Two Weeks and Many Miles

To Boston and Back.
As many of you know, I will be taking on a new role as Middle School Literacy Coach at BFA in addition to teaching English 6 again this year.  I'm excited for the opportunity to build our literacy program, work directly with students and staff, and continue to grow professionally... but also a little bit overwhelmed at the thought of all that entails!  I was SO glad to get to spend a week at Lesley University in Massachusetts studying about literacy coaching with some of the nation's top reading researchers.  I left the conference feeling much more equipped to do my job this year.

It was also great to connect with other literacy coaches and administrators from the Boston area, as well as various other locations further away.  I had my first real experience with attempting to share about Black Forest Academy and TeachBeyond without using buzzwords like "ministry," "God's leading," and "support raising."  As it came up in conversation, the other educators at the conference were baffled at the thought that an entire school could operate without paying any of its employees.  Beyond the obvious (yet unspoken) question of why I would choose a job like this, they wondered why anyone would give money for me to teach overseas.  I attempted to explain the concept of shared vision and generosity, finding it nearly impossible to convey God's supernatural work through an earthly lens.  I pray that they saw something different in me as we interacted - that the comparison would not come down to salary and continent, but to salvation and calling.

Westward Bound.
On Sunday I braved several severe thunderstorms to travel to the west side of the state for a visit with friends.  Although slowed a bit by the effects of a lingering cold, I was so grateful for the "many miles" covered in meaningful conversations with college staff and a mini reunion with friends.  I was again reminded of God's goodness during my time at Grove City and how He continues to bless me through the relationships formed while there!

On my return trip (in contrastingly beautiful weather!), I had a God-arranged visit with Jin, who was in my BFA high school small group for freshman and sophomore years.  For the past two years, Jin has been living with her parents in Hawaii (they serve there with YWAM), and she just so happens to be spending a few weeks in PA on her way up to NYU, where she will begin her freshman year of college this fall!  What a blessing to hear how the Lord has been working in her life since she left BFA and how to pray for the next steps ahead.

Many Miles Ahead!
It's hard to believe that I am heading back to Germany on Monday night!  As with every back and forth, I'll say a bittersweet goodbye to this place and the people I love so much - in order to say hello to another place and people I love.  Perhaps this year holds more hesitancy and even more bittersweetness than others as I consider what lies ahead.  LASTS.  Lots of them.  This year is my "last" year at BFA, at least for now, as I will be returning to the States indefinitely next summer.  There are plenty of new things that lie ahead for this school year - new staff and friends, new mentoring ministry, new job, new students, new curriculum.  I would appreciate your prayers for intentionality and focus this year as I embrace these new things and endeavor to "end well."  It's all for His glory!

BINGO!

Couldn't make it to the Bingo Night earlier this month?  This blog post is for you (although you won't have a chance at winning any German candy)!

B is for…
… Black Forest Academy.
… Blauen dorm.
… Bible investigative research project.
… Boston literacy conference next week.
… Brother-sister time this summer.
… Big changes ahead for the middle school.

I is for…
… International community.
… Investing in chapel band.
… Interns from JBU that I'll be hosting next year.
… Intentional relationships through mentoring.

N is for…
… New apartment.
… New teaching methods.
… Next year's new class.
… Night of prayer for high schoolers.
… New TeachBeyond members and BFA staff.
… What's next?!

G is for… 

… German.

… Geography 7.

… Global conference for TeachBeyond.

… Graduation for my small group girls.

… Goodbyes.

… Grad school potentially beginning after this year.

O is for… 

… Opportunity to host a student teacher.

… Outer Space fall party.

… Operation Christmas Child.

… Organizing Experiential Learning Week for 6th grade.

… Orientation for TeachBeyond youth this summer.

Please join me in prayer for the coming year...

Beginning a New Job:  Please pray for creativity and wisdom as I transition into the role of Middle School Literacy Coach.

Intentional Relationships:  Pray that God would continue to clarify the vision for promoting mentorship in the community.

New Staff:  Pray that the new staff will be fully supported in time for school and that I will be an encouragement to them in the transition.

