My Small Group

My small group watching 'One Night with the King' (the story of Esther)

I have had the privilege of leading a small group of six freshmen girls this year.   All six are new to BFA so we are learning life here together.  It has been fun to relate to students outside of the classroom.  They are quite giggly and hyper but fun.  We have been reading through different books of the Bible (so far Daniel, Esther and now James) and reading The Last Battle together.  It has been fun to see Scripture and Lewis through their eyes.  One of my girls came in the other night and was almost giddy and told me she had to tell me something about the book.  She pushed a couple of the other girls out of the way and loudly whispered: “Miss Key, I read ahead and Aslan comes BACK!!!”  I could almost see CS Lewis smile from heaven.  I sure was smiling.  We chat and eat snacks and then talk about the book of the Bible we are reading through and then listen to The Last Battle on CD (Focus on the Family Radio Theater).  They have really enjoyed listening to it.  We meet in my class room and last week they asked if they could write on the boards while they listened.  Of course!  So they all went to work.  By the end of it I had one of those moments that hits you every once in a while at BFA.   You go about your normal day to day routine but every once in a while you have a moment where it hits you that the world is in front of you and the reality of the lives these kids and their families lead.  As I looked at the board I saw eight different languages (Slovene, Bangla, Chinese, Korean, German, French, Spanish and English (which is a second or third language to two of my girls)).  How humbling to have the world in my classroom.  

As this has obviously been a huge semester for me.  I work many hours each night and almost all weekend trying to stay afloat with my Middle School French, French 1 and French 2 classes.  I have not had the time that I wish I had to give to my small group.  Most weeks I am praying as I walk to meet them that somehow someway Jesus will show up at small group despite my inadequacy and my lack of preparation.  And more often than not I am amazed at how He comes through for me.  My cousin shared with me towards the beginning of the semester from Psalm 81 – "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." (v.10b)  I have often prayed that prayer in the last couple of months.  And He has answered.  There was one week in particular that I found myself making a connection and saying things that I knew were not coming from me. I have challenged them to pray for a country and for three people consistently that Jesus has put on their heart.  We read the book of Esther and they loved the story.  We read about her interceding on behalf of her people by entering the throne room of a King.  “I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16b)  And that same week we read from The Last Battle where King Tirian cries out to Aslan for His people. “And he (King Tirian) called out ‘Aslan! Aslan! Aslan! Come and help us Now…Let me be killed,’ cried the King.  ‘I ask nothing for myself.  But come and save all of Narnia.’” (Lewis, p.41) Two beautiful examples of intercession.  Putting their own needs and concerns aside and storming the throne room of the King himself for those that God has put on our hearts. ("For such a time as this.")  One of the biggest differences is that because of Jesus we can approach the throne of grace with confidence at any moment of the day.  What a gift that we don’t often avail ourselves of.  I want to be faithful in taking these kids and their needs before the throne and standing in the gap for them and for others.  Who is Jesus asking you to stand in the gap for?  

Jesus is good to me!

 

Kandern in the fall

The last month has quite honestly been a hard one as I have felt the stress and the fatigue of the last three months catch up to me.  There were a few days where I wondered what I was doing here and felt like I was completely out of my league as a French teacher (which I still am :)).  Jesus has truly met me in those moments though and sent many to encourage me along the way.   Jesus has asked me to enter into a field and an environment that is completely new to me.  While it is hard it has thrust me into a complete dependence on Him.  And that is never a bad thing.  And in the midst of it Jesus has proven Himself faithful over and over again.  I have seen Jesus in e-mails from friends back home, chocolate in my mailbox after a long day, encouragement from other teachers and finally a weekend with family in Paris.  When you work at a boarding school you don’t get long weekends because many of the kids can’t go home.  We do get a nice long Christmas break but between August and Christmas there is only one long weekend.  All Saints Day (November 1) is a European holiday and was our first day off for the semester.  It was needed by students and staff alike. 

