Frohe Weinachten!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Watching Steve carve the turducken!

Has 2012 flown by for you like it has for me? I know I say a lot how time just gets away from me, but it's true! I can hardly believe that in just a couple days it will be 2013. I hope you all have been having a wonderful holiday season with loved ones. My first Christmas away from home wasn't as depressing as I thought it might be, but it also didn't feel a whole lot like Christmas to me. There were definitely some good moments, though. The Christmas parties with the girls were fun. We put together a couple stockings for them, made lots of yummy goodies, and did fun Christmasy activities with them. We had a Secret Santa gift exchange, and I love the hand-decorated candles that Mimi gave me! Love seeing the talent in this dorm. Another great thing was hosting a Christmas Eve dinner here at Storch. Callie went home for the holiday, but Steve, Stacey, and I had about 13 people over for a big meal. I didn't want other people (specifically singles) to be alone cause I know that's rough, so it was a real joy to share the evening with them. Steve made a turducken, which was pretty awesome! We watched White Christmas and shared laughs. A couple other RA's spent the night at Storch, and in the morning I made an oven omelette and Dutch Apple Bread, a tradition in the Peters household. We opened stockings and gifts, then headed over to another dorm, Liel, where the dorm parents and RA were hosting another great meal for us “orphans.” In the evening I got a chance to Skype with my family for about an hour, which was great. So while it was not the same as being with them, the Lord still provided lots of good friends to share the holiday with me.

Storch sign-out board

Our girls are currently all over the world, from the USA to Russia to Korea to Jordan and lots of places in between. They were excited to go home and see family and take a break. We were excited for them! It can't be easy to be away from parents and siblings for a whole semester at a time. We do our best to provide them with a great home away from home and love them dearly, but it's not the same. It is interesting, though, to think about what we are really doing. It is such a privilege and huge responsibility that we've been given to help raise these girls. For one reason or another the Lord brought these girls to us, and their parents have decided to share the responsibility of bringing them up with us. I'm sure you all have differing views on boarding school, but for some people this is their best option, and I've seen some wonderful growth among the girls over just one semester here. There have been bumps in the road, too, but it's a joy and honor to walk with these girls through high school and all that entails. I went and saw “The Hobbit” the other day (great movie, by the way!), and on the way home I was talking to my friend about what his favorite parts were. There is one part where the Dwarves question Bilbo Baggins as to why he went along with them and left his home to help them in their quest to take back their realm. Bilbo says that he misses his home, that he thinks about it often, and that the Shire is where he belongs, but that that's why he is with them, to help them find the home that had been taken away from them. My friend says that he relates to Bilbo because that's kind of what we do here at the dorms. We leave our homes to help these kids have a home. There are sacrifices (like not going home for Christmas) but it's quite rewarding.

Dorm Christmas Party...fooood!!

This building is much too empty right now...it was meant to be full of life, but

right now it's just me. I miss my gals! I AM grateful for all the rest that I've been able to get. I've enjoyed reading, watching movies, spending time with friends, and seeing some of the wonderful areas around here. For New Year I will be going to nearby Switzerland to stay with a friend for a few days. We'll be joining in the festivities in Basel to bring in the New Year. I'm quite excited about it! I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed to be missing out on the fireworks in Kandern, though. Apparently it's like a madhouse at the Blumenplatz in town, everyone setting off fireworks at the same time! Maybe next year I'll get to have that cultural experience. In the meantime I'll enjoy the more orderly setting off of fireworks in Basel. :) 

Rochelle's Birthday Party

On another note, I'm quite excited about the new year for all of the relationship building that it will bring. This last semester has been good, but a lot of time has been spent just getting accustomed to the routine and how everything works around here. It's been the same for a lot of our girls since more than half of them were new this year. So I'm looking forward to being able to focus even more on relationships and spending one-on-one time with the girls in this next semester. Please pray that the Lord will give wisdom in this and fill me with lots of grace and love. Sometimes the tasks become overwhelming and I get tired, and then it's tempting to not put in the extra effort to build those relationships, but that's what I'm here for after all. I definitely feel like this is where I'm supposed to be, that the Lord called me here, and I know He is faithful to those He calls. I'm grateful for His continued presence in my life, for the way He has poured out blessings upon me, and for how He has asked me to join in the work He is doing here. Thank YOU for joining in as well! May you know the grace and peace of God as you anticipate the coming of a new year and reflect on all He has done.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Give Me Jesus

