Front row, from left, Isabel Koster (Netherlands), Charlie Skiba (England), Travis Halbert (Micronesia), and Jake Fernihough (England); Back row, from left, Michelle Bilyeu, Lonnie Bilyeu, Ethan Pennywitt, and Sierra Farley.

 

By Mark Carpenter – 

For one week earlier this month, the home of Lonnie and Michelle Bilyeu in Manchester took on a distinct international flavor. The Bilyeus were hosts to four international students, co-workers of their daughter Sierra.
The group had been employed at a summer camp in Honesdale, Pa., located in the Pocono Mountains. When their work there was complete, the group decided to extend their stay in the United States for a little longer.
That decision led to a trip to Manchester and a week in Adams County, after stopping for a weekend in New York City.
In the week spent staying with the Bilyeus, the students explored the river village, and then branched out to the west to make a trip to Kinds Island and then spent another day just exploring the city of Cincinnati. When their time in Manchester ended, they traveled to Chicago, where they all went their separate ways via O’Hare Airport.
The four students who joined the Bilyeus were Isabel Koster from the Netherlands, Charlie Skiba from England, Travis Halbert from Micronesia, and Jake Fernihough, also from England. All four agreed that their favorite part of the stay here was the experience of eating home-cooked American meals each night.
“We enjoyed their stay so much,” said Michelle Bilyeu. “It really was a good experience for all of us and of course, all of their accents made our conversations all the more interesting.”