In Paris with Sylvia and Thomas

I was able to go and visit my cousins that live in Paris.  What a treat it was to be with family and to get away for a while.  I was even able to figure out the French train system and the easiest way to get to Paris from Kandern.  Maybe next I will be brave enough to tackle the German trains.  But when you are first figuring things out it is always nice to be able to read and understand what is around you. I had the chance to attend my cousins' Ilka and Philippe's French church which was a real treat as we have been praying for this church for months that they would be able to buy their property and Jesus has answered and things are about to be finalized.  I was also able to catch up with my cousin Sylvia and her husband Tim. Three and a half years ago I was able to attend their wedding and this weekend I got to met their son Thomas and spent most of the weekend with them.  What a treat that was!  We had a great time catching up and walking through the streets of Paris.  We even ended up walking right past the British bookstore WH Smith.  My dad used to take me there on my birthday to buy an English book.  English books were hard to come by in those days and to get the chance to go to an English bookstore and pick out a new Little House on the Prairie or Nancy Drew was a real treat.

 

WH Smith

As I rode the train home yesterday I found myself thanking the Lord for His provision once again.  The beauty of the leaves as I rode and the chance to live in Europe, the privilege of having family nearby, the opportunity to get away and to speak French and eat delicious French food, roommates to welcome me home – all gifts from Jesus right when I needed them most.

Now I am back home in Kandern.  Thankful for the beauty of this little town and for the privilege of serving here.  I am jumping back into lesson planning, day to day life, and seeking to love my students and praying that I will remain faithful in all that He has called me to do. Thank you for your continued love and prayers.  It means so much.  

How do I respond?

As I type this (written 10/9/10) a memorial service is being held at my home church for Tom L*ttle.  He was one of ten murdered by the Taliban in Afghanistan on August 5 as they were trying to reach a remote village with medical help and supplies.  It is hard for me to even know how to respond to these events.  Often, I hear of these events and I am ashamed to say that they often feel distant.  Well, this one wasn’t distant. A week before I left for Germany Tom was sharing at our church and asking for prayer for this particular trip.  This is a family that our church has been connected with for decades.  A family I have respected and prayed for as they lived and served faithfully in such a hard and dangerous place. 

It also hit home in a new way as I now have students in my class whose parents work in hard places just like Tom and his family.  I have one student that comes into my classroom every day during lunch to chat before class.  His parents are serving in Afghanistan.  And that is just one example.  Many of my students’ families live and serve in hard and dangerous places.  I have been using my walk to and from school each day to pray for my students and their families and the ministries they are involved in.

The older I get the more conscious I have become of the great and sometimes drastic lengths that God will go to reach His children.  A couple of weeks ago I sat in a room with my fellow teachers at our faculty retreat.  We spent some time praying for the school, our students, and for our supporters.  As I looked around the room I was hit with the reality of how many people it takes to make it possible for us to be here and for us to remain here.  It takes an army of people.  And why has God raised up an army of people to make it possible?  Because God loves these kids and their families.  How humbling that I get to be a part of expressing that love!

And in the same way, God loves the Afghans, even those who killed Tom and the others.  He loves them enough to send a light into their midst. "There's a sense in which Tom's life was not taken, Tom gave his life and he gave it not on that terrible August day, but he gave it 33 years earlier when he passed up a lucrative career to serve his friends in Afghanistan." (a quote by my dad in The Times Union newspaper). He gave his life away the day he chose God’s way and not his own.  While the cost was particularly high for Tom and especially his family – it was one he was willing to pay for the Savior he loved so much and for the Afghans he gave his life serving.  Those who ‘took’ his life were not ready for death but he was and I can only imagine the welcome he received in heaven and the joy of being ushered into the presence of Jesus – face to face with the One he had served and loved so faithfully. 

His life and death challenge me.  His deep love of Afghanistan and its precious people give me a glimpse into the heart of our Father who loves His children the way that Tom loved the Afghan people and even more.  I pray that the God of all comfort will be a husband to Libby and a father to their girls.  That they will sense His presence even in the midst of the loss and heartache.  May Jesus use the willingness of these ten to lay down their lives to bring many to Him.  May their lives and deaths challenge each one of us and remind us of what it means to be a Christ-follower. They willingly became the “aroma of Christ among those that are saved and among those who are perishing.” (II Cor. 2:15)  The love of God compelled them and they chose to “no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (II Cor. 5:15)

The only way I know how to respond is to pray:

May I be found faithful of the One who loved me enough to send His one and only Son so that I might know Him!

