Friends!!

Santi and Arthur at Thanh's Birthday Celebration!

Such good friends!

 

One of our International Students mentioned that his brother came to America in a Foreign Exchange program last year and his brother was lonely...for obvious reasons. However, the great thing about our Dorm is that the students have other Exchange Students that offer championship and provide support for them! A wonderful bonus for students who are so far from home!

 

 

 

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."


Game Night!!

 Mr. and Mrs. Soleman donated a Foosball and Ping Pong Table to the Dorm. Currently Santi is the reigning Champ...unless anyone is up for a challenge!

Arthur and Oscar trying out the new table!

 

A BIG Thanks to David Durham for picking up our new games!!!

Senior Night

Kokomo High School had a College Fair this week and we were able to take Jose and Thanh. Jose is excited about Purdue and Thanh is still searching for the right fit!

 

We are so blessed to have a Vietnamese Tutor, Nhi, working with Thanh. Nhi is volunteering her time to help Thanh navigate through the college application process, SAT/ACT tests, and college searches. Thank you Nhi!

Dorm Life

As I sit here in the dorm at 9:15p.m on a Saturday evening I can't help but feel blessed. Blessed by the sound of laughter and conversations had by our International students as they re-cap their soccer game, discuss current events, and play endless games of FIFA. Every night is different and everyday an adventure. Tonight many of the American soccer players came over to spend time with our students in the dorm. I am amazed at how quickly our boys have assimilated to our culture and yet how much culture they bring to us!

Chinese Festival

 Several of our students travelled to Indianapolis, Indiana to attend the Chinese Festival.

 Keita, Arthur, and Fan

 

Chinese Festival Sept 2012

Soccer!

 

 

"No Man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main"

 

 Santi the Great!

Miguel!

Such Sweet Boys!!!

 Our biological son, Caleb with our International son, Oscar! Such good buddies!

 Thanh with his Host Brother-roasting marshmallows

Arthur and Caleb! Arthur has been helping me capture some pictures of the boys of Mikalas Dorm!

Senior's Honored in Athletics

 We have three seniors residing in the dorm. Pictured above is Jose from Bolivia with his host mother, Julie. He is an excellent tennis player and took home a trophy today at this Sectional Game! Way to go Jose!

 

Thanh and Costi are our two senior soccer players. Despite the frigid temperatures Thanh and Costi had the support of their host parents at senior night! Great season boys!

 

 

Bonfire!!

 Last weekend we took the boys to a Bonfire in the country. Many of the boys had never been to a bonfire and were uncertain about what to expect. Needless to say, we had a great time roasting marshmallows, drinking hot chocolate, taking golf cart rides, and airplane tours!

 KEITA!

 Touring the airport on the golf cart!

 Silly boys

 American + Internationals

 Thanh was cold

Having Fun!

Call Me Maybe!

In case you missed our international students and their big debut-check out the following link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3nDisG9BeI

Meet our Boys...

 Arthur from China is so sweet. He enjoys taking pictures and is going to help me with the blog by providing footage. He is very smart and kind to our biological children! He enjoys working out at the YMCA and recently started attending OPEN GYM after school to play basketball!

 Bruno from Spain is very well liked among his peers. He is smart and kind to our biological boys! Bruno is committed to his soccer team, his grades, and his friends. He is a joy in our dorm!

 Costi from Italy has a very calm, cool demeanor. He is relaxed yet very aggressive on the soccer field. Costi is polite and a leader in the dorm.

 Fan from China is still adjusting to our American ways. In China, he attends school from 7a.m-6p.m so our 7-2p.m schedule is a dream. Fan enjoys playing video games, studying, and is interested in Sign Language.

 Jose from Bolivia speaks great English and is brilliant. He is our tennis star and is having a great time making new friends and experiencing American Culture!

 This picture perfectly depicts Keita from Japan because he is always smiling! He has a soft, gentle spirit despite his tall stature. Keita takes his grades very seriously and enjoys swimming!

 Miguel from Mexico is loved by all- and events are more fun when he is around. He is also on the soccer team and enjoys meeting new people.

 Santiago from Spain has high morals and great endurance on the soccer field. He too, is a leader in our dorm and does a great job including all the boys!

 Yannic is our fashionable German. He enjoys swimming, power drinks, and friends. He is a joker and kind!

 Thanh is from Vietnam and is a senior this year. As a type this he is probably studying for his SAT/ACT- he is always studying! Thanh is very determined to succeed here in America! We love Thanh

Oscar from Mexico is a shining star! He excels in whatever he does- whether it be soccer, academics, making friends, or his English! Oscar's smile is contagious and his heart is kind!

 

 

We have only been with these boys for 3 weeks but I truly feel like they are family! So special in so many ways!

New Blog!!

9.17.2012

Travis and I are honored to be the new Dorm Parents at Mikalas Hall. We currently have 11 International Students residing here and we could not be more excited!

 

We are overwhelmed at the amount of support the city of Kokomo has given to this endeavor and wanted to provide a site for the parents, students, and facility to be able to stay informed on the Dorm happenings. It is our hope that the parents' of our International Students will also be able to feel connected to their loved ones despite the distance!!