Host Families Without Kids Testimonials

The MacKay Family

"Lili (exchange student from Germany) has been with our family for 3 months and it has been so interesting to watch the world through fresh eyes. Having Lili here is like seeing everything for the first time again – the pumpkin patch, the hay ride, halloween decorations and Jack-O-Lanterns. She has taught me the art of appreciating things I had long found to be everyday. Although there are many parts of this experience that I love – I think I can definitely say that watching these moments will always be my favorite. It is the most simple kind of wonder".

The Sherman Family

"I have had the blessing of welcoming 10 wonderful young people into my home. I have had 3 months to 1 year to get to know each teenager. These young people have shared their view of their country along with their culinary tastes, clothes and family life. As they come to know the United States, they share how much they have grown to love our country and the state of New Mexico. Being able to share craziness, laughter, stories, jokes and family life with the young ones is so wonderful word cannot express the emptiness they leave when they return to life in their home countries. To be able to go to a museum and to hear something so interesting from your Italian exchange daughter about what you are looking at, and see that it is in Latin and she is reading it to you is amazing. There are so many stories and so many amazing trips and events that I have been able to share are blessings beyond words. I am lucky to have been a host parent to these wonderful 10 teens."

The Green Family

"I am so glad that we decided to host and that I get to be a part of ETC!"I promise you won’t regret it, at least until you are crying uncontrollably in the airport telling them goodbye for now! Emma is 17 and came to us from Italy, she is quiet but has the funniest jokes. Emelie is from Germany, she is our talker and thinks America is the coolest of the cool. They have both invited us to visit them in their home countries which we plan to do but the thought of them going home is already making us both cry! I can’t wait to follow their journeys through graduation, college, marriage, children, and all of the other life events they will have. I am so glad that we decided to host and that I get to be a part of ETC! Fulfilling the dreams of students from around the world and creating a community for them here in my hometown is one of my favorite things! It’s not always easy, but it is always an adventure!"

The Curiel Family

“We haven’t given birth to any children but now we have our Angel and our Star! Our definition of ETC is ‘Exceptionally Talented Company’. When hosting through another organization, we were left feeling empty. We still had a strong desire to host students from other countries. Then we found ETC and they made sense of things. They guided us through the process by providing educational materials, plus the way that students and families are matched is second to none! Our first student (daughter) Angelica returns to visit us each year and we are fortunate to have visited her in Sweden. Her family has visited us here and we have visited them as well now. We have a real family in Sweden! When we decided to host again two years later, Angelica was part of the process in choosing Stella to be part of our family. Now we also have Stella and her family who have visited and we will visit Germany later this year. Next time we host there will be even more opinions about who we want in our global family! We know that ETC will be there to help us make a good choice for a wonderful and successful exchange and a lasting relationship for a lifetime. ETC is not concerned with money, prestige, or themselves. The goal for ETC is a true cultural exchange that makes a difference in peoples lives. True to that mission, our lives have been forever changed for the better. Thank you ETC".

Trish (ETC host mom)

"Rebekka came to live with me and Geoff in the middle of her time in America. She had a rough first half of the year and we aimed to make the second half much better. We took trips to White Sands, NM; Cochiti Lake, NM; Florida, and Arizona. We exchanged recipes in the kitchen and enjoyed shopping for school dress up days and prom. Everyday Rebekka would present the " German word of the day" to us and we would have to guess what it was. I am also pretty sure our dogs liked her more than they liked us. Were there a hard time, sure. Was it an interruption to my "normal" daily life, sure. Would I do it again, yes! Rebekka brought much joy, change, and perspective to our lives. Since she went back home we have continued to foster the relationship with chatting on WhatsApp and sending each other holiday and birthday gifts".

Carson, Maggie and Yeonsoo

“Carson and I have loved being host parents this year! We are a young family, I just had our first daughter this past October. It was fun to have Yeonsoo around for the pregnancy and infancy stages, she has a lot of fun with our baby and can be very helpful! Having Yeonsoo has helped me get out with the baby more and stay more involved in the community which combats the loneliness and isolation many first time moms feel. We have loved learning about Korea and I am finding myself cheering for Korea in the Winter Olympics. Carson and I love to travel and we plan on visiting Yeonsoo in Seoul as soon as we can. I truly recommend being a host parent to any young mom, it has been a great experience for us!”