May I love those around me with the agape love of God the Father!

May I say YES to Jesus in every area of my life, living for Him and Him alone!

May the aroma of Christ be on me!

Jesus, may others see YOU in me!

I John 3:16 - This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

Unveiled Faces

Overlooking Kandern

Germany, like any other place I have lived, is a land of contrasts.  It doesn’t matter if you live in the Bible belt, in the North East, in Europe or elsewhere. Because we live in a fallen world there are contrasts all around us, light and darkness.  Last weekend was a cultural contrast weekend for me.  As I sat in my room last Sunday I heard two very different sounds.  The first was in the morning as I was preparing for church.  On Sunday mornings the bells from the churches in town go off.  I am told they are to welcome in the Sabbath.  What a glorious thing to hear on Sunday morning!  I love the thought of ushering in the Sabbath and welcoming a day set aside to worship our Savior.  After church however I came home and was greeting to a very different set of sights and sounds.  Each village has a festival each year of some sort and Kandern has a food festival.  It happens to be held right outside of our apartment.  It was amazing how quickly they set up all these large booths (buildings really) and all the food that was cooked and dished out.  A very fun cultural experience.   

Hexe-bar under construction

We had been warned though.  The Hexe-bar (run by a witches club) would be right in front of our house.  Well, I thought they would be along the outside wall of our apartment.  No, they all but blocked us in.  The booth in front of our house is the one known for loud music, alcohol and for going into the wee hours of the morning.  (Thankfully Peter and Laurel graciously opened up their home to me for those nights so I was able to sleep as two of the nights were school nights).   

The atmosphere during the day was very family friendly and an enjoyable cultural experience (along with getting to eat some yummy foods).  But as soon as evening came and it started to get dark out the atmosphere changed.  It broke my heart to see so many, young and old, trying to drown their sorrows, turning to alcohol and partying to try and fill the void.  The next morning the streets of our beautiful, clean town were trashed and the smell of alcohol everywhere.  They would then clean up and start all over the next night.  I had been praying that Jesus would give me a real burden for Kandern and for my neighbors.  My world is very centered on BFA and rightfully so as that is what He has called me to do but I do want to be praying for Germany and the Germans around me along with those I am serving and serving with at BFA.  And the week I asked Him to help me was the week of Budenfest.  I felt the heart of God breaking for a people that do not know Him.  I cannot tell them about Him as my German is very limited but I can pray.  And while at times that might feel like it is not much, this past weekendfelt like it was what Jesus was asking of me.  So I have been asking Him to continue to break my heart with the things that break His heart.

Germany is a country with such a rich heritage of saints like Martin Luther, the Pietists, Bonhoeffer, etc.  Yet the need for the light of the Gospel is also evident.  Just like many things in the States where “traditions” remain but the reality is rarely seen.

This weekend I had the privilege of attending a teacher’s retreat in Adelboden, Switzerland.  I am in awe of the goodness of God to create some an amazing world for us to live in.  The mountains, waking up to cow bells, the beautiful chalets, all did my heart a world of good.  One of the most striking things to me was seeing Scripture or blessings carved into most of the wooden chalets.  The public school actually had the verse “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” etched into it.  Amazing!  How beautiful to have Scripture carved into your home.  I love it!  But yet I wonder how many are living in that full reality.  

