Hosting Christian – The Right Fit!

When a family is matched with just the right student, we often find that the experience changes them, making a mark on their family that will never be forgotten.

Carrie and Brian Barton and their son Kevin had often opened their home to others – a teen mom and her baby, a baseball player – and had even considered fostering to adopt. After being presented with the idea of hosting an exchange student (and giving it some good thought!) they happily welcomed Christian from Germany into their home!

“This is our first year hosting, but it won’t be our last!” shares Carrie. “So far it has been better than we could have ever hoped for!”

Carrie shares that Christian is a perfect fit for their family – a young man who is silly, musical, athletic, brave, adventurous, polite, considerate and kind.

“Our home is filled with the sounds of his beautiful piano playing,” shares Carrie, “and he is always happy to hang out with us and talk, go to new places, meet our friends and try new things.”

One of the “new” things presented to Christian was a spot in the family’s co-ed softball game. Carrie shares that he was a little nervous since softball is not a popular sport Germany, so he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep up. But he was excited to try, and with a host family ready to cheer him on, he couldn’t lose!

“One of our favorite memories so far is when he got his 1^st hit!” remembers Carrie. “We all signed the ball for him and gave it to him as a keepsake. That’s just one of many wonderful memories we’ve banked up in our minds and hearts.”

In the end, Christian is just a GREAT match for the Barton family – something that makes a huge difference in the success of a placement – and something the Barton family thanks their LC, Angie Roye, for taking the time to facilitate!

“Angie prides herself in making excellent matches between students and host families,” shares Carrie, “and we are proof of that, as we can’t think of a more perfect match for us!”

As the Bartons enter the second half of their hosting agreement, they already know how much they will miss Christian when he’s gone. They look forward to many more special memories in the next months, as well as a trip to Germany next summer to visit Christian’s friends and family.