Today, we hear from host mom Jessica from Washington State, who, along with her family, welcomed Augustina from Ghana into their home for the 2025-26 school year. Jessica shares how hosting an exchange student was a wonderful fit for their family, what her younger children gained from the experience, and how Augustina brought something new to their family life.
What initially inspired your family to host an exchange student?
Our oldest had considered going to Spain the year before, so we were familiar with the exchange programs and had heard of the State Department programs. Then we were introduced to Jodi Moore and her two exchange students, who came to an Easter Baskets for Homeless Kids event that we were hosting. She gave me a paper with Augustina’s information on it and asked if I wanted to host. I went home and looked at it and talked with my family.
I knew that host families were very important to the program, and we homeschool our two younger kids, so it was a great way for them to learn more about the culture of another country. Also, Augustina’s information told us a lot about her achievements in school and her goals. We knew she had to be a pretty special person to make it through the competition for the scholarship. Also, she was Christian, so we knew she would fit in well with our family. So we called Jodi (our International Coordinator) and told her that we wanted to host.
You have three children (ages 17, 8, and 6). What was it like welcoming Augustina into your family, and how have the relationships between her and your children grown?
My oldest is very busy, so she was not around as much. My younger two children love Augustina and really enjoyed spending time with her. They became really close, and Augustina became like an older sibling to them. She watched them a couple of times while my husband and I went to dinner. She became a part of our family pretty quickly, and we miss her very much.
What are some of your favorite memories with Augustina that you’ll always remember?
One of my favorite memories is when we went ice skating in Spokane. We had gone to visit my mother-in-law in the fall, and we always go ice skating on the Ice Ribbon. Augustina was always so brave to try new things, so she got out there, and even after falling a few times, she kept trying. I admire her bravery and sense of adventure in all the things that she does. She always has a smile on her face, even when she is frightened to do something. We also got to play in the snow in the mountains on that trip to Spokane. I was so glad that she got to see snow and have that experience. She was so happy to run around and throw snowballs.
Augustina loved cooking with my husband and taught us a few recipes. She missed the food from home and tried to make things that would help to fill that void. She also brought a beautiful perspective that I really enjoyed listening to. She is very wise for her age and a joy to chat with.
What advice would you give to other families, especially those with younger children, who are considering hosting an exchange student?
A couple of pieces of advice that I suggest are to try to get as much information about your host student’s daily life before they come. For example, when Augustina arrived, she had her own room. The first week, I noticed that she slept with the light on, and I thought it was because she was afraid of the dark, so I bought her a night light. She told me a few months later that she had never slept alone because she shared a room with her sisters and was in a dorm room with a lot of other girls at school, so she was a bit lonely by herself. She also told me that at school they make them sleep with the light on, probably for safety, so she was used to that, and she kept the light on when she first got to our house.
The time really does go by so quickly. So I would also suggest that families try to organize the time together so you can make some really good memories that will last a lifetime.
The biggest thing that surprised me as a host Mom is that your motherly instinct kicks in and you bring in this child like your own. But you also have to watch them leave and not know whether you will ever see them again. It took me a couple of weeks to even go into her room to clean and convert it to another space. I still call it Augustina’s room, and she has been gone for 3 months. She will always be a member of our family, and I am so excited to see what the Lord has planned for her.
Are you interested in making a student like Augustina a part of your family? We are looking for American host families to welcome a student for the 2027 spring semester and the upcoming 2027-28 school year. Submit an inquiry, and you’ll be the first to hear when profiles of our students go online!