School in Adelboden

 The Lord has kept brining me back to 2 Corinthians in the last two weeks.  And this weekend we looked at it in more detail as a faculty.  Looking at the mountains all around us, I could not help but think of Moses meeting with the Lord at Mt. Sinai.  God met with Moses at the top of that mountain and revealed His glory to him in such a way that Moses had to put a veil over His face when He came down.  What all did he see and experience?  We will have to wait until heaven to find out.  But the beautiful thing is that there is no longer the need for a veil.  2 Corinthians 3 tells us that because of Jesus Christ the veil has been removed and “we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” And then in chapter 4:6 – “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”  And then Paul goes on to say that we are Christ’s ambassadors to the world. “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20) Wow!  If we allow Him to shine through us, He can make His appeal to a lost world. We are called to shine the glory of the knowledge of Him to the world around us.  That was my prayer this weekend.  I may not be able to speak the language, I may not always feel like students are listening to me, but I can shine and reflect His glory to those He has put in my path.  The only way I can truly do that is to continually be seeking after Him and “beholding the glory of the Lord.”  Then and only then can I reflect that back and be a light for Him.  I don’t want my relationship with Jesus to just be etched on the outside or because of “tradition,” I want it to be carved on my heart and an inward reality – so much so that it shines forth and can make a difference for Him.  Will you pray that He will help me reflect His glory?  That is my hearts prayer and I hope that it is yours too – wherever He has put you.  

Adelboden, Switzerland

Behold, I have put before you an open door…

On the first day of school I shared with my students from Revelation 3:8. The day I left New York I checked my e-mail and I had received an e-mail update from a dear friend and at the end of the e-mail she quoted this verse – Revelation 3:8. It was like it leapt off the screen at me. It was exactly what I needed that morning. Don't you love it when Jesus does that? "Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." This verse really encouraged me that day as I said goodbye to my family and boarded the plane headed into the unknown. This was not a door that I had opened – it was one that HE had opened. And while I had many moments of little strength and even little faith that God could make a way to get me to BFA – He did. And the beautiful thing is that this is not just true in the past tense. One of the things that I find myself in constant amazement over is the fact that Jesus is not a God who steps in once in a while to help us along the way. He is a God who, if we let Him, can be an ever present presence in our times of need. And the older I get the greater my need seems to be for Him. He doesn't leave us in our need, instead He meets us with more and more of Himself.

In and of myself I am not up to the challenge of living in a new culture and trying to navigate life in a country where I cannot speak the language. I am not trained and equipped to teach French YET though I have but little strength it is the door that Jesus has opened and by His power He is making a way for me. I have made it through my first full week of school and while it has involved some incredibly long days/nights – He has helped! I am enjoying getting to know my students more and learning the dynamics of the class room. I am enjoying immersing myself back into French for the first time in years. I am enjoying the amazing people that I am privileged to serve with here at BFA.

While the transition in many ways has been very challenging and overwhelming, the work load huge and the learning curve very steep, I am amazed by the peace that I have through Him who gives me strength. He is making a way for me and I praise Him for His faithfulness.

I shared with the students that this new school year is an open door for us all. And we need His strength to walk through the open doors He has put before us. I love it that Jesus acknowledges that it is not easy to walk through those open doors. It is hard and we can't do it without His help! But my prayer is that I will walk in whole-hearted obedience to Him and that I will "keep His word and not deny His name". That is my prayer for this new school year.

Thank you for your prayers for me. I have truly felt sustained and carried and am so thankful!!!


 

First Week of School

Opening Cermonies at BFA

It has been a full week!  Tuesday was the official start of school but not a normal day of classes. It began with opening ceremonies - a packed out auditorium with students, parents, faculty, support staff, and residence life staff. The teachers and staff walk in to the applause of the kids and parents. I had no idea that would happen and it was very humbling as the true saints are the ones that are serving Jesus in such hard and dangerous places. Then the senior class carried in all the flags of the countries represented in the student body. 52 countries represented. When your total student body (1st grade through 12th) is just a little over 300 and only half of those are boarding students that isn't too bad. :) They read through the countries represented - from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan. There was one student from Brazil, a handful from Africa (mainly north Africa) and then many from central Asia and the middle east. It is truly moving to think of the sacrifice these people have made to serve Jesus in very difficult places. Then they had a time set apart for the parents to say goodbye to the kids. I could hardly bear that part. We then had eight minutes of each class where I was able to meet them and vice versa. I shared from Rev. 3:8 (a verse that has given me much courage in the last month). That the Lord has put before us an open door for this year and we may have little strength but He will give us the strength to walk through it and our prayer for the year is that we will keep His Word and not deny His name in any way.

