ANNA — A meeting in 2012 between a girl from Brazil and a family from Anna, Ohio, has led to what promises to be a lifelong friendship and extended family ties.Rebeca Beling Foester, 18, of Domingos Martins, Espirito Santo, Brazil, has spent the past nine months with the Kristian and Heather Althauser family in Anna as an exchange student with the Forte International Exchange Association. Her extended family in Anna includes the Althauser children, Bailey, 13, Bethany, 11, and Braxton, 2, and other family and church members at St. Jacobs Lutheran Church in Anna. Her family in Brazil includes her parents, the Rev. Valdeci Foester and Rosileide Beling Foester and her sister, Lidia Beling Foester, 14. Rebeca had attended a national youth gathering in 2012 when her path first crossed the Althauser family’s. She stayed in Anna during her trip, which also included visits to New Orleans, where the gathering was held, and Chicago. She was in the United States for two weeks during that first visit. Because of that first meeting, Rebeca decided she wanted to be an exchange student. “The agency first told her that her English wasn’t good enough to be an exchange student,” said Heather. “I had to do my interview on Skype and I was nervous,” said Rebeca. Her first application to be an exchange student was turned down, but the family wasn’t ready to give up the chance to host Rebeca for the school year. “My father-in-law (Michael Althauser, pastor at St. Jacobs church) wrote a letter to the agency,” said Heather. “He told them Rebeca would be living with two teachers in the school district and there were lots of ways to help her with her English.” Because of that letter, Forte changed its decision and Rebeca was then preparing for her trip to Anna. “They told me it was my responsibility to learn English,” said Rebeca. “My dad was so excited.” “Her dad is a translator when people go to Brazil,” said Heather…
Continue Reading: Family ties stretch from Brazil to Anna, Ohio
