Simply Trusting

Happy New Year from the Hollands! (some of us, anyway) First of all, Happy New Year 2017! I had the privilege of hosting my parents and two of my brothers here for Christmas. When you've lived outside of your home culture, even for a little while, the ability to share it with those close to you is both sensitive and sensational! Sensitive because welcoming others into your world is scary sometimes, no matter who they are. And sensational because of the joy that comes from that kind of vulnerability. I love that when I talk to them next, and tell them that I wrote this post sitting in a Starbucks in Basel, they'll know the city I'm talking about because they've been here! We traveled and talked and laughed and ATE and even sang together for a Christmas Eve service.  They met and engaged with so many people here who are dear to me.  There is absolutely nothing that compares with being with and together with those whom you know and who know you. And even though I was t...

Dear friends, I have to admit that my mind has been a whir lately, so this is going to be more of a reflective post. Watching the political struggles in my homeland has been disheartening and disconcerting. To-do lists seem endless. Balance is an elusive thing. But there have been some wonderful moments too, like getting together with my small group girls. My piano class is making some exciting progress on their ensemble pieces. They are improvising left and right, and grasping the style of their solos. Last night I was privileged to perform with my colleagues in the Performing Arts Department in our annual Faculty Recital. Today I was a guest at a baby's 1st birthday party. I'm grateful for these things. And there have been some unplanned moments of quiet that have restored part of my spirit. Please allow me to share a moment from the other day with you:  Something about it felt different.  After I finished teaching during 1st period, sunlight was beginning to seep thro...

Happy October! We are in the midst of a beautiful Autumn season here, full of the lovely colors of changing foliage. This month has been jam-packed full of life and happenings! This update is my attempt to summarize all that has happened. One question that I hear frequently when I talk to friends and family is "How's Germany?" Well, Germany (and some other places) has been pretty exciting lately... Three weeks ago, I was privileged to travel with the senior class and a group of adult sponsors on the senior trip to Italy. We are very fortunate to be able to tour such a beautiful country! Every day we saw something exceptional and unique. The educational and social value of seeing and experiencing things that so many of us grew up only reading about in textbooks is immense. Only when you walk through the Colosseum do you really begin to understand how huge it is and how much happened in that place. As amazing as it was to get to see the Pantheon and St. Peter's Basili...

The last weeks have been full of new beginnings and activities. We have now completed our first two weeks of classes and the days have gotten busy! Let me fill you in on what a day can look like right now: I try to get to school by 8:15am so I have time to get some coffee in my system before my 1st period class comes in. I have a small section of Piano 2 during this time, so it's a really nice, gentle start to the day. They're there because they want to be, and they are eager to learn and grow. Each one has voiced specifically how they would like to grow this semester, and they are well on their way to meeting their goals. Class time involves a short warm-up time (because fingers take a while to wake up!), group improvisation, sight-reading, time to check individual process on the pieces they're learning, and discovering other topics, such as chords, scale and arpeggio fingerings, and many other things. I'm always a little sad when the bell rings to end this class. ...

"I've learned that God's timing is perfect, He knows in advance the who, what and when of every situation; I can't plan God's actions for Him." - Csehy Counselor Dear Readers, For the last month or so, I've been processing and pondering. How to sum up one of the fullest summers of my life thus far? Some words that come to mind are intensity, joy, longing, and most of all peace. It is my deep privilege to serve at the Csehy Summer School of Music, helping to lead the team of counselors, and contributing to life there in any way necessary. More than ever before, this year I was asked by my colleagues and friends at Black Forest Academy, "WHY, after a busy school year, would you choose to spend your summer at CAMP??" While Csehy has been part of my life since I was thirteen,  in my adult life I have pondered this question myself. But, as with anything in life, when God's calling is evident, one simply must obey. This summer was full of many...

Dear Friend, My heart is so very full! This last month and a half has been filled with many events and opportunities. Mid-April held our annual Music Festival, so after spring break my schedule centered around teaching and playing for as many string and voice lessons as possible. So many great opportunities to work with fantastic students. There were a few days in which I played for 10 lessons. That may not sound like much, but I also maintained a normal teaching schedule of both piano classes and private lessons. It was a very busy season, but it was also very fulfilling as well. I loved getting to be a 'fly on the wall' as the students learned and grew. Music Festival week was a full one. In addition to playing for all of our string players and singers, I also had piano students participate. As I observed the adjudicator working with them, it was gratifying to hear him tell them things I had told them, as well as pick up some new teaching ideas myself! I think I have ment...

"When's the last time you did something for the first time?" #keeplearning This question appeared on my Facebook newsfeed, posted by a friend (thanks Dan Davis!). It was so cool to see various responses, and of course I wanted to chime in! However, I have to admit that after thinking about it most of the day, twelve hours after seeing the post I finally came up with what felt like a decent answer. The challenge is that although so much in my day doesn't feel new, so many emotions that are associated with a first experience occur throughout my day. So why is this the case, and why am I bothering to blog about it? Well friends, to answer the second question first, I feel that this may give you a bit of a window into what goes on in the mind of a missionary, and it may help you to see just how human we really are. So why that 'first' feeling, and why doesn't it go away? This question would pop across my mind frequently through the first year here, quick...