"I'll be home for Christmas..."

(I apologize for the gap of time in between posts this fall. A quick update on my computer situation -- I will hopefully be receiving my new power cord in the mail tomorrow and my computer should be running if all goes well!)

A very Merry Christmas to you all! I hope that this time with family and friends has been a blessed time, a time of joy and laughter but also a time of reflection as we remember Christ being born into this world.

This Christmas has been a very different one for me this year. As you may already know simply because you have not seen me - I have spent this Christmas in SW Germany. It was something that from the beginning I was looking forward to. I was excited for spending this holiday in Germany because I would get the chance to experience how this country celebrates. While there were definite times of homesickness and wanting to be with my family it was also really neat to be in Germany for the holidays.
A good friend of mine told me not to think about all the traditions I was missing with my family as they happened, but to be excited about all the new ones we were making in our new home here.

Kandern had a Christmas Markt about once a week for the few weeks leading up to Christmas. Here there were lots of great German foods (wurst, goulash, kinder punsch, waffles) and there were also bands and choirs that performed Christmas carols. They would close off main street and set this all up along with big tree trunks that were upright and on fire! It was lots of fun!

My roommate, Courtney, back from Lethbridge times has been living in Scotland this past year to study abroad. On Christmas Eve she flew into Basel to spend Christmas with me! It has been really nice, especially since both of my roommates in Germany have been gone for the Christmas break.

For Christmas day we were invited over to the Storch dorm (where I dorm sub when the students are here). The dorm parents had all their kids there, as well as many of us who weren't with their families for Christmas. It was so great to have this time together and to celebrate the birth of Christ! We had lots of fun reconnecting (as some there were dorm staff and we share very opposite school schedules), eating amazing food and playing games together.

After coming home from a great evening with friends, Courtney and I both called our families, brought out the Christmas cookies and watched "A Christmas Story."

All in all - a great day!

I hope and pray that as we continue on in this Christmas Season and will soon be entering back into our busy schedules, that we will have spirits like Mary did. In Luke 1:35 she says "I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered, 'May it be to me as you have said." May the Lord be at work in our lives in 2011 and use us in ways that we could never possibly imagine.

Blessings in the midst of trials

As many of you know, I have had some health issues in the past few weeks. It has been hard as we still don't know what the underlying problem is. I have tested our German health care to its finest in the last two weeks. I have had blood work done, an ultrasound and most recently, a gastroscopy, among many other general doctors appointments.

It has been a trying time, not only because I haven't been feeling well, but because Christmastime is one of my favourite times of the year and there are so many exciting things going on.

In some of this down time I have had I have been thinking a lot about what God wants me to learn from this. Something that has been on my heart the last few days is that even though it hasn't been an easy few weeks, God is still good and there are still blessings in the midst of trials:

1. It's a huge blessing that after two weeks of being sick, and still not knowing what is wrong that I feel so encouraged. I know that so many people back home and here, have been lifting me up in prayer and continue to do so. While it's still frustrating not knowing what is wrong, I know that God is good and He has a plan and purpose for this. I appreciate and have definitely noticed a difference in people praying for and over me. I appreciate it so much. Thank you!

2. I am been so blessed to have a roommate who has stayed up late with me on painful nights, has made numerous phone calls, and has taken me to many appointments - among so many other things! I appreciate her encouragement and support during these hard days. I am so thankful for her!

3. Most of all - I know that satan is trying to overcome me and defeat me in this, he is trying to make living here difficult - but that is just another indication that this is EXACTLY where I am supposed to be and am so encouraged by that. It's still hard, but no one said it was going to be easy.

I hope that this Christmas Season you remember the reason we celebrate and are able to find blessings in the midst of trials.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your fath develops persevance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Sugar Cookies at Storch!

Every Monday night I head over to the dorm, Storchenblick for a few short hours. Dinner together is first on the agenda, and is one of the only times during the day that almost all of the dorm is together in one room. 

After dinner the students do gratis' (chores) and have study hours from 7:30-9:30. Usually during this time I walk the halls helping with homework, get lunch prep ready or bake. 

Tonight was spent mostly on baking. I turned on the Christmas music and away I went. Two hours passed and I had made about 90 sugar cookies. Half were put away for a homeless shelter fundraiser and the rest were put out on the counter. I had also made some brown sugar icing and set out sprinkles for a fun topping. Within 45 minutes of the girls coming down from studying hard, there was not a crumb left. I would have taken a picture but they disappeared just so fast :)

While I sit at home feeling somewhat tired from a long day - I can't help but feel overjoyed. It was incredible just standing back and watching as the girls (and dorm brother) ate cookies and laughed together. There wasn't any special planned activity going on - they were just experiencing day to day life together. I am so blessed to be able to join them in this. 

