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Hi!

Rememeber when I asked for your help by posting an email from a celiac
German 16yo boy who wanted to come to the US for a year and live with
a family who has a celiac teenager?

Thanks to all of you,  IT WORKED!  Johannes' thanks are below.

Perhaps this will help more celiac kids seek an exchange.

Diane
PS  Will the family near Portland OR please let me know who you are.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Schmidt Heinrich <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, June 26, 1999 5:37 AM

>  Dear Mrs. Holmes
> This is Johannes from Germany. Do you remember me?  Well it`s half a
> year ago that I wrote you for the last time, but I didn`t want to
> write you until I was absolutely sure where I would go.
>
> First I wanted to stay with a family in La Mirada, CA but we had
> problems getting the papers from the local school there. Those
> papers are necessary for getting a student-visa. In March we were told
> that if I wanted to go there, I would have to attend a private school.
> This would have been very expensive.
>
> That was why I then chose a family with two children (the boy who is
> my age also has cd) who live near Portland, OR.  Yesterday I got an
> e-mail from them in which they told me that the school district
> accepts me as a student there. They`ll send me the papers I need for
> the visa.
>
> I also would like to thank you very much for everything you did for
> me. I'm sure all this would not have been possible without your help!
>
> Yours sincerely
> Johannes Schmidt

My reply:

Hi Johannes -
I am so happy to hear from you!  Of course I remember you and have
been curious and hopeful that an exchange would work out for you.

I'm delighted that it has!!

You will love the Portland area, very pretty, green, many bridges,
good food and nearby some of the best wind surfing in the world,
mountains for skiing and hiking, the ocean.  It's as beautiful as
Germany with so much green and trees and mountains.

When you get to Portland and get settled it, please contact me via
email and perhaps we can arrange a visit to Seatlle for you and/or
you and the family.  Seattle is not too far from Portland.  It's a
beautiful area too and if the weather is nice, perhaps we can visit the
Space Needle and even take a boat ride.  It does rain here from time
to time to time... <grin>

Good luck Johannes.  May your venture turn out to be an exciting
experience.

Your email made my day!  It was nice of you to let me know of your
success.

Diane Holmes
Kirkland WA USA (across Lake Washington from Seattle)