My life's turning point 10 years ago

This July marks 10 years since my AFS experience. For those of you who don't know what AFS is, it's a non-profit organization which offers intercultural exchange programs. It was the exchange program that allow me to spend 10 precious months of my life in a small town in the US called Burley, Idaho. You can learn more about AFS here.

During my sophomore year, I met lots of exchange students that attended my high school. I always wondered what it was like to leave your family, friends, and school behind for a whole year and live in a completely different culture. At the end of the school year, AFS was offering scholarships granting 4 students the opportunity to be an exchange student in the US with pretty much all costs covered. I applied for one and I was lucky enough to get it.

I was originally assigned to go to Anchorage, Alaska. What a contrast for a little island 16-year old girl to be sent to Alaska; nevertheless I was brave, and was willing to take on the challenge of embracing the cold weather even when I had never experienced it before. To make the story shorter, after exchanging emails and phone calls with my Alaskan host family, an getting super excited to meet them I was later told just a few weeks before departing that I couldn't go to Alaska anymore, instead I was now going to Burley, Idaho. I was a bit disappointed but didn't give the fact much thinking. I knew I was going, whether it was Alaska or Idaho it was happening.

I remember the first time I met the Morgans, we were all together at the AFS coordinator's home. Because I didn't receive any of their information prior to arriving, I had no idea who my host parents were. I remember looking around, and seeing all the parents who had arrived for the orientation, I was nervous. Roger passed me by as they were going to orientation and said: Hi Liz! At that moment I think I wasn't paying attention, when he left I started wondering if my mind made that greeting up or if it was real.

I left with the Morgans who by the way were super young, and already had 4 small children ages (7,5,2 and 22 months) I couldn't believe they were going to be host parents. We drove to Burley for about 3 hours, and we talked a lot, trying to get to know each other. I remember meeting the entire family, and feeling welcomed by all of them. Later that day I found out they were Mormons. I didn't really know much about their religion, except that I had seen men in black suits riding bikes everywhere in Santo Domingo. They invited me to go to church with them the next morning, and I accepted. Sunday at church set the stage for the rest of my stay in Burley, one of the counselors in the ward asked me to stand up in the congregation and personally welcomed me while speaking in Spanish. I must say that was very special, what a wonderful welcome for me, listening it in my own language. Everyone kept asking me later what he had said to me.

The first few weeks were difficult. I was homesick and I started asking myself why in the world I thought doing that was fun. I remember carrying around a tissue in order to hide the tears, but it was impossible. I cried and they saw me cry. My host parents, always tried to help, and I felt their love and support since day one. It took me about a month to get passed the homesickness, I started getting busy with school, had made new friends at church, and was pretty involved in all of the activities.

Those 10 months in Burley changed my life. I learned to love the Morgan family in a way I cant really express, it was as if all of a sudden they became part of my own family. Within the walls of their home I learned about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I saw their example, I saw them teach their children, I saw them teach me in ways words alone couldn't have done it. Something in my heart changed, all of my sudden the Lord was answering questions, and concerns I had long before I arrived to Idaho. I felt peace in their home, and I felt like finally the Lord was noticing me. (I had come from a devout catholic family, but had struggle to find a personal connection with God)

Returning home was difficult. I was afraid of loosing that feeling of peace and joy I had. I was afraid of never coming back, I was afraid of loosing the friendships I built with people from around the world. I was scared of going back to my normal life.

In July 2006 I returned home, I found the missionaries, and a few months later I joined the Church. I quickly resumed my live back in the island, attending school, and getting back on the routine of things back home. But I must say I was never the same again, I had changed, grown, learned about a different culture both geographically and spiritually, I had met great people from all over the world, I had gone to high school for one entire year all in english. A piece of me stayed in Burley Idaho with the Morgans. I thought of them often, and how grateful I was for being sent to Idaho instead of Alaska. I believe there are no coincides, the Lord knew me personally, he knew what I needed and answered a prayer I had long before. He gave me a new family and wonderful memories with them.

10 years have passed, and the Morgans have been close to me ever since. I moved to Utah after graduating from High School, I met my husband David, got married, graduated from BYU, had a baby and the Morgans have been there beside me. They are my family, and I am grateful for them everyday. How grateful I am today for a program like AFS, but above all I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who placed me in what might have been an odd place to be, so small and maybe remote from all the other exotic world destinations my friends were going. I am grateful for the path of life that he put me in, I would do it all over again. This is the life I dreamed and although is not always easy or perfect its the life I want to live.

I hope that from this story you realize that there is an all powerful being above, that if we let Him take us by the hand He will lead us in a path of life that will bring joy and happiness. He lives and love us.

Happy 10 years as a family Morgan Family