The tour continues...

 "The truth shall make you free... "

(a sign that welcomes you as you enter BFA)

Below are 2 pictures of "the paper room." 

This room supplies paper for the whole school!! 

This room is located across from the Front Office.

 

Here are the areas of communication between staff and students.

On the left are the student mailboxes, 

and on the right are the staff mailboxes. 

These are often filled with graded exams, encouraging notes and sometimes even bills! 

While the colour of the picture make be dark - the atmosphere is far from that. This is the school cafeteria! Students are all around, munching on their lunches, and catching up with friends. The students sure love this time even though it can be hard on the office staff (sometimes me) to make announcements, as I am sure you can imagine! :)

 This is another happening place -the student center! Here kids can eat their lunch, catch up on homework or just hang out with their friends between classes. Often class parties take place in here with a big screen movie or some fun board games. 

There are many areas of the school that I have not 

taken you to, but these are a few 

of what I believe to be the important places for the students 

in their school day and for myself in my work environment. 

If there is any area of the school that you would like a special tour of, 

please let me know and I would love to share that with you!

A peek inside my office...

Welcome to Black Forest Academy. 

Let me show you around my office!

You will see this bulletin board directly across 

the hall from my office.

(created by me)

This is the main window. You will either see myself,

or my co-worker sitting there.  

(We don't usually have Canadian decorations)

Come on in! This is the main sound board.

Some call it the "bus driver" seat!

This is where late slips are written,

attendance is submitted and phone calls are answered.

(This is the same seat that I am sitting in, in the above picture)

This is the view from the front seat. There are packages to be

picked up, and faxes that need to be sent. This area 

doesn't look too chaotic now, but it cant easily have 5-10 

people in it at a given time.

This is my desk! 

(We have one less staff in the office 

for the remainder of the year, so I will

be sitting in the "bus driver" seat until

the end of the year)

Let's go back out the hall and to the left this time

(we came in from the right side).

These are the bulletin boards you will see:

(created by me)

 

Pause a moment and look to see what is happening 

in the community and how you can get involved! 

The tour to be continued....

Canadian Spirit Day!

The Canadian History teacher, Kristi, announced last week that Monday, May 2, would be Canadian Spirit Day! Simply a day to dress in red and white, love a Canadian, or love BEING Canadian!

I took it upon myself to decorate the office up with my Canadian pride. This is what others saw as they walked down the hallway today at school!

Happy Canadian Spirit Day!

Six Simple Words ... With So Much Meaning!

This past Friday we had dinner at Storch to spend some time with the students and staff after not having seen them for a few weeks. It was a great time of catching up and hearing about some of their mission trips! Afterwards, we were invited to stay for a Friday night bonfire. Unforunately the weather didn't allow for an outdoor one, so we had a fire in their living room fireplace. Jim (dorm dad) asked if I would bring my guitar out and lead worship. I was thrilled by the invitation and so Heather and I ran home to gather up the "supplies" (guitar, pick, music). 

We sat around the fire and Heather led the singing while I played guitar. There were only a few girls around at the beginning but by the end we had about 10-12 there singing along with us. It was an incredible time of sharing our gifts/passions AND worshiping with these high school girls.What a blessing.

When my fingers couldn't play anymore, the girls passed around my guitar and led us in more worship. They excitedly ran up to their rooms to grab more music or scrap paper to write down new songs they had learned. I was so incredibly blessed to share in that time at Storch on Friday night. My heart was overflowing with joy as we left, and some of the only words I could get out were:

"This is why we are here!"

(Storch Dorm)

Frohe Ostern!

On Good Friday we had some friends over for a time of worship and reflection. Here are some pictures of the prayer stations we did that evening.

  Setting up the projector for worship

 Confessing sins

 The stations set up in our living room

God I thank you for...

Offering up our lives as gifts to God

Specific prayer requests

 

Frohe Ostern!

Frohe Ostern in German means “Happy Easter!” I hope that you have had a Happy Easter and that you have had time to reflect, rejoice, and celebrate, our risen King this Easter season. May it be something that we remember especially this holiday weekend, and may it bring us hope each day.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; He has risen!”    Luke 24: 5-6

Use Me Here!

So often I find myself wondering (and sometimes, even worrying) about tomorrow, 

next week, or even next year. Something that the Spirit has been reminding me of 

lately is that I need to think about today. How can I encourage those around me?

How can I make a difference at BFA today? How can I love those I work with? 

This song by Everybodyduck says it so well! 

(listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=364pchLaRaw)

Use Me Here, Where I am, 

I'm not gonna pray anymore that You'll change Your plans.
Despite my fear, I place my life in Your hands. 

The future can wait, tomorrow might be too late,
So Jesus use me here.

I lay my hearts desires at your feet, o Lord. 

Take all the plans I've made and all my dreams.
Blinded by triumphs of tomorrow, I've let sin control today.

I tell myself I want to know Your will, O Lord. 

Still I confess I've had plans of my own.
But from now on I plan to listen to Your will and to obey.

Use Me Here, Where I am, 

I'm not gonna pray anymore that You'll change Your plans.
Despite my fear, I place my life in Your hands. 

The future can wait, tomorrow might be too late,
So Jesus use me here.     Use me here.

The past year...

Yesterday, March 4, marks the 1 year anniversary of when I was accepted to work at Black Forest Academy! 

Here are some other important dates of this last year:

March 12 -TeachBeyond Acceptance

April 22 - "Met" 4 other BFA staff members over email (1 to be my new roommate, Heather!)

April 30 - Moved out of our Lethbridge house

May 20 - Received our Riedlingen housing information!

 June 19-26 - TeachBeyond Orientation in MN

July 23 - at 90% - bought plane ticket!

July 30 - Left Canada

July 31 - Arrived in Germany

August 24 - First day of school!

September 2 - 21st Birthday

October 4 - Lost a little bit of wisdom (wisdom teeth surgery)

October 10 - Canadian Thanksgiving at BFA

October 15 - Sophomore Class Party

November 5-7 - Munich, Germany and Salzburg, Austria trip

November 7 - Took the train through Singen, Germany (Where Grandpa E. lived) 

November 27 - Christmas Banquet

November 28- Hosted American Thanksgiving

December 24-January 1 - Courtney (roommate from Lethbridge) visited! 

January 28 - Sophomore Class Party

February 4 - Home Basketball Games/Coffee House

February 19 - Hosted a surprise baby shower for Valerie

This year has been one crazy ride - BUT - God has been faithful through it all. I can't wait to see what happens in this next year! Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support in this past year. I wouldn't be where I am today without all of you behind me in this!