Me, Mary, Stacey, Rochelle, Carissa, and Callie

Have you ever heard that song that goes, “You can have all this world but give me Jesus”? I really like Fernando Ortega's version. I recommend giving it a listen if you haven't already. And if you have, I recommend listening again, because it's good. This is something that God has been revealing to me over the last couple months...how there really is nothing I have, no relationships, no stuff, no reputation, nothing that compares to Jesus. And if all those things were stripped away, would Jesus be enough for me? I was sitting in a local coffee shop, Heitzmann, on a day off a while back and as I sat there and pondered this, in that moment I felt entirely secure in the idea. I didn't feel particularly emotional about it, but I envisioned myself in a completely bare room. There weren't any doors, windows, lights, furnishings, nothing. Just me and the knowledge that Jesus was enough. I'll admit that the idea of losing everything is certainly not a pleasant one. We know what a struggle it was for Job to go through that tragic time in his life. But if the world were taken away, could I answer, “Just give me Jesus”? I hope and pray so. The holiday season is coming on in full force, and being away from my family is not easy. I'm sure I will cry on Christmas, and perhaps other times as well. But I'm challenged to really ponder where I place my hope and joy. Is it my family, traditions, being comfortable, etc? Or is it my Lord and Savior? As I write this I am reminded of my Discipleship & Evangelism professor who strongly emphasized that in the Christian life we can't ignore any of the three Persons of God, so I don't want to neglect mentioning how all-important GOD is; Jesus, Holy Spirit, & Father. Can't have one without the others. I just wanted to share some of what's been on my heart lately.

Thanksgiving at Storch Dorm!

Since I mentioned holidays, I'll go ahead and tell you about our Dorm Thanksgiving. We celebrated American Thanksgiving last Thursday (a week early mostly due to Christmas Banquet being on this upcoming Saturday) in the dorms, and it was a great time! We were blessed to have turkey provided for us, but the rest was up to us and our dorm subs! At Storch we had mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (a real treat seeing as sweet potatoes are hard to come by and expensive!), stuffing, jello salad, green salad, deviled eggs, green bean casserole, mac & cheese, crescent rolls, pumpkin pie, and apple pie. It was quite the feast! Lots of work in the kitchen, but worth it :) It was great to see the girls get so excited about it, and to be able to share this tradition with people that represent many different cultures. There is so much to be thankful for!

Mimi's Cathartic & Clothed Cuddling Club...hahaha

Yesterday the dorms all went to Basel, Switzerland (~30 mins from here) to go ice skating. It was a blast! I think it's awesome that Residence Life is able to host this type of event for our kids. Thank you to everyone who helps make it possible! Can't say that I'm much of an ice skater...been 3 times total now...but it was fun! I never fell, which is amazing really, although at one point I thought I was going to get body checked by Wayne Gretzky (yes, that is the only name in hockey that I know). Fortunately, little Wayno was a much better skater than I and veered off at the last possible second. Whew.

Would you like a spot of tea?

Remember how I said that November is sort of notorious around here as being the horrible, no good, very bad month? Well, so far it's not been half bad! And it's half over! Thanks for your prayers! We've been thinking of things to do with the girls to help lighten things up during the week, so a week or two ago I hosted a tea party in our dining room. It was pretty fun. They had to either wear a dress or a hat in order to attend, and we giggled over our British accents and lifted pinkies. I really love doing that sort of thing, so I was glad to have the opportunity to share it with my gals! There are just 4 weeks left until Christmas break, so please keep us all in your prayers as we anticipate the vacation time. Pray that the girls would be able to finish the semester strong, that they would get enough rest, and that they can keep their eyes on the Lord in the midst of everything. Thanks, friends.

John 11:25-26

“Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'”

Bumper Cars, Paris, & Princesses

Eesh. It seems to get harder to get these blog posts updated on a regular basis. I have not forgotten you all, though, never fear! “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” :)

Callie & I after a good run on the bumper cars :)

Today is Halloween for most of you, but here in Germany it's not a formal “holiday”. We have Herbstmesse instead. It's basically a Fall festival. Tonight we're taking the whole middle school and high school to Basel, Switzerland to attend the celebrations there. Food booths, rides, and shops galore! I'm definitely planning on doing the bumper cars, and have formally invited the girls to take out their aggression and frustrations on me in the ring. I also warned them that with what measure it is given, it shall also be returned, haha. Should be a fabulous time. I'll let you know how it goes later on. (*Disclaimer: I wrote this earlier today, and since then I've come back from Herbstmesse. It was a fun evening! Loved the bumper cars, and got a Pumpkin Spice Latte for half-off at Starbucks! Treat!)

Winged Victory aka Nike

I had the privilege of taking a trip to Paris this past weekend. It was my 2^nd weekend off so far, and I traveled by train with 5 other RA's for about 3.5 hours to discover the beauties of the City of Lights. It wasn't disappointing! We stayed at The American Church in Paris with the pastor and his family. They have a daughter attending BFA, and her RA was among our group. We're so grateful for their generosity and hospitality! The location was awesome, too, being right on the Seine River, within walking distance of most places we wanted to go. So we did walk. A lot. Hours and hours of walking. But it was great! We went to the Louvre, the Musee de l'Orangerie, Le Petit Palais, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Saint-Chapelle, Champs Elysee, Saint-Etienne, Sacre-Coeur, and lots of bakeries, cafes, parks, etc. It was incredible to see so much that I never thought I'd actually get to see in person. A lot of stuff that I read about in my Art History class was right there before my eyes! I even got to see some of my favorites such as “Winged Victory” and the amazing stained glass in Saint-Chapelle. Hard to take it all in! I didn't have such a hard time taking in the crepes though. ;) The weather was cold but we braved it, taking warming up breaks at cafes along the way. I've posted pics on Facebook if you'd like to see them. So yes, it was a good weekend off. Not entirely restful physically, but a good mental break.