Wednesday was the first normal day of classes. I have 15 in my French 1 class, 14 in my French 2 class and 5 in my middle school class. My middle schoolers are hilarious and so cute. They are using an immersion program and I quickly found out that they are ahead of their teacher. There are signs for all the words and I thought this was their first time doing French. Well come to find out they have had it for a semester and already learned a lot of the signs, etc. I am working hard to catch up to them. A lot of my curriculum I did not get until the end of last week and some I didn't find until Monday of this week. So I am racing to keep up.  But the Lord has helped this week and I am thankful.  My French 1 has Freshmen to Seniors in it. Some knew a fair amount of French and some have NO idea so that will be interesting. Half of the class are new to BFA.  In order to help me get to know them and for them to get to know each other I had them write down one interesting thing about themselves and I got a wide range of answers but here is what one girl wrote "I was in Croatia during the war in the mid nineties." Amazing to think of the stories and the potential in the 35 students that are in my classroom.  Asking Jesus to help me not only know how to teach these kids French but know how to get to know them and love on them.

I am so thankful to the Lord for His provision for me this week.  He has truly made a way for me even when I felt like there was no way.  He has given me physical strength for very long days.  He has given me wonderful teachers to give me advice, encouragement and help.  And He has given me peace as I face each new day.  Thank you for praying for me.  Don't stop!  :) 

Where do I begin…

Where do I begin to try and summarize the last three weeks. Three weeks ago today I landed in Germany and started this new adventure. I have not had access to internet so I apologize for not responding to e-mails, etc. A sweet neighbor has allowed us to use hers while we wait to get connected.

In the last three weeks I have gone through a week of survival German, a week of new staff orientation, a week of all staff orientation, moved into a new apartment, met lots of wonderful new people, opened a German bank account and tried to learn how to deposit, pay bills, etc., figured out the grocery stores in town among many other things. I have had moments of being completely overwhelmed, moments of culture shock, moments of information overload, moments of feeling like I am figuring things out, moments of victory in accomplishing small tasks that feel difficult with the language and culture barriers, moments of homesickness and moments of not being able to believe that Jesus has called me to this beautiful town in the Black Forest and to this wonderful and unique institution called Black Forest Academy.

About ten days ago one of my new roommates, Emily, arrived. After being here by myself I was glad to welcome her. We have enjoyed getting settled in and getting to know each other. One other girl, Kristi, will be joining us this Saturday. We look forward to her arrival. Our apartment is really beautiful and in a wonderful location since the three of us do not have a car. So it is wonderful to be within walking distance of the school and of grocery stores. The Lord is so good to us. He has also provided for us through the generosity of others to furnish our apartment.

I have been diving into my curriculum and trying to find out what has been done and learning how BFA works. It looks like I am teaching one middle school class of immersion French and French 1 and 2 in high school. I think it will be a good mix. I have been blessed by the two other French teachers who have been willing to take me under their wing and truly guide me through so much and answer my many questions. The kids come on Monday, opening ceremonies are on Tuesday and Wednesday is the official start of school. I would really appreciate your prayers for me this next week. I feel excited but it is a lot to jump into with very little preparation as I just got my curriculum the first of this week.

Jesus gave me a very sweet love gift last weekend with the visit of my cousins the Searls who serve Jesus in Hungary. They helped us move in some furniture and also took me to France for the day. What a treat that was. We were able to visit a beautiful castle that I had visited as a 12 year old. It was as beautiful as I had remembered and so much fun! Plus I was able to read signs and communicate.  One of the nights that they were here we had a wonderful dinner with Peter and Laurel and their boys (an LCC family that is here at BFA) and that was a real treat as well.

Katy Beth, Laurel and me

Haut-Koenigsbourg

 
So all of this to say – THANK you for praying. Jesus is answering and helping me in so many ways. Thank you for continuing to pray. 

The Searls Girls in front of my apartment