Polish exchange student in US - "Half-year in Hell"

[RayBonga]

My Half-Year of Hell With Christian Fundamentalists

When Polish student Michael Gromek, 19, went to America on a student exchange, he found himself trapped in a host family of Christian fundamentalists. What followed was a six-month hell of dawn church visits and sex education talks as his new family tried to banish the devil from his soul. Here's his story.


'Possessed by the devil': Exchange student Michel Gromek, 19.

Editor's Note: The following story first appeared in SchoolSpiegel, a SPIEGEL ONLINE Web site that solicits original contributions from school kids about their experiences. The site also features first-hand accounts of foreign exchange students.
"When I got out of the plane in Greensboro in the US state of North Carolina, I would never have expected my host family to welcome me at the airport, wielding a Bible, and saying, 'Child, our Lord sent you half-way around the world to bring you to us.' At that moment I just wanted to turn round and run back to the plane.

Things began to go wrong as soon as I arrived in my new home in Winston-Salem, where I was to spend my year abroad. For example, every Monday my host family would gather around the kitchen table to talk about sex. My host parents hadn't had sex for the last 17 years because -- so they told me -- they were devoting their lives to God. They also wanted to know whether I drank alcohol. I admitted that I liked beer and wine. They told me I had the devil in my heart.

My host parents treated me like a five-year-old. They gave me lollipops. They woke me every Sunday morning at 6:15 a.m., saying 'Michael, it's time to go to church.' I hated that sentence. When I didn't want to go to church one morning, because I had hardly slept, they didn't allow me to have any coffee.

One day I was talking to my host parents about my mother, who is separated from my father. They were appalled -- my mother's heart was just as possessed by the devil as mine, they exclaimed. God wanted her to stay with her husband, they said.

"God's will"

Then, seeing as we were already on the topic of God's will, the religious zealots finally brought up a subject which had clearly been on their minds for a long time: They wanted me to help them set up a Fundamentalist Baptist church in my home country of Poland. It was God's will, they said. They tried to slip the topic casually into conversation, but it really shocked me -- I realized that was the only reason they had welcomed me into their family. They had already started construction work in Krakow -- I was to help them with translations and with spreading their faith via the media.

It was clear to me that there was no way I was going to do that. The family was appalled. It was a weird situation. After all, these people were my only company at the time. If I hadn't kept in touch with home through e-mail, I might have been sucked into that world.

It was only after four months that I decided to change my host family. I had kept hoping that things might improve, but it was futile. Telling them that I wanted to go was the most unpleasant moment I experienced in that half year. Of course they didn't understand -- how could they? They had grown up with their faith and were convinced of it, and then suddenly I turned up and refused to fit in.

From that moment on, I counted the days. The two months that followed my decision were hell. My host parents detested me. There were constant rows. I could sense that they just wanted to get rid of me. They didn't know what to do with me any more.

67 days later, I was finally in a new family. They were young, actually more friends than host parents, and I was very happy there. Because my new family was only 50 kilometers away from the other one, I was distrustful at first and afraid that things wouldn't be any better. But the change was worth it.

Despite everything, I still haven't come to terms with my experience. I want to write to the religious family soon and explain to them, clearly and calmly, why things went so wrong. It shouldn't just end this way."

Adapted from an interview conducted by Magdalena Blender.

[Sosa]

better background checks should have been done on the first host family

[_Richard_]

wow.. that would be terrifying

R

[KrisKross]

That's what he gets for being a godless heathen!

[nico-t]

religion is very healthy!

</extreme sarcasm>

[polish_aristocrat]

lol wtf, poor guy

[QuaWee]

Originally Posted by KrisKross

That's what he gets for being a godless heathen!

[After Shock Media]

Shit happens. He does not seem overly worried nor harmed by the effect. He put up with it a lot longer than he needed to as he had the option of changing families at any time.

Lesson learned, many peoples families are unpleasant.

[jacklaidlaw]

poor guy I hate them extreme christions

[notabook]

He should have ended it much sooner. At least he got one thing out of it: Don't trust religious freaks. Unless they worship Lord Archiot of course.

[nico-t]

wheres donny hahaha

[DarkJedi]

They should've murdered that ungrateful little sunken-eyed polish faggot.

[bl4h]

i hate both parties

[Big Red Machine]

Religion is the Biggest Pyramid Scheme there is.....they just use Salvation instead of $

[E$_manager]

When i was in US with my slassmates for student exchange pogram, one friend of mine lived in a familly that practised vegeterian style. Poor girl was hungry all the time - all she had for lunch was some carrots and juice and we had to feed her.

[marketsmart]

damn that sucks for him

[gornyhuy]

Originally Posted by Big Red Machine

Religion is the Biggest Pyramid Scheme there is.....

You must mean the religion of ancient Egypt.

[Dirty Dane]

Religion sucks

[sickkittens]

Originally Posted by bl4h

i hate both parties

Party pooper.

[Phoenix]

religous nutcases are the worst..next time one comes to your door ask for a blowjob..maybe they will blacklist you

[Waveu6410]

Originally Posted by nico-t

religion is very healthy!

</extreme sarcasm>

Nice one!

[E$_manager]

Religiouse people who want to teach others their religion are dangerouse for society. ... and Polish students.