Stained glass in Saint-Chapelle

Trying to think of specific things to tell you about is kind of hard sometimes. For one, there is always so much going on between school, extracurricular activities, dorm activities, and other things the students are involved in that it's hard to choose something to talk about. And then it's not always entirely noteworthy, or something to put in a blog anyways. Some people (jokingly) ask if I ever actually work cause I just talk about fun stuff for the most part, but I guess that's because usually bed time, helping with homework, driving students around, preparing dinner, monitoring study hours and chores, and stuff like that aren't exactly things that seem super exciting to tell you about. Or take pictures of. Haha. It's life. It's work. But there's more than just tasks. It's being there from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, available to help and serve in whatever way I can. It's writing a card for someone who is feeling low. It's listening when a girl tells me about struggling with figuring out what to do after graduation. It's praying for the girls on a regular basis. It's trying to figure out how to do things better, and apologizing and forgiving when things are not done in the best way. It's trying to love each girl in the way they each individually need to be loved. That's my job. That's my life. And it's hard. It's also great. I'm so grateful that God has placed me here, at this particular time, in this particular dorm, with this staff and these girls. I wish I could teleport you all here for a day so you could just see what it's like.

Dancing away at Fall Party!

One thing that I can think of, which was fun, was the Fall Party that the high school had a couple weeks ago. Most people dressed up to go, and at the party (held in the school auditorium, gym, and cafeteria) there were different booths set up to participate in. My favorite was the Just Dance Wii station! :) It was definitely a chore to do it in my costume though... A group of us female RA's decided to go as Disney princesses, so I went as Giselle from “Enchanted.” Yay! All the girls' dorms have loads of dresses that have accumulated over the years, and I found the perfect one in our basement. Huge, white, and puffy! It was so fun to wear, though tremendously inconvenient. I had to tell many people, “Excuse me, could you get off of my dress please?” I also had to not trip on the stairs, rip pieces off by stepping on them while I was walking, or get it caught on nails sticking out in random places (all of which DID happen, I might add). The kids had fun, and so did we!

Group photo at the Eiffel Tower!

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers! November is notorious around here as being the worst month of the year for our students. It's long, dark, cold, homesickness sets in and it's hard to get through. There are some good things to look forward to as well, but I ask that you remember us before the Lord, asking for grace and strength for this second half of the semester. Thank you!

II Chronicles 20:17

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

Life is a Hamburger

St. Paul's Basilica, from one of the other towers

Hello dear ones. I'm sitting at my desk with my rain spattered window slightly ajar, the sound of chatter and accordion music wafting up from the street below. The Holzen handicrafts market is going on this weekend, literally in our yard! The whole dorm is surrounded by booths selling things from jewelry to candles to pottery and everything in between. Down the street a ways, over by the park, there is a big “tent” where we went as a dorm for lunch after church today. I had a delicious bowl of pumpkin soup and a cup of freshly made apple cider. Ahhh...I love Fall!! And it's awesome to experience it for the first time in Germany. The leaves are starting to turn, the temperatures are cool, and apples and pumpkins are plentiful.

Sardines in the phone booth! 12 girls inc. RA's!

Life has become a little more like real life here in the dorm. In other words, the “honeymoon period” is over. Classes and extracurricular activities are in full swing, the girls know what is expected of them and how things work around here (for the most part), and things get messy at times. Living with as many people as we do, coming from as many different backgrounds and cultures as we do, with all the different personalities and preferences...things are bound to get difficult once in a while. But that's what life is like, right? It's all the mess that makes life meaty, not just fluffy. Puts me in mind of a big juicy hamburger with all the fixins that ends up running down your hands and chin. Those are the best ones! Might take a little cleaning up, and you have to work to get it all where you want it, but boy does it taste good! That's kind of how things are here. Frustrations arise, tears flow, people don't do what they are supposed to all the time, the van breaks down, etc etc. But it's so sweet when we are able to work through these issues, to encourage one another, to pray together, to offer hugs, and share together in the juiciness of life. And there are some really great times of joy and fun, too! Last night we played a couple games of Sardines (this big old building is great for hiding places!) and then Telephone Pictionary. Lots of laughter to be had! Some of us also were able to go cheer on one of the Freshman girls in our dorm as she played at BFA's only home volleyball game. It was great to watch her play, and I love to see how the girls support one another.

Frank, Me, and Ethan at the soccer game!

The high schoolers here at BFA get some pretty great opportunities for field trips, living in Europe and all. Our seniors took a 10 day trip to Italy, visiting Rome, Florence, and Venice. What?! So awesome. The Juniors are currently on their 4 day trip to France, visiting Normandy and Paris. The Sophomores took a day trip to a concentration camp in Strasbourg, and the Freshman took a day trip to see the French trenches from the wars. They don't just read about these things in books, they get to actually go see where it all happened! I'll admit, I'm a mite jealous of these incredible excursions, but I actually got to take a little trip myself this past weekend. I had my weekend off, so I traveled to Munich with a couple other RA's via train. We stayed with a German couple in their 70s, which was great because I love to see what the culture is really like! They were very kind and showed us around Munich, took us out to eat traditional Bavarian foods, and taught us new German words and phrases. There were times when we Americans would just look at each other and shrug or grin at the awkwardness of the situation, or the miscommunication, or the many corrections that we were given on how to do things. It was great. :) We went to a soccer game and cheered on 1860 München, learning some of the chants as the game progressed. We climbed the tower in St. Paul's Basilica, we got lost on the U-Bahn (subway), and rode one of the theme park rides at Oktoberfest. I saw more lederhosen and dirndls (traditional German clothing) than I ever thought I would see in my life. All in all it was a lovely weekend adventure, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get out and see some of this great country that God has placed me in.

