tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13260270063387977102024-02-06T23:03:18.067-06:00Melissa's Musings & Other TalesMelissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-45385252740124459292014-03-05T08:35:00.000-06:002014-03-05T08:35:05.428-06:00Happenings<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Greetings all! It is March 2014. I have
to admit that I'm very glad to have 2013 behind me. Really major
unexpected losses over the last year, as well as other challenges,
made it what I would name as the worst year of my life to date. God
has been faithful through it all and has drawn me closer to Him and
His heart, but talk about trials and tribulations. Can't say that I'm
quite where James would have me be to “consider it pure joy,” but
the Lord is growing me into a woman of greater perseverance. He is
teaching me to keep my eyes on Him and that which is unseen and
eternal. My many flaws often get in the way, but He hasn't given up
on me, for which I am tremendously grateful.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTP0nQdOuUX0qjHsMq10KZnZ39kEHEJ4Enh1QVmOtnuA8TmmrtmYFomPlTk5bei6wbHnfDhsmbbE0V764SUHGJ4YPEPu-pgEnm8csfohy64YMd-6ZFXkFFG3Xn-MfBN_v2CjLRDOzC5dNU/s1600/Brotzeit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTP0nQdOuUX0qjHsMq10KZnZ39kEHEJ4Enh1QVmOtnuA8TmmrtmYFomPlTk5bei6wbHnfDhsmbbE0V764SUHGJ4YPEPu-pgEnm8csfohy64YMd-6ZFXkFFG3Xn-MfBN_v2CjLRDOzC5dNU/s1600/Brotzeit.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German style "bread time" at home in AR</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was able to go home to Arkansas for
Christmas break, and it was a blessing I truly needed. It was wonderful to spend time with my family, and I greatly appreciated
being able to go through the difficult holiday season with them. We
missed John oh so much as we tried to celebrate as best we could. I
think we managed pretty well, but it wasn't easy. My grandmother and
one of my uncles and his family spent Christmas with us at our house.
It was lovely to see them, and they filled the house with chatter and
laughter, making the house seem not quite so empty without my
brother. While I was in AR I was also able to catch up with some
friends and supporters, and even was able to attend the wedding of one of my best friends. I am very grateful for the generosity of
those who gave so I could be there for a few weeks. Thank you!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VUTH6pfNKeOu8z31FDvLsirlSRASyjRu8lYhZSyUyS28QjklckiXfcSXQorvuXRRxLDcTVWVxApw4CvXnx0btVQUuq9OZW9G2iHqzIaFYSfSYDomGHXDTu_lbB926nQvzXiOM9NeB2Cj/s1600/Snowy+hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VUTH6pfNKeOu8z31FDvLsirlSRASyjRu8lYhZSyUyS28QjklckiXfcSXQorvuXRRxLDcTVWVxApw4CvXnx0btVQUuq9OZW9G2iHqzIaFYSfSYDomGHXDTu_lbB926nQvzXiOM9NeB2Cj/s1600/Snowy+hike.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from my hike on Jan. 25</td></tr>
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There were a couple other significant
dates that I faced when I returned to Germany in early January. John
would have turned 24 on January 25. I thought a lot about how to
celebrate and remember him, and ended up deciding that coffee and a
hike were in order, seeing as those were two of his favorite things.
So I went out for coffee with my co-RA, Tara, and then later went on
a hike up to one of our local castle ruins with another RA friend,
Jessica. The other date was February 24, the one year marker of
John's death. I took a few days off from dorm duties and stayed with
a couple in town in order to have some space and privacy. I am
grateful for the cooperation from Res Life staff in this. I spent a
good portion of the day with my former dorm parents, Steve and
Stacey. We watched the videos of John's funeral and talked. When the
Storch girls got home from school one of them came into the apartment
where I was and gave me a big hug and asked if she could pray for me.
What a blessing! I went on a walk into the vineyards as it was a
lovely sunny day and spent a while sitting on a bench where I had a
view of the Alps and the surrounding hills and villages. It was very
beautiful. I just wished that John could be sitting by me enjoying
the scenery and talking about life. I miss him so much. I got to talk
to my family over Skype on both of those days, and while I am so very
grateful for the technology that allows me to see them and talk to
them from far away, it is really different from being with them in
person. It is difficult to be so far away from family as I continue
to grieve. The Lord has been gracious in providing friends here in
Germany to be supportive and encouraging, but please pray that He
would give me the strength to continue this journey over the next few
months so far from home.