This is just one more thing I am so thankful for in this amazing place. Thank you so much to all of you who have made it possible for me to be here. I can't imagine being anywhere else. 

"Yah this is home, now im finally where I belong" (Switchfoot) 

Not right or wrong, just different!

This phrase is one we have come to say over and over again as we experience new things in Germany. 

I wanted to give you a "Winter Comparison" to give you an idea of where I am living now, and where I come from.

This was today in Germany:

This was this week back home, in Southern, Alberta (Canada):

It seems so strange to me to be walking outside in just a long-sleeve shirt and jeans in late November. While it is different (not wrong, or right), I have come to appreciate the longer fall weather we have. It's another example of how intricately designed our world is, and how God put so much incredible detail into His creation - even just the difference in country climates is all so complex. 

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." 

(Genesis 1:1) 

My first American Thanksgiving!

Last night Heather and I were invited to Storch's Dorm Thanksgiving. There were about 40 of us seated at a long table in the kitchen. I could have sat back and just watched for hours. There were a variety of conversations going on, many filled with laughter and smiles. While this group of people consisted of teacheres, students, dorm staff, and friends - there was indeed a family feel to it all.

We ate far too much - but that's what you do on Thanksgiving, right? We had a variety of things that I am used to - like turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream! A few things that were new to me this year were: fresh apple juice, bean casserole and candy pilgrim hats!

All in all it was a wonderful way to celebrate what God has done for us!

Looking forward to two more Thanksgiving dinners in the next week with friends!

                                                 Great is Thy faithfulness!

                                                 Great is Thy faithfulness!
                                       Morning by morning new mercies I see.
                                     All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
                                      Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!



"Getting back to what matters..."

This is what numerous posters around campus say. Every Thursday morning at 8:00 there is student led worship in the auditorium. This morning was the first morning I was able to attend. There were 17 students who were also at school early for this.

We sang:

All Who Are Thirsty 

None But Jesus

Never Let Me Go

God Of This City

In The Secret

The Heart of Worship

I was the only staff member there and it was amazing to watch these students come in early to school to worship. There were 3 students who led  in prayer, singing and in reading the Word. It was a great time to not only worship with the students but to see them laying down their day before Christ. It was so encouraging and powerful to see the passion that these kids have for Christ.

Please continue to be praying for these students as many earnestly seek Christ and others still seek out what that means. 

A Thankful Heart

It seems appropriate to end this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend with writing about the many things I am so thankful for.

My heart is truly overflowing right now and like so many of my other posts it seems hard to really articulate just what that feels like.

Today I started back in the Front Office after having all of last week off. As many of you know last Monday (October 4) I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted. Seems like a crazy thing to be thankful for - but I am. I had been in so much pain for the few weeks before that I didn't even feel like myself. I was also able to have my surgery 10 days before I originally had thought and that in itself was a major blessing.

I am so thankful for friends, friends who care about me and really took it upon themselves to care for me when I was out last week. To not be at home with my family during a time like this I thought was going to be really hard. And while there were times when I wished I was at home - there wasn't anything that the girls didn't do for me last week. I was encouraged with cards, gifts, books, flowers, and songs (just to name a few). They were so good to me. For them I am thankful.

I am thankful for the opportunity of living and serving in SouthWestern Germany. Some days I have to pinch and remind myself that this is not a dream. I get to work in a Front Office doing what I love, I get to hang out and love on students, and I am surrounded by a community of amazing staff who come from all over the world. Wow.

These are just a few things that I am so truly thankful for. God has blessed me with so many amazing "moments" that I am also thankful for. A few of them being:
-stargazing
-Sunday afternoon worship
-German church
-Canadian Thanksgiving (I was even able to eat the entire meal!!!)

Again, my heart is truly overflowing - and my prayer is that I would use that overflow to fill someone else up. We are the body of Christ and we are all in this together.

A Day in the Life of Brittany...

(This is my day in a nutshell in the Front Office -all of the events listed have happened and I have accomplished, not in my own strength but only by the strength of my Father - what a joy it is to serve Him in the Black Forest!)

8:00 - Open up the school - empty the dishwasher - and start the much anticipated coffee! (Will the 50 cup pot be enough for the day???)

