Knights and Swords and Castles, Oh My!

It's hard to believe that there are only three days of school left!  We are finishing the year with a Medieval Times social studies unit to accompany our final novel of the year, The Castle in the Attic.  Here are some snapshots of our medieval experiences...

When we were learning about medieval weapons, the PE/Art teacher at our school brought in several replicas of swords for the kids to try out!

The students created their own armor and weapons out of cardboard and aluminum foil to carry with us on the school-wide hike to Sausenberg, the castle ruins behind our school!

They also developed imaginative short stories about the scenes depicted in their medieval coloring pages.

Together we built a castle out of household objects, complete with a drawbridge, moat, lord's chamber, dungeon, armory, kitchen, chapel, and stable!

Each student has been assigned a knight name based upon a famous knight from the Middle Ages.  The students complete a variety of tasks (reading at home, bringing in medieval costumes, demonstrating chivalry in the classroom, winning games of the "war" card game) to earn medallions.  They reach the squire level when they have earned 15 medallions, but they are all working towards becoming a knight (35 medallions)!  This Tuesday we will have a knighting ceremony for all of the students who have reached the knight level by that time.  More pictures to come!

Sick Day...

I've heard of taking a sick day -- in fact, I've taken a sick day this year.  It`s unplanned, but you just have to do it to recover and get back into the swing of things.  However, I've never heard of a school-wide sick day...

With over twenty students out sick from our 70-student elementary school, we knew there was something going around.  At lunch time today, administration closed the elementary school, so the students went out to play on the playground as they waited for transportation.  I joined another teacher and the secretary in the office to call parents, find rides for all of the kids, and try to communicate the plan to all of the families.  This was quite a task, since some of our students come from Swizerland and France.  An hour after the initial announcement, I drove the last student from the elementary school to the main BFA campus.  Phew!

School is closed tomorrow as well, in hopes that germs will spread less easily that way.  Please pray that the sick students get better quickly and the healthy ones stay healthy!  Our elementary muscial is this Sunday, and we need all of the kids to be well enough to perform... not to mention the fact that we have less than 2 weeks of school left in the year with lots more to learn and do.  Pray that we can use every moment to the fullest and have energy for this final push of the year!  The joy of the Lord is our strength!

A Weekend to Remember

Friday was a jam-packed, fun-filled day!

-- Student presentations of their Africa research projects

-- Mother's Day Poetry Share with most of the students' moms (and ice cream sundaes!)

-- High school visitors at the end of the day to share about their mission trips to Burkina Faso and Uganda

-- Birthday party for one of my small group girls, Brianne!

Also, you may remember that I challenged my students to give their money to help address the issues in Africa that we have studied.  The class decided to purchase mosquito bed nets with whatever funds they would collect.

Two girls in my class (and a few of their friends) took this challenge seriously and organized a bake sale at the BFA soccer game yesterday.  They raised over €200 selling cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and lemonade for 50 cents each!  I am so proud of them for their determination with the project and desire to help people in Africa.  You go, girls!

A Celebration of Beauty!

Last night, several guests joined my small group to talk about beauty from God's point of view.

We began by looking through magazines to find pictures of what the world says is beautiful.

Then, we compared the views portrayed in this collage with several Bible verses.

Finally, we had a time of question and answer with our panel of guests.  They encouraged my small group girls to keep seeking the Lord above all else.  We find our identity in Him, not in the way we dress or how we compare to others.  God has created us beautiful, and we are to honor Him as His creations!

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  Proverbs 31:30

BFA, the Hub

Last night was the Black Forest Academy Staff Appreciation Evening, a dinner event to honor those who have served at BFA for 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20+ years, as well as to say farewell to departing staff.  It was a bittersweet time as we celebrated the committed service of so many, while already missing those who won't be returning for next year.  I couldn't help but think about the changes to come.

One of the speakers last night reminded us that BFA isn't an end point or even a stop along the line; BFA is a hub!  People come here for a purpose, give their all for the Lord in this community, and seek His leading for the next step.  They aren't just here for a time and then back to normal life -- many people leave here to serve God in another part of the world!  This place is full of people coming and going because they want to serve Him above all else.  They love BFA, but they love Jesus even more.

I will definitely be sad to see so many staff and students leave at the end of this school year, but I do rejoice with them as they follow God's leading elsewhere.  Hard as it will be, I'll keep trusting the Lord through tearful goodbyes.  And I look forward to welcoming new staff and students in the fall!

Please pray with me for these transitions...
...that those who are leaving would feel a sense of purpose and calling to wherever they are going next.
...that those who are coming would raise the support they need and be prepared for all that God has in store for them here.
...that those of us who are caught in the middle would rest in the peace of knowing that God knows best!

"The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."  Psalm 121:8

"This Is Why We're Here!"

We sat on a couch in the cozy living room, a fire crackling and the final notes of "Lord, I Give You My Heart" fading away.  My roommate turned to me and said, "This is why we're here."

There are some moments I just know why I'm here.  Certain snapshots feel like freeze-frames of God's overarching plan.  Of course, every minute of every day is part of that plan, but I am especially thankful for the timely reminders that each moment counts for the Kingdom.

I'm here to teach.  On Wednesday, my students used toilet paper rolls as wood as they acted out the story of God lighting Elijah's altar (1 Kings 18:22-39).  We talked about God's amazing power demonstrated in this miraculous act.  For homework that night, the students wrote on toilet paper tubes as many examples of God's power as they could.  What an important reminder to me, as well as them, that our God has done great things... and continues to work powerfully in our world today!

I'm here to lead, to mentor, to just "be."  Although a surprise downpour had eliminated the possibility of a bonfire, we wouldn't pass up the opportunity to share our Friday night singing worship songs with some of the high school girls at Storch dorm.  My roommate played guitar, I sang, and the girls picked song after song from our stack of music.  What a blessing for Brittany and me to be able to share our love for music and our passion for Jesus with these girls whom we care about so much!  I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend Friday evening.

I'm here for relationships.  About a year ago, with college graduation quickly approaching, I asked God to provide a community in Germany.  How thankful I am for new friends!  While there have definitely been challenges this year, I give thanks for the friends God has provided.  On Saturday morning, I visited a friend who hadn't been feeling well.  We each shared briefly about what had happened in the past week and promised to pray for one another this week.  Thank You, Lord, for friends!

I'm here to empower and to equip.  Life doesn't stop here in Kandern, Germany.  Life continues as long-time staff members leave and new staff prepare to come.  Life continues as students graduate or move away.  This morning, students shared about their experiences on BFA student mission trips to 5 different countries: Burkina Faso, Uganda, Moldova, Slovenia, and China.  Life continues beyond the walls of BFA as students follow His call around the world!  I pray that my small impact on lives in this small town would be multiplied as God uses them for His purposes to the ends of the earth.

Most of all, I'm here to glorify God and love His people.  "If I give all I possess... but do not have love, I have nothing."  (1 Cor. 13:3)  May I choose to make each moment of every day count in light of eternity!