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8sBLlD3TfF6Mc6ggY_l21-2wTbycInTuw3FK-XcdkIevDopLVGVllgcIDZAxFbBpCy_EjabfLeTZEjFwtQpwT4fTDFZZBNrVeIL9uF4b0J9SJafJl9Pw8cu2j0ZiWcTkb21pinjepBSA/s1600/Train+station+with+Emma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8sBLlD3TfF6Mc6ggY_l21-2wTbycInTuw3FK-XcdkIevDopLVGVllgcIDZAxFbBpCy_EjabfLeTZEjFwtQpwT4fTDFZZBNrVeIL9uF4b0J9SJafJl9Pw8cu2j0ZiWcTkb21pinjepBSA/s1600/Train+station+with+Emma.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for a train with Emma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There have been some great things
happening for our kids here at BFA. Four of my Liel girls played on
the varsity basketball team, and they won the DoDDS Division II
Basketball Tournament in Wiesbaden! First time in BFA history for the
girls to win. So proud of them! We were able to stream the game live
at the dorm, so we watched and cheered as they made their way to
victory. Soccer try-outs have been happening over the last couple
days, and just today we found out that all 3 of our girls that tried
out made it onto the varsity team! I love soccer, and I really look
forward to seeing them play at their home games. The entire high
school also went on a retreat to Nuremburg over this past weekend,
where they got to stay in a castle! The castle had been turned into a
youth hostel, so they had all the modern amenities. They were pretty
excited about it! When the girls came back they told us that it was a
great weekend and that the speaker did a good job. They got to spend
time with their small groups, which I think they really enjoyed.
</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the things I started doing with
some of the girls is reading to them before bed every Thursday night.
We are reading “Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast” by
Robin McKinley. It's one of my favorites, and I'm loving getting to
share it with them. There is a handful of girls that come into my
room and curl up on the “couches” as I light some candles, and I
set out my store of chocolates and candies for them to munch on as I
read (not healthy, I know, but whatevs). It's been fun.
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiOeRPt34OsJU5BnVOuVacwzlCz4fiL944D4ZDs9mwyBW4OF-faJnyB_I3LeNykDGSNB-xSOqpMDUhJkbklCMWoscjF77I_XpMODzx_Inyc3cO6aO_WdLrVBLyA1UQvFDlAopYRC9oiVx/s1600/Barcelona+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMiOeRPt34OsJU5BnVOuVacwzlCz4fiL944D4ZDs9mwyBW4OF-faJnyB_I3LeNykDGSNB-xSOqpMDUhJkbklCMWoscjF77I_XpMODzx_Inyc3cO6aO_WdLrVBLyA1UQvFDlAopYRC9oiVx/s1600/Barcelona+group.jpg" height="254" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With friends in Barcelona</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Coming up in April I will be attending
a conference in Turkey during the first week of Spring Break. I'm
looking forward to meeting up with other members of our organization
that I met at orientation in Minneapolis in 2012, as well as
discovering a new country! I was able to take a weekend trip to
Barcelona, Spain in February with a few other RA's, and that was fun,
too. Loved to see Gaudi's Sagrada Familia cathedral, and speak in
Spanish with the locals (even though they predominantly speak
Catalan).
</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I know this is a long post, and I
apologize once again for how they are so few and far between. Ever
since my brother's passing I've had a much harder time staying on top
of things like blog posts. Thanks for your patience and grace. Please
be in prayer for me and my dorm staff as we stive to bring glory to
the Lord in our working relationships and with the girls. There are
definitely some really stressful challenges that we face, so your
prayers are much needed and appreciated! I have personally felt the
effect of them. So thank you, dear ones! The Lord is working in ways
in which we are completely unaware, but sometimes He lets us see
hints of what He's doing, and it's wonderful.<br />
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5laqhZS8UPW5NI7nFMqAKtopUpjusJjtsG2yBckminASSndZpLL2VwwfYqZfoaJHFMJra7-RVI0tuYjme6eN8LPoSq79XkqyzZWOz3iBsFjUw6BkSa3mcWby8VR4Rcv2DINwub_O05n26/s1600/Christmas+banquet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5laqhZS8UPW5NI7nFMqAKtopUpjusJjtsG2yBckminASSndZpLL2VwwfYqZfoaJHFMJra7-RVI0tuYjme6eN8LPoSq79XkqyzZWOz3iBsFjUw6BkSa3mcWby8VR4Rcv2DINwub_O05n26/s1600/Christmas+banquet.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liel Ladies at Christmas Banquet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Isaiah 57:18-19</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“I have seen his ways, but I will
heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating
praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those
far and near,” says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-80561166296035273342013-11-21T06:21:00.000-06:002013-11-21T06:21:48.700-06:00Life at Liel Haus<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This post is long overdue. There is no
way I will be able to share everything from the last 3 months, but I
will try to give you a good idea of what life at Liel Haus has been
like.