8:28 - Answer the phone - Student A from Dorm 1 is sick. Student B from Dorm 2 will be late. 

8:50 - First bell rings 

8:52 - Sign 6 late slips 

9:00 - Put postage on the 12 letters that need to go out

9:16 - Student C and D are marked as absent  but no one called them in sick - time to call out a search party - bring on the yearbook! If I need to search campus for them - what do they look like??

9:33 - Start walking to the Post (post office) 

9:49 - Successful mail pick-up requires around 8 German words - Guten Morgen, Mail für BFA, Bitte....Danke - Tschüss! (Good morning, mail for BFA, please...thank you, bye) 

10:06 - Walk back into the office - 2 students need their computer login information - 1 staff member needs the key to the storage closet - 1 German speaker on the phone and the police walk in - take a deep breath! 

10:23 - Sort through mail:

Pile 1 = current students

Pile 2 = bills to open, sign and take to finance

Pile 3 = current staff

Pile 4 = past students - hmmm, where are they now?

Pile 5 = past staff to be given to the personnel office to find current address

Pile 6 = german advertisements

10:47 - The office is Q (quiet is a forbidden word to say as it always brings chaos), time to grab a cup of coffee and check email

10:59 - Internet Explorer opens - 48 new messages - some have to do with parent/teacher conferences and guest house bookings, and some are new staff phone numbers to add to the phone list that was printed in bulk yesterday - draft copy is a term used for most phone lists until around April! 

11:26 - Start a Resin office supply order - Now let's think - Bob wanted a stapler, Tom wanted 4 reams of the light green paper, Sarah wanted 4 packages of 10 mm staplers, Chris wanted erasers and green pens and the supply room is out of white paper - I think that was all! Now let's see... what would the German name for that be??? 

12:32 - It is the students lunch time! Many come to the office to pick up lunches, call home, or are searching for their long lost textbook. 

1:00 - Time for my lunch.... ahhh a quiet and near deserted staff room. There are only a handful of us who are eating at this time. I don't mind eating a little later and I look forward to the few moments of quiet I can get. 

1:30 - Fix a paper jam - sign for a parcel - send a fax

1:52 - A Resin order from last week comes in - time to unpack and organize. Paper is organized by colour and weight in the paper room - they are labeled now, please don't mix up! The office supplies go in the closet and are there for the staff as they need them. 

2:46 - A family of 6 is visiting to check out the school - write and sign their visitor badges and appoint them to their tour guide for the afternoon

3:50 - School is out! Kids are running everywhere. "Can I use the phone" ... "Have you seen my mom"... "Did my glasses get turned in here" ... "Do you know if there is volleyball tonight" The answer is a glad and cheerful yes! Now just one second while I answer this phone. 

4:15 - Dorm Sonne calls - "our guys are not home yet, were there buses today?" Time to track down the bus company and make sure the students get home soon! 

4:30 - The halls are quiet - time to finish drinking that cup of coffee I started this morning. 

4:44 - respond to some pressing emails. 

4:59 - turn off the computers, printers, shut the windows, clean the kitchen, start the dishwasher

5:00 - Lock the doors and home to Riedlingen I go. 

"Thank you Father for another awesome day in the Front Office!"

Mighty and Faithful is He

I just wanted to write a quick update on where I am financially.

Jennifer so graciously sat down with me this evening to find out my % as we went through each one of my monthly support statements.

I was in awe as I saw her add up the total... for the 2 years I have committed to I will need $46, 704, and my total came to $49, 754. I am at 106.5%! WOW!

Our God is sooo good!

Thank you SO much to all who have been praying and have supported me financially!

Love,

Brittany

Birthday Celebrations!

I am sorry that it has been a while since I have last blogged... I am awaiting a new computer cord to charge my dead computer. Jennifer has so graciously allowed me to use her computer while she is out hiking, thus the reason I am able to blog this beautiful Saturday morning. 

9 days ago marked the day of my 21st Birthday - a day that I thought would be like the day before. I was wrong - so wrong! 

While showering that morning, my roommates, Jennifer and Heather put up balloons and Happy Birthday signs on my door and in my room. In the hallway sat a vase of flowers and a birthday card. 

I thought, aww how sweet! I have great roommates! Little did I know, the day was just beginning! 

Once I got to work I was flooded with food! It was donut day (Thursdays) and Betty the one who makes the donuts had wrapped me two as a gift! I also received lots of chocolate and carrot cake! I was amazed at the amount of flowers I got, from roses to sunflowers! What great gifts! They really brightened up my day- and my desk! 

