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Where are CCOOL people from?

Within a couple of weeks, I felt like a local, as this family had introduced me to different people, different social events among other things. My fellow interns started thinking that maybe I had known this family before but it was out of their compassion and sympathy for humanity through God’s love that they did everything. We did not know each other before but their compassionate personalities moved them. Later, I introduced my friends/interns to this family and we started having happy moments together as “one big international family”. I have learnt to be a blessing to others whenever God blesses me through His people. This is the golden rule from which everyone can benefit.

Now we had so many blessings; my fellow interns and I got additional winter gear, working clothing, frequent rides to buy groceries, introductions to other various well-wishers and sponsored visits and funds to purchase items at thrift stores, sponsoring/transportation to participate in various local events (both cultural and agricultural expos), and various home and farm visits. The local tourism attractions were amazing and all these have left great smiles on my face and those of my friends.

As everyone got involved and the team was growing, there was a need to create a social platform to ease the coordination and sharing of the local updates and events. This idea was great and led to the formation of Community Cultural Outreach of the Lakes. I salute all involved who sacrifice their time and resources to ensure the best experiences for international visitors and interns in Detroit Lakes. God bless you all.

-Godfrey Habumuremyi - "Haba" (Uganda)

excerpt from 1,500 word testimonial (click here to see full text)

Hello dear readers and Group Members New and Old,

I take this opportunity to share with you my experience while in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. It was on Thursday, Feb.14^th, 2019, when I left my country Uganda to go to the United States of America for an Agricultural Exchange Program. I boarded the Brussels airline company to Belgium and connected to United Airlines from Belgium to the United States. I arrived in the United States on Feb. 15^th, 2019 at the Fargo Airport in North Dakota where I was picked up by Bergen’s general supervisor and his wife. They gave me a ride at 01:00am in the morning to the house where I was to stay with my fellow interns.

It was a shock to me as soon as I left the airport terminal exit to get into the car that had come pick me up from the airport, guess what!? It was snowing all over the place and there was extreme coldness. Immediately I was supposed to load my luggage on in the car which was so difficult for me at that time because of coldness and I had no sweater, jacket, gloves or a scarf. I had no idea of what was going on in Minnesota regarding the weather conditions but thank God I managed to get to the place I was to stay for the entire program, but my body was shivering. The most disturbing thing that day, is that I was so hungry because it was a long journey for me and being in America for the first time I had no idea how I could find food , and so I was psychologically stressed. But then one person whom I will never forget came to my rescue, Mr. GOVIND an Indian intern who was sleeping when I arrived but he woke up and gave me a cup of milk and bread. I was so relieved in that moment, and felt happy to have met him.

Then later that day I met my fellow African interns from Rwanda whom I met in the evening after work. We all came together at the round kitchen table and started sharing about our backgrounds and asked various questions about each other’s journeys and also about the farm where I was going to start working the following day. They gave me a very good orientation, and before I went to the workplace I knew almost everything regarding the code of conduct while at work, how attitude adjustments and flexibility were important because this was something: working with different people with different cultures from over 15 countries.

After one week in Detroit Lakes, my fellow countryman by the name of GODFREY introduced me to his friends he had met at the Detroit lakes SDA church by the names of DEBBIE & RICK who later became our parents, mum and father away from our biological parents. This is where life became interesting and from that day I lived happily and enjoyably in Detroit lakes Minnesota. They will always be my heroes as far as my stay in America is concerned for various reasons; personally I had no winter shoes, sweaters, or jackets, but amazingly, they took me to shops and bought me all necessary items I need to for the winter season. They connected us interns not only to our fellow interns from various countries but also to the entire community of the SDA church in Detroit Lakes. They made sure that we had weekly activities for fun and could learn about new things around Minnesota, about other cultures from the American communities and fellow interns. Some of the activities included tubing on the lake, snow tubing, cooking different dishes from different countries, agricultural study tours and storytelling among other activities.

I cannot write everything here because the story would be too long to read and most importantly, I wanna take this special time I have gotten to write this little story, on my behalf and my fellow interns to thank you DEBBIE & RICK, our MUM and DAD, also the SDA church Community in Detroit Lakes for your tireless efforts to help me and my fellow interns have a wonderful and memorable time living in Detroit lakes. Thank you very much and may God continue to bless you and protect you all.