</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vjLpa8zzqlJyGtwDsBJO3PJO7ziSmRr5US-blpimuH0q6NycBlQr0y8vEw_s-asaRydBxtIgRxAxAw7AfrM4v82_Wzi3DAvcbq99TCzBjg50ABtDzmuRLHWnpysucggIBpiEgXnNZvNU/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vjLpa8zzqlJyGtwDsBJO3PJO7ziSmRr5US-blpimuH0q6NycBlQr0y8vEw_s-asaRydBxtIgRxAxAw7AfrM4v82_Wzi3DAvcbq99TCzBjg50ABtDzmuRLHWnpysucggIBpiEgXnNZvNU/s320/067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma, Ruthy, Me, Esther, and Lea at bowling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I explained in my previous post, I
had to change dorms due to German regulations. The transition and
adjustment hasn't been easy, but I can see God's hand upon the
process. Firstly, I want to say that I just LOVE my Liel Ladies!!
What a precious group of girls. They have been so accepting and
welcoming, bringing me into life at Liel with sweet attitudes and
kindness. I am so appreciative. I admit that I was worried in the
beginning that there would be some uncomfortable feelings about split
loyalties between dorms, but I haven't encountered that. I've greatly
enjoyed getting to know them all and sharing life with them. I love
the times that I get to see my Storchies, too. I've been able to go
to Storch a couple times to hang out, and I see them at the school
every now and then. I love the hugs. I do miss seeing them every day
and hearing about how they are doing, but I'm grateful for the
moments that I do have with them. I just have double the love now!
</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6DBCRmZE-tEivschT8sogccYLd5bAwjozN8emVlGk-0hfOm-m829MCKr7XvgCfBG6fv3g8CM7u0vbT3arf0wCoNy549kPcbuzJYTv_j7X1Xg0iwsGyI9iDUtQt_Dp_UMLdaTwj7TKiHm/s1600/Liel+Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6DBCRmZE-tEivschT8sogccYLd5bAwjozN8emVlGk-0hfOm-m829MCKr7XvgCfBG6fv3g8CM7u0vbT3arf0wCoNy549kPcbuzJYTv_j7X1Xg0iwsGyI9iDUtQt_Dp_UMLdaTwj7TKiHm/s320/Liel+Family.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liel Family at Thanksgiving celebration</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Adjusting to a new dorm staff has been
harder. I appreciate and enjoy the dorm<span id="goog_1812758186"></span><span id="goog_1812758187"></span> parents and my co-RA, but
it's hard to start over with a new staff, new dorm, new girls, new
town, etc. We say in Res. Life that working with your dorm staff is
kind of like being in an arranged marriage. You don't have the
relationship already built on trust and mutual respect, but you have
to get to that point very quickly in order to maintain a loving
working home for the students. Sometimes it's harder than others due
to personalities, ways of being brought up, convictions, etc. We've
had our difficulties, but we've been able to talk through a lot of
things and make progress. I believe the Lord is working on all our
hearts and teaching us lessons that will be valuable for the rest of
our lives, not just for this season in the dorm. We want to be
unified in Christ and in our team for ourselves as well as our girls.
I know God has asked us all to be here at this time, and we trust
that He knows what is best. Please remember us in your prayers that
we would build stronger relationships with each other and love each
other through our differences. One thing I am very grateful for is
that we all love a good laugh! They say laughter is the best
medicine...well, it may not be the best, but it sure is a good one!
Love the fun times that we share.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzba5UTEM0QyXLRsq8gVoppE5XGNnRerqOcdWgd4wlACVrNM7Jt8S_NMabhTkVkU9OGCevxEGJvW7cadYxX_bdF9kXOnv6-H8VCueIL5kTxeeALYWFd6VTLgjWFQgSGuSDHu5W0cOyyZX/s1600/Hannah+whip+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzba5UTEM0QyXLRsq8gVoppE5XGNnRerqOcdWgd4wlACVrNM7Jt8S_NMabhTkVkU9OGCevxEGJvW7cadYxX_bdF9kXOnv6-H8VCueIL5kTxeeALYWFd6VTLgjWFQgSGuSDHu5W0cOyyZX/s320/Hannah+whip+cream.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A birthday whipped cream pie in the face!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It's now nearing the end of November,
and today we are having our first <span id="goog_992583777"></span><span id="goog_992583778"></span>snowfall of the season. This winter
has been much slower in coming than last year, something that we are
all grateful for! The warmer weather and more days of sunshine help
tremendously with life in general. Volleyball season has ended and
basketball just started. I had 3 girls on the volleyball teams, and
now I have 5 on the basketball teams. Glad that they are able to do
something they love, be active, and enjoy being a part of a team. The
high school choir is leaving today for a trip to Vienna, where they
will be performing at several different venues. I have 4 girls on
that trip. Our dorm had a retreat a few weeks ago to a place not too
far from here. The town, Titisee, is up in the mountains by a lake.
