Our YFU adventures all started with Karina. She became a member of
our family in Jan, '89 when she needed to make a change in host families. We were remolding our kitchen at the time and she took the opportunity to paint, pound nails and help me landscape our back yard. "Will you teach me to cook, Mom?", was the request from this 16 year old who had always had a maid and cook around the house.
She made an amazing transition mid-year into Renton High School, joined the cross-country team, and soon made new friends. We even found a local celebration of Carnival in February and got a small taste of amazingly boundless Brazilian energy. Karina's family lives in Londrina, Brasil. in the south central highland area. She is currently studying Zoology at university.
Before she left in June, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet her mother, married sister and younger brother who came to visit in Seattle. Later in Spring '92, she returned for a short visit with her father who was on a business trip to the U.S. This picture is of her when she returned.
UPDATE June 25, 1996
We have not heard from Karina since she last visited us with her father in 1993.
Then out of the blue comes an e-mail from her. Seems some friends found our Homepage and gave her a little surprise by showing it to her. Now we find out that we have been sending letters to a bad address. She is in her last year of University study in the field of Animal Science or Animal Production. She will graduate in January, 1997 and be married all in the same week! Then she and her new husband plan to move to Bolivia to begin a new life raising cattle (I think). We wish her well and only hope that we could join her next January.
July 1, 1999
Karina graduated from University and was married in December, 1997 (new name is Dovalle). She and her husband then moved to central Bolivia to establish a ranch.
As well as the ranch, they have a home in Santa Cruz and she is expecting their first child in August, 1999. It has been wonderful to reconnect with her this Summer.
March 1, 2001
Raul arrived with his mom's blue eyes August, 1999 to the great joy of all. Annelies, with her wonderful knowledge of Portuguese, helped us to again make contact with Karina in Santa Cruz where all is going well for her and her family.
January 9, 2006
It's Monday morning, the telephone rings. "Hi there, do you know who this is?" KARINA ! She and her family are in Orlando with her mother & father celebrating her parent's
remarriage. "Will you be home this weekend? We will arrive in Seattle on Friday" She & her husband, Zackary, along with her two boys, Raul & Jose Eduardo, came for a five day visit.
Time to visit the Pike Place Market. We spent the day seeing things in downtown Seattle.
Then it was up to Snoqualmie for Zack & the boy's first snow experience.
It was wonderful seeing them. They are a beautiful family. We definitely are planning on a trip to Bolivia in the near future.
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