Cheryl Kong Mohr, and her husband, Richard, are longtime Fountain Valley residents who enjoy hosting guests from far and wide.
They recently had the opportunity to host two students from Japan, Keita Hamada from Kochi and Hibiki Mano from Nagoya, through Fun Opportunity Abroad (FOA), a program that helps students from around the world learn about American culture through visits to Southern California.
Cheryl has volunteered last year with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program at First Chinese Baptist Church and helps residents who lives in a board and care home. Richard is the principal welcomer at St. Barnabas Orthodox Church in Costa Mesa.
While here, the students had an opportunity to visit a local middle school, take a tour of Dodger Stadium, visit a sandal factory, shop at outlet stores in Orange and volunteer at the OC Food Bank. They also explored Hollywood and spent the last day of their visit at Disneyland.
I went with them to the Easter service at Wintersburg Presbyterian Church where they were able to listen to the translated message through earphones. Pastor Mao Shimizu introduced the students to some Japanese speaking church members. They also met Susan Sayuri Nishi and her sons. I knew Susan from taking her Zumba class at Esporta Fitness. Her entire family speaks Japanese fluently, so they had a wonderful visit with the boys.
One week was a very short visit, but they were able to fit in a lot of great activities.