It was really beautiful, but very cold! We walked around the town and
looked at the shops, then went to an indoor water park and enjoyed
splashing around and going on slides, then had a nice dinner at a
Chinese restaurant. It was fun to take the girls somewhere out of
town and just enjoy one another's company. We have also already
celebrated Thanksgiving at the dorm. We had nearly 30 people packed
into our living/dining room and fed them turkey, sweet potato
casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce,
dinner rolls, stuffing, and 8 pies! It was quite the spread. I was
thankful to be surrounded by such lovely people, even though it's
always hard to be away from family during the holidays.
</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1PFNuz3aZq8WR95dsolLlI0J1Hd-e-N9HrMpyWDXIMz0DsmZ5eRkE0tfkHmFYIO9O0XJlL9uur65RvDWehw9uroj9F57Jud3EgCFaSlM5az_se_lY5dxy2-c5aWAjHAdzCdq9DSyqrxT/s1600/Tara+Me+Castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1PFNuz3aZq8WR95dsolLlI0J1Hd-e-N9HrMpyWDXIMz0DsmZ5eRkE0tfkHmFYIO9O0XJlL9uur65RvDWehw9uroj9F57Jud3EgCFaSlM5az_se_lY5dxy2-c5aWAjHAdzCdq9DSyqrxT/s320/Tara+Me+Castle.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara & I at a castle in Luxembourg</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In terms of schedule things look pretty
similar to how they were at Storch. I stay busy with staff meetings,
grocery shopping, laundry, and cooking in the mornings, have a little
free time before the girls get home, and then spend the rest of the
day with them, chatting, eating, helping with homework, watching TV
shows, cleaning, etc. During the weekends there are often school
events going on, or we plan something fun to do as a dorm. And of
course the girls have weekend chores and homework to do. All in all,
BFA life is pretty busy for everyone. I think we're all looking
forward to Christmas break, just 23 days away! I get to go home this
year to spend the holiday with my family (praise Jesus!). It's going
to be really good to be with them, but it's also going to be very
hard seeing as it's the first Christmas without John. We're already
dreading the hardship of it, and experiencing it, too. My heart aches
dreadfully with the sorrow, and some days I feel like I just can't
handle it. God has been gracious in the pain, and my staff has been
understanding of my need to occasionally have some time away to
process and grieve. But there is no way around it...it's just hard.
So I thank you for your continued prayers for me and my family in
this, as well.
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</span>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Deuteronomy 33:27a </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“The eternal God is your refuge, and
underneath are the everlasting arms.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-1672471512161064612013-08-20T17:59:00.000-05:002013-08-20T17:59:01.583-05:00The Unexpected
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I don't know how to begin this post, so
I will begin by saying I don't know how to begin. That should do the
trick.
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLAWcsO2nxHXBosGr5y9T4lGa-yJULQhlqf_MOgfwNt2bWnwDXrs6bJTP4bnRfsIXr1RZK0caNEzlXI92HqfJ_pZ4gn92KPaRO6UuCOPanIQuUyDU-QWtAfTMwioClDfOJWtBLfGBCdjU/s1600/John's+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLAWcsO2nxHXBosGr5y9T4lGa-yJULQhlqf_MOgfwNt2bWnwDXrs6bJTP4bnRfsIXr1RZK0caNEzlXI92HqfJ_pZ4gn92KPaRO6UuCOPanIQuUyDU-QWtAfTMwioClDfOJWtBLfGBCdjU/s320/John's+tree.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John's memorial tree with a plaque we made</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Since my last post I traveled to the
USA and returned to Germany. I spent</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">nearly 8 weeks back in Arkansas
with my family. It was a blessed time to be with loved ones and rest.
I didn't do a whole lot, but I rested, went camping a couple times,
visited with some people, and went to California to go to my cousin's
wedding and visit John's grave site. While it may not have been the
most eventful summer ever, I feel more prepared to face this year at
BFA because of it. And I will never complain about being able to
spend time with my family. How precious they are to me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The school year ended fairly well back
in June, and though it was hard to say goodbye to my 3 seniors, I am
excited for their future endeavors and all they will learn. Please
pray with me as they enter this first year out of high school that
they would rely on the Lord's strength and grace to see them through
all the transitions and adjustments. When I left Storch for the
summer, I felt grateful for the rest, but I was also excited to have
my second year back at the dorm with the girls. I had been able to
get to know them over the course of the year and was looking forward
to building on that. When I came back to Germany almost 2 weeks ago,
I was still looking forward to it. I was envisioning how our team
would work to improve our partnership and make the dorm feel even
more like home, how I would strive to deepen relationships with the
girls, and how it would be to see them through another year at BFA.
