Host Family of the Month, January 2012

This month our nomination for Host Family of the Month comes from Jessica Swisher, Ayusa Regional Director for Central and Western Kansas. She felt compelled to nominate the amazing family of Mike and Julie Mohn and their sons Brayden and Colby.

The Mohns have been hosting continuously with Ayusa since the fall of 2007.  Their own boys are adopted, so opening their hearts to exchanges students comes somewhat naturally to them.  They consider every girl that enters their home as another daughter, even including her in that year's professional photos that they send out at Christmastime. They attend their students' games and functions, take the student shopping and on excursions with the family. Every year host mom Julie makes each student a scrapbook of their experiences in the United States. They even designed the new home they built a couple years ago with exchange students in mind, including a bedroom specifically for the students, and a private bathroom, straight off the kitchen and living room, so the students would have privacy but not isolation. 

Several students have come back to visit the Mohns since living with them.  Their international daughters write them posts online and still call them Mom and Dad. This host family has already selected their student for program year 2013 and can't wait to start contact with her. I am so blessed to have the Mohns in my area and look forward to working with them for years to come!