Leaving the religion aside, I think sending any young person from Country A to Country B during their formative years can only be a good thing, I'd have thought.
I believe that a big problem we have in the U.S. is that, given the size of the country, nearly no Americans, let alone teenagers, have any experience with another culture. In my opinion, this lack of exposure results in prejudice that is prevalent today, especially coming from the 'conservative' ideology.
Compare that to Europe where it's a train ride to another country, language, and culture.
Compare that to Europe where it's a train ride to another country, language, and culture.