Less Than 24 Hours...

... and I'll be on a plane back to Germany!  It's hard to believe that it's time to pack the suitcases and say the goodbyes to friends and family here in the States.  What a wonderful summer of reconnecting it has been.

Although I am returning tomorrow, I am still not fully supported financially.  I am still in need of about $300/month.  Would you prayerfully consider joining me on the journey by making a monthly pledge or giving a special gift?  If you are interested, please comment on this blog entry, email me, or click on the link on the right to download a donation form.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and generosity!  You are a blessing to me.  Please keep in touch, and I hope to see you when I'm back in Newtown at Christmastime!

BFA and the Olympics

Did you watch the Olympics opening ceremony?

As athletes from around the world walked into the arena, they carried flags, snapped pictures, captured the unforgettable moments on video.  They were proud to represent their countries!  We viewers were amazed to see all of these countries side by side, putting aside their differences long enough to compete in the 2012 Olympic games.

I was picturing a similar ceremony that will happen at BFA in just a few weeks.  To open each school year, students parade in with the flags of the 50+ countries represented by BFA's student body - places where the students have lived or have parents currently serving.  It's a powerful ceremony, strikingly similar to the Parade of Nations.

These countries that were once unfamiliar to me now have a personal meaning.  Moldova, Tanzania, Slovenia, and others - where BFA students have gone on mission trips.  South Korea - the country several of my small group girls call "home."

For the first time in my life, I'll be watching most of the Olympics from another country.  That doesn't mean I'll cheer any less for Missy Franklin and Ryan Lochte!  But, I can't help but think about the international perspective I have as I watch the games.  Somehow I find myself cheering for many countries at once, knowing the connections that my BFA friends have to their "heart homes" around the world.

And at BFA, we don't have to wait for the Olympics to roll around every two years.  We do "international" and "multicultural" every day of the school year.

Familiar Faces

Among the sea of 250 kids attending the Vacation Bible School (VBS) at my home church this week, I was looking for familiar faces.  With the combination of my time away from the church and the large amount of VBS visitors, there weren't too many kids I recognized.  But what a joy to see their smiling faces and hear their excited conversations: "Mom!  Tomorrow I need a bathing suit!  And a towel!  Oh, Mom, look at my craft!"

Funny, I caught myself looking for some specific faces in that VBS crowd.  Ones that I knew I wouldn't see in Pennsylvania, but whom I naturally searched to find.  The faces of BFA.

As I served VBS snacks this week, I especially took note of the 5th and 6th grade classes.  I half expected to see my students from this past year sipping lemonade next to our 5th graders.  I could almost hear their voices engaged in conversation with the kids of Grace Point.  And I thought of my future students as I saw the 6th graders taking their brownie bites and popcorn balls and ice cream sandwiches, imagining myself as their teacher in just over one month.

"Christmas in the Son" was the theme for the week, with candy canes adorning the halls and Christmas carols playing throughout the morning.  But my favorite part was the collection of Operation Christmas Child boxes, which of course reminded me of my fourth grade class!  I was so proud of their ownership of the BFA collection this past fall, and it was great to see kids involved in this process again.

It has been wonderful seeing so many kids at VBS this week.  And I'm looking forward to seeing those BFA faces again in a few weeks!

The sea of faces at VBS!

Join Me on the Journey!

As I renew my commitment to serve at Black Forest Academy, I'd like to invite YOU to join me on the journey!  Many of you have followed my journey over the past two years via the stories and photographs on this blog.  You've prayed for me and for this overseas community that has come to mean so much to me.  Without your encouragement and generosity, I couldn't do what I do!

How is the Lord calling YOU to partner with me on this journey?  Please prayerfully consider giving financially to God's work at BFA.  Click on the image below for more information about making a donation.

Summer Snapshots!

I have been blown away by the many God-ordained opportunities I've had to reconnect with friends and family in just the past few weeks that I've been in America!  Only He could arrange a schedule so perfectly balanced between busy and rested, connected and rejuvenated, pouring out and being refilled.

* I've spent the majority of these weeks at my parents' house, with my brother also home for an internship in the area.  We also got a visit from our cousins from Michigan during my first weekend back!

* I've seen friends from growing up, church, high school, and college since being back!  We've shared meals, coffee dates, walks in the park, and Rita's water ice... and many, many conversations!  In fact, I almost lost my voice last week :)  ... totally worth it!

