It’s hard to believe that 2025 is here! We are surrounded with messages of goal setting for 2025, everything from diet to exercise to financial planning. But, for us host families the start of 2025 also means that our hosting experience is halfway over. Wow. I can’t believe that much time has already passed.
For me, that makes me reflect back to August 2024 before my student arrived and all the hopes and dreams I envisioned for my student and her year in America. I’m taking this time to ask myself these questions before the rest of the year slips by:
- Has she made American friends and am I helping her to cultivate those new relationships?
- How is she doing academically? Can I support her in any way here or push her to challenge herself? Am I celebrating her successes with her?
- Is she participating in school sports, clubs or activities to truly get the most out of her American High School Year? Can I encourage her to try new things?
- How has my family adjusted to our new family member? Can we be doing more to teach her about our traditions and values? Have we given her the opportunity to share her culture and traditions with us?
- And most importantly, have we introduced her to the love of Christ? Is she engaged in church, youth group, bible reading and prayer? How can we assist her with her spiritual journey?
I think of the bible verses, 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”
I would like to start 2025, by thanking each of you who chose to open your home to a student this year. You are a blessing to AHLI and your student, and we are very grateful for you. For those of you, like me, who have reached the mid-point in your hosting experience, I would ask you to reflect on your journey and ask yourself these questions to see if 2025 should begin with new goals for you, your student and most importantly in laying the foundation for their relationship with Jesus Christ. Happy New Year and thank you for all you’re doing!
About Stacy and Inés
Stacy is the AHLI Program and Marketing Director. She has hosted students from 7 countries during her nine years at AHLI. Last year her family hosted Inés through an AHLI short term sports camp program and quickly formed a close relationship with Inés and her parents. When Inés decided to return as a J-1 student this year, her parents requested that she be placed with Stacy’s family again. Stacy’s daughter and Inés have forged a bond and share many of the same hobbies and interests. Inés has truly become a member of their family.
Inés is a student from Spain enrolled in AHLI’s J-1 program. She is a senior attending Conestoga Valley High School in PA. Inés has been very active in school life and enjoys participating in activities with her host family and friends. Volleyball is her favorite sport, and she has played on both the school team and a club volleyball team since arriving in the US. One of her favorite things about this year so far has been her volleyball senior night at the high school.