MUCH LOVE – LOVE4LIFE – DIFFERENT COLORS, ONE PEOPLE.

-James (Uganda)

I am from India, and I was studying before I came here. I belong to a farming family. The United States is a land of opportunities and advanced technical knowledge in agriculture so I decided to get that knowledge and I came here. I arrived on December 28, 2018 and it was my 1^st international travel experience so I was excited and a little scared. The weather was totally a surprise for me; I never imagined temperatures like that. But I survived, in fact I enjoyed it. During my first week in town, it was winter and all around town was just white snow and cold. So we walked out to Lake and had some fun.

I first met CCOOL group members while I was walking home after work in the cold weather and Debbie offered us a ride along with our friend Haba (Godfrey). Haba is the guy who bought us all together. And that same day was the 1^st time we had dinner with Debbie and Rick at their home.

If I had not found the CCOOL group I can't imagine my what my internship in Detroit Lakes would have been like. We worked very hard. And we used get frustrated. But the CCOOL Group’s events really helped me to reach out to the local community and American culture. Because of the CCOOL group, I learnt many things from different cultures, and I expanded my idea and my way of thinking.

I would specifically like to thank Rick and Debbie. This couple takes care of us like parents; they support me a lot, emotionally and mentally. Rick has given me wonderful business tips and he shared with me his experiences. Tim and TJ are wonderful speakers; every time they spoke in church I listened very carefully. And the Aakre family is wonderful; we had great time on their farm and Jayson gives me information about US agriculture. I hope CCOOL will plan reunions in the future, whether in-person or virtual, online video chat reunions.

The people I met in CCOOL group they are not just my friends; they are my global family now. I had great time in Detroit lakes with my CCOOL Group family, and the best ever moments I had in the United States. People in Minnesota are really good and kind. And the weather in Minnesota is best you can enjoy: extremely cold in winter and spring is awesome, summer is super cool and fall is colorful.... most importantly I really enjoyed all the seasons. CCOOL Group is now a part of life. I formed life-long relationship with people around the world. CCOOL Group is like a rainbow and I'm lucky to be part of that rainbow and represent India. Luv you all, and thanks for the best memories!

-Govind Gadhe (India)

Okay, first and foremost I like being part of the CCOOL group because this group is the most wonderful awesome rocking group ever! It keeps us together through communication and sharing messages and the best memories ever. This group has been so good from the beginning and I don’t regret meeting the wonderful people and family I have in America.

If I didn't have this CCOOL group here in America I would think everything was going to be boring and bad, I wouldn't have enjoyed my experience or have any good times.

I thank God about everything He has done, and also I thank Godfrey for introducing me/us to you, Debbie and Rick. You have been nice, wonderful people to us. I thank this CCOOL group we have. I won’t forget everything what you have done for us. I love you all guys. I will miss you all the time. May God bless us, every one. Hope we may meet again.

-Nkosibathi Fisokuhle Sibiya - "Fiso" (South Africa)

The reason why I love to be in the CCOOL group is that we can learn about each other's cultures, beliefs, and traditions from our respective countries and exchange ideas. This group is very important because we can keep in touch even after leaving, seeing where everyone has gone by posting their photos in our group. Maybe one day we can reunite again.

-Laurence Espiritu (Phillipines)

I came to the United States for an Agriculture exchange program. When I arrived it was winter time, and I was excited to see the snow. My first day, though, it was so cold I thought I would never survive the weather conditions. Soon after arriving, maybe in February, we met Rick and Debbie and family who invited us to Church and offered us rides.

Through the CCOOL Group, I made a lot of friends and had great experiences. It's amazing to meet different people from different cultures and we become true friends with much love, and caring for each other. I have never had friends like this before. The CCOOL group changed my life and I learned a lot from it. The group helped me to integrate into life in the United States, to get used to new weather and a new environment.

I’d like to thank Rick and Debbie, the SDA Church members, Ed and Diane, Wendy, Barry, etc. I hope CCOOL continues to follow up with newcomer interns. I want to especially thank the people who had the idea of creating this group and thanks to God to made all the events we had.

