Pages

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Birthday of Memories

Each of my birthdays has been filled with memories.  It's fun to think about the well-kept secrets, special notes, and meaningful gifts that are tied to past birthdays.  As I celebrate with family and friends, I'm reminded of God's faithfulness throughout that past year of life.

This year, a beautifully simple birthday scavenger hunt took me to some of the places that have been special to me during my time in Germany.  I even got to do chalkboard lettering and mini photo shoots!  What a wonderful way to make new birthday memories - by revisiting the memories of the past.













Bonus points if you can correctly identify all of the places in this post!  :)

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Two Months and Next Steps

Two months.

It's hard to believe, but I will be flying back to Pennsylvania in two short months!  Between now and then?  I'm sure there will be to-do lists, last-minute cleaning, packing and repacking, plenty of paperwork... But I'm also hoping for lots of memory-making and hugs and conversations and soaking it all in.

It's bittersweet to leave this place that I've called home for the past five years.  However, I'm very much looking forward to what lies ahead!

The where.  I will be living with my parents in PA for the summer - enjoying family time and reconnecting with friends.  In late August, I will officially move to the Washington, D.C. area!

The who.  I'll be living with Alyssa, a close college friend.  We haven't lived together since our suite-mate days of senior year, but we have kept in touch across the miles over the past five years.  It was also really fun to have Alyssa visit me in Germany last month to meet my friends and see my life here, and I'm looking forward to beginning this new season with Alyssa as my roommate.


The what.  After serving with TeachBeyond at BFA for the past five years, I will be transitioning into a new role with TeachBeyond: Mobilization Coach!  This position includes recruiting on college campuses, sharing TeachBeyond's vision with people interested in serving abroad, and encouraging candidates as they apply, fundraise, and prepare to move overseas.  As a Mobilization Coach, I get to walk alongside people who are in the place I was five years ago - preparing to go, willing to serve, facing the unknowns of the future.  I'm thrilled that this role combines my love for connecting with people and my passion for quality international education!

The what else.  I will also be pursuing an online master's degree in Educational Leadership.  I'm already praying that I would find a good balance between my mobilization role and grad school, especially without the built-in rhythm of a school schedule (which is what I've known since I began Kindergarten!).

There are many changes coming, and I appreciate the grace and encouragement that so many of you have already extended to me in this season.  May this new adventure bring glory to God, and may I continue to find joy in the journey.

"I know Who goes before me,
I know Who stands behind,
The God of angel armies is always by my side"

In my new role as Mobilization Coach, I will continue as a full-time support-based TeachBeyond member.  Click here to make a financial contribution.  Your gift will have multiplied impact as I interact with new TeachBeyond members joining the global work of transformational education.  Thanks for your generosity!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Blessings in Budapest

Somehow it seems more challenging to sit and focus and type these days.

Maybe it's the chaos of transition that already seems to swirl around me.  I'm living in two worlds - leaving and arriving, excitement and dread, known and unknown.

Or, maybe it's the wave of grief as my college friends and I mourn the tragic death of our dear friend, Erica, on Good Friday.  Sometimes it's in the forefront of my thoughts - as I look through old photos and read friends' emails full of memories - while other times, it's just lingering in the back of my mind.  I'm so grateful for the ways that Jesus has provided just what I have needed, even when I didn't know what to ask Him for.

One of those precious provisions was a life-giving trip to Hungary last week.  Just two days after learning of Erica's death, I found myself boarding a plane to Budapest.  I knew little of my plans for the week, but I felt a peace in the unknown, the Spirit's whisper reminding me of His promises.

The primary purpose for my visit to Budapest was to see the International Christian School of Budapest, one of TeachBeyond's partner schools.  I will be a TeachBeyond recruiter next year (more on that coming soon!), so I was excited to have this opportunity to experience another school.  I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the staff and students at ICSB.


Another blessing of this trip was the opportunity to reconnect with people I'd met in the past.  The first reconnection happened in the form of a surprise lunch visit during my day at ICSB.  This middle schooler had been a part of my TeachBeyond orientation group of "ten girls" this past summer, and it was a joy to see her again!  She introduced me to her classmates and gave me a tour of the middle school floor.  (I felt right at home!)  Dinner with their family was also a treat as we talked about transition and community and leadership.


The next day (after exploring Budapest on my own!), I met up with Erin, who is a friend of a friend (and now my friend!).  We met at my college friend's bridal shower a few years ago and have remained in touch since then via Instagram and periodic e-mail updates.  Erin and her husband teach at a school outside of Budapest, so we share some common experiences with teaching overseas.  Two hours easily passed, and there was so much more we could have said!  I'm grateful for God's presence in our conversation and His faithfulness evident in our stories of overseas service.


I knew I wanted to tour ICSB, see this middle school student and her family, explore the city, and meet up with Erin.  God orchestrated the schedule for all of that to happen!

What I didn't know was how He would work in the in-between moments at the house where I was staying.  My good friend at BFA was visiting her relatives in Budapest, so I was also able to stay with them for my brief Hungarian adventure.  I was overwhelmed by the ways that Jesus showed me His care and provision through these generous hosts.  They lovingly asked about what Erica had been like and listened as I contemplated heaven.  They invited me into intentional conversation around the dinner table and treated me as part of the family in their daily routines.  Their authentic faith in Christ inspired me to want to grow and know Him more (Hebrews 10:24).

I wasn't the only one who benefited from this family's gracious hospitality.  They were hosting eight overnight guests - no big deal! - including four of their daughter's friends from Capernwray Bible School.  I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations with these young women as we toured the area and relaxed in the living room at our home away from home.  It was clear that this, too, was part of God's plan for my week in Hungary.


Although blogging through the fog of transition and grief is challenging, it's worth it.  God is good, no matter what my circumstances, and I want to have my eyes wide open to praise Him for His provision.  Like unexpected blessings in Budapest.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Month at a Glance: April 2015

April 5:  Happy Easter!
April 6-9:  Trip to Hungary to visit the International Christian School of Budapest
April 13:  Staff Breakfast
April 14:  Classes resume (and my 27th birthday!)
April 15:  Cohorts begin (I'm leading professional development about literacy)
April 24:  BFA's Got Talent
April 25:  Home track and soccer
April 26:  High school service trip reports
April 27-30:  Music festival week