View from St. Paul's Basilica

I would like to ask for prayer for the girls in our dorm, that they would grow in love for God and their dorm family, that they would know a deep love themselves, and that they would allow the Lord to help guide them through all the ups and downs of life. I also ask for prayer for myself, as I have been dealing with a lot of fatigue, and this week I've been having cold symptoms. It's harder to be positive and gracious when you're tired and not feeling well, so I'd be grateful for your prayers! Thank you so much for your faithfulness in this. You are loved!!

The following verse is a favorite of one of the Sophomore girls here at Storch. She shared it with me during a precious conversation about how she turned her life over to Christ at a hard time in her life.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

A Day in the Life

Me and Callie (far right) with some of our gals

 Oh me, oh my, so much has happened! We are now in the third week of school, and finally starting to get into the swing of things. It definitely takes a while for all of us to start adjusting well, seeing as how there are new students, old students are gone, there are two new RA's, the RA's from last year are gone, some people have never lived away from home, we're in a country that we aren't particularly familiar with and don't speak the language, etc. Sixteen teenage girls and 5 staff members living together in harmony takes work! But it's rewarding!

It has definitely been a pleasure getting to know these girls better and to work alongside Steve, Stacey, and Callie. There are so many opportunities for great conversation, for hugs, sipping hot tea together, listening and wiping away tears, laughter, and learning. We're living life together, just in a way that not a ton of people experience at the high school age. I'll go ahead and give you an overview of what a typical day might look like at Storchenblick...

Messages left on my board the 2nd week :)

I get up at about 7am, unless I have to make hot breakfast, in which case I get up earlier. We eat breakfast and start cleanup at 8am. The girls leave for the bus at 8:20. Stacey, Callie, and I line up at the door and give hugs as they leave. Then we have a bit of time to get ready for the day, then either meet together to talk over what's going on in the dorm and pray, or go grocery shopping, bake, and the like. Around noonish we get to have lunch and then have free time until about 3:30pm. I usually take a nap, read a book, write some emails, or something like that. Occasionally I'll get out and do something a little more active, but honestly the time to just do not much of anything is nice. Someone has snack duty and starts getting that ready for students so that when they arrive home at 4:15 they can walk in and have a bite to eat (haha, I always think of “The Terminal” when I hear that phrase). The girls have free time until dinner, which we pick up from the central kitchen at the high school and bring home to eat at 6:15. After dinner is chore time, when the girls do their assigned chores. From 7:30-9:30 we have study hours, then at 9:30 we do lunch prep (we put out things they can take for lunch and they assemble it themselves). At 10 we send them to start getting ready for bed (except seniors), and at 10:30 we have lights out. Callie and I do “tuck in” for our respective floors, which means we get to go around to every room and see how the girls are doing and tell them goodnight. This has been a great time for me, and I really appreciate that we do it. I usually don't finish with tuck in until almost 11 since there's always something to talk about or someone to encourage to hurry up :) Just tonight I was able to read a couple Psalms aloud to one of my girls per her request, and we talked about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Sunset over Holzen; Photo by Stacey Babich

I have had many amazing moments already of girls opening up to me and pouring out their hearts, struggles, fears, joys, etc. It really took me by surprise actually, that it started with some pretty big stuff in the first week! But how great that there is already that level of trust! Praying for them and encouraging them has been so awesome for me. I also praise the Lord for the great dorm staff that we have here, and how we are able to work as a team. Please continue to pray for us that we would grow in unity and love. I've been discovering more and more how important it is to be filled by God first and then to overflow that out into my work and relationships. This is true in any life, but it certainly becomes very evident when you live with this many people! There are times when I've felt inadequate to meet the needs and answer the questions of these precious young ladies, but then I remember that I really AM inadequate, but God is MORE than adequate, and HE is the one working in and through me! Pray that He will be glorified in my life and in this ministry at Storch dorm, as well as in the other dorms and BFA as a whole.

Storchlettes cheering at a football game

Thank you for your love and support! I see that people read my blog and am encouraged just to know that you are keeping up! May God bless you all abundantly as you walk with Him!

Philippians 2:13

...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

They're here!!!

View of Holzen from my window

New students arrived yesterday to Storchenblick, and returning ones are arriving today. It's so great to start filling up the dorm with all these young ladies!! I've definitely enjoyed meeting them and some of their parents. There is a lot of diversity among them, which I think is just great, and it will be interesting to see how community life unfolds as time goes on. I look forward to a fantastic year ahead of us!!