-Emmanuel - "Emmy" (Rwanda)

When I came to the US for my Work and Travel program, it was very hectic and pretty boring since I wasn't exposed to the CCOOL group until close to my departure. However, my involvement and interactions with members of the CCOOL family have been truly excellent and has really impacted me immensely. Though a relatively short time was spent with them, I really enjoyed every moment and I learnt a lot and made true friends that I will never forget.

Life back home in Jamaica can be really exciting, depending on how you plan it. Jamaica has a stable economy; though our dollar has a huge disparity with the US, it is good to place to have fun, go out, work and have a good time. I came to the US to explore the cultural diversity. When I first arrived at Fargo, I was truly surprised at the weather. In Jamaica, we are used to tropical weather so the cold was very different for me. I arrived in May, during the summer period and I was very happy that I got here. After my first week, I was truly exhausted.

I first met people from the CCOOL group at the SDA church in DL church, and participating in the group definitely changed how I felt about living in the area. My introduction to and involvement in the CCOOL group provided me with the only set of cultural activities that I participated in, and they truly changed my perception of Minnesota.

I’d specifically like to thank Debbie, Rick, and Tim, who made a positive impact on my experience in MN. I wouldn't change anything about their approach because it itself is very unique and they have made big sacrifices to afford us the opportunity to enjoy ourselves. I do hope they will continue and will reach other interns in the future.

The CCOOL group reminded me of the importance of friendship. It also reminded me that even though we are from many places, and from different back backgrounds, we are one people.

-Joel (Jamaica)

I'm Sargine BIEN-AIME I'm from Haiti. I came to Detroit in January of 2019. At the beginning life was kind of boring cause I didn't really enjoy it. That means I couldn't go almost anywhere. I didn't know anyone. But soon after in April I have started meeting some friends that had a strong desire to help not only me but also the rest of the interns that were probably felt boring like me. I really enjoy my time in Detroit Lake specially during the summer and that was for me a chance to meet many new people that had and will continue to have an impact on my life. I'm proud to be part of the CCOOL group.

-Sargine (Haiti)

Definitely the CCOOL group changed my stay in Detroit Lakes. Starting from Debbie & Rick to all the members and the collaborators who made all my time so much better. I feel so grateful with all my friends (now my family) who made that possible. You cannot imagine how it means for someone who is very far from their families and countries that someone else share their time and their love how Debbie and Rick did. It means the life, the freedom, the happiness, love and one of the best experience in my life!

I love my country (Colombia). I would not change it for anywhere in the world. I was in the USA as an intern to learn about agriculture. I was there because I love to travel, learn and get new experiences. I decided to join the work program because I do love to travel and get to know new places and cultures, and I did not have a formal job in my country in environmental engineering which is my occupation. The work/study program my best option to gain work experience and save a little bit of money for when I go home to my country.

When I arrived in Detroit Lakes, I thought it was a very small town and I was used to living in big cities. However, I was prepared for new adventures. I arrived in February 2019 when it was still cold. The weather was very very extreme for me like never before. The coldest temperatures we had during my stay here were below -33° Celsius (below -27•F). However I prefer cold weather to hot. The summer was harder for me.

I thought the job was very hard and I had so many expectations were never fulfilled. I did not like what I did in my job. Nevertheless I kept going and never gave up! I tried to see the positive side, sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. Thanks to CCOOL group I overcame.

I first met people from the CCOOL group in March 2019 when some fellow interns invited me to go buy some stuff in a thrift store. Debbie and Rick picked me up even without knowing me. That was the beginning of my CCOOL family.

Did participating in CCOOL events change how I felt bout living in the area? Of course! I do not know how my life would have been in the small city of Detroit Lakes without the CCOOL group.

I’d specifically like to thank Debbie, Rick and their family. Also, all the members of CCOOL group and my coworkers, especially: Carina from Brazil (intern), Govind from India (intern), Emmy from Rwanda (intern) and Cristina from Mexico who made my time happier with their unforgettable smiles and company.

CCOOL has made me think that there are more angels here on earth than I previously thought, whether they be in your life temporarily or forever. Thank you CCOOL group and creators. I will never forget you guys. I swear it!

