This year, the Wilch family hosted two exchange students: Said from Ecuador and Alex from the Czech Republic. As their exchange year came to a close, both students’ families traveled to Colorado Springs, creating a rare and meaningful opportunity for everyone to celebrate together.
Host mom Amy W. reflected on the experience:
“A week of ups and downs… meeting our Czech son’s family and our Ecuador son’s family, celebrating together with extended family, three different languages with some charades to help communicate, bittersweet goodbyes and a last-time group hug for the 4 of us who lived in this house together.
This is life: ups and downs, meaningful experiences, stretching and growing, expanding our family yet again. We are all richer because of this wonderful thing called being a host family.”
Moments like these remind us that hosting is about so much more than a school year. It creates lifelong connections that span countries, cultures, and generations. Thank you to the Wilch family for opening their home and heart to these teens and their families.