Jennifer came in mid-morning and brought me two cupcakes and a birthday card. She had expressed that she needed to leave but to be prepared as the surprises were not over. 

I told Bethany she could go on her break as I had a few things I wanted to finish up. My phone rang, and it was for Tim. Little did I know that Jennifer had not left - in fact she was in the office that called. 

It was around this time that I was so lovingly kicked out of the office for a break. Tim tried to persuade me that I should take a walk on such a beautiful day but I really just wanted a cup of coffee and a quiet place to sit in the kitchen across from the office. 

I sat down in the kitchen, in perfect view of he office, I had no idea what was going on. Soon Valerie (the one who had called earlier) came in, it seemed like the perfect time for a break as a few of my close friends were in the kitchen. Little did I know Valerie was standing in the door way so Jennifer and Bethany could decorate - oh dear! 

I went back to the office after my coffee was consumed and this is what I found:

And every time I turned the corner at school this is what I found:

Needless to say, everyone knew it was my birthday! So at the end of the school day, as I am tearing down signs and cleaning up confetti, I was thinking "this was an awesome day." Little did I know - the day was not over! 

As I was checking my email and just winding down at home, I was asked if I was ready for dinner. I was a little surprised as none of us had really started on making anything. I was then told to dress warmly. Before we left I had to sit on the couch and I was handed a gift from the girls. It was a picture frame with a picture of the 3 of us in Basel, Switzerland a few weeks previous.

After many questions and trying to figure out what we were doing I jumped into the car with Heather, Jennifer, Brad and Janis (our host family/dorm parents :D). When we arrived at a parking lot half an hour later I was told it was time to close my eyes and they would lead me. It looked something like this:

I was safely led to our destination, which was this awesome restaurant called Funfschilling (spelled something like that!)! It was an awesome evening eating outside with my Germany family.

 I thought what a great ending to my birthday! (by now you probably know that the surprises were still in the works)

Two days later takes us to Saturday September 4. It was a nice morning of sleeping in. After getting groceries and spending some time outside, Jennifer asked if I wanted to go for coffee and kuchen(cake) (what they had looked into doing on my actual birthday but it wasn't open very late) I eagerly said yes and we agreed we would dress up. 

I found myself waiting on the couch for the girls to finish getting ready. Heather all of a sudden wanted to straighten her hair and Jennifer was helping Janis cut vegetables for their evening guests. 

I saw a shadow outside our door and so like anyone else would I opened it. It was Laura! She is an RA at the dorm Storch (the one I sub at). Heather was suddenly at the door and explaining how it was nice Laura stopped by on her day off. I was starting to wonder what was going on. Not too much later lots of our close friends were at our house and all dressed up saying surprise! We had great food and great fun playing farkle! Let me introduce you to some of the people that made my birthday a very special one:

Jonathan and Valerie

Brad

Janis

Kristi, Emily and Anna

I am so blessed to have these amazing people in my life who made my birthday so special!

I am thankful for these wonderful roommates I have and all that they did for me to have a great first birthday in Germany! I look forward to what God has in store for us this next year and the ways we can celebrate His faithfulness in our lives.

Week 1 @ BFA!

Here we are... we have made it through our first week at Black Forest Academy - and what an amazing week it was! 

(Unfortunately it was a busy one so I have not been able to take many pictures at school yet. You can expect to see some of those in the next few weeks!)

Tuesday (24) we had opening ceremonies where the teaching faculty walked in to an uproar of applause; followed by the graduating class of 2011 walking in with the country flags represented at our school. There are a total of 52 nations represented at Black Forest Academy! It was amazing to watch as they did the role call of the nations and see how our student body comes from so many different places. 

I can't even begin to explain the utter joy I felt as I watched the BFA campus fill with students this week. This place totally changed. There are kids in what were empty classrooms, and chatter filled the hallways! To watch returning students show new students around and to see friends embrace each other after being apart was not something that can easily be described with words. Those moments truly brought tears to my eyes. God is in this place and is moving in this place, and that is evident in every day.

I knew I was going to love the office, but each day I am renewed with a deep passion and love for the work God has called me to. Last week I was informed that not only will I be working in the Front Office... I will be overseeing it all! The Front Office Manager, Tim, and his family are returning to Australia in November for 6 months and I will be the one to step into that role. It was scary to hear at first but God has been preparing me and I am very excited for this. It has been a week of learning and adjusting to a different office setting and just learning what my role entails. It is a blessing to have Tim around for the next few weeks to help in the "newness" of it all. 