-Claudia Cuervo (Colombia)

Hello! I'm Jholina Sta.Ana Busalpa from Philippines. I would like to share about my journey here in America. I arrived in America on December 29, 2018, and that was my first out of my country experience so I was even more excited.

Fast forward… Months went by fast till one day my co-intern from my country told me that they met a couple from a local church and who offered them rides to church and Walmart and other places in town .

So every time they talked about that couple I didn’t know anything more about them; I just knew their names and that was it. Fast forward again! I just got home one day and a woman knocked at the door and asked me "Is Katy here?", and I said “Yes come inside.” I told her my name and what country I was from; she told me her name was Debbie and I shook her hand. And she started to share her life experience, and one thing she said that stuck in my head was "It's hard to be a stranger in a new place" and I knew how that felt because I experienced that; it’s the the reason why we try to help other as much as we can. My heart was glad! Fast forward again and again! Finally I had met Debbie, a woman with a big heart. I learned that most weekends they organized activities and alot of students attended. Also I'm the kind of intern that works! works! works! I just went to work, home, and church. I didn't have any social life because I was focused on preparing for my future and thought I would have time for happier experiences later, so I missed alot of moments. But if I had a chance/day off and there was an activity that day, I’m pretty sure I tried to go. And the first time that I went with them it was Independence Day and it such a wonderful day. I met Debbie’s husband Rick, and Edward, Diana and Diana's son. We had lot of conversations about their lives, experiences, history, wants, etc. My stomach, brain and my heart were so happy! Fast forward again, and again and again and again! After the Independence Day national celebration, we did things like a painting class, Thanksgiving gathering, Christmas party, snow tubing… so many activities! We were so blessed and thankful for such a great experience which will never be forgotten! And also thank you for this group; I never felt that I was far away from my family or alone because of all you guys. And of course the parents of the group Rick and Debbie - thank you and your family and churchmates for their kindness towards all the students. I hope God gives more blessings to all of you. I'm happy and blessed to have met you guys.

-Jholina Sta.Ana Busalpa (Philippines)

"Mahal ko kayo - Till next time!"

As everyone's dreams, I had that wish to Come in USA. I heard and read many things about it and one day I wanted to be here, finally on January 16 here I am!!! The first experience out of the airplane was a white sky and snows. During my first two weeks I was learning american culture, food and English accent with my co-workers. Being blessed, I met with some good people like I didn't before, CCOOL group admins and members. With them, I really enjoy Minnesota and my life. I am really thankful for you and keep that spirit, you helped me to have fun and jump in the world of happiness.

What is your life like in your home country? - My country is a developing country, which means that life there is not easy. I was a professional farmer owing an agricultural farm of watermelon and papaya ; the income was not too high but again I made my livings and satisfy my basic needs. My family, two parents and three siblings, all are fine and doing different activities. There I enjoyed our local culture, food and language, which I can't find here... but still I am happy to be here.

What did you hope to get out of your (work) experience in the United States? - Along side with my carrier, I decided to come in United States to improve and increase my skills and knowledge, as well as making more connections for market purpose. I expected to learn more and meet more, which on one side didn't work the way I thought it to be! With skills, nothing more I got, with people...Oh my God, I met many people who helped me in different ways.

What were your thoughts when you first arrived? - When I arrived on the airport, I thought to see different weather and landscape. I came here in January and it was heavily snowing and it surprised me!

How did you feel after your first day/week of work? - After my first week of work, I felt uncomfortable due to our supervisor character. He didn't people nicely and moreover he didn't show us the place (no induction, no training, no explanation at all). This shocked me deeply because it was not I expected, compared to what other students told me about how they live and work in their farm. Also nobody showed me places around the town, the shops or any kind of service, therefore I was not happy at all.

When and how did you first meet CCOOL group members?- I met CCOOL group members in February

Did participating in CCOOL events change how you felt about living in the area? If so, how?- Absolutely, belonging in CCOOL group changed my life and living style . I am happy and proud of being one of the members

What impact has the CCOOL group had in your life?- Within CCOOL group, socially,I knew different places, met different people, enjoyed different parties, programs and events. Culturally, I exchanged with other people our culture, food, languages and more.

