Incredible Views

Greetings from the Seattle airport!  I am on my way home to Newtown after a week and a half of family vacation in Alaska!  It was a great time to be away and intentionally spend time together.  Although we had some early mornings, I enjoyed sleeping in late a few times on the cruise.  When did I last get 11 hours of sleep in one night?!

At each one of our Alaskan ports, we had amazing (and atypical!!) weather… 80 degrees and sunny!  We were able to try a lot of new things that got me out of my comfort zone: ATVing in Denali National Park, canoeing to the base of the Davidson glacier, riding behind an Iditarod team at a summer sled dog camp, and ziplining in the rainforest canopy.  When I got my gear/sat down/got clipped in, what else could I do but GO?!  And I was really glad I did.  The views were incredible and the experiences unforgettable!

In a way, these excursions are like the new stage of life to which God has led me.  There are new people, places, and opportunities ahead of me.  Sometimes I feel like I’m way out of my comfort zone in preparing to live on my own in another country with people I hardly know!  But, what else am I to do but EMBRACE this new calling?!  I know I’ll be glad I did.  There are exciting and rewarding benefits to following God’s leading.  Maybe not breathtaking views of national parks or extraordinary wildlife, but most certainly evidence of His faithfulness and continued guidance.

The bald eagles soaring over our cruise ship in Alaska reminded me of God’s promise to strengthen His people: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:30-31).

I can’t wait to see the incredible views.

Your Going Out and Coming In

The past week has been so full!  Here are some highlights:

-- My friend Kim and I completed our grant project and were officially awarded all of money requested!  We created a program entitled City 2 City (C2C) Classroom Connect, which is designed to expand the horizons of students around the world using videoconferencing technology.  The money we received from the grant will go towards purchasing web cams for pilot classrooms, obtaining a membership for a Ning network web site, and paying for copyright fees.  I am really excited to see where this program goes from here, especially since my classroom will be one of pilot classes!

-- I had almost a whole week between the end of finals and graduation day to enjoy time with friends and wrap things up at Grove City.  I have done a number of fun things… baked 4 batches of cookies with my roommate, went to a Pirates game, enjoyed delicious food at the senior class dinner, led an informal worship night, and took lots of photos on a photo shoot with my closest friends.

-- I graduated from Grove City College on Saturday, May 15, under a beautiful sunny sky!  It was a perfect way to celebrate four wonderful years at GCC.  Although there were many bittersweet goodbyes, I am overwhelmed by God's goodness and continual blessing during my college years.

Throughout finals, the Lord kept leading me back to the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 121-134), with an emphasis on the peace and strength found in Him.  I would encourage you to read all of those rich Psalms, but here are two passages that were particularly meaningful to me:

"The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand... the Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.  The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." 121:5,7-8  As I prepared to leave GCC, this was a comfort that the Lord would continue to guide my steps.  In preparation for Germany, this is again a powerful reminder that HE is in control about my "going out" and "coming in."

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.  It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep." 127:1-2  This passage reminds me of the importance of using each moment for Christ's sake... but not obsessing about working 24/7.  The Lord gives us rest and strengthens us to do His work well.  May we never labor in vain, but rather through His strength and for His glory!

Willing to give it up?

This morning was bittersweet, as it was my last time at Sandy Lake Wesleyan Church for awhile (until December 19 -- after Crista and Jon's wedding!).  This church has been so welcoming to my friends and me ever since we began attending in the fall of sophomore year.  I am so thankful for the prayers and encouragement from the pastoral staff and my Adult Bible Fellowship.

God used the sermon this morning from a familiar story (the Rich Young Man in Mark 10) to challenge me to evaluate my priorities. In this passage, Jesus points out the rich young man's obsession with possessions and invites the man to follow Him.  Likewise, Jesus is calling each of us to lay aside the things that we value more than Him.  Lately, I've been convicted about the amount of time I spend with my friends versus reading the Bible and being still before the Lord.  I love my friends and truly believe that God is honored through our fellowship; however, if our conversations take precedence over my time in His presence, my priorities are out of whack.

While sitting in the pew, I wrote a brief prayer of reflection on the back of my sermon notes: "As I leave GCC, I know that it will be a hard transition -- but, God, remind me of the joy that ultimately comes from You, not just time with others.  My friends, professors, acquaintances are blessings from YOU.  May You receive glory in those relationships -- and may I place my relationship with You first, above all earthly ones."

God is calling us to find our identity in Him, not our things.  We must trust in His plans for our lives, not obsess about planning the future ourselves.  We are to derive meaning from who we are in Christ, not worldly success.  What are you holding onto more than God?  Are you willing to give it up in complete surrender?  I pray that the Lord would continue to reveal to me areas that I need to turn over to Him.


"With man it is impossible, but not with God.  For all things are possible with God."  Mark 10:27

Parent's Weekend and Finals Week

This past weekend was Parent's Weekend on campus, so there were a LOT of things going on.  I enjoyed sharing the campus with my parents and grandmothers.  On Friday night, my parents hosted a dinner for my friends, as they have for all eight of my semesters at GCC.  It is always a wonderful time of fellowship and a great way for my parents to get to know my friends a little bit better.  Saturday was jam-packed (Recognition Convocation, One Act plays, Spring Dance Show, and All-College sing)!  My family left after church and lunch yesterday afternoon.

This week is the end of classes and beginning of finals.  Classes end Wednesday, Study Day is Thursday, and finals begin on Friday.  I will have two finals on Friday and two on Saturday... and then I'm done!  I'm so thankful to get them over with quickly.  My friends are jealous of my schedule, but I have promised to bake them cookies and write encouraging notes to them while they study on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. :)  Please pray for focus, motivation, and energy as I study a lot in the next few days.