So here are some more details about what's been going on over here in Deutschland. This past week we had All Staff Orientation for BFA, as well as additional Res. Life training. It is all well and good to have orientation for 3 weeks, but let's just say that I feel like I'm oriented for the rest of my life and will never need to go through orientation again. Meetings. So many of them. Glad they are over. On a positive note though, it was really good to be here that far in advance in order to get more settled, become familiar with the area, develop relationships with staff, and start to get over the initial shock of being in a completely different country. I don't feel entirely clueless at least!

My desk, where all this literary magic happens

I had my driver's test with our Res. Life supervisor this past week. I've stalled a vehicle twice since I came to Germany. I stalled a vehicle twice during my driver's test....seriously?!? Performance nerves, I'm telling you! I still passed though, so it's all good. I seem to have had a few embarrassing moments this past week...I'd like to attribute it to mental exhaustion, so that's what we're going to do. During All Staff Orientation us newbies all had to give our testimonies to the entire staff (3 mins), and there was a list of what order we were to go in, and I got so zoned into the whole “I have to get up there and just get it over with” (I'm not a public speaker...) that I completely skipped the person before me, even though she was sitting just a few feet from me and was already in the process of getting up there. Didn't even register. Lord have mercy. I gave her a good introduction though for when it was her turn. :) Another incident (that same day!) was at the grocery store. So here in Germany grocery stores don't bag your groceries. If you've ever been to Aldi, it's like that. Except here they expect you to put your groceries in the cart as they scan (having emptied it and put everything on the conveyor belt and taken it to the other end of the register). The belt is really long, and then on the other end there is like maybe a foot or two of space before your groceries start to overflow off the counter and the cashier gives you a dirty look. That actually wasn't my embarrassing moment. So because they don't bag your groceries you just take your cart out to your car and bag/box them in there as you load it up. What they don't tell you is that you aren't allowed to take out the shopping basket as well. I found that out when I walked out the door, the alarm went off, I stopped, looked at my friend and she said, “I think it's your basket,” so I turned and went back through, setting the alarm off again. Thankfully I had a bag in my purse so I just discreetly (ha!) put my stuff in the bag, returned the basket to it's rightful place, and scooted out the door, trying not to make eye contact with the many Germans who were staring at me. Sigh. Welcome to acculturation.

A lovely town, Todtnau, that has falls nearby

Well, our new girls are about to get back to the dorm from their day of new student orientation, so I should go help with snack prep. Tomorrow are opening ceremonies and then classes start on Wednesday! I'm looking forward to getting into the routine and having everyone feel more at home. Keep us all in your prayers, especially the students as they say goodbye to family and adjust to dorm life! Also for us, that we would provide a great loving home for them!

I John 3: 1a

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

The Beginning

Storch! My room is the very top left window

It has been 10 days since I last posted. My apologies, seeing as there is much to tell! But seriously...so much going on! I'm currently sitting on the floor in my room...and my room is in my dorm...and my dorm issssssss.....Storchenblick!! Storch for short. It actually means “view of the storks,” which makes sense because there are lots of storks in this town. There is actually a stork sanctuary right down the road from us! The church across the street has storks living on it's clock tower (which chimes every 15 minutes). I'll let you know if I see lots of babies around town. (I actually learned the story behind that whole myth...will share at a later date!) The village Storch is in is called Holzen, located about 5km from BFA's main campus in Kandern. It's just gorgeous here! I've included a couple photos, but I'll be posting most on facebook, so if you'd like to see them make sure to check out the albums I post on there!

Callie, Me, Stacey, & Steve

Us RA's were assigned to our dorms last Thursday, and then everyone moved to their respective new homes on Sunday. We were actually all staying at Storch for the first week, so I didn't have to move far! I just now finished painting my room, so I have yet to move my stuff up and arrange furniture. Ikea trip on Saturday! One other exciting piece of news about dorm placement is the people I am working with. The dorm parents here at Storch are Steve and Stacey Babich, and I'm excited to get to know them better! This is their second year here, so we've been learning a lot from them about how things work around here and the girls that will be arriving in a week for the school year. Grateful to have some experienced people to help figure all this out! They've been very welcoming, and I'm happy to get to work with them. The other RA in Storch is a wonderful young woman by the name of Callie Buchholz...who happened to graduate from JBU as well! (There is another RA from JBU, too...as well as other dorm parents...and BFA staff...represent!! Didn't know any of them before though.) Callie and I are learning all the ins and outs together, and I'm grateful that she's around to go through this experience with me! Excited to see all God will be doing in our dorm over the next 2 years, and how He will build us up as a team!

Lovely view from a local mountain, Hochblauen

The last couple weeks have been just packed full of all sorts of things. We've had German language classes, All New Staff Orientation, Res. Life meetings/training, learning how to drive here and where things are (including school campuses, dorms, hospital, orthodontist, doctors' offices, grocery stores, gas station, etc.), mission dinners, dorm chores and cooking, room painting, etc etc. And all of this is taking place in a country where I don't speak the language (you should have seen me try to buy paint for my room using the few words I know and lots of hand motions with English all in the mix...haha), where customs and rules are different, the food is different, even the toilets are different. This is all good, and I'm so glad that I get to experience this! But I AM on information overload and quite tired. Fortunately I really didn't have much trouble getting over jet-lag, so that's a big praise! I just ask that you pray that I would be as prepared as possible, including energy-wise, for when the girls arrive. By the way, I've had several of them friend me on facebook and saying that they're excited to come and meet us newbies. I'm so excited for them to come, too!!! Really looking forward to starting to develop relationships with these girls. I will definitely be keeping you all up to date on how it goes! Prayers appreciated!