* I had the opportunity to speak briefly in church my first weekend home.  I shared this video with the congregation, which only gives a taste of life at BFA!  I also connected with many people at my table in the hallway.

* I've had two dessert nights, one at my parents' home and one in western PA near my college.  If you missed these, try to come to the final Sundae Celebration on July 22 in Newtown! 

* This past Sunday, I shared about my ministry with Kids Point, the children's ministry at my home church.  I've shared in Kids Point the past two summers, as well - since their theme for the summer is usually missions - so some of the kids even remembered my initial decision to go to BFA!  They loved hearing about the "hats" I have worn this year and seeing a video I made about the students at BFA.  Together they created cards and video greetings for the students at BFA, which I will share at the beginning of the school year.  It is so cool to see my two "worlds" interact with one another!

I'm so thankful to the Lord for arranging these times to encourage others, seek their advice, and share stories of His faithfulness.  And the good news is... there's still another month of this!  If you're in the area, please let me know so we can find a time to meet up!

Culture Shock Moments!

I've mentioned before how odd it feels to experience culture shock when returning to America.  Since being back in Pennsylvania for a week, I've noticed that...

... Computer paper looks so short!  In Europe, we have A4 paper, which is 11.7 inches instead of 11 inches long.

... Neighborhood streets seem so wide!  Sure, we have highways in Germany.  (I'm sure you've heard of the Autobahn...)  However, streets in the town where I live are notoriously narrow.  In fact, it's completely normal for everyone to go up onto the curb/sidewalk when pulling over or parking their cars.  I think I'd get strange looks if I pulled onto the curb here in PA!

... People here have an accent!  Somehow being away for 10 months has made the Philadelphia/New Jersey/New York accent seem a bit stronger this time.  And apparently I have a "European accent"?!  I'm not sure what that sounds like...

... Cars are so big!  It doesn't seem as easy to "zip around" when most people are driving SUVs and minivans.  (Not to be confused with 15-passenger dorm vans, which are a common sight at BFA.)

... I can use cruise control!  Adjusting back to driving an automatic car wasn't as challenging as I thought it would be, and I am loving using cruise control again!  Better make use of it while I can this summer.

... I don't stand out when I'm speaking English in public!  When I hear an English conversation in Starbucks, I'm not guaranteed to know that person.  And I'd better be careful what I'm saying about that person just a few yards away from me on the beach.

... So many people look vaguely familiar!  Do I know them from high school?  Church?  College? ... Or do they just look like someone I know from BFA?!  (Okay, maybe this is a problem that comes with age, not culture shock!)

I'm thankful for the richness of experiencing life in different cultures!  Culture shock is worth it to stay connected to life here and life there.

You're Invited!

Checklist for tomorrow:

-- Make sure all of the lights are off, windows shut, plugs unplugged...

-- Leave house at 5 am with 3 suitcases

-- Flight to Brussels

-- Flight to PA

-- Hug my family!

And I can't wait to see YOU, too!  I look forward to catching up with you at church, at Starbucks, at your house...  I'm anxious to hear how the Lord has been working in your life this year, as well as share stories from my time at BFA.

Also, you're invited to my summer celebrations!  I'd love to be able to share with you about what God is doing here at BFA.  I'm thrilled to also have a western PA gathering this summer, so I hope to reconnect with friends in the Grove City area, as well as Newtown.  Let me know if you plan to attend one of these dessert nights with yummy food and German giveaways!

Accelerating to the End!

Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate -- BRAKE!

That's how the end of the school year felt!  With so many special events, "last" this and that, and goodbyes to say, time seemed to speed up to the finish line.  Now, dorm students are gone, and many staff fly to destinations around the world this week.  And I'm left here reflecting on the whirlwind these past two weeks (and months!) have been.

To end well with my small group, I had them over for pizza dinner.  We shared prayer requests, decorated picture frames together, and just enjoyed conversation together.  It was a bittersweet time, as one of the girls also announced her recent decision to move to America to live with her parents now that they have received a permanent visa.  We will miss Jin greatly next year, but I am confident that the Lord will continue to work in our lives here and Jin's life as she moves to Hawaii.