Are there any specific people who have made your experience here more POSITIVE? If so, who are they, and what can they do to keep making things positive for other interns in the future? - Debbie is the most person who changed my life in the United States, her role is as high as a real mother. To keep things positive in the future, an efficient communication should be fixed and make more events to keep in touch. Previous interns should also share their experiences honestly so that we all inspire before we expire!

Is there anything else you'd like to share ? - I would like to thank all CCOOL group members for their experience I got from them. I also suggest that we could keep in touch for future projects. For future interns or other people to be involved, I suggest that there should be some incentives, rules and regulations to be set to make our group more successful. Blessed all!!!

-Christophe

Firstly, I am grateful for everything that has happened so far. I believe that everything was learned despite being somewhat experience. Minnesota is a very beautiful state, many places to be known and appreciated. Some of these beautiful places were presented with great care and enthusiasm to us by trainees by CCOOL members. They provided with us various events to get together, have fun and get better to know each other. It was a cool experience looking at this point.

It’s a good life in my home country. The economy now is not good but it will be better. I'm an Environmental Engineer. I worked with a research experiments with soil science. My family is my mom, dad, a brother and a sister. I have many friends.

I decided to come [to the United States to work] because it was a good experience for me. I spent a lot of time in Japan to work, then I had a chance to work in the United States. The experience here was good to learn how not to treat coworkers and people at work. I arrived at Minneapolis, MN in March. It was really cold. I was surprised because I never felt this cold before but I remember I was excited to start to work and meet new people. After my first week of work, I was disappointed. Bergen’s made my experience here more negative, because it was totally different than what the work education documents said. It was really sad.

The way I met people from the CCOOL group was when I was at the lake with some friends when some people come to us and start to talk about what we were doing there. And after we met everyone start to know each other and they invited us to do many different things. Participating in the CCOOL group changed how I felt about living I the area; I participated in many CCOOL events. It was so cool to get to know the culture, to meet new people, see new places, everything.

The CCOOL group literally saved our life in Detroit Lakes. They are like a family for the interns. They support us all the time whenever we need something to do, someone to care, events to have fun, everything we need.

-Carina (Brazil)

My name is Daniel Dominick; I am a Tanzania boy born in a city full of rocks and a big lake called Lake Victoria in the Mwanza region. Sometimes they call it Rocky City. I started applying for a cultural exchange program in August 2019 and secured a placement in December 2019 to go to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota in January 2020....

CCOOL provided me with all winter gear that I was not having: boots, gloves, coat and hats. I appreciate the kindness shown not only to me but also to my fellow interns who were with us on that shopping trip.

I give sincere thanks to Debbie and Rick family for giving us happiness and making life so easy during the internship. This is because most of the time Debbie gave her time for us interns by giving us rides to Walmart and welcoming us to church and worshipping together. This created unity and harmony among us interns; furthermore a lot of activities were arranged so international people like us who came to America to learn and experience cultural activities. Thanks also to the Aakre family including Jon and Jana, Jayson and Megan for giving their time to show us how American culture is beautiful...

Games like snowmobiling, ice fishing and snow tubing expand my life experience with the CCOOL group. I would say this group gives a lot of advantages to international students who come in America to learn about cultural exchanges...

I humbly say I enjoyed the CCOOL group and the CCOOL members are the best.

-Daniel "farmboy" Dominick (Tanzania)

excerpt from 900+ word testimonial (click here to see full text)

I decided to come to the US for learning experiences in the agriculture sector and for improving my English. I arrived In January 2019; it was in the winter and oh God, I was scared of the cold!

Being part of the CCOOL group made me happy because they became my second family. Everyone in this group was a blessing to me.

-Gladys (Rwanda)

I'm Kate from the beautiful country of Georgia. When I first arrived in MN I didn't know about any activities in Detroit Lakes. For me, the CCOOL group gave me the chance to see other farms, expand my knowledge and enjoy my time in the USA.

-Katerina Kartveli (Georgia)

I'm Francis from Ecuador, I went to USA, Detroit Lakes in January 2019. At first my stay there was boring because the weather was so cold and we didn't know anything and anybody who can help us to know this place but some months after we met with Debbie and Rick, they helped us to visit some amazing places and we enjoyed meeting different people in this group. Thanks Debbie and Rick.

