MARYSVILLE – Antoniela Carrasco knows what it’s like to be scared and alone in a new country.

She and her family escaped from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile in 1975. Her father worked for the government, and they sought political asylum here. They applied to many countries, but received a call from the U.S. Embassy. They have lived her ever since.

As her way of paying back, Carrasco likes to help others. A friend of hers at the LDS church said there was a need to house students from Japan on a three-week exchange. She’s been wanting to do something like that for awhile so she stepped forward.

“It’s like mission work,” she said.

Carrasco is a widow and her children are grown so she was excited to pick up 13-year-old Chie Yankawa July 27 at the Kellogg Marsh Grange.

“I’m so excited to have her,” Carrasco said as she gave the more-shy Chie a hug. “I know she will get homesick. I can be like a grandmom.”

During the week, the Japanese students will be in a school-like setting at the grange, taking English and cultural classes, visiting local attractions and learning about family life. But at night and on weekends they will be with their host families.

Carrasco said she has a whole list of things she wants to do with Chie.

“I love Washington,” she said. “I want to show her traditional parts like the lake and Seattle Center.”

Carrasco said she wants Chie to feel safe.

“I know what it feels like,” she said.

One thing Chie and Carrasco have in common is they both like to cook. Chie also enjoys science and playing basketball.

Jenna Cooke saw online that host families were needed by Cultural Exchange International, as did Kris Edge, who has hosted about 10 children previously from places like Japan, China and Taiwan.

Edge was taking home two boys. She was sent pictures of them, and she put them on a poster, “So they would know who they are,” she joked.