Craig and Wibke Rees love to have multiple cultures living in their home: Craig is Welsh, his wife Wibke is German—both naturalized citizens who have adopted Haitian-African American children. And they have taken in an HC international student for the school year.
“We love being able to continue the diversity in our home,” Craig said. “We previously ministered in an International setting in Europe where people who were international students attended school and church in America. That experience was life changing and resulted in the students putting their faith in Christ. What a great opportunity an exchange like this can provide!”
“When I first read about the fact that Holland Christian was looking for host families, it jumped off the page at me,” Wibke added. “With my son going off to college this fall, we had the room to host a student. There was definitely some apprehension at first—we both work full time and are a busy family. We were not sure if what we could offer was enough.”
Even though the process that led to the family agreeing to saying “yes” took some time, Wibke feels that the homestay is going very well.
“Looking back, I can honestly say that it has been so much easier than I ever anticipated!!” Wibke said. “It feels so very ‘normal’ to have Komi as part of our family. The clarity that the program provides (expectations on students and host families) has really helped with this. It feels like a strong partnership with the school, the program and the families.”
The family enjoyed going through several “firsts” with their international student, Komi—events like homecoming, church, Michigan’s Adventure, hikes, and being part of the HC theatre costume crew. “Komi told several people at church that she had never been to a church—six weeks later, she is the one inviting several friends to youth group!” Wibke said.
“It is great to see her engage with new things and have her experience them for the first time,” said Craig, “Being an only child and then moving to a larger family must be a little challenging.”
As with most things, there are challenges to adding a family member, and each family member brings a different dynamic perspective. There have been some minor challenges, most of them due to a lack of communication on the front end. For example, the Rees’ desire to not be overwhelming when Komi first came led to them not talking about family “expectations.” They are learning to be better in those areas.
The Reeses have communicated with Komi’s mom on a few topics to get her feelings and input.
That has felt helpful. One example was that Komi would stay up very late in the beginning to study. Wibke was concerned that she was not getting enough sleep. When pointing that out to Komi’s mom, she told Wibke that “This is how Komi has always done it.” That communication helped Wibke to let it go. Several weeks later, Komi adjusted naturally to the family’s rhythms.
Overall, Craig and Wibke love having Komi a part of their family. “Every person and student is so different and has different interests and goals,” Wibke said. “We have given Komi time to just settle and get used to life in the States. Get a feel for our family and our family culture. Within that framework, we have noticed things that matter to her and try to make those things happen. For example, during fall break she did a tour at the University of Michigan. As a sophomore, that feels early—but that is where she is at and what is life giving to her at this point!”
Jayden Rees ’26 has enjoyed having Komi at HC with him for the morning car rides to school. He has enjoyed her cooking and baking—they all have, in fact, along with family movie nights and game nights. Anmerose (Holland High School ’25) has especially enjoyed having Komi as a host sibling:
“Living with Komi has been eye-opening because I’m not only learning about her culture but I’m also learning how my culture is being seen from her perspective,” Anmerose said. “Komi is very hard working and I find that she puts studying above everything else. I noticed that we both have habits that have rubbed off on each other because I have seen changes in my study habits since school started. I enjoy learning about her culture and the way her school operates back at her home.
Although Anmerose has found it sometimes challenging to balance time with friends and time with Komi, she has found a good balance: “Recently Komi has felt more like a sister than an exchange student, which is good, but also means we can bicker about small things here and there like who left the basement light on,” Anmerose stated.
“Another thing I love about Komi is how honest she is,” Anmerose continued. “She is never afraid to tell me how she is feeling, which is something I’ve grown to appreciate about our friendship. Another thing that Is great about her character is her confidence. Komi has been great when it comes to meeting new people and trying new things.
“Overall, living with Komi has been a great experience for me to learn about new culture and has taught me new things about who I am as well.”