-Francis Pilicita (Ecuador)

To all the members in this group, Hello. This is Jayson from Philippines and I traveled a thousand miles just to reach the US. Achieving your goals require so many sacrifices that you have to do. Setting aside your personal agenda to get focused on the bigger one. By God's plan, I got a one year internship program in Detroit Lakes, MN, USA. Life in the farm was tough. No dead time is allowed and we are always working at the top of our speed in everything we do. We tryna maximize the time so we can finish more projects in lesser amount of time. I worked with people of several nationalities from different places in the world. It's fun to be around the people with the same interests and philosophy in life as you are. I made more friends. I learned their culture and they got to know a little of mine too. We respect each other's view of one thing and we really tried to work hard in unity and in order. It's not my first time to go outside the country. In fact, I’d already been to Israel and had my one internship in a vegetable farm. So, dealing with other people from different places wasn't that hard for me. The main thing, I believe, not only for me but for others as well, that made our work even worse was the temperature. Oh man! It's too much for us to suffer a -40°C during winter and -+50°C on summer time. I personally was not used to those kinds of temperatures but I didn’t have a choice anyway. I had to deal with it for a year. And I survived! My life in the US was filled with love and prayers when I met Debbie and Family. They looked after us (including others) for the whole span of our stay in the US. They toured us to some places where we really had fun and amazing experiences. They let us feel that we're not really far from our loved ones because they treated us like their own children and grandchildren. Most importantly, they took us closer to God by bringing us to the church where we met other people who love God and became our family as well. And they also gave me some opportunities to showcase my talent in playing guitar and I always enjoy it whenever I do something in the service of God, whether simple or great. This is my story, what about yours? JA- signing off. God bless readers.

-Jayson (Philippines)

My home country is similar to here! Back home I’m a student and live with my parents and brother. I came to Detroit Lakes because every student in my college has to go to a farm to learn practical experiences as curriculum. So, my professors recommended me to come here. It’s similar to home but also different. CCOOL is good; it makes my life energetic.

-Gayeong

I was born and bred in a countryside with my family of 4 persons. My family has a farm being in charge of cultivating shrimp on a small scale. The life is not really comfortable since the economic situation is not good. Also, I was a graduate student before coming here. I have known that United States of America is a wonderful country about many aspects. This place has converged many diverse cultures, which is a good chance for me to explore and exchange the culture. Moreover, America reached a peak of total equality so people feel comfortable to express themselves. Furthermore, this country possessed a developed Agriculture with modern technology which I am interested in and expect to study to apply for my country after coming back Vietnam. All in all, I look forward to joining an internship program in Agriculture in America. By doing this, I strongly believe that I can get eye-opening and broaden my horizon. Everything was strange to me when I arrived at the airport here. I came at New Year and the weather was super crazy to me. I total shock as I have never felt cold like that before. My first day the weather was -6 Celsius degree. It is terrible but unforgettable also.

I met CCOOL group members on the day of the snow tubing outing. They picked me up and helped me to enjoy with my fellow interns. It was fantastic. No doubt CCOOL changed how I felt about living in the area. They made us feel happy together. I felt comfortable to share time and fun when we gathered together. CCOOL makes me feel that I have a second family here. All my fellow interns make my experience here more positive. Everyone has their own characteristics from which I have to learn. The CCOOL website is so helpful. We got the great support whenever we need. The help came even before we asked in need. Thank you so much for standing by us!

-Hoc Minh Le (Vietnam)