But if there's one thing I've learned recently, it's that the
unexpected has a way of showing its face where you least expect it.
Go figure.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzDxj5G9IJCpF-KQTCpSlPDbB3uhYle9_h81K9oz4Dhi6iVacF9OE5JA-Irqhd1gA591frdrlXzbZHu4yXSw582t9uz4ALi42JaZElJIKpBq41cBQWCMPlugGx0Yr5o0CvbtrVbvi5BuL/s1600/Liel+Dorm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzDxj5G9IJCpF-KQTCpSlPDbB3uhYle9_h81K9oz4Dhi6iVacF9OE5JA-Irqhd1gA591frdrlXzbZHu4yXSw582t9uz4ALi42JaZElJIKpBq41cBQWCMPlugGx0Yr5o0CvbtrVbvi5BuL/s320/Liel+Dorm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liel Dorm, in the town of Liel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A couple days after returning to
Germany, our dorm staff was called into a meeting with our Residence
Life supervisors, who explained to us that the German Youth Authority
has regulations regarding the degrees held by Res Life dorm staff.
They require that one staff member per every 12 students holds a
Bachelor's Degree in either Social Work, Education, or Psychology.
They were willing to overlook the exact ratio as long as there was at
least one person in the dorm who had one of those degrees.
Unfortunately, Storchenblick was the only dorm that had zero staff
with such a degree. My co-RA, Callie, has made a commitment to stay
at BFA for a total of 3 years, while my commitment stands at 2, so
our administration decided it would be best if I were to be the one
to go in order to maintain as much consistency for our girls as
possible. This makes sense. It was also very hard to hear. And it
came as a complete shock. We tried to appeal to the government by
arguing that my degree (Intercultural Studies) could qualify me to
work in certain areas of Social Work, and also by providing evidence
that I was employed in the field of education for the 3 years prior
to coming to BFA. This wasn't sufficient, however, so I am now no
longer a part of the Storch dorm staff. I was able to give my
supervisors my preference for where I would be placed, and now find
myself an RA at Liel dorm, a girl's dorm with 13 high schoolers.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5xM8KOO8WdIDDi4Cy0-R7LyPBHAj7okdQ2A38dJ2UJS-InzENmlR39q1xxMAvVLbHHOdB1cXHW5fNqFIWs2dTKENAIL55hT94XmLmZGFfrbQLbr2DEBqp5D4Wr_Z1AckQBxv4K0b-cgd/s1600/Liel+Staff+Van.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX5xM8KOO8WdIDDi4Cy0-R7LyPBHAj7okdQ2A38dJ2UJS-InzENmlR39q1xxMAvVLbHHOdB1cXHW5fNqFIWs2dTKENAIL55hT94XmLmZGFfrbQLbr2DEBqp5D4Wr_Z1AckQBxv4K0b-cgd/s320/Liel+Staff+Van.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Liel dorm staff!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While I am grieved and disappointed
over the unexpected loss of my life at Storch, I am looking forward
to getting to know the Liel girls and loving on them this year. The
dorm parents here, Mike and Sabina Tackett, are new as well. They
have two precious little boys, and I'm sure the girls will love to
have them here! My co-RA is Tara Ritzenthaler. She is a huge blessing
to me in all of this because over the last year we have developed a
wonderful friendship. I am happy to be able to serve with her and the
Tacketts here at Liel. It is currently and will continue to be a
significant change and adjustment for me. I am going through yet
another process of grief as I make this transition, but at the same
time I am certain that God still wants me here to serve as an RA this
year, and apparently He wants me at Liel. So I wait in anticipation
to see what plans He has in store for us as a dorm this year.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Please remember me in your prayers. I
find myself very tired of all the loss that I've experienced in the
last 6 months. One of my former students from when I worked in
Arkansas passed away this spring, and while I was home this summer
one of my friends from college took her own life. This is the same
friend I mentioned in my last post who encouraged me after John's
passing by telling me that the unseen is more real than the seen. I
don't know why the Lord is allowing me to go through this time of
testing and stretching, but pray that it is a process of refinement,
that He would be bringing forth the gold and removing the impurities.