In the midst of these crazy days, I have really enjoyed emailing with potential roommates for next year!  It is so neat to hear from the four other single girls who need housing in the Kandern area.  Those email conversations and Facebook messages make it seem a little bit more real that I am actually moving to Germany in a few months!  Wow, time is FLYING by!  Less than three months to go...

Story Time with the First Graders

Today I visited my second student teaching class.  Apparently, their teacher hadn't told them that I was coming, so the first graders were SUPER excited to see me!  It was so fun to be back in their classroom for just a short time.

I asked the class what they noticed that was different about me since December -- they noticed both the contacts and the haircut!  I told them that I noticed different things about them, too, but sometimes people change on the inside.  I had something that I wanted to tell them that was an "inside" change; they wouldn't be able to tell from the outside.

I excitedly told them about moving to Germany... although most of them didn't have a clue where Germany is!  They did know, however, that I would have to take an airplane to get there and that it is "very far away."  I asked them what they thought I would do there -- teach in a school, of course!  One boy did add, "Miss Brown, I know something else you could do in Germany... get married!"  Yes, thank you for that comment.  Gotta love first graders!

Another update for this week... I got the names and email addresses of other girls who will be serving at BFA beginning this fall, so we are getting to know one another in order to figure out who will room together.  As I make contact with possible future roommates, I get even more excited about going to Germany!

Thank you for your continued prayers for strength, good health, wonderful memories, and "ending well" at GCC.  There are a lot of "lasts," but these are special times with friends.  May the Lord be glorified in all of our words, thoughts, actions, and attitudes!

Photo Update

Here are some photos from the dessert gatherings last week.  Please pray that God continues to work on the hearts of His people to give financially and prayerfully to my ministry at BFA.

Sunday night, April 11th

Wednesday, April 14th

65, 22, and 165!

65... Lauren and I had the opportunity to share about BFA with about 65 people who attended one of our dessert gatherings last week!  It was so encouraging to have conversations with friends about how God has been working in my life.  (Thank YOU to those of you who came!)

22... I celebrated my 22nd birthday last Wednesday with GCC friends, as well as my fourth grade student teaching class!  The past five days have been a ton of fun -- birthday meals, afternoon off-campus, surprise Applebee's trip, spring formal with friends... This seems to be the beginning of the end (or the end of the beginning?) of a wonderful college career.  I'm grateful for the amazing relationships I have with people here at GCC -- I pray that they will continue as we leave this place AND I pray for new friendships in new places.  The Lord will provide!

165... The number of support letters I have sent out!  Keep praying for financial and prayer partners to join my team, and let me know if you're interested.

Have a wonderful week!

Dessert Gatherings

While I was at home in Newtown over Easter break, I was able to share about what I'll be doing at BFA at two small dessert gatherings with people from Grace Point.  It was great to make these personal connections, especially having just traveled to Germany for the international educator's conference.

Now that I am back on campus, Lauren Roop (a GCC friend who will also be going to BFA) and I are hosting two more dessert events for our friends!  Please pray that the desserts this week would give a clear picture of God's work in Kandern and around the world.  If you're in the Grove City area, please join us!  Email me for more information.

Thank You to My New Partners!

Here's an answer to prayer... I'm up to $300 in monthly pledges now!  A huge THANK YOU to my new financial partners -- you are participating in God's work around the world!  Your generosity, along with the contributions of others, will enable me to serve at BFA for the next two years.

In order to be fully funded, I am raising $2500/month, which goes towards my housing (rent, utilities, etc.), food, car, teaching supplies, insurance, and personal expenses.  My goal is to be fully funded by June 19th.  Will you join me on my journey to BFA?  If you're interested in partnering with me in this ministry, please download this form or email me for more information.

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

God's Grace... and Ways to Pray

While I was at BFA this past weekend, God showed me a very real picture of His grace...  As I interacted with the staff, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of unworthiness.  I have no teaching experience and no direct connections to BFA.  Why did they select me to teach at Sitzenkirch?  I definitely don't deserve it!  At the same time, I am filled with great enthusiasm and excitement for serving God at BFA for the next two years!  Although I don't deserve to have this job, I am so grateful to God for this opportunity. 

This reminds me of God's grace:  I'm far from perfect, and I don't deserve His sacrificial love.  However, by accepting His offer of forgiveness, I am filled with His supernatural joy!

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient... For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast."  (Ephesians 2:1-2, 8-9)

Thank You, Jesus, for Your amazing grace -- and for providing an unbelievable opportunity to serve You at BFA!!

I also thought of several specific prayer requests while at the conference this weekend...

Three Ways to Pray:

* TRANSITION:  There will be a lot of changes this summer as I leave Grove City (my "home" away from home the past four years with familiar people, routine, church, activities) and move to Germany (new culture, language, town, people, routine, church, activities).  Pray that I will be flexible about all of the little details, such as driving in a foreign country and using Skype to communicate with people in the USA.  I know that God is the Great Provider; pray that I continue to trust Him without worrying or complaining.

* COMMUNITY:  Coming from a close Christian environment at Grove City College, it will be really different not living in a dorm with friends just a few steps away.  Pray that I will quickly connect with not only BFA staff members, but also my Germany neighbors.  (Praise God for the connections I have already been able to make at the International Christian Educators' Conference!)

* BALANCE:  Since I am used to having a busy schedule and interacting with lots of people daily, I anticipate that I will want to get involved in activities in the area.  Pray that I will have discernment and wisdom about what to participate in so that I do not overcommit myself during my first year of teaching.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  - Philippians 4:6-7