International culture mixed with Christmas Saturday night when                                    ICES hosted dozens of                         students from more                                  than 10 countries at                                    John Crist's beautiful                                   Lion Heart Chateau.

"It is nice to have such                                  a wonderful Christmas                                   turn out each year in                             Putnam County for our                              area host families,"                                  says Crist, the                                     President of International Cultural Exchange Services. "I feel we have for sure the most international Christmas party in the area."

And then some.

The 68 students from around the world shared their culture, food, and dress with each other as well as the rest of the 140 party attendees. John's chateau was filled with elegant accents as well as the elegant decor that makes his home so very breathtaking.

The party was an opportunity for the many students and host families to meet each other. They spend the rest of the school year scattered among campuses and homes in Putnam, Cabell, Jackson, and Mason Counties, as well as southern Ohio.

The Putnam County students that attended the party were: Felix Hoffman, Clemens Hornstadt, Ergun Uckun, Thomas Hornstadt, Patrick Knebel, Helena Danieli, Per Eriksson, Anna Ekstam, Hazal Sencer, Joe Eun Shim, Anne Mai Nguyer, and Chit-Hei Law.

"We thank all our families in West Virginia for hosting one of our special students this year," Crist says. "Not only do they learn so much about us but all our teenagers learn so much about the world from ICES exchanges.  I hope with all our efforts we help each year at this time to bring  a little more Peace and Joy to the World!"

A second party was held in Parkersburg for students spending the year in the northern part of West Virginia.

Would your family like to host a cultural exchange student this spring?

"ICES has five special students that would like to live in West Virginia for the second semester of school," Crist says. They arrive in mid- January and return home in mid June. You too can help this Christmas season with the gift of love, joy, and friendship for years to come by hosting an exchange student!

Crist says that most students remain in contact with their host families for many years after their stay in America.

For more information about hosting an ICES student, please click on www.ICESUSA.ORG, or call 800-344-3566.