I don't like being on the anvil, but if this is what it takes to get
me where He wants me, then so be it. But please pray for extra
strength and grace, especially during this period of transition for
me. My stress levels and emotions are pretty heightened, which
doesn't make it any easier. Thank you for your support in this.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAtqtendlueN1oPuO6n81pr_WyDHDxBJskg6Wh_Lzyy0xngqVJ_sZKuGktovTMAFjq8lqUXnkQ3PV8l8wudN6Ki3C8_JMg9ztvis1FAKCrWljV24fWfHPrZryJPow_YOVaz4306IuMGD9/s1600/Tara+Me+pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAtqtendlueN1oPuO6n81pr_WyDHDxBJskg6Wh_Lzyy0xngqVJ_sZKuGktovTMAFjq8lqUXnkQ3PV8l8wudN6Ki3C8_JMg9ztvis1FAKCrWljV24fWfHPrZryJPow_YOVaz4306IuMGD9/s320/Tara+Me+pizza.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara and I on dorm staff outing to Colmar, France</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I also ask that you would pray for
Storch as they transition with getting a new RA, a few new girls, and
losing the ones that graduated. Pray that I would be able to maintain
my relationships with them even though it will look different now.
Pray for Liel as we build our new team and prepare to welcome our
girls. Pray that the girls would be ready to come back and open to
forming new relationships with dorm staff. This is a very transient
community that we live in at BFA, and it's not easy to have people
come and go constantly in one's life. I know these are a lot of
things to remember, but know that I am so very grateful for this team
of prayer warriors, encouragers, and supporters that God has put
together for this journey. You are loved.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A passage of Scripture that the Lord
gave to me during my time of waiting on the decision of my dorm
placement comes from Psalms. I was feeling very anxious about it all,
and needed this reminder that God <i>alone</i> is my constant, my
hope, my salvation. I think this will become a theme verse for the
year/for forever.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Psalm 62: 5-8</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my
hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my
fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on
God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O
people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-79510453223718283672013-06-12T10:49:00.001-05:002013-06-12T10:49:56.449-05:00When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is a very difficult post for me to
write. I've been putting it off for a long time. In the last one I
wrote, I talked about how looking into the new year full of
possibilities was scary but exciting. Little did I realize that the
hardest experience of my life to date would occur just weeks later.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8RxspbPCbdtLitBcvkiWAIHELJYg-Arr3eX_tuhpFPVvh-4is_kVmzovwqX80EkJPgeZ2TJJW9bIln5e-bWRoyo1TNg_BBGmoJ0eUZ9aP_ITrm1fPrGCkWsTKsVQaqiPRNKtxNdU0D-2/s1600/Handsome+John.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8RxspbPCbdtLitBcvkiWAIHELJYg-Arr3eX_tuhpFPVvh-4is_kVmzovwqX80EkJPgeZ2TJJW9bIln5e-bWRoyo1TNg_BBGmoJ0eUZ9aP_ITrm1fPrGCkWsTKsVQaqiPRNKtxNdU0D-2/s400/Handsome+John.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John. What a beautiful smile he had.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaVU3newPeZosj2PwniZrJ-bLVHKGROgDKRSe-1OyuuGKOO1EdOpow3S2inLCJl9G8asMncx8w238rDoKJmSBYGNYzqKp20k26M7LKW5HdyOH3pipMZklkl3nBCisPPKQ7s78QDlgjTOV/s1600/Handsome+John.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On February 24, at about noon in
California, my little brother, John Clifford Peters, went to be with
the Lord after his heart stopped suddenly while he was at work. He
was just barely 23 years old. He had no previous signs of heart
trouble, and the doctors couldn't figure out what had happened.
Nothing they tried helped, and after about 13 hours there was nothing
left to do. My parents and my brother Caleb mercifully made it to the
hospital the hour that he died and were able to say their goodbyes.
My sister Hannah had stayed back in Arkansas to hold the fort down.
