My birthday and a field trip

Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated another birthday.  It just so happened that it overlapped with the day planned for language field trips.  So on my birthday I was responsible for taking 15 kids to a castle in France and to a town nearby that I had never visited.  As a new teacher thing I feel very out of my league when it comes to field trips especially in an area that I do not know well or better yet have never been to before.  I have to admit when I first saw that the field trip was planned for my birthday I was a little sad.  The weight and the responsibility of all the details and the unknowns did not sound like a fun day to me.   

However, my kids saw things very differently. :) Four of them approached me at different times to ask me if I had planned the field trip for that day on purpose. In their minds they could not think of a better way for me to spend my birthday than with all of them.  :) And after our day together I could not have agreed more.  Jesus really worked for me and for us that day.  I had two wonderful drivers/chaperones that helped figure things out with me and count heads and my kids were a lot of fun and behaved in a way that made their teacher very proud.  The castle we visited was at the top of the mountain and the kids did not complain once even though the temperatures were well below freezing at that altitude and within those stone walls.  Fortunately, we were able to visit a beautiful little town at the bottom of the hill which was much warmer. They all enjoyed this visit and believe it or not the find of the town was ice cream with cookie pieces in it.  They were thrilled. 

I came home and was able to have dinner with my pastor and his family and the Ingrams (LCC missionaries and long time family friends).  What a blessing and then my roommates planned a wonderful evening with some new friends.  Needless to say I felt very loved. 

French 1 Class

What a blessing to celebrate another year with so many wonderful people.  I felt like the Psalmist who said – “But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.  My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.” (Psalm 71:14-15) Jesus has been so good to me in the last year and I want to be faithful and continue to love, obey and praise Him in the year to come.

Where to start...

It has been too long since I last updated my blog.  This semester has been very busy.  Filled with work, students, grading, planning, basketball games, teacher’s conference, etc.  In many ways this semester has been easier in other ways it has been harder.  I now know my way around town, know a little more about BFA, know my students better, etc.  But the weariness of the last 7-8 months has set in in new ways as well.  Throughout it all though the Lord has truly been faithful.  Here is a brief overview of the last several weeks. 

We had two home basketball game weekends.  It was really fun to go and cheer on our students (being the stand in for their parents who are often not able to be there).  Our varsity girls went on to the European Dodds finals and lost by only one point in overtime.  They played hard and we are proud of them.  One of the music teachers here decided to start a pep band for the home games.  It included staff, students, teachers, RAs, etc.  After announcing it several days in a row and not having any students sign up they finally realized that the kids did not know what a pep band was. :)   So the next day they explained it and several joined. They did a great job cheering the teams on.  

On the train with my wonderful co-workers

In mid-February I was able to go with 5 other teachers to the Association of German International Schools Conference in Hannover, Germany.  It was a new experience for me to attend a teacher’s conference but it was helpful and educational (good thing at a teacher’s conference :)).  The US Ambassador to Germany spoke on the opening night which was interesting.  There were about 300 teachers there from international schools all over Germany. The teachers themselves were from all over the world (Australia, England, Ireland, France, the USA, Canada, etc.).  All in all it was a very good and helpful conference.   

My middle schoolers presented to their parents and to the 8^th grade French class a play that they have been working on memorizing, along with some songs and Bible verses.  They did a very good job and I was quite proud of them. 

My small group had a crêpe party thanks to the other French teacher who invited us over to her house.  She made us delicious crêpes and we celebrated Valentine’s Day and one of my girl’s birthdays.  Three of my girls had never had a crêpe before so it was fun to see them discover a new and delicious dessert (in my unbiased opinion).  

Nonnberg Chapel

I spent a wonderful rather spontaneous weekend in Salzburg, Austria with my cousin Katy Beth, and two other wonderful ladies.  It was a gift to me straight from Jesus.  We had a wonderful time exploring Salzburg.  One of my favorite things (pun intended) was visiting the convent where Maria Von Trapp was from and where she and the captain were married in real life.  This summer we were able to visit their lodge in Stowe, VT but to see where it all begin was pretty amazing.  One woman's obedience to do what God had asked her to do not only changed a family but is a story that we are still talking about today.  And getting to experience it with my cousin and two friends was just icing on the cake.  I truly felt spoiled. 

Dancing at the Sound of Music gazebo

What fun to be with my cousin Katy Beth

First Week Back at School

A new year and a new semester. 

