Farewell dinner ends week-long visit

MOSES LAKE — Saturday evening was a happy, but emotional time for those who crowded into the Moses Lake Senior Center to say farewell to five exchange students and several representatives from Yonezawa, Japan.

The celebration opened with introductions and a flag salute as five students from Moses Lake, who traveled to Japan in July as part of the sister city exchange, and their Yonezawa host students, prepared to share memories and reflect on the summer's activities.

"This program has helped me grow …," said seventeen-year-old Risa Ito in a speech Saturday.

All of the students took five minutes or so to give a brief speech following a buffet dinner.

"What I have learned in these (few weeks) will be important for the rest of my life," said one of the students from Yonezawa.

During one of the speeches a student found it difficult to hold back her emotions as she shed a few tears while reciting her farewell speech.

Remembering humorous moments brought smiles on the faces of those who found it hard to say goodbye.

Donald McGraw, 17, jokingly told of having back pain from sitting on the floor in his Japanese host family's house.

"I would go through the pain as it's something you will never forget," he said. "Living in a Japanese house you learn so much more than you would going there and staying in motels."

Other students talked about experiences hiking in Japan and becoming acquainted with the native cuisine.

Fifteen-year-old Hiroki Aita came to dinner with one memory he won't soon forget — a bee sting on his finger he received while participating in water sports earlier in the week.

Aita's father had been part of the first sister city exchange between the two cities more than 20 years ago.

From Aita's perspective what made his own trip to Moses Lake and the U.S. so great was to experience freedom not known by many in his country.

In Japan there are not a lot of things the people can do freely, but in the U.S. freedom is abundant, Aita said through an interpreter.

On their visit students toured several areas of interest including the Grand Coulee Dam, Grant County Fair, Moses Lake High School, J.R. Simplot, and made many host family visits.

"I hope to have made some life long friends," said Cameron Frederick.