It's chai and biscuit time at the Forsythe's.

"Chai and biscuits we do a lot, all day long if we want to," said Jane Forsythe. "Who wouldn't want cookies all day long?"

When you play tea party with a college president, even that turns into a lesson.

"How may biscuits? One, two, three, four biscuits. For how many people, Lima?" Jane's husband Barney asks their children.

In January, Bahir and Lima Sherzad moved with their parents Sardar and Breshna and baby sister Marwar to Fulton.

Jane said, "My only concern was: did they want to come to the middle of Missouri?" 

The Sherzad's moved in with Barney and Jane Forsythe for about 3 months.

"This is an example for us of the global family," Barney asked.

They now live in their own home.

"It was hard on me," Jane said. "I think they were ready to be on their own, but, I didn't want to let them go."

Sardar said he's frequently asked how the Sherzad's got from Kabul to Fulton.

In 2003, Forsythe, then a U.S. Army colonel who later retired as a general, went to Kabul to develop a plan for the Afghan Army's National Military Academy. It was not a stretch of duties since Forsythe was the vice dean at West Point.

"I don't speak Poshtu or Dari or Farsee," Barney said. "So it was very clear that we needed some translators to help us do this work."

Sardar Sherzad left his job as a doctor to become Forsythe's chief translator.

"Since the economy was not good, I had to leave my profession," he said. "That was a really hard decision I took."

A hard decision because of the dangers involved.

"I have seen a lot of my friends who have lost their lives serving the US forces as translators," Sardar added."

But for Sardar, the risk was necessary to build a future for his family.

"Fortunately, after serving three years and a half as a translator for the US Army forces, I was given this opportunity to move to the united states," he said.

"I got an email from Sardar saying that he intended to immigrate into the United States under the special immigration visa for those who had been translators and was looking for someone to sponsor him," Barney said.

"We thought this is such an incredible adventure that they are on, and if we can help in anyway than I would love to," Jane said.

"I was quick on the email reply thing and wrote back and said come stay with us, we'd love to have you," said Barney. "He didn't hesitate to step up and help us when we were over there in his country, and we didn't bat an eye about helping him come to our country and feel welcome here.

The Sherzad's are settling into the Midwest lifestyle.

"Sardar and Breshna and the kids have discovered the 'Fulton bazaar,'" said Barney. "A.K.A. 'Wal-Mart!"

Bahir and Lima are in school learning English. This afghan family's journey is nothing short of inspirational.

"They've just gone at this with such grace and bravery," Jane said.

And the Fulton resident's generosity has been nothing short of heart-warming.

"They have helped us a lot furnishing our home," Sardar said. "They've helped us find employment opportunities. Those who have heard about us even sent us financial assistances."

The last four months have been a whirlwind, but a new family has emerged.

"It has sort of extended our sense of what family is all about," Barney said.

"I was given a warm welcome," said Sardar. "That was a great memory for me and unforgettable in my life."

Sardar now has a job at Ovid Bell Press, and hopes to get back to practicing medicine. He and Barney are researching possibilities to make that happen. The next thing on the Sherzad's to do list is to buy a car.