“We’re keeping him, right?”

Our family has hosted twelve students over the past 10 years, plus other short stays. It’s been very positive for our family and we feel like we have kids from all over the world.

Some years it takes a few months before we actually feel like family and that’s okay. We have heard many host families say, “We just love our student and they are like family already!” sometimes after only a week or so! We never experienced that until this year.

After our current student had been here just a few days, my husband, Tim said, “We’re keeping him, right?” We both knew almost immediately that this student would be permanent though we started out as a ‘welcome family’.

Vitor, from Brazil, has fit right in with our family. He has the sweetest smile and is loving and kind. He’s always ready to help us and his friends when asked. We are eager to experience the rest of this year with our charming student.

Peggie Walter
ICES Regional Director, Oregon
Hosting Vitor from Brazil 🇧🇷