When they had flown out they weren't aware that the situation was
quite as serious as it was, so she didn't know to go. I, of course,
was halfway across the world in Germany. The distance has never felt
so incredibly far and unbearable. Every time the phone rang my
stomach would sink and I would drag myself over to answer. I am so
thankful for Steve, Stacey, and Callie, my fellow dorm staff, who
were there supporting me literally and figuratively during such a
dark hour. With the time difference, I was getting the news in the
evening on that Sunday, and Stacey had a ticket booked for me by 11pm
that night for the next morning. God was gracious in providing a
low-cost ticket with only one layover so that I arrived in Los
Angeles on Monday at about noon. The joy of seeing the rest of my
family was severely diminished due to the circumstances, but I
cherished my time with them and needed to be with them. Residence
Life at BFA was very understanding and gave no complaints about me
being away for 5 weeks.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCvH7JhoZzI3LvzJqIgy36gGmANM_u-4RX5ZIzxSoUk5TFZiMG_YhWZJeUvR1LmT_H0DZPq5Exw0ulOWnL2qFb2S0QL8AYEgFNxiPHMANWg77OKYSvbjgk9EhjnVHfBEZyHlb4c1XPx7j/s1600/John+on+blanket+in+park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCvH7JhoZzI3LvzJqIgy36gGmANM_u-4RX5ZIzxSoUk5TFZiMG_YhWZJeUvR1LmT_H0DZPq5Exw0ulOWnL2qFb2S0QL8AYEgFNxiPHMANWg77OKYSvbjgk9EhjnVHfBEZyHlb4c1XPx7j/s400/John+on+blanket+in+park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously handsome kid. Love this picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The support, sympathy, and prayers of
so many people around the world has been very touching over the last
few months. During that first week we were overwhelmed by the
generosity of John's coworkers and friends as they put on a memorial
benefit at the cafe where he worked to raise money to cover funeral
costs and medical expenses. It was amazing to hear all the stories of
how John, our little John-John, had been impacting so many lives
through his love, kindness, and gentle spirit. I didn't realize that
he was reaching so many people for Christ. I'm so proud of him. The
funeral service was another expression of the love that people have
for him. About 200 people showed up for the viewing and graveside
service, and most everyone wrote a note to John on his casket with a
Sharpie marker (John always carried a Sharpie in his pocket). His
gravesite is on a hillside looking out towards the mountains, ones
that he loved to hike and admire. I like to imagine him hiking the
most amazing mountains ever with Jesus right now.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzb0G5gD_OVERK9enohbCDy7li9yFFDxwlN9IHzYY8nu49PNPXuvej4JueuIuLU7OQgdBzvjHCEbBeV5KmxWlm9x-fOHFg6f25MH9skggDoyM1wUWkQZOaKzepSkXE_L9WPcTlqgtM-0cn/s1600/Family+prayer+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzb0G5gD_OVERK9enohbCDy7li9yFFDxwlN9IHzYY8nu49PNPXuvej4JueuIuLU7OQgdBzvjHCEbBeV5KmxWlm9x-fOHFg6f25MH9skggDoyM1wUWkQZOaKzepSkXE_L9WPcTlqgtM-0cn/s400/Family+prayer+card.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our family in 2003.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There is no way to express the shock at
John's sudden passing, or the pain that cuts to my very core. I
thought that I had experienced some heartbreak before, but nothing
that I've experienced comes close to this. Yes, I have hope in the
salvation of Jesus and that I will see John again one day, but it is
so hard in the meantime. It is difficult to keep our eyes on the
eternal and not the temporal, the unseen rather than the seen. A
friend wrote to me and told me that the unseen is more real than the
seen. The world we live in is merely a shadow of what's to come, and
it will be glorious indeed! But as I said, the waiting, the loss, the
pain, the longing...it's still real, and we still feel it keenly. My
sister is also going through a different and yet extremely painful
grief on top of losing our brother. In March, she and her husband of
6 1/2 years finalized their divorce. I won't go into any details, but
suffice it to say that she has her double measure of sorrow. My
brother Caleb is 12, and the loss of his only brother has taken it's
toll on him. My parents, Cliff and Jeannie, are still trying to
understand the idea that they've lost a son, and the pain goes deep.
John also left behind his girlfriend of nearly 4 years, Alicia, and
she is facing a very different life and future than she had
envisioned. Please continue to be in prayer for us all as the losses
that we are experiencing are still settling into our hearts and
minds. Pray that we would remain faithful and grateful to the Lord,
trusting in His goodness and sovereignty.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnGDbx7kEsq4d0fs9ea-Ia_G6fQ3l1OmYQrw6wzCcZM1PXD7QNCPR6rsqfadBRQQ5g_8roBbZuBpBbJtLNZUxdvXEsn-cPHJMBU4iuoffXfOyVHs2cEfd0c0lG5aNMInCEyrVjKPKrslq/s1600/Storch+circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnGDbx7kEsq4d0fs9ea-Ia_G6fQ3l1OmYQrw6wzCcZM1PXD7QNCPR6rsqfadBRQQ5g_8roBbZuBpBbJtLNZUxdvXEsn-cPHJMBU4iuoffXfOyVHs2cEfd0c0lG5aNMInCEyrVjKPKrslq/s400/Storch+circle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storchenblick Dorm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It has been so difficult to be away
from my family during these most trying of times, but I know the Lord
wanted me to come to BFA to serve, so here I am. I will be returning
to the States for the summer on June 18<sup>th</sup>, but plan on
coming back for another year to serve as an RA at Storch. Today was
the last day of final exams for our students, we did dorm cleaning
yesterday, and graduation is on Friday. I kind of feel like I've been
in survival mode for most of the time that I've been back, but there
have definitely been precious moments and memories with the girls,
staff, and friends. I am thankful for the opportunity to be here, and
it was so much easier to leave family knowing that I would be coming
back to the people here. I am looking forward to summer break, to
being with family again, but I'm also looking forward to next school
year. Pray that the time back home would be a time to grieve,
remember, rest, and be rejuvenated before returning to BFA in August.