Tomorrow (30) is the start of a new week, a week that a lot of our school programs begin in. I have been accepted to work in the dorm "Storchenblick," (also known as "Storch") which is a high school girls dorm. The dorm parents there are really great and I look forward to getting to know them better and serving alongside them. (They are also fellow Canadians! :)) We have a meeting tomorrow evening in regards to what is expected from us and the following Monday evening I will be in the dorm! I am SOO looking forward to meeting the girls and being able to spend time with them each week. 

There are also music and sports teams starting up this week in addition to Resident Life subbing. I will be on a worship team at the church (Black Forest Christian Fellowship) that meets in the BFA auditorium each Sunday. It's a great community and I have loved attending there for the few Sundays I have been here.

It is amazing to see the school in action and really see first hand what an amazing ministry opportunity we have here in the Black Forest.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers! 

There is no other place I would rather be than in Germany loving on these missionary kids right now. God is good! 

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Galatians 6:9

Praise:

-The other 2 ladies who work in the office speak German!!

-Providing a Christian educational facility in a safe place where so many students of so many nations can meet

Prayer:

-Please pray for the staff/students who have not arrived yet due to visa complications/support raising

-Please pray that we would have continual opportunities to invest into these kids, to love on them, and to make Jesus known in real ways

The school bell is about to ring...

Hello!

I wanted to write a quick post about what is happening in and around Kandern this week:

Today (22) and tomorrow (23):
New students will be arriving and moving into their dorms and attending new student orientation tomorrow!

Tuesday (24):
All returning students will be back! The whole school will meet on Tuesday morning for opening ceremonies (where we will have a flag for each country represented). After our morning celebrations, students will say last goodbyes to their parents and will be off to their first day of classes.

This week is going to be a busy one filled with lots of learning and meeting new people (both for staff and students)!

Please pray for:
Black Forest Academy as we start off the new school year
Students and their families as they are saying goodbyes
New staff who are in the midst of preparation and learning how to function in a new school and country

May it be a year that is pleasing to our God!

I will try and write a more detailed post once school has started!

Blessings on you as you continue to walk with Him,

Brittany

All part of the "abenteuer" (adventure)!

Greetings from Germany!
It’s hard to believe I have been here for almost a week now! Let me give you a glimpse of what my first week in Germany has looked like:

Saturday – Departure/Arrival Day! I arrived safely in Basel, Switzerland at 10pm. There was a couple who was waiting with a sign that read “ Herzlich Willkommen, Brittany." My roommate Heather had made it and it was quite helpful as I had no idea who would be picking me up. The Basel airport is actually in France (Switzerland didn’t have enough room) so within a few minutes I had been in 3 countries. We drove across the Rhine River as we were heading to Riedlingen (my home!). I wish I had been ready with my camera because as we were going over the bridge there was a single firework that went off. It was one of those moments where your heart smiles.

Sunday – Good morning jet lag! I had a hard time sleeping the first night so I got up at 6am and unpacked EVERYTHING! We went to the Black Forest Christian Fellowship that morning. It is the English church service that meets in the BFA chapel. It was a great morning of meeting people I had been emailing for months, and also meeting new people! After lunch we went to Sonne (boys dorm), where one of the English camps is going on. We were able to have lunch with Jennifer (the third part to our roommate trio). She has stayed at Sonne with the English camps so this was the only day we have seen her thus far. It will be nice when she is able to move back to the apartment.



Monday – Day 1 of German classes “How to conjugate a verb” Nothing like jumping in on day 1! Haha! A couple who work at BFA had graciously given up their week to help us with the basics of the German language as well as taking us on field trips to help us better understand the cultural side of things. That morning we went to the Rathaus (City Hall) and the Volksbank (Bank).

Tuesday- Day 2 of German classes was filled with learning our Ah-Beh-Tseh’s (ABC’s) and going to the Recyclinghof (Recycling depot). The Germans take their recycling very seriously! I think we have about 7 different containers in our kitchen to sort it all. That night Heather and I went to a TeachBeyond supper at the Reed’s house. Every few days they had a dinner for the new staff that had arrived since the last one. It was a great night of reconnecting with other TeachBeyond staff as well as meeting some of the ones who had not been at orientation. They have been very helpful in helping us with our transitions here.

