wrote to Rainer Grauheding, Counsellor of RC St. Goarshausen - Loreley:
Dear Rainer,
I thank you for your message.
You will understand that we are all very happy about Julie's return to Australia. One year is a
long time and we miss her. I will travel to Brisbane tomorrow morning at 5am to welcome Julie home.
Rainer, for myself, and on behalf of my President and the members of the Rotary Club of Murwillumbah Central District 9640 I thank you all most sincerely for taking excellent care of Julie.
Julie left Australia one year ago to visit a country she knew little of, she went to live with people she had never met, she went to a culture she had no experience with, and to a language she did not understand. She was hosted by Rotarians we do not know, and you have all taken Julie into your homes and your hearts. She has had a wonderful year in a wonderful country, with wonderful people. It is very satisfying for us to have our students so well treated.
The Rotary Youth Exchange Program is a wonderful opportunity for the worlds young people. Julie is now a much more mature, confident , educated, experienced young woman because the Rotary Club of St.Goarshausen-Loreley hosted this Australian girl. She will benefit from her experience for the rest of her life. You, and the members of the Rotary Club of St.Goarshausen-Loreley, and her host families, and the German people have treated Julie as one of your own children. For this we are very grateful and we thank you all most sincerely.
Would you please pass our most heartfelt thanks to your club and especially her host families. I hope Julie now has many German friends and that from time to time they may all meet again somewhere in the world. We currently have two German students in our district (9640). I hope they are having as good a time in Australia as Julie has had in Germany.
As her club councillor in Australia I have kept in contact with Julie over the past year and I know that she has had the best year of her life. Of course the language is always a problem in the beginning. Julie said to me some time ago that she could no longer think in English because it made her brain hurt. When a student no longer wishes to speak her native language we can be sure that she is comfortable with her new language.
I hope, some day, we are able to send you another Australian student as good as Julie. I am pleased to know that you will visit Brisbane in 2003. I very much hope that we may meet. Again Rainer thank you all so very much for the wonderful things you have done for Julie.
Yours in Rotary
John Hill
YEP Club Councillor-Rotary Club of Murwillumbah Central
District 9640