Simply Trusting

With only one week to go until spring break, the days are full and exciting! Last weekend BFA hosted a festival for which students from many different schools and countries traveled to our campus. They participated in honors band, orchestra, and choir, practicing hard for several days and performing two concerts. I was originally tasked with helping to organize meals, doing airport pickups, and other logistical tasks. The weekend before the festival, I received a heads-up that the choir accompanist who was originally scheduled to come might not be able to make it. Monday morning, I was handed music and Thursday morning I found myself playing for the rehearsal. For any of you who felt compelled to pray for me last weekend, this is probably why. :) I definitely felt a lot of sympathy for my group piano students, to whom I give sight-reading assignments on a regular basis. The challenge of working with a conductor, music and students who were new to me was exciting, and the joy felt in th...

Someone wise once said, "March goes in like a lion and out like a lamb." I don't know who was listening and took note, but that's definitely been true in southern Germany! We haven't had a lot of snow, but we've definitely had some cold weather. Last week, we had occasional hints of spring, which left us hoping it would stick around. Today I enjoyed a long walk with a friend, soaking in the beauty this area has to offer in spring time! I'm amazed at the color and contrast our Creator has woven perfectly into His Creation! Other than the beautiful weather, there is a LOT going on right now! Last weekend, the entire high school packed into buses and got away from Kandern for a little while. I've been co-leading a small group of senior girls this semester, and during the retreat weekend, we had a chance both to listen to amazing teaching from the Bible, and discuss what was being taught. During the discussion times, the girls were very open and it was ex...

As I sit and write, I have to admit that I'm battling a strain of a virus that has been making its way around our community. I'm on the mend, but I do apologize if this post seems a bit disjointed. Jumping into a new role in a familiar setting has its challenges. Adjusting to teaching here has included a rather steep learning curve. When I first came to BFA as an RA, I quickly realized that life here involved taking on new things that didn't seem "comfortable". Teaching piano in a group setting  was one of those things for me. When the idea first came up, I wasn't sure it was a great idea. Three weeks in, I'm having a blast and enjoying connecting with the students. As in every classroom setting, every student possesses a different level of musical knowledge, so at this point as I start out, my biggest responsibility is to observe how each student learns. Some are more tactile, some are auditory and some come with a broad base of musical knowledge alre...

For He has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." So much promise in one simple verse, and spoken by God who never changes. This was close to my heart this week, as I stepped into my first official week of teaching here at BFA. I've been pondering what to write all week, and am eager to share about my first week of teaching!  I've spent the last month working through the curriculum materials made available to me so on Monday I felt as prepared as I knew how to be, and yet still had that 'new teacher' butterfly sensation. This semester, I am responsible for two sections of group piano classes, and Music Appreciation. The students seem eager to learn and I'm looking forward to the challenge of keeping things interesting while progressing according to the course guides. The students have about a week at the beginning of the semester to finalize their schedules, so teaching this week was challenging because class size fluctuated a bit. I think that our...

Dear Reader, First I want to say thank you for stopping by my blog. I've been thinking that I really have no idea who sees this. So, especially if you've been checking in for a while now, thanks for staying with me. In case you weren't aware, this Christmas I once again experienced the joy of the season in Germany. Christmas is such a beautiful time of year here, and as I walked around Kandern, I felt compelled to pray that this beautiful little town will know the One Whose birth they are celebrating with so much enthusiasm. Pray with me that Light of Christ will shine brightly here! The last 4 years have been full of so many thoughts and adventures. Last Wednesday began the start of a new season of adventures here at BFA. Along with several other people, I shared a three-minute testimony of my journey here, and home and here again, officially beginning this season at BFA. The thought of new memories and events happening is at once exciting and saddening. I treasured my ...

This is not going to be a long post. But for the first time since I arrived nearly one month ago, my room feels settled. Why the need to publicize this milestone? For one thing, it's finally starting to feel like home; I'm not guessing where I should put things to try and establish my 'normal'. For another thing, it's symbolic of so much more. Whenever there is a move or a transition, feeling displaced, or not quite like one belongs in either the old or the new place, is a natural experience. I've been feeling that way a lot over the past few weeks. I am thrilled to be back, but I miss  However, yesterday was a day full of events which contributed to expelling the 'displaced' feeling. In the morning, good friends took me to go submit my visa paperwork. Not much can make me feel so small as walking into a business/government building with my minimal Deutsch and needing to acquire something as big as a visa. But God, in His faithfulness that hasn't cha...

After successful flights, and a safe arrival in Kandern, I am enjoying getting settled in, meeting new friends, and reuniting with old ones. I've spent significant time in the last few days accomplishing tasks that allow me to feel more at home, as well as trying to wrap my brain around this transition. Per usual, this transition looks different than I had expected. There are definitely hard aspects. I miss those of you who were a huge part of BFA for me before. On more than one occasion while at school or walking around Kandern I've found myself looking for you. Sometimes I feel as though I am living in a ghost town. "[insert your name here] used to live there!" But it's not totally depressing, and leaves me feeling very grateful for the lives that have touched and changed my own. I also miss working in the dorm and often feel compelled to ask to drive a dorm van. I assume this will change, and can only hope so. :) But there are so many amazing aspects of this ...