Guidance for Next Steps:  Pray that I would sense the Lord's leading for whatever comes next after BFA.

Other Opportunities:  Pray that I would be aware of other ways that I can serve and grow in the coming year.

Ten Girls

There were 10 girls in the "older" group at TeachBeyond orientation two weeks ago.  They represented 5 different families heading to 5 different countries.  Some were anticipating boarding a plane in a few short days (and are already at their destinations!), while others have a year of support raising ahead of them before going overseas.  Their passions and fears, talents and frustrations, shone beautifully throughout the week.  They asked thoughtful questions, reflected deeply about transitions, and shared openly in group discussions.  (They also sang "Frozen" hits and showed off their gymnastic skills in every spare moment.  They're girls!)

You may remember last year's adventures with five kids (4th-8th grades) and my co-teacher Miss Katie.    TeachBeyond Orientation is a time for families to become more familiar with the organization, prepare for cultural adjustments and emotional transitions, and get connected with other TeachBeyond members.  I'm so grateful that Katie and I were teammates again this summer to communicate God's love and grace in transition to middle and high schoolers.  We did some of the same activities as last year - culture shock skits, team-building exercises, collage-making, journaling, and lots of games!  What a joy to share the week together again and to have another amazing group eager to study God's Word and trace His faithfulness through the process.

Researching host cultures at the public library

An English teacher's dream - kids enthusiastically taking notes from non-fiction sources!

Studying the book of Ruth together

Our culminating project this year was a music video for the song "Walk on the Water" (Britt Nicole).  As we listened to the song over and over to plan and shoot the scenes, the words were again impressed on my heart, and I pray that they stick with each of the girls as they move overseas.  These words are for you, too… for all of us.  I pray that we will boldly follow Him wherever He leads!

Get out and let your fear fall to the ground

No time to waste, don't wait

And don't you turn around 

And miss out on everything you were made for

I know you're not sure

So you play it safe, try to run away

When you take that first step into the unknown

He won't let you go

So what are you waiting for?

What do you have to lose?

Your insecurities try to hold to you

You know you're made for more

Don't be afraid to move

Your faith is all it takes 

And you can walk on the water, too!

Overwhelmed

The end of this school year has been an overwhelming time…

I'm overwhelmed by God's faithfulness as I consider His continual provision of the energy needed for each day, the creativity for each lesson, and the wisdom for each moment.

I'm overwhelmed at the thought of starting over again in the fall with new students, a new middle school chapel band team, a new role as Middle School Literacy Coach, and many changes at the middle school.

I'm overwhelmed to think that my small group girls have graduated and are now scattered on three continents.

I'm overwhelmed by the never-ending goodbyes and the unavoidable emptiness left in their wake.

I'm overwhelmed as I consider this time next year, when I'll be the one saying farewell to this community - at least for a year or a season.  I'm overwhelmed by the vast unknown that lies ahead.

But, I'm also overwhelmed by a deep peace as I rest in His promises.  He will never leave me nor forsake me.  He has called me to be strong and courageous.  He will be faithful to complete the work that He's started in me.  He has created me to do good works that He has prepared in advance for me to do.  He who called me is faithful.  That He does not change like shifting shadows, that He is my constant in the midst of change.

And as I consider all that has happened in the past and that I anticipate in the future, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that you are walking with me in this journey.

God has answered your prayers for my classes this year.

He gave me energy, ideas, and a deep love for my students.

You've made it possible for me to invest in the lives of chapel band students 

so they understand that worship is a lifestyle, not just a song.

You've made it possible for the parents of my students to keep serving,

whether here in Kandern or in faraway places.

You've asked God to encourage me, grow me, and stretch me.

He's used this amazing staff team to do that.

You've prayed with me for my small group girls for four years.

From a distance, you've watched them grow from freshmen to seniors.

I wish you'd overheard the precious conversations I had with these girls' parents, 

some of whom traveled for many hours to see their girls graduate.

These were beautiful "frozen-in-time" moments to remember forever.

You would have sat beside me at the High School Awards Ceremony,

where you would have seen Katie receive the Barnabas Encouragement Award, 

Brianne accept the Female Athlete Award,

and Senior Class President Nara give the Senior Class Gift.

