things, just simple curiosity. We have come to realize that sometimes we make things too complex in America. Christmas is the celebration of God sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world so that God can show us how much He loves us. It is a season to celebrate and give not only material things, but love, hope, joy, and forgiveness to those around us. It has been a blessing to be confronted with many "Silly American" revelations. We are thankful for the simplicity of life that having Zehafta here brings us back to."
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