Sarah Meiser’s year in southwest Minnesota nearing an end
WORTHINGTON — With just over a month left in 2011-12 Crailsheim exchange student Sarah Meiser’s year in Worthington, the 65-year-old bond between this Minnesota prairie town and her German Hohenlohe community is stronger than ever, as evidenced by the enthusiasm with which Meiser’s visiting family was welcomed here this week.
By: Jane Turpin Moore, Worthington Daily Globe
WORTHINGTON — With just over a month left in 2011-12 Crailsheim exchange student Sarah Meiser’s year in Worthington, the 65-year-old bond between this Minnesota prairie town and her German Hohenlohe community is stronger than ever, as evidenced by the enthusiasm with which Meiser’s visiting family was welcomed here this week. “Worthington is wunderbar,” smiled father Bernd Meiser, delivering a message that was clear in any language. “We love the lake, and the city is so very nice and clean.” “We’ve found lots of friendly people,” assured mother Martina Meiser. “I can understand now how Sarah really loves it here. “We spent one day with each family she has stayed with, and each night we said, ‘What a nice family.’ We knew she was in very good hands here.” The Meisers wrapped up a three-week sojourn in the United States today, having reconnected with Sarah on May 20 in Orlando, Fla. Bernd and Martina Meiser, owners of the car dealership Meiser Auto in Crailsheim, traveled with Sarah’s three younger sisters — Sofia, 12, Luisa, 8, and Paulina, 3 — along with two close family friends, Anita Tauth and Miriam Kranz. “There is so much to see here,” said Bernd of the U.S. The group also spent time in Key West, Miami Beach and Clearwater, Fla., before flying to New York for three days. Each German traveler was swayed by the charms of a different site. I loved New York,” said Miriam Kranz, 15, a student at Crailsheim’s Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium. “I always wanted to go there, and it was as cool as I hoped it would be.”But Kranz also marveled, “Worthington is very green; there are so many trees.”Twelve-year-old Sofia Meiser, on the other hand, preferred Clearwater, Fla. — “and Worthington,” she assured with a quick grin. Sarah Meiser, who turned 16 in April and has been centered in Worthington since flying to Minnesota with the returning “Amazing” Worthington City Band after their July 2011 tour to Crailsheim, revealed she has found a new love. “Miami is my favorite place,” she asserted. “I’m going to live there someday.” During her time in Worthington, Meiser lived first with the Mel and Jane Janssen family of Bigelow, then with Bill and Betsy Wetering on West Shore Drive, and finally with the Jorge and Julie Lopez family at their farm north of Worthington. “We shared a day on the lake with the Meisers this week, and it was ‘Chamber of Commerce’ perfect,” said Bill Wetering. The Weterings, having made room among their own four children for two previous German exchange students — Svenja Wieser and Florian Meier — said there is much to be gained from the venture. “There is exposure to a new culture, to a new way of looking at things, and the students have provided good companionship for our family and children,” shared Betsy Wetering. The Lopezes were a first-time host family, and now they, too, wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. “If anything, Sarah helped our kids Ari and Ben get along better with each other,” quipped Julie Lopez. Added Jorge Lopez, “It’s been a wonderful experience. I never thought it would be so nice,” while 15-year-old Ari Lopez admitted, “It was like having daily sleepovers.” Sarah Meiser also thoroughly bonded with the Janssen family, whose eldest daughter, Nicole, was the 2009-10 Worthington exchange student to Crailsheim. The Meisers were the third family with which Nicole lived in Germany, and it was Nicole who whet Sarah’s appetite for travel. “Nicole was the key,” agreed Martina Meiser. “She inspired Sarah to go somewhere, and we had a great time with her.” The Meiser entourage delivered greetings from Crailsheim Mayor Rudolf Michl. Michl, an active and encouraging presence during the Worthington band’s time in Crailsheim last year, expressed joy that the sister city partnership with Worthington is thriving after 65 years. Michl hopes to make his first trip to Worthington possibly in 2013, having been busy during his first two years as mayor making connections with Crailsheim’s other sister cities in France, Lithuania and east Poland. The Meisers’ host families also took the group to Pipestone National Monument and Sioux Falls, S.D. (where they checked out the Sertoma Butterfly House, the Great Plains Zoo and Falls Park). Jane Janssen was grateful, too, to Marv Spomer, who gave German car dealer Bernd Meiser a private tour of his Spomer Classic museum. They also were treated to a potluck supper at the Atrium, hosted by the Worthington-Crailsheim International, Inc., committee, and they enjoyed the Wednesday evening city band concert in Chautauqua Park, where the German guests were briefly introduced to the crowd. John Martin, son of Tom and Deb Martin, is preparing to depart on July 26 for his year as the 2012-13 Worthington exchange student to Crailsheim. Sarah Meiser will accompany him, as she returns to her home. “It’s really exciting to meet the Meisers,” agreed Martin, who will become the only “son” in the Meisers’ house of four daughters when he first arrives in Germany. “The whole family is so nice.” Bernd and Martina Meiser understand the mixed emotions the Martins may feel as they prepare to bid their teenager goodbye for an extended period of time; they admit to tears and some trepidation, especially in the two weeks immediately before Sarah’s flight to Minnesota. But that was quickly forgotten as Sarah made friends and immersed herself in Worthington life. She participated in the Worthington High School marching band, the YMCA Stingrays swim team, track and attended prom, among other activities. “I knew when we were Skyping that Sarah was really living in Worthington when she forgot about the time difference between the U.S. and Germany,” laughed Martina Meiser. “For us and for Sarah’s younger sisters, it is very nice to see how you can make friends in other places, and how speaking other languages opens up all kinds of opportunities. “It’s been a great experience for the whole family.”
Quelle: http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/57777/