We have finished the first week back at school and are about to begin the second.  I arrived in last Saturday evening and had Sunday to unpack, rest, organize a bit before things started on Monday.  Monday was a staff breakfast, meeting and campus cleanup day.  And then Tuesday classes started.  You could hear the squeals from down the hall as the kids reconnected.  I was of course very aware of my own jetlag as classes began but I had failed to realize that most of my students would be quite jet lagged as well.  Most of them arrived only the day before classes started which means they were travel weary and jet lagged.  My students had traveled from Africa, Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Western Europe and the States.  Not too bad when you only have 33 students total.  They all had stories to tell of their adventures traveling and of their time at home.  With the snow storms that hit Western Europe the week before Christmas students and staff all had stories to tell of delays, cancellations, nights in hotels, etc.  Some of my students were able to use their French while on break.  One student was able to use some of his French with the Frenchman that was sitting next to him on the plane.  Another used it in the Paris airport.  One of my middle-schoolers started reciting a play that we have memorized in French to dissuade a very persistent street salesman in Turkey who was not getting the hint in English. Who knew that French could be so handy? :)

 

 

 On Wednesday we started back with our small groups. All my girls begged to tell their “airplane” stories, we had to work on taking turns but eventually they all had a chance to tell their story.  Some of them had quite the adventures traveling many of them by themselves or with another sibling.  Hearing these stories reminded me of the amazing kids that I get the privilege of serving.  It also reminded me of the sacrifices these parents and their children are making for them to be in school at BFA. My freshman girls seemed happy to be back, but all commented on how hard it was to say goodbye to their families.  It was so good to reconnect though with them and look ahead to the coming semester and a new year.  I have been praying that Jesus would draw each one of my students closer to Himself this new year and they would turn to Him, in their adventures, in their goodbyes, on their good days and on their hardest days.  I pray that this year will be one that they draw nearer to the heart of God. 

As for me, while saying goodbye was not easy (it never seems to get easier even with age and lots of practice) yet I feel thankful to be back.  Life here is still new and overwhelming but I am amazed at the difference between this semester and last semester.  It is wonderful to have a furnished apartment, to know and enjoy my roommates, to know my fellow staff members, to know who to go to with my questions, to know Kandern, to know and love my students and to see them excited to be back together.  I look forward to all that Jesus has in the coming semester.

I am so thankful for the time at home and for the chance to see many of you and to spend some time with my family. Jesus is very good to me! I am thankful for all the people that have loved me and prayed for me and supported me in so many ways.  You are the reason that I am here and I thank you!

Happy New Year

"Another Year is Dawning" by Frances Havergal

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.

Happy Late Thanksgiving!

Sunrise from our apartment window - Beautiful!

I know I am late but I couldn’t let Thanksgiving week pass without sharing some of the many things I am thankful for this year.  This Thanksgiving was different in many ways.  While I have been away from my family on Thanksgiving before – it has not been since I was a kid in France that Thanksgiving has been a normal working day.  It is a strange feeling.  Nevertheless I am thankful to be in Germany this Thanksgiving.  Something that I found hard to imagine this time last year.

-          I am thankful for the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving with some other teachers on Thanksgiving evening.  And then again yesterday evening.

-          I am thankful for the beautiful snow and the winter wonderland that we woke up to the day after Thanksgiving.

-          I am thankful for the country of Germany and all of its beauty

-          I am thankful for BFA and for the privilege of working here

-          I am thankful for the new friends that Jesus has brought into my life and some old friends that I have enjoyed living around the corner from. 

-          I am thankful for my roommates and our beautiful apartment right in the middle of Kandern

-          I am thankful for fellow teachers who are helping me in this new venture

Field Trip to Colmar, France with my French 2 class

-          I am thankful for my students

-          I am thankful for the chance to serve these students and their families

-          I am thankful for the opportunity to learn so much in the last few months

-          I am thankful for long hours and a demanding schedule that force me to depend on Jesus not just day to day but moment to moment

-          I am thankful for amazing friends and supporters who make it not only possible for me to be here but whose prayers and love I sense as I have stepped into this new role and phase of life.

-          I am thankful for a Savior that loves me unconditionally and never wearies of my daily petitions for his help and strength

-          I am thankful for a God who loves me so much that He was willing to send His son so that I might know the joy that comes from living in fellowship with Him and loving Him whole-heartedly.

With a thankful heart,

Anna

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.