Wednesday – Day 3 of German classes we went over different foods, grocery shopping, money and going to the doctor! After morning tea we went to the post office as well as the grocery store. The businesses around town are very helpful and gracious as we are still trying to learn their language and the culture.

Thursday – Day 4 of German classes consisted of learning how to eat out and order in German! We went to the local bakery (YUM!). Here we ordered anything from cakes to breads to pastries and then some sort of drink. It was a good experience and as I learn more German I look forward to using it around town. Yesterday I was also given then keys to our apartment and signed the papers to become German resident! Yay!!



Friday – Last day of German classes we went over any questions we had and were given tips on how to continue learning German. After class Heather and I went for a beautiful walk through the forest. In one view we could see the golf course, a hay field, a herd of dairy cows, and the edge of town! It was incredible! The cows were right off of our walking path so the smell definitely reminded me of home. When we got back to town we went to the bank and got my bank account set up! I was very thankful that Heather came for both the town registration and getting my account set up. They do speak pretty good English but it was nice having her be able to ask and clarify things in German.

It has been such a good week. It feels so right here, I know this is exactly where I am supposed to be. Things are different here, for sure. God is continually reminding me that the way they do things here compared to Canada is not right or wrong, it is just different. As someone who will not only be living here but working here, I hope and pray that I will be able to learn from the Germans and transition into how they do things.

It’s been really good getting to know the staff at BFA. For those of us who are not in Reslife we have had a lot more free time in the afternoons. This has allowed us to explore and get some things done before it starts to get super crazy at school. It has also been an adventure buying groceries and cooking them as they all are in German. Heather has been our awesome translator and so far our meals have been really good! Haven’t burnt the house down or anything! :) Looking forward to having our third roommate, Jennifer, come back from English camps on Sunday!

Next week we move into new staff orientation within BFA. We will spend more time in our departments and getting ready as students will be arriving in two weeks!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support as I am settling in Germany!

God is at work preparing us physically for this upcoming year, please pray that our hearts would be in preparation also. While we have a lot to accomplish in the next few weeks it is so important we stay focused on Jesus and becoming "Kingdom Builders" in this great adventure He is taking us on. Danke! (Thanks!)

Bring on the jet lag!

Greetings from Germany!

I have been here for about 17 hours now. Just long enough to sleep for a few hours, unpack my 3 suitcases, attend the Black Forest Christian Assembly, eat lunch with my roommates and have a nap!

There is so much to take in -- from the windy roads, the forestry, the animals, all the new people and the chattering German kids outside, it's just so incredible!

This morning at church we sang songs about God's faithfulness and how He can move the mountains. These are not only things that we see throughout the old and new testament, God shows us again and again in our own lives. A few weeks ago I was starting to wonder if Germany was going to become a reality, and it did! Of course it did!  God provided everything I needed as I took the step in faith to follow Him.

In the midst of my jet lag and adjusting to the German  culture I have no doubt in my mind that God will provide my every need as I am here. He is my all in all.

This week we start new staff orientation at BFA. The next few days will be spent in German classes. I am hoping and praying that a lot will stick with me as I really don't know the language.

Looking forward to keeping in touch and hearing how God is at work here and there.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

~Brittany

The time has come!

Hello!


I wanted to give you all a quick update as I am preparing to leave! As of yesterday I officially have my ticket! God has been so faithful and continues to be as I prepare to move overseas.
Here is what my schedule for the next week looks like:

July 24-30 - Packing/Spending time with friends and family

July 25 - Last Sunday at Brooks Evangelical Free Church



July 30 - 9:30PM Flight leaves from Calgary to London arriving on July 31 at 1:25 pm

July 31 - 7:20PM Flight leaves from London to Basel, Switzerland arriving at 9:55PM



Please pray that I would finish well. I want God to be glorified in ALL that I do, whether that is in packing, saying goodbyes or serving overseas.

Also, please pray that the travelling would go well and that there would be no complications with baggage and such.



Thank you all so much for your prayers and support and I look forward to keeping in touch with you all as I start this new journey in Germany!!



Blessings on you,



Brittany

Support Update!

I wanted to write a quick update and let you know how my support is coming along...

Today I recieved my weekly reports! It was amazing! A few days ago I was at 43% and today I am at 69%! Praise the LORD!

I still need another 11% to be able to buy my plane ticket but we are getting there! Thank you all for your prayers and support! They truly do make a difference!

69%  = $1492/month
31% Still Needed = $675/month
100% = $2167/month

While I'm waiting...