On the Rhein in Basel, Switzerland

So next week is All Staff Orientation, and more Res. Life training, so we'll continue to stay busy! Students start arriving on Sept. 2, and then we're off! As in starting a race, not going on vacation haha. There are tons of details that I could get into, but it's after 11:00pm here and I've been going at it all day today, so I think I'll hold off for now, and hopefully I'll get another post in soon with more details! I would love to hear from you, so feel free to email me or message me on facebook!

I Chronicles 16:28

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ja Deustchland!

I'm in Deutschland folks!!!

Me and my precious brother Caleb at the airport

After last week's scrambling to get everything done, throwing out, cleaning, storing, packing, and saying hard goodbyes, I'm actually here. I left Thursday morning at 6:00am, so I had to be at the airport at 4:00am (ick!). Only got 2 hours of sleep, and when I got to the airport found out that all three of my checked bags were at least 10 pounds under weight, so that was a bit of a bummer, seeing as I'd been getting rid of lots of stuff that I thought I couldn't take with me. Oh well. Just a lesson in letting go of that which is really not important! I said a teary farewell to my parents, Hannah, and Caleb, and boarded the plane to Chicago. I had a 9 hour layover there, so I tried to sleep some in the terminal, but just managed a couple hours or so of light and interrupted dozing. From Chicago I flew to London, which takes a little under 8 hours. I sat in the same row as a young man from Germany, so it was nice to converse with him about where I was going and what his impression was of the USA. Didn't sleep a wink the whole time though. As we were getting nearer to London the sun was coming up, and I got to see a glimpse of Ireland!!! If you know me well, you know that that is a big deal. One of these days I'll get there! I had a short wait in London and then it was off to Basel-Mulhouse. In the airport there I figured out how to get through on the French side, got my passport stamped, picked up my luggage (didn't even have to wait for it as it was coming out on the belt as I walked in), and met Calvin, our Res. Life supervisor, who was there to pick me up. It was a seamless and uneventful trip, thank God!

Scenery around Holzen

On the drive from Basel to Holzen Calvin pointed out where the borders to France, Switzerland, and Germany all were (I was in England, France, and Germany all in one day!), what some of the road signs meant, and gave me some general info about the area. The scenery is beautiful, lots of green fields and small villages crowded with peaked-roof houses. We got to Hölzen, a village not too far from Kandern, where one of the school dorms is. This dorm is called Storchenblick, meaning something like “stork view” or “view of the storks” due to the large population of storks living in the area. There are a few perched atop the church across the street! All of the RA's are staying at Storch for this first week of orientation. It's been great to get to know them and share the start of this new era together! God truly has been amazing in His provision for all of us. Several of us were unsure even just a few short days ago whether we would be able to come at this time or not. But there is only one RA who is not yet here, and she gets here on Tuesday! Praise the Lord! He is good!

Shopping in Lörrach

Orientation officially starts tomorrow (Monday) morning. We will be having German classes in the mornings this whole week, as well as learning to drive in Germany, and other Res. Life training. We have orientation for the next 3 weeks, and then students arrive, so we will be busy bees! On Thursday we will be finding out which dorms we are assigned to, and I think we're all anxious to know, but enjoying our time together all the same. Today we had church at Black Forest Community Fellowship, an English-speaking church that holds its services at BFA and which we will be attending with the students during our time here. The people were very welcoming, and I'm excited to better know who they are. All of the Res. Life staff had lunch and supper together today here at Storch, which was delicious and great to get to know not only RA's better but also dorm parents and our Res. Life supervisor and other staff.

Some of the RA's on a walk in the country-side

Well, it's 7 hours later here than in Arkansas, so I'll be heading to bed soon. I was able to push through Friday without taking any naps or falling asleep early so that I could start my new sleep schedule as soon as possible. It was hard but it's working! I slept 13 hours that first night, and I've had almost no jet-lag since! Yay! Hopefully it'll stay that way!

I'll try to keep you guys updated on how orientation is going. I've already butchered my way through ordering pizza and ice cream in German, so I'm excited to get into some classes! Please pray that I would have the energy and emotional strength to keep up with everything that's going on. I have a feeling that it's going to get harder than it has been pretty quickly with all the new information that we'll be taking in. I appreciate it!!

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Great Things He Has Done

How do I even start this blog post? So much has happened in such a short period of time. God has proven to me that time limits are no match for him!! This past weekend I reached 97% of funding!!! What?!?! It's incredible!! I started planning like I would be leaving this week, but I also was quite prepared to have to wait a little longer...an option I thought was more likely. Just being honest here. I knew God could pull it off if He wanted to...I just didn't know if He wanted to!! Sometimes God's timing isn't quite what we think it should be, and that's ok, cause let's face it, God knows better. But He just blew my doubts out of the water this time! What an amazing confirmation and provision! I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father for this great gift, and I'm thankful to all you His children for joining this work and partnering with me!! THANK YOU!! My plane tickets have been purchased, and I will be heading out early in the morning on Thursday, August 9^th. Wow.

