We had the pleasure and the joy of hosting three exchange students from Brazil in our home in DeRidder, Louisiana USA.  We have naturally formed an opinion of Brazilians from these three students, their families and friends we have met and with whom we have corresponded.  We have found Brazilians to be a happy people.  They are very thoughtful, considerate, and well mannered.  In short, they are the type people you would love to have as family or neighbors.  We enjoyed having these students share their lives with us and become a part of our family.   They attended South Beauregard High School in Longville, Louisiana, along with our daughter Amy and grandchildren, Leah and Andrew.  Each is listed below in the order in which they came into our lives.
 
 

	Tatiana Goncalves is from Carlos Chagas, Brazil.  She lives with her father (Oscar),  mother (Deusa), brother (Leonardo) and her sister (Ana Cristina).  Her father is a doctor (general practitioner) and her mother is a retired school principal.  Tatiana celebrated her eighteenth birthday with us in May of 1995.  She came to our home in March of 95,  the last three months of her exchange program.  Tatiana spent the first part of her exchange program with a family in Tennessee.  Tatiana is a very lovely, intelligent and gifted young lady.  She made friends very quickly and was very popular.  Her accent is very different from other Brazilians we have met.  It is somewhat reminiscent of the slower, southern US accent.  Tatiana's father, mother, and aunt came to visit with us in our home when Tatiana finished her stay with us in May 1995.  They are a lovely family!  Tatiana is now attending a University in Rio de Janeiro, studying to become a doctor.  Her parents must be very proud of Tatiana.  She will make a great doctor.  Update! Tatiana is now a doctor and will begin her practice in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tatiana Goncalves	Come again soon!
	Karina  lives in Curitiba, Brazil with her father (Urivald), mother (Alda) and sister (Carol).  Karina's father is a Chemistry Professor at the Federal University of Parana in Curitiba.  He also does consulting work in the environmental field.  Her mother taught chemistry at the same University, but is now retired.  Her sister, Carol, graduated in Computer Science from a University in Curitiba in December of 98.  Karina came to our home in August of 95 and went (to her other) home in January of 96.  She celebrated her sixteenth birthday with us in November of 95.  Karina is very lovely, sweet, sensible and most thoughtful.  She is very intelligent and made the best grades in her class.  She had no discernible accent and her English is flawless.  She is a wonderful tribute to her family.  Karina and her mother Alda came back for a short visit in July of 98.  We enjoyed their visit and getting to meet Karina's lovely mother.  Karina graduated with a degree in law  from a University in Curitiba.
Karina Pawlowsky	Come again soon!
	Luciana lives in Salvador, Brazil (northeast on the Atlantic) with her step-father (Luiz Machado), mother (Livia) and two brothers, Bruno and Rodrigo. Her step-father and mother are doctors.  Her father (Oswaldo) is an economist, teaching at a University in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil.  Luciana is very intelligent and has a lovely, sensitive personality.  She is very romantic and quite sensitive to the needs of others.   We love to hear her laugh.  She also has a great sense of humor.  You have to get up very early to get ahead of this young lady!  Luciana came to our home in August of 1996 (age 17) and left in May of 1997.  Our daughter Amy and Luciana spent a week in New York City with Lu's step-father and mother.  We were able to spend several days in San Francisco, Calif. while Lu was with us.  Luciana is (following in the footsteps of her grandparents) studying law at a University in Salvador, Brazil.  She graduated from law school this year.  She will make a great president  of Brazil someday!
Luciana Guerra	Come again soon!

We have hosted eight foreign exchange students in our home, beginning in 1987.  We had four from France, three from Brazil and one from Laval (suburb of Montreal), Canada.  We stay in touch with most of these students and their families. Some of the exchange students came for a month during the summer months.  Some came for one school semester (five months).  Two of the students came for an entire school year.  It was a delightful experience for us, our children and our grandchildren.  We love each one more than they will ever know.  My wife and I plan to visit these young people and their families within the next two or three years.  Two of the students have made return visits,  one with her mother.  We arranged to host these students through two different organizations, Nacel and P.I.E.  No compensation is furnished to the host families by either of these organizations, but the rewards are well worth the cost.  The students do have medical coverage and their own spending money.  The host family  supplies shelter, food and transportation.
 

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