My class wrapped up our Medieval Times unit with a second annual knighting ceremony, class trivia game, and shield-making contest.  The kids and I wore medieval-type clothing, and we listened to music of the period (although that wasn't their favorite!).  Some of my students with no prompting from me at all, created a shield that said, "Thank you for being my teacher!"  Warmed my heart. :)

On the second to last day of school, all of the English-speaking staff and students (because the Germans have a holiday right now) hiked to Sausenburg Castle, a long-standing tradition for the elementary school.  It was a fun time to be together as a school before the end of the year.

The last day of school always seems to go so quickly!  We began with an hour in the classroom, and I was super excited to do something new with this time.  Ahead of time, I asked each student to give a one word or phrase description of each of their classmates.  I then used these words to create a Wordle for each of the students, which I glued onto a piece of construction paper with a picture of our class.  On the reverse side, we created a sort of class yearbook by signing each other's papers.  These were laminated before the end of the day and will serve as placemats for each of the students (and their teacher!).  I did also give class awards ("blessings") again this year, which the students enjoyed as well.

Zoomed in on the Wordle on my placemat

The students' comments to me - so sweet! (names removed)

Next, we had our closing chapel time.  We prayed for each of the students and teachers leaving our school, which actually included me as I am going to be working at the middle school next year.  How special to have one of my fourth grade students pray a prayer of blessing for me.  After a soft pretzel and drink, we all headed outside into the surprisingly nice weather for our field day!  

And just like that, the year is finished.  This weekend we had high school awards, graduation, and staff picnic... and slowly, this town is emptying out as students and staff alike spread out around the globe.  We are going from here to be refreshed and to share about our experiences at BFA this year.  We're processing many feelings and changes, and we've faced different challenges this school year, but we can say with joy that God is faithful!

My Rock of Refuge

'Tis the season for multiple blog posts in one week...

Change is all around me.  I'm working on end-of-the-year report card comments.  We had our last small group gathering yesterday, where one of the girls shared that she will be moving to America next week.  One of my roommates moved boxes of her stuff to her new place this morning, and furniture is being rearranged in our apartment.  This week will hold awards ceremonies, class celebrations, closing chapels, and of course, graduation.  Indeed, change is all around me.

There's a strange feeling in my heart at this time of the BFA year.  It's an undercurrent of chaos, a tinge of insecurity.  Things won't be the same again.

It's not surprising that the devotion I read in Jesus Calling a few days ago pertained directly to these feelings:  "In a world of unrelenting changes, I am the One who never changes.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  Find in Me the stability for which you have yearned.  I created a beautifully ordered world: one that reflected My perfection.  Now, however, the world is under the bondage of sin and evil.  Every person on the planet faces gaping jaws of uncertainty.  The only antidote to this poisonous threat is drawing closer to me.  In My presence, you can face uncertainty with perfect peace."

At a ceremony this weekend, the middle school principal made these three statements:  Change is inevitable.  Growth is intentional.  God is immutable.  You can't avoid change, especially at BFA and especially at the end of the school year.  People come and go.  Classes come and go.  Having said goodbyes before somehow does not make it any easier to do so again.  But, how I choose to respond and where I place my trust is what really matters.

Praise God, I can rest on the sure foundation of the Rock!   "Be my Rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress."  Psalm 71:3

A Post from "Queen Bee"

On Friday I got to be "Queen Bee" in my fourth grade classroom.  Our balloon countdown spirit day was "Be a Bee" in honor of the year-end spelling bee!  Many of the students joined me in dressing in yellow and black -- we were the queen bee and worker bees!

With about 30 spelling lists of 20 words each, the students have learned 600 spelling words over the course of the school year!  I narrowed it down to a list of about 130 for them to study, and only 48 words were used in the spelling bee itself.  I chose words of increasing difficulty for each round of the bee.  All 10 participating students made it through the first round, and several made it to the final round (round 8) to compete for first place.

To accommodate different learning needs and to keep students accountable for every word in the bee, all students wrote every word on a piece of paper.  When all pencils were down (within 30 seconds), then the speller in the spotlight would spell that word aloud.  Other students would not be eliminated if they spelled that word wrong, but I was able to later see students' overall scores.  Several students who were eliminated early in the bee actually scored higher overall than the finalists!

Of course, the spelling bee champ (from the verbal spelling bee) and the overall best speller (from the written test) both enjoyed their chocolate bar prizes.  Mmmm, M-I-L-K-A!