I was in an exchange program in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, the first three months of my stay there were very difficult, mainly because of the language, and because of the culture shock. I’m a blessed person, mi life in my own country is good and my family is amazing, i love them, but in gene way Mexico doesn’t have the best economy and education, son many students decide to go abroad and take better opportunities. I decided come to United States for many reasons, and some of them are improve my English, meet new culture, meet new people, and to learn everything that is possible, then I can share all that in my own country. My first thought when I arrived was OMG THIS COLD WEATHER IS INSANE! And I learned a valuable lesson, never ever run in the snow (I fell at the airport the first day when I arrived hahaha), I was surprised because Detroit Lakes is really small, and finally I was super happy because the people there are the nicest I have ever met. It’s cold, cold, frozen, though, you can’t go anywhere without car. I met the CCOOL group through my friend Winny, they made me feel at home. Getting involved in the CCOOL group was the best decision I made while in Detroit Lakes, they are amazing people, full of love and values ​​to share with other people, they introduced me with more people of my age and different parts of the world. Detroit Lakes is a very small place and there really aren't many things that can you do if you do not know more people, sincerely the third month of my stay I thought about returning to my country or moving to another state, I felt a little depressed and the cold did not help much, one day I was in a coffee shop and a girl named Winny approached me and started talking to me, she is one of the most incredible and intelligent people I have ever met, at that time I could not believe that in that small place there were more people from other countries in exchange programs cultural, and the most important thing that they shared the same dreams and desire to know the world, Winny invited me to meet Debbie and Rick, founders of a group called CCOOL, was the best decision I made while in Detroit Lakes, they are amazing people, full of love and values ​​to share with other people, they introduced me with more people of my age and different parts of the world, there was when my stay at Detroit Lakes changed completely, whenever possible they invited me to different types of meetings, we always did different activities, I think what I liked most was to try food from different parts of the world and listen to points of view of people with different cultures, I could say that the people I met in this group they won't be physically close to me forever, but I assure you that I keep them in my heart.

-Cristina (Mexico)

I'm from Guyana, and I've been part of the CCOOL group for over three months now, it has been such a pleasure of being a member, I feel like it's a big family, there's so much of love and togetherness. I have really enjoyed meeting so many lovely people from different countries and learning about their ways of life. As a member of the group, I had the privilege of visiting different places in Minnesota and doing fun things such as snow tubing and ice fishing. Most of all I don't have enough words to say how much I appreciate Rick and Debbie, God's love can be clearly seen in them, they are such a blessing to us all. My prayer is that the Lord will continue to use this beautiful couple for his honor and glory as they are making impacts our lives, which will definitely last for a lifetime.

-Marcia (Guyana)

Tanzania is one of the most peaceful countries in the world. Life is good and we always live like a family and help each other. Though we are not so rich but also not poor, this makes us do whatever we want to do that can make us happy. I graduated from my undergraduate degree in November 2019 then after I came here to the United States. I decided to came here to the United States just because I wanted to learn more about the technology applied in different farms which can help me to use them back in Tanzania. The other reason is to have exposure and get new friends who can add value to my life. I arrived in the United States, on the 8th of January 2019 and my first stop was at the JFK airport in New York. I was very happy to arrive here in the United States since it was my first time to travel outside my country. But I was quite surprised when I arrived at Fargo In North Dakota whereby the weather was totally different from my country. It was during wintertime and it was too cold for me but also I was happy once it was my first time to see and experience ice and snow.

The first day at work was so good since my coworkers had a very warm welcome to me that made me feel happy and have me, family, here in the United States. I didn't think that I could be welcomed in such a way and work together with my fellow trainees and interns.

I met Debbie when she came to pick up some guys so that they could go to church on Saturday. We introduced each other and form that day made me know her and we were happy to know each other. Participating in CCOOL events has changed my life since it has made me know different people and made us have a good time and enjoy together by visiting different places. Being with CCOOL events made me feel like my family and relatives in my country. The CCOOL group has made me know different people here in the United States and visit different places, that I didn't even expect that I could go in my life. Also, it has helped me to know different cultures from differing like countries like Indian food, Colombia food, and even some of the languages like Spanish. I really like Debbie and Rick since they have made me like one of their children, through helping us in different ways of life. Their kindness and love to me have made me feel like I am with my parents. I really encourage them to do this to most of the interns and trainees since it is a good thing and make people from different countries to be United and learn about different cultures.

-Norbert Sambua (Tanzania)

What is your life like in your home country? What is the economic situation? How do you make a living/what is your job there? Who is in your family/friend group there?

In my home country it's the best and our economy is strong $1 is 15ZAH and I had a job as an Extension Officer. I came to the United States because I wanted an exchange program experience. I arrived in the U.S. on 12/10/2019 and I had never experienced such coldness. I thought I was going to die from the cold. I was first acquainted with the CCOOL group through Debbie who makes time to go and welcome new interns. CCOOL made my stay more enjoyable. Debbie specifically took care of us and made sure we feel safe and loved.

