"Sister Cities International was created at President Eisenhower's 1956 White House summit on citizen diplomacy, where he envisioned a network that would be a champion for peace and prosperity by fostering bonds between people from different communities around the world. By forming these relationships, President Eisenhower reasoned that people from different cultures could understand, appreciate, and celebrate their differences while building partnerships that would lessen the chance of new conflicts."
Tomorrow morning, I take Ji Ho and Hyeonji to school to meet the bus for their departure to the next leg of the American journey. Their time with us is drawing to an end and as I type, I am trying very hard to swallow the enormous lump in the middle of my throat. Why? Because we have bonded, formed relationships, and built partnerships - just as Eisenhower envisioned!
Tuesday, part of their school day was spent with the Burlington Rotary Club. They were tasked with giving a presentation about themselves, their Korean lives, and their home city of Gwacheon to about 100 adults! How many teenagers do you know who are willing to do just that and present in a language that is not their native language?!?
We had a busy evening of life on Tuesday with CJ of to ballet and Jac at a wrestling match. The girls had never seen a wrestling match before and wanted to watch! Their reaction mirrored mine the very first time I watched... why would people do this? Ji Ho also explained to me that the unusual singlet uniforms were a bit of "culture shock." :-)
Wednesday, the girls spent part of their school day visiting with the younger students at TBS, sharing their lives and culture and answering questions. Wednesday evening meant it was time for the exchange group's farewell dinner together. Dinner was at a local Japanese restaurant where we sampled all kinds of Japanese food and we even used chopsticks! Hyeonji was a great teacher when it came to showing me how to use them and I was able to eat most of my meal with them! Each pair of exchange students gave a presentation to our whole group about their time with their host families. Ji Ho and Hyeonji did a great job and gave us sweet memories with their words.
After the presentations, each student received recognition for being part of the Sister Cities program as well as artwork created of their Korean names.
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| The exchange group |
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| Our girls |
Today, their last full day in North Carolina, they toured the campus of Duke University which, of course, included the chapel and gardens! When I asked their thoughts, Ji Ho stated that she thought that if she was going to school on that beautiful campus then she knew she would get good grades!
At dinner a few nights ago, we were discussing driving ages and both of us were surprised at the other's requirement. Ji Ho and Hyeonji must be 20 before they can take their driving test. Chris, who loves cars and driving, asked them if they had ever driven a car. Neither had but Ji Ho, our adventurer, said, "I want!" That's all Chris needed to hear!
So, after school this afternoon was set aside as driving time! We went to a giant parking lot that is no longer in use and Chris gave Ji Ho her first opportunity to drive a car. With his mechanical mind, he gave her a great tutorial and then they were off! Smiles abounded! I think my smile was wider than hers though - she was sooooo excited and I was thrilled that such a simple opportunity gave her so much joy! Hyeonji wanted nothing to do with driving, but she was brave and supported Ji Ho as a back seat passenger! The photos can do a much better job at expressing her enthusiasm than my words can!
She became more and more confident with each lap around the parking lot and even successfully parked right beside me. She did a fantastic job!
Originally, I thought about squeezing just one more adventure into our last evening; but opted instead for a family dinner at home. So glad I did - I think the time around our dinner table has been some of the best for me. Ji Ho confirmed my decision when she said, "Ahhh... last family dinner." And finally, on our last night, I must have made a meal that Hyeonji loved because she mostly "eats like a bird" as I have told her, but tonight... the spaghetti and salad were gone! Yay! My cook's heart was happy!
We had parting gifts for each and CJ presented the gifts to the girls. They were very simple but significant and when Ji Ho opened hers, she recognized the significance when she said, "It's our memories!" A Yahtzee game, a can of silly string, some Jello, chocolates, and necklaces with North Carolina on them. I'm hoping they don't forget our fun!
The gave us a sweet, sweet card with words that made me cry!! Ji Ho's family sent us thank you videos of themselves. I completely feel like there is no need for thanks - I am the thankful one! And because I know these words are being read in Korea, I want to say to the parents of these lovely girls, that I am ever so grateful that you allowed them to come and be part of our family. We have made wonderful memories to last forever.
I can not really type words adequate enough to describe our experience with these sweet girls. As I conclude my blog posts about our time together, I want to encourage each of you reading that if ever get the chance to host international students, don't hesitate. Life will always be too busy, too complicated, and your house will never seem adequate enough. Forget all of that and say, "Yes!" It's more rewarding than I ever imagined!
