February Updates…
(Night sky photo from mountain just outside of Kandern)
Just over six months ago, we boarded our plane in Minneapolis and arrived in Germany. Some have been asking us how the transition here is going and how we are settling in… This semester we have definitely found more of a rhythm and have been able to find our place a bit more in the roles we are privileged to have here, at Black Forest Academy.
Some of the highlights of this month at BFA have been:
Jameson lined up a spring student art show at the local museum in Kandern and is continuing to try to build a good relationship between the art Museum and BFA (the art show is set for April 23rd).
January Art Show at BFA
The art department also planned a different art exhibit on the BFA campus in mid-January and displayed some beautiful student projects from the 1st semester.
I helped out as a medical staff member on the sidelines at some of the winter basketball games and also was able to “scratch the itch” of playing basketball again, in a staff versus middle school students Basketball game last week. (It’s been 20 years since I’ve played in a “legit” game)
The girls small group relationships and conversations have been deepening and I was able to share my testimony with the girls a few weeks ago; they’ve been opening up with some of their stories as well.
Jameson pulled out his photo gear and helped out with taking pictures at the dress rehearsal for the play and also did cast portraits for the upcoming school musical
I’ve been helping out in the School Health office once a week and continue with medical related phone calls with Doctors offices for some of the dorm students from our home.
Kristen playing the middle school team.
The start of a new semester of Ceramics classes.
Working on the yearbook design for BFA.
It has been a JOY for us both to use some of the skills and knowledge from previous life experiences, here, at BFA, to encourage, teach, care for, interpret, build relationships and to be present with these students.
That being said, we’ve also had experiences and challenges where we haven’t felt qualified, but very stretched and haven’t been as knowledgable…
Living in a new culture and working in an International setting will constantly bring new things to the table for us to learn as well as working with students, in particular, Gen Z.
Something that has really hit home for us and we hope to live out with those in the community around us is, that in seasons of joy, difficulty, growth, newness, illness and earthly uncertainty, we hold on to the promise that “God is our dwelling place”, our constant “from everlasting to everlasting” and who is able to satisfy with his steadfast and unwavering love.
[A comical cultural “aha-moment” was when Jameson had learned that the word “pants” doesn’t mean just mean “pants/trousers” but has a different meaning in the UK…for those of you who are English or have visited there, you may know…;) Unfortunately he found that out after sending out an all-school email and hanging up posters to promote a yearbook initiative all around the school campus]
Prayer Requests / Praises:
We passed our theory drivers exam (THANK YOU for praying with us!) We spent a lot of time over the past few months studying for the exam as the questions are quite difficult. The night before the test, I had a practice question come up (1 out of 1,000+ question bank) about driving in manual that happened to be on my test the next day. Jameson had explained the concept to me the night before and I was able to answer it with confidence. That question would have been the one, if answered wrong, that would have kept me from passing the test. Jameson passed his test the 2nd time around. We are grateful and don’t take the ability to drive for granted.
Praise that Joelle, Amber, Kara & Nathan have made some great friendships with classmates and neighbors; We are still praying for Nathan to be accepted into the German Kindergarten/preschool.
High School retreat is coming up March 3rd-5th; I will be attending it with my small group girls- pray for the high schoolers to have softened hearts and a great weekend overall.
Praise for growth in relationships with students and continued prayer for this as well.
Pray that God would continue to work in big ways at and through BFA and for the families of the students who are serving in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Jameson’s dad, Jim, was recently diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Please pray for Jim, Marlene, and the family.