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

-John Waller "While I am Waiting"

In my last post I wrote that I was currently sitting at 40% of my support. Today I am at 43% with what has been entered at TeachBeyond. Many have mentioned what they would like to give and with knowing some of those numbers I am at about 56%. My deadline to reach 80% in order for me to be able to buy my plane ticket is July 16, just a few days away.

I would encourage those of you who have already said you would like to support me to send in your forms. If you have any questions about them, or need help filling them out - send me an email at bmann@teachbeyond.org.

For those of you who have not yet thought about supporting me financially, I ask that you would pray about it. I am hoping and praying to be in Germany by August 1 to be the Front Office Secretary at Black Forest Academy. Please pray about helping send me!

God is doing great things in Germany and I can't wait to be a part of that!

"Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world - wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important - has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting is on the way out - but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity."

1 John 2:15-17 (The Message)

Cry in my heart...

As I sit in my hometown Starbucks I think about the next few weeks. It is only a few weeks before orientation at Black Forest Academy starts. I currently sit around 40% for support. In order for me to have a ticket to Germany I will need to be at 80%, at least. While the next few weeks will be spent in giving presentations and meeting with people - the next few weeks will be spent waiting, waiting on the Lord. I know that is not on my own that I will be able to go. It is not in my own strengths, abilities or in the people I know. It is ONLY by God.

While I know my deadline is August 1 to be in Germany, I am also learning that sometimes my timing isn't God's timing. This is hard.
 
 
The "title" of my post is from a Starfield song - "Cry in my heart"



Lyrics:
There's a cry in my heart
For Your glory to fall
For Your presence to fill up my senses
There's a yearning again
A thirst for discipline
A hunger for things that are deeper


Could You take me beyond?
Could You carry me through?
If I open my heart?
Could I go there with You?
(For I've been here before
But I know there's still more
Oh, Lord, I need to know You)

For what do I have
If I don't have You, Jesus?
What in this life
Could mean any more?
You are my rock
You are my glory
You are the lifter
Of my head
Lifter of this head


I feel like this is my "life song" right now. There is this yearning and hunger in my life for something more. I want God to use me. I just need to constantly remind myself to not get caught up in my "to do list" but in glorifying God through this whole process.

Alberta Bound...

Today I was indeed Alberta Bound. We finished up our TeachBeyond Orientation last night and I was able to fly home. We ended our orientation week with a bang! (Literally!) We finished our last session before supper time and had our dedication service scheduled for the evening. Well...about twenty minutes before that was to begin girls started rushing past our door. Someone finally stopped and told us that we needed to get to the basement because the tornado sirens were going off! I had no idea what to do! I was in the middle of deciding what to wear so I had my dress pants and dress on. As we left the dorm I grabbed a pair of flip flops, a hoodie, and my phone. I had on quite the outfit!

We made it to the basement of the main building and waited it out until they lifted the alert. By now it was raining pretty hard. However, I decided it was necessary to go back and finish getting ready as I looked like a mess. On my way back it was raining even harder! What an eventful evening!

Our God is so faithful! He watches over us daily and provides for our every need. That night he kept us safe and still allowed for us to come together in community and celebration.

This past week was one of preparation. We spent time together in worship, prayer and fellowship - something that helps us in preparing our hearts for the present day and what is to come in the future. We also spent time in the classroom, learning about Christian Education, living/working together and financial support. While some of it was nitty gritty stuff that had to be done (like paper work) each bit is essential.

God uses each and every situation to prepare us for what is next. Sometimes it isn't evident, and sometimes it is. It's so cool to look back and see how God has worked. If you would have told me 8 months ago that I would be preparing to move overseas - I probably wouldn't have believed you. BUT - our God is so good and I am so excited for the ways He is working in my life and in those around me.

I am ready to go hardcore in these last few weeks in anticipation to moving to Germany at the end of July. Please continue to pray that God would be at work in the hearts of those He wants to come alongside me in this incredible journey.

Psalm 86:12

"I will praise you, O LORD my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever"

Just the beginning...

Here I sit in hot and humid Minneapolis! This is probably the hottest weather I have been in all year! :)

I am at TeachBeyond orientation for this next week. Yesterday I met my two roommates for the coming year at Germany....Heather and Jennifer! It seems more real as we can actually spend time together and have been talking about house items (like plates with geese on them!)

Along with meeting Heather/Jennifer I have also had the opportunity to meet the staff that have been helping me in this process for the last few months. Its great to be able to put faces with names. I have also met others who are going with TeachBeyond to BFA and many other places! Its so cool to hear their stories and how many of us share quite similar backgrounds!