Last Hurrah at Greenhouse Grill with great friends!

I now sit amidst a bunch of boxes, suitcases, piles of stuff, trash bags, etc. I completely took over the living room (sheepish grin aimed at my very gracious parents :), and have been in a process of sorting, throwing out, packing, unpacking, repacking, and generally running around in a bewildered and flustered manner. So much to do! I feel sort of like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland...I'm not late, but I feel rushed! It's especially difficult because I want to spend as much quality time with loved ones as possible before I leave, as well. I've been saying goodbyes to friends, having “last hurrah” get togethers, eating at some of my favorite places before I leave, and the like. My last day at church was this past Sunday, and I had the honor of being prayed for in both services by our interim pastor. I was able to spend some time with my little brother Caleb yesterday, catching crawdads in the creek, eating milkshakes, and watching a movie. I don't even like to think about saying goodbye to my parents and siblings. I already said goodbye to my brother John when I was in California. It's no fun. After all these years of saying goodbye it doesn't get much easier. Please pray for me in this difficult time of busy-ness, chaos, and sorrow, as well as excitement for all that is coming. Pray for peace, comfort, and strength for myself and my family as I have my last day here in Arkansas. Pray for travel mercies (and luggage mercies haha) as I embark on this journey. I appreciate it! It is wonderful to know that I am not alone in this...I am accompanied by my Father God and by many of you in prayers and thoughts.

I would try to write more, but it's nearly 1:00am and my brain is fried. Please forgive me for the shortish post on such a crazy-awesome few days that deserve more, or at least better, words. The next time I post it will hopefully be from Germany!!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

A Poem

So I've been sorting through a bunch of papers and junk that's lying in my room, and besides the precious letters that I found from a bunch of 2nd graders (I will miss them so much!!), I found this poem that I wrote a couple years ago. It's not some fabulous specimen of poetic artistry or anything, but maybe someone will be encouraged by it...

Up, my heart!

Desert this bog of despair 

that would you devour,

ever seeking to clamp its jaws,

a vile dog desperate for the kill.

Light, that double-edged sword,

swings swift and true,

piercing the jackal's maw,

extracting poison-tipped lies.

Grow angel's wings

and soar to heaven!

Tread the streets of gold.

Be not troubled for

tomorrow's mourning,

but clothe yourself,

daughter of Sharon,

in rosy hues of delight.

Run free in wild ecstasy,

hope pounding in your ears,

and rest assured

in fearless sleep

that dawn will glisten

off the morning dew

your feathers will not weep.

Rocky Mountain High

Emily and Me :)

I'm home again! After a good 4 weeks of traveling over the last month-ish I have to admit that I'm glad to be home. However, I had a great time visiting family and friends!! This post I dedicate to my friend Emily, who I visited in Colorado. She and I were roommates in college for a year, and it was great to spend time with her and her husband, Ryan! So here's a little about what we were up to during my visit...

Being so close to the Rocky Mountains we had to take advantage and go exploring! So one day we took the 4-wheel drive truck up to a place called Rollins Pass. The roads were super duper bumpy and there were huge mud puddles, so of course we drove through them!! :) We found some gorgeous lakes and the scenery was just stunning. The temperature was a lot cooler, too! We went from the 90's at the house to in the 50's on the mountains. It was a lovely little relief! On the way up we saw a German restaurant called Westfalen Hof and decided to go back and eat there for supper on the way home. We did have a little hiccup though...the bumpy roads jiggled the truck's air filter right off! So we had to get that taken care of before we kept on, but it all worked out. I was excited to eat German food, and was even more excited when I found out that the staff was actually from Germany! Our server was actually from Switzerland, but he spoke German. I got a delicious pork meal, the name of which I can't remember, but I did go ahead and try to say it when I ordered! It was a fun time :)

We also took a drive up to Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park another day. It's just gorgeous in the Rockies!! I loved being in the mountains again...felt like home in a way. The Rockies are different from the Andes, but they're still big beautiful mountains! We saw some elk that were grazing, so that was cool.

Other activities included swimming, shooting an air soft pellet hand gun, eating deer steak (yum!), watching “Brave,” and going to IKEA (I had major sensory overload in there! Craziness!). All in all it was a great time!! I'm working on convincing them to visit me in Germany... Any others are welcome to join!

The 10^th of August, the day I'm supposed to be arriving in Germany, is in two weeks from yesterday. What?!?! How did this happen?! I'm telling you, time is a slippery sneaky thing! It hasn't quite hit me yet...I think it might feel like a brick wall when it does... Good news, though! As of today I'm at 59% of funding! Yahoo! Praising the Lord for this progress and thanking all of you who have partnered with me in this way! Last night I had the pleasure of sharing with a group of friends, and that went well, I think. I'm thankful for the encouragers, prayers, and givers! So many amazing people that I know! As I mentioned, there are just 2 weeks left until I'm supposed to be boarding a plane, but I'm still 31% away from being able to do that. That equates to about $540/month that I still need to raise to get to 90%, and $720/month to get to 100%. Would you be willing to partner with me financially? If so, you can donate online following the link that is on the sidebar (there is a PayPal fee deducted for every transaction, FYI), or you can print the pledge form by following the link to the right, filling it out, and sending it to TeachBeyond. You can also contact me if you have any questions!