You would have been amazed, as I was,

to hear the beautiful tributes read for each of them at Graduation.

These young women are so thankful to YOU for making it possible

for me to stay at BFA for all four of their high school years.

You've given sacrificially so that I can keep serving here in Germany.

Thank you, dear blog readers, for your support over the past four years!  What a blessing it is - in the midst of an overwhelming end of the year - to consider the ways that you have enabled me to keep doing what I'm doing.  To God be the glory!

You're Invited!

"Write Your Story"

When I first heard the song "Write Your Story" by Francesca Battistelli, I was reminded of BFA's Spiritual Emphasis Week back in September.  Our guest speaker focused on the exact same topic - that God is the One writing the amazing stories of our lives, stories that are meant to be shared as testimonies of His goodness!

I'm an empty page, I'm an open book

Write Your story on my heart

C'mon and make Your mark

Author of my hope, Maker of the stars

Let me be Your work of art

Won't You write Your story on my heart

The middle school chapel band was thrilled to have the opportunity to perform "Write Your Story"as part of the combined middle/high school closing chapel last week.  Each of the 8th graders had a solo, and the others each had a part to play, too.   (Unfortunately. there were some microphone issues.)  Check out the video below!

I can't help but also post this hilarious video from practice…  Since there are a lot of words in this song, I asked the students to speak the words (in rhythm) to practice diction.  This quickly turned into a rap, which I had to record!  

This is my prayer for our eighth graders, the senior class, departing staff and students, and really all of us: that we would continue to let the Author of our hope write His story on our hearts so that we can be His works of art and live lives that are fully committed to Him!

I want my history to be Your legacy

Go ahead and show this world

What You've done in me

And when the music fades

I want my life to say

I let You write Your story, write Your story

Four Years in the Making

Monday night was four years in the making.  We all knew this day would eventually come, but it's surreal that it has now come and gone.  Our last small group gathering.

When I first agreed to be a small group leader nearly four years ago, I didn't fully grasp what that meant.  They needed leaders, and I sensed God leading me to say yes.  Over the past four years, I have been so blessed by the relationships with these joyful, talented, and Jesus-loving girls!  From book studies to prayer stations, Christmas caroling to sleepovers, I have been personally challenged and encouraged through our time together.

In celebration of our four years together, I planned a progressive dinner from my old apartment, to my current apartment, and around town.  It was bittersweet to relive past memories and consider the unknowns of the future.  One of the highlights of the night was meeting my friend Larisa for a photo shoot around town, ending with ice cream at the beloved Eis Cafe.

In this time of inevitable closure, transition, and farewells, I am grateful that the same God who sustained us for the past four years will continue to lead and provide as we part ways.

So, to my small group girls of the past four years:  May your "radical crazy love" for others bring Him honor and glory!  I'm proud of you and can't wait to hear your stories of the adventures ahead as you continue to pursue Christ.  Love you!

Stop 1:  Appetizers and a slideshow of the past at my former apartment 

Stop 2:  Dinner and a gift (recipe/photo book) at my current apartment

 Stop 3: Photo shoot around town

Stop 4: Dessert at the Eis Cafe

Month at a Glance: June

Ready or not, here it comes!

June 1:  "Städtli Tag" (town celebration) and BFA Spring Concert
June 2:  Last small group!
June 4:  Staff Appreciation Dinner
June 5:  Combined closing chapel for Middle School and High School
June 7:  8th Grade Dinner and Middle School Awards Ceremony
June 8:  Annual Clothes Swap with friends
June 9:  No School (German holiday)
June 10:  Middle School final chapel
June 11:  Finals
June 12:  Finals and last day of school!
June 14:  BFA Graduation
June 16-17:  Staff work days
June 20:  Fly to USA
June 22-28:  TeachBeyond Orientation

Beyond the Classroom Walls

Each year, the middle school designates one week "Experiential Learning Week," a time for learning beyond the walls of the classroom.  The students enjoy the opportunity for hands-on experiences, which makes it worth all of the hard work of the teachers to plan the week!  Some of this year's trips and activities were the same as last year, and some were new ones.