-CCOOL member (African continent)

Colombia is a beautiful country but sadly very corrupt. the economic situation is hard, get a job is not easy and the payment is not enough for living expenses. Currently, I am a student I have not gotten my degree yet. I live with my mom, she is retired. I decided to come to the U.S. because I like to know about different cultures, languages, customs, live new experiences and make a lot of friends around the world. I hope to learn many things from everybody.

When I arrived, everything was new and so different. I was excited, taking pictures and trying to understand English-speakers. The weather was wonderful, I didn't know the snow, that was my first winter ❄ and I enjoyed it a lot. I used to go outside to walk and see the landscape, I think people thought I was crazy haha because nobody walks during winter lol. Although I missed my family and sometimes I cried in the nights, I have always felt comfortable here, people are so friendly and the like to help. I also was very worried about the coronavirus situation and be far from my parents.

My first meeting with the CCOOL group was when we went to snow tubing, I save that moment in my heart. It was amazing. Debbie always worried about our snow clothes and she gave us her clothes for more protection and CCOOL members always picked up us in our houses and at the end, they returned us. I participated in a couple of events with CCOOL. I felt comfortable and I had fun a lot! CCOOL people are amazing, they love to share with us. They invite us to do many activities, they teach us many things, and they always care about us. They are like a family. I am so grateful with them.

-CCOOL member (Colombia)

I am an agriculture graduate with a degree in Land use planning. Born in a family of 3 kids with an older sister and a younger brother. My parents are both civil servants working for the Kenyan government hence I’ve been brought up in a financially stable background. On the side we do farming in large scale and own a tea farm. This is precisely what helped build my interest in agriculture. I am a lover of adventure and new experiences. Before coming to America, I lived and worked in Israel for an entire year and I loved my experience there. Just as I was about to leave Israel, I learnt about an agricultural exchange program here in America and decided to try it out and that’s how I ended up coming to America. The motivation was also the money I would make while at it and also interacting with people from all over the world. I arrived in America on 1st January 2020 and landed in Texas. This was winter time and extremely cold. I was more nervous about how the people would treat me since there had been a lot of racial discrimination incidences in the media and we could always watch them from back home. So, I was a bit nervous not knowing what to expect. I had trouble getting a cab to the place I was to spend the night since I had hoped to uber and my uber application was only accepting a credit card which I did not have. In the cab waiting section, I approached a driver around there and he told me that I should call my hotel and ask if I had a shuttle coming. The guy was kind enough to even call on my behalf and unfortunately the hotel had no shuttle services. We came to an agreement with him and he agreed to drive me to the hotel and that’s how I got to it. I felt really good because my first interaction in America had been great!

After my first work day, I wanted to quit already. It had snowed so much that some sections of the greenhouse hoops were about to fall apart so we had to shovel snow for an entire 8-hour day. Good thing is that we were doing it as all the guys and our bosses were working with us. It was the toughest day for me since it was so cold and my nose was running all day. I survived the challenge though and the next day we didn’t have to shovel.

I met CCOOL group members through a Colombian friend called Diego who introduced me to Janelle and Janelle had brought Govind to say goodbye as he was leaving for India. That’s how I ended up joining the group and going to church with them. I participated in the CCOOL ice fishing event which was a collaboration with Walking on water. It was my first Ice fishing experience and I loved it so much! I loved the energy everybody had on that day and the weather was beautiful. CCOOL events made it easier for me to make new friends and feel the love from people in Detroit lakes. This is even because we would go to church together and have a meal together which gave us an opportunity to network and learn about American culture. CCOOL has enabled me make new friends and learn about different cultures. It has given me a different perception about Americans because they have all shown me love.

Mum Debbie is the best! She’s been our mother here in America going out of her way to make sure we have winter clothing and basic things that we needed to be comfortable in winter. She has always checked up on us to see if we are okay or if we are having trouble at work. Our interests have always been put before her very own. Thank you so much for that. May God bless you and keep you in good health always.

-Victor Kariuki (Kenya)