Spiritual Emphasis Weak/Impact Day

I thought Homecoming and Courtwarming were high-energy weeks, but I was definitely wrong!

Spiritual Emphasis Week definitely blew those out of the water. This a week at BFA that is an incredible time of year for students. Every morning we gathered together in the Chapel with the High School students for worship and speakers. Students are challenged and encouraged in their faith and there was so much energy as they entered into our classrooms and the discussions just spilled over. It was really great to experience!

The Middle Schoolers were interviewed one morning and asked what they enjoy about Spiritual Emphasis week and I was so excited to get a video of them. Some of their answers blew me away, but sorry it's not the best quality





They didn't just say it with words, but I saw it in action as we served the community on "Impact Day" where we were split into groups and given different jobs throughout the community.

My group spent the first half of the morning cleaning classrooms and windows in the High School building.

Here is a picture of my group working really hard! :)

After lunch, we went to a local nursing home and brought some "amerikanisch" snicker doodles and peanut butter cookies.
But what happened next was incredible! As they were giving out cookies, the middle schoolers were talking, smiling, and putting their arms around the people there. They played "Gymnastik" with them and sang to them. Most of them did not know a lot of German, but this did not bother them.

The joy from the students serving and the joy on the people there was amazing. I just kept thinking "We've got to do this again!"

Here is a picture of the students who did "Gymnastik" with 99 almost 100 year old woman

Group picture

Mayor of Kandern thanking everyone for their hard work

At the end of the week we hiked from Sitzenkirch to Kandern

met some llamas

When we arrived in Kandern, we had a BBQ waiting for the students. It was a great time to wind down, worship, and talk about all the things we had learned that week.

It was such an amazing week of just bonding with the students and challenging them in their faith. I am so thankful I was able to be apart it!

Rejoicing Thousands of Miles Away!

It's so hard to be away from Missouri at this particular moment! My best friend is taking a step of obedience and proclaiming what God has done in her life by getting baptized today!

I have known her since I was ten years old. She moved in next door to us and came running up my hill, asking to play. We were instant friends, and I could not have known how big of a part she would play in my life! She's seen me through all stages of my life and been there for me through it all. Maybe that was because I could always see her bedroom light on when I needed to talk :)

God really blessed me with an amazing friend like her, but God has blessed me with an even greater gift! I know that my best friend has dedicated her life to the Lord!! I am so thankful to the Lord for bringing Stephanie to Him and I was able to witness it. I am so thankful to our small group at Church for helping her in this journey.

It's hard not to be there for this incredible moment in your life, Stephanie, but know I am rejoicing for you! And I cannot wait to rejoice with you in Heaven for eternity!


This is a video I made for you to celebrate this amazing day!

"Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"

I am so thankful my dad prayed this verse over me every night before I went to bed, because I am definitely seeing it here.

What an amazing moment to meet the students who:

I had thought and prayed about since January
I told all of my friends and family about
I had spent countless hours preparing for
I loved before I even knew them

I know all of this is just echoing God's perfect love for them. What a blessing He could put that in my heart too. It really makes me realize that God's love has the ability to expand across oceans. I'm so thankful He does more than what we think we are capable of.

The first day of school was really incredible to witness here. They have opening ceremonies with the seniors carrying in flags from all the representing countries. One by one they were called out and students would stand. It was really amazing to see.

Here's a video of the seniors carrying the flags




59 nations represented here!


This is the staff Welcome back video for the students.





Here is a picture of my roommates and I on the first day of school.

My first week was pretty crazy just getting used to everything.

I have 2 sixth grade classes in Beginning German. They are split boys and girls because they have P.E. every other day. I was a little anxious about having all 6th grade boys in one room together, but they have been great. I've really enjoyed making lesson plans specifically for boys or girls.

I have a German A and a German B class for 7th and 8th grade. I really love these classes because the curriculum is specifically for students who do not speak English as their first language (which is often the case here). I asked what Deutsch (German) is in other languages on the first day and I had answers in French, Korean, Bulgarian, Portuguese, and Spanish. These are definitely some unique students!

I've also enjoyed talking about God so freely in the classroom. It was really cool to tell them I had dedicated my life to Christ in middle school.

The staff here are incredible, they are so helpful and they are so passionate about the students!

Here is a picture of the staff at the Middle School:

There are not that many of us, but it's nice to have such a close community!

I am so thankful to be here and working along side these wonderful people and be apart of these students lives!



Here are some ways you can be praying :)

Please pray for:
New students
Students who are learning English
Students who are living in dorms away from family

My Classroom!

Emotions are on high as I prepare my room for students to come. I am definitely a first year teacher in that I:

1.over analyze every desk placement possibility in the room

2.wonder which "motivational" posters I should scattered around for inspiration. (Although learning from my cooperating teacher that "No Whining" is always a good fall back)

3.display all the references and grammar they will ever need to know and then realizing on the first day this would probably scare them into taking French

Nevertheless, I know they will be so captivated by my every word that they won't notice anything else...

I'd like to share with you all my classroom!

This entire town is a hallmark card, so it would seem appropriate I also get an amazing view!

Regardless of fire code these really make me nervous my students are going to walk out the windows...

I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into Frau Hinton's room. Please pray for the students as they arrive tomorrow and start school this Tuesday!

God's fingerprints are all over this place!

Today we heard testimonies from all the new staff about their journeys to get here and I wish all of you could have been there to experience it. Story after story of people God brought from different backgrounds and different parts of the world to invest in students we don't know.

So many stories of passion, struggle, and obedience. And I liked one couple who said sometimes God is a "sneaky rascal" and can sneak up on you when you least expect it. I cannot help but see God's fingerprints all over this place! What an honor to serve a God who can bring all of us together for His purpose! And what a blessing to have you all be apart of my testimony :)

It's Starting To Sink In....

Hey All!

I am so excited to be able to sit down and share with you all now that we have internet at the "Garni House". You all are on my mind often as I sit and marvel at the fact that I am here! What a blessing and privilege to serve the Lord in such a beautiful place like this!

and this

believe it or not these next two were taken from rooms in our house :)

So who needs internet, right?

I have also gotten to know a lot of the girls living in the house. There are seven of us total and I feel so blessed to know these amazing ladies! Every story of how God has touched these hearts to pick up and leave everything to serve here has brought me close to tears. I am so humbled to serve a alongside these wonderful ladies!

Here's a picture of us and the rest of the new staff

The staff here have also been very accommodating and are so excited we are here! We are going through a lot of training, but every session gets me more and more excited to meet my students! I will be teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade German at this quaint little school in an even smaller neighboring village.

It is surrounded by farmland and the big event of that day was a cow jumped the fence and walked past the front entrance.


Everyday I am still amazed I am here and able to share this with you all. What a blessing to have people like you apart of this with me! Los geht's and let the journey begin!

Welcome!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say that I am safe in Germany and starting to prepare to teach! Thank you for everyone who has supported me through this transition! More posts to come!

Romans 12:13, "Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."