Thanks friends!

Psalm 95:3-4

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.

Sunny CA

Some of the Tabor clan

Sitting here in my grandma's living room in So. Cal. The sun is out, the breeze is nice. Ahhh. I'm so glad that I was able to come out here for a week to see family and friends before heading off into the great wide yonder. On Saturday we had a cook out at my aunt's house, ate lots of food, saw uncles, aunts, cousins...some of them anyway! There are so many of us that it takes a lot for us to be all together all at once! Been enjoying getting to spend time with my brother John (and his girlfriend!)...and I enjoyed the free iced caramel latte he made me at his work! Thanks, John Boy! :) Wish my sister Hannah could be here, too. I also miss my grandpa. He passed away back in February, and it's been a rough road for family dealing with the loss. But we're so grateful for the life he lived and for the life he's living now in the presence of the Lord. Just this morning I was reading in 1 Thessalonians about having hope for those who go before us...they fall asleep, but are raised in Christ. What a wonderful encouragement and gift!

Talking at the church, LCF

Yesterday I was able to go visit a church that my family has been connected to for a while, and was happy when they asked me to share about going to Germany with them during the service. I was blessed by their encouragement, prayers, interest, and generosity. Came at just the right time! God knows these things...His timing is so good.

I'll be here in CA for the next few days, and will be heading to Colorado on Friday to spend a few days with a good friend of mine there. So grateful for this time of visiting, but am getting a little stressed about everything that needs to be done! Please pray for peace and strength to get everything done that I need to do, and that I fully enjoy these precious times with dear ones. Also please pray for traveling mercies for myself and for my family. They will be going up to Canada on Saturday to see my dad's family. I am not making that trip this time, since I was up there in January, but I will miss seeing that side of my family this time around. My Grandpa Peters has been having some heart troubles and blood pressure issues, so I ask that you also keep him in your prayers.

In regards to finances I am (unofficially) at about 49%. Praise the Lord for His good gifts! Just to remind you, though, I am not able to leave until I am at least at 90%, so if you are interested or know of anyone who might be interested in partnering with me financially, please let me know! My email is mpeters@teachbeyond.org. My ideal departure date is around August 8, so there are just a few weeks left! Questions, comments, suggestions...send them my way!!

Thank you so much for reading this blog, for sharing this journey with me! You are loved and appreciated!

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Getting Out of the Boat

I like Peter. He was just a guy, ya know? A sort of “open mouth, insert foot” kind of guy. I bet he was thinking something like that when he saw Jesus walking across the water to the boat the disciples were in and said, “Lord, if it's you tell me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). After he said it I can imagine him biting his tongue and thinking, “Why the heck did I just say that?!” I mean, getting out of a boat into turbulent waters to walk to this guy who is standing on top of the water telling you to go over to him is a bit crazy, right? And scary! But Peter had to put his money where his mouth was, so he got out of the boat and started walking on the water towards Jesus, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'” Fortunately for Peter, Jesus immediately reached out and saved him from drowning. Then Jesus told him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got back in the boat the wind died down and everyone worshiped Jesus.

Maybe your boat looks more like this ;)

I've been thinking about this account a lot recently. We all have a boat...maybe a yacht, maybe a leaky canoe...but that boat sure feels good when we're out in the water and there's a lot of wind and waves. I feel comfortable in my house, with my family, things I know, people I know, places I know, safety. It's a good place to be, right? Well, I think the Lord gives good things to His children, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the familiar and comfortable. But sometimes He wants us to take a risk...sometimes He calls us to get out of the boat and walk on water. That's the first big step; actually getting out of the boat. So there you are, standing on water, perhaps a little wobbly, but you made the decision to obey and have taken a leap of faith. You keep your eyes on Jesus and start walking towards him, amazed at how you are not sinking. And then the word “sinking” becomes a little clearer in your mind and you start wondering what's going on around you...you see the waves, you feel the wind buffeting your clothes, the water splashes you, and maybe there's a great white shark swimming around you in circles (eek!!). You take your eyes off of Jesus and all of a sudden you aren't floating anymore, but sinking in despair and fear. That great white is thinking he's going to have a tasty snack! You cry out to Jesus to save you...and He does! Jesus didn't tell Peter, “You know, I'm kind of disappointed that you looked away so I'm going to let you keep sinking until the last possible moment and make you wonder if I'm going to save you.” No, he immediately reached out and took Peter's hand.

Making a decision to be a missionary in Germany was definitely a getting out of the boat decision for me. And now it's a matter of keeping my eyes on Jesus. There are so many things to distract me, to pull me down. I'll admit that sometimes those waves look pretty intimidating, and I start to feel the water rising around me. I'm so grateful that Jesus is there to grab my hand and pull me up as soon as I cry out to Him to save me. I have a feeling that I'll be doing a fair bit of crying out to Jesus over the next couple years, but what a beautiful gift to have such a Savior. While I pray that my faith will be strengthened and that I would look away less and less, even when I do start to sink and have to be saved I end up in the same state as the disciples on the boat were...worship.

Psalm 105:1-4

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.