It's been a wonderful 24 hours so far! I have loved being able to get together in small groups and just pray for each other. We have all been going through similar things as we prepare to move and are raising support so its really nice to be able to come alongside each other and encourage one another.

There's only about 6 weeks left until we need to be at BFA. I am looking forward to this journey God has called me on and just how it unfolds in the next few weeks!

"Nothing happens by accident, everything happens for a reason." (quote from one of our fellow TBer)

So long for now...

Tonight was a rather bittersweet night. It was our last youth night. Both I and the youth pastor are leaving within the week so there were lots of goodbyes.

We spent the night playing games and chatting about our weeks events. After we played for a bit we got together to pray for one another. It was really cool! We talked with the kids who were recently baptized and asked how they were doing. We then found out around 6 more of the youth are already starting baptism classes! There are amazing things happening in the lives of those youth! It was really neat to spend some time in pray and encouragement to end off our time together. We then finished off the evening with hot chocolate at Tim Horton's. Mmm :)

While it was sad to say goodbye to the kids I have spent so much time with in the last year and a half, I know God is at work in both their lives and my own. He has great things in store and I know this isn't a goodbye forever, its just a so long for now.

I have a total of 3 1/2 days left at work! It is amazing at how fast time is going. This weekend will be a relaxing weekend spent with the girls camping in Elkwater. I plan to turn off the cellphone and look forward to the great fellowship we can have this weekend. Our God is so good! I am thankful for this time to unwind before packing up once again and heading to MN next weekend. Life has been crazy and often stressful but things are coming together and I look forward to the future while at the same time cherishing the present.

B

One Quiet Saturday Afternoon...

The countdown is on and it seems like each day is busier than the next... This week was quite a busy one and I find myself home alone this Saturday afternoon taking in the quiet.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It's encouraging to know we can find rest in our Almighty God, the Creator of all things. In getting things ready for Germany and trying to wrap things up in Canada I am finding it harder and harder to have a moment of quiet. This Saturday afternoon as I am touching up my presentation for next weekend I hear the still small whisper saying to me to take a few minutes and rest in Him.

Blessings on you,

B

A Not So Happy Mother's Day...

This weekend started off pretty well....

The whole family was getting together to celebrate Mother's Day/Grandma's 75th Birthday.
We had lots of fun on Friday and Saturday, playing lots of games and eating lots of great food!

We went to see Iron Man 2 Saturday night and stayed up playing games for about an hour after we got home. 3:00 AM Sunday morning Mom woke me up to take her to the ER. Her kidney pain was pretty bad. We spent all night in Emerg as they tried to contain the pain. 8:00 AM their admitted her and she has been in the hospital ever since. There's not much to report other than they did a CT scan today and confirmed that there is still kidney stones there. They have put her on a new BP med that will hopefully help the stones move on out.

If you could be praying that God will be with Doctors as they try to help her and her pain and pray that my mom will reconnect with God during this time!

Thanks!

B

Banana Splits and Skits

Guten Abend to you all!

Today was a very lovely day! First, I woke up on time - always a good start! We weren't short at work today so I was able to get a lot accomplished and not pull any hair out. It was this evening that was really ever so delightful!

I got home from work around 5:22, at 5:31 we sat down to a very delicious shake n' bake chicken, fruit salad, cheesy potatoes, and corn! Mmm....Let's just say, you sure don't eat like that when you are living on your own. It was so great! After supper we piled into the truck and into town we went - Bethany College (a Bible School in SK) has a travelling team called the "Bethany Players" who stopped in Coaldale on their tour. It was so cool see them act out the main gospel events from the perspective of Peter and Andrew. It was a neat reminder that these aren't just stories in a book, they are REAL, REAL people went through those events! What a crazy journey it must have been to follow Jesus! So worth it though!

Once we got home it was onto Banana Splits! I honestly can't remember the last time I had had one of those. Mm Mmm (I'm a fan of eating if you haven't figured that out by now :P)

Just when I thought I should head on down to my room to get ready for bed - everyone was in the living room! It was time for family devotions! I personally have never had devotions with my family and so this was a very special time for me. We read from Proverbs (which, spoke right into our lives! Of course! ) and then each family member took a turn praying! This was something new to me. Not the praying part, but praying as a family. Super cool! They even spent time praying for me and my life as I move to Germany. How encouraging!

I am so absolutely blessed to have this family in my life!

Blessings on you all!

B