Guest Post: “Meet the HIGH family ☺”

By: HASSAM DIMARAW SABAN

What is family ? for me Family is the group of people held together by bonds of love and affection. Is the family important? Definitely the answer is YES because family is your friend, bestfriend, boyfriend either girlfriend because you can share your problems to them and I’m pretty sure that they have the best advice or solution.

9:45 in the morning all the muslems had the opportunity to observed how the catholic performed their mass in the New Man catholic church. Me as a muslem its not new to went to the church because its my 2ND time to attended the mass, the 1st time was when we had our intramural in our school. Its not new but its also a good experience.

In the afternoon, everyone were excited to see who will picked up to them. 4:20pm we were in the bus and were nervous because we thought we will not make it, but “God is Good” and all of us made it at the exactly time. Then finally wil and I met our foster Dad named Fred High. He was really cool dad, when we got home, Im happy that I have a big ATE named Rebecca High. I have 3’ Kuyas named Jack High, James High, and Charlie High. I have a 15y/o brother named Ethan High who loved playing baseball. I also have 2 little sisters named Sussanah High and Christiana High. And last but not in the list our foster mom named Donna High. For me it’s a dream came true because Im dreaming for a long time that I could have a big brothers & sister.

This day I learned how to socialized to a new and nice people, and to knew what is life here in U.S.A especially the family life. Im happy that im with the HIGH family. Although were staying here for only two weeks I already loved this family and I’m hoping that when the time come that’s were going to leave god will give them more happiness, more strength and more healthy minds & bodies.

Ed.'s note: Sam (in yellow, next to me in this photo) and his teammate Wil, my foster brothers from Mindanao, Philippines, have been living with my family for two weeks. They are part of the annual Philippines Youth Leadership Project at NIU, in which my family has been participating for eight years (throughout the entire program's duration). This is a journal entry Sam wrote and shared with me after he first arrived at our home, and tonight I had the honor to attend his final cultural performance and program graduation ceremony at NIU, experiencing the history and promising future of the Philippines through dance, music, & dialogue. Job well done, Sam! I'm looking forward to seeing what remarkable vision and peace you will bring back to your home country, and share with the world. Love you, bro!