Monday:  In the morning, students took a spiritual gifts inventory and had a chance to put their spiritual gifts in action as they planned activities for the elementary school.  The "encouragement" group made scones and cards for the teachers.  Mixed groups of students with "leadership," "mercy," and other gifts prepared lessons for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade classes.  In the afternoon, we went over to the elementary school to do those activities with the students.  The second graders had a lesson about nutrition, specifically focusing on sugar in favorite foods and beverages.  The third and fourth graders had the opportunity to take a spiritual gifts inventory like the sixth graders had in the morning, and they broke into smaller discussion groups to talk about ways they could use these gifts to serve others.

Tuesday:  We spent the day at Augusta Raurica, a site of Roman ruins just over the border in Switzerland.  The highlights of the day for me were having an impromptu toga party in the replica of a Roman home and exploring the Roman baths near the Rhine River with two girls!

We made the statue "BFA appropriate" so she could be in our picture...

Wednesday:  Our morning involved rotating through three stations: cooking, baking, and etiquette.  Two moms led cooking and baking - salad, pasta, and chocolate cake - while I taught the etiquette lesson.  During the etiquette time, students set their own places at a table and learned some essentials for table manners.  Then, they put their etiquette into practice while eating the food they had prepared for lunch!  In the afternoon, they ventured into the woods for some outdoor education activities.

Collecting everything needed for a place setting

Completed place setting!

Waiting to be seated

Friday:  Today we learned about the history of electricity at the Electropolis Museum in France!  The students' favorite part of our morning was the static electricity demonstrations with sparks flying and hair standing on end!  Of course, the playground out back was also a hit.  This afternoon, the students relaxed at another teacher's house to watch some episodes of Man vs. Wild, which tied into our current English unit on survival literature.  It was a great ending to a great week!

Seek Truth

Throughout the year, the sixth graders have been full of questions about the Bible.  I knew I couldn't just brush them aside - they were great questions worth answering!  But, with only a 30-minute class meeting 3 times a week, I knew that we didn't have time to engage in off-topic discussion every class period.  So, I decided to hang a poster in the classroom to record their questions.  Whenever one of these big ideas would arise, I'd respond, "Why don't you write that on our class poster?"  Soon, students weren't even asking their questions aloud!  They just quietly snuck over to the poster and added to our growing list.

While this was an effective classroom management tool, it couldn't end there.  Their questions were too important, too personal to let that happen.  After all, a quiet, uninvolved class was never the point.  I determined that this wouldn't be a poster where the questions would die, but rather one where new thoughts could be sparked and learning could continue!  I wanted each student to be able to dig deeper and really wrestle with one of the topics that had arisen.

So began the idea for the Investigative Research project.  Each student would come up with a question or select one from our poster to independently research.  Their questions were thoughtful and challenging…
- Did God feel Jesus' pain on the cross?
- If God knows past, present, and future, why does He make bad people and let bad things happen?
- Why did God create the world if He knew He was going to end it?
- What will heaven be like?
- Is there evidence about God/Jesus besides the Bible?

I knew I couldn't manage this kind of project alone, so I recruited the help of others from the community.  These six "coaches" brought their Bible commentaries, patient guidance, and genuine enthusiasm for knowing God's Word.  What a delight it was to listen to the conversations between these adults and their small groups of students during the research process!  (A big thank-you to Jonathan, Jordan, Emily, Jen, Mary Lou, and Barb!)

The sixth graders were given the opportunity to share their findings with the class after a week of gathering and processing information.  The presentation was not a requirement since some of their research was more personal.  I was impressed with the students' creativity in sharing their conclusions with paragraphs, posters, and PowerPoint!

While their classmates presented, the students recorded further questions that came to their minds based on these topics... leaving us with even more questions than we had started with!  I explained that this is a never-ending cycle.  We will never know everything this side of heaven, but we are called to keep seeking truth and pursuing Christ our whole lives long!  I was personally challenged by the words I heard coming out of my mouth.  I want my life to be marked by a deep commitment to knowing and loving Jesus.  And I pray the same will be true of each of these sixth graders as they leave my classroom in a few short weeks.