Thank you to all who have been so supportive and faithful in your
prayers.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u1wGTmBsWGQDmZ26hA-7A3AORQL-bvq31aoLYnyIkzsINSBuOmCVJnbdaKTNV2-xAclRCQnAetOiH1H5TpPnVy1DlEHz1Pn2xOY3p1LzGM4yP7WwhMvO_bc_S4DfCHnwpanidn_1hhyf/s1600/my+two+brothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7u1wGTmBsWGQDmZ26hA-7A3AORQL-bvq31aoLYnyIkzsINSBuOmCVJnbdaKTNV2-xAclRCQnAetOiH1H5TpPnVy1DlEHz1Pn2xOY3p1LzGM4yP7WwhMvO_bc_S4DfCHnwpanidn_1hhyf/s400/my+two+brothers.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Precious photo of my precious brothers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here is a passage of Scripture that I
realized has come up several times over the last 10 months, but
especially more recently, in people's notes to me and in my
devotions. Specifically verse 10.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Isaiah 41:8-10</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob,
whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I
took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest
corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and
not cast you off”; <i>fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed,
for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-55687527154718809922013-01-30T13:40:00.000-06:002013-01-30T13:40:52.142-06:00Numero Uno
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">First post of 2013!! Just barely
squeaking this in before January is over! How has the new year been
treating you so far? I hope well! I've never been one to make New
Years resolutions, but I always love the idea of a whole new year
with so many new experiences and roads to travel. You never know what
the future will hold, and while that can be scary, it is also
exciting! So here's to a new year full of adventure and growth!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWY5SETpdEE7Td1fsYYjE3kiZNqipDVUWQe6-5FH7EFjJh-P7FyHx-pSAHUviOzt_3YARkj7vA5xjPFBOJn9H3ySN9YlSVLoiS3FTs8d4edmjmIR2Rfh9JdqjzxLlp2k7_-YxHhSarGmY/s1600/Baths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWY5SETpdEE7Td1fsYYjE3kiZNqipDVUWQe6-5FH7EFjJh-P7FyHx-pSAHUviOzt_3YARkj7vA5xjPFBOJn9H3ySN9YlSVLoiS3FTs8d4edmjmIR2Rfh9JdqjzxLlp2k7_-YxHhSarGmY/s320/Baths.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Baths</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have really been loving this new
semester so far. And it all has to do with the girls. It's funny to
look back to September when they were first arriving, and compare it
to their arrival back at Storch in January from Christmas break. Very
different experiences! It was awesome to meet them for the first
time, but it's more awesome to have them come back and be excited to
see you again! I loved the squealing, the hugs, the laughter, and the
stories. Now that we've laid a bit of a foundation for our
relationships in the first half of the year, we're ready to continue
building on that. There haven't necessarily been any crazy
breakthroughs yet, but just the fact that we're more comfortable with
each other makes it easier to have conversation and share our
thoughts and feelings. Obviously each person is different, and my
relationship with each person is different, but I'm just so excited
to know these girls on a deeper level. We as a staff are planning
ways to spend more intentional one-on-one time with the girls, and
I'll be having an ice cream date in my room on Thursday with one of
the seniors. :) Please pray with me that the Lord will have His hand
on these relationships, and that He would guide me and the other
staff in how to approach each girl in a way that they would feel
especially loved and important. We want them to know their individual
value as well as our value as a “family.”
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVGUaLPiqvJphHCvBn691IPKQ0cClkEioXPILGLmi4KRy6wlsuV3ltkcB97o3lx5f8Cqz4I3y79bTvdeUe-3JvXP12quEC5EOy126Ifl7HSadcOPZk-Cem2vZ-4sfWQDCq52XC9XqRsLT/s1600/Zombie+tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVGUaLPiqvJphHCvBn691IPKQ0cClkEioXPILGLmi4KRy6wlsuV3ltkcB97o3lx5f8Cqz4I3y79bTvdeUe-3JvXP12quEC5EOy126Ifl7HSadcOPZk-Cem2vZ-4sfWQDCq52XC9XqRsLT/s320/Zombie+tag.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zombies!!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We've already had some pretty fun
things going on in the last few weeks (as well as exams...ugh). We
took a trip to the baths one evening, and enjoyed swimming around in
the warm mineral water while outside in freezing weather. Stacey
brought her underwater camera with her, so we had a grand time taking
loads of ridiculous pictures! Another fun thing we did one day was
play Zombie Tag in the dorm. We bought nerf guns at the Euro store,
turned off all the lights in the dorm, and had a crazy game of
zombies chasing gun wielding civilians haha. They totally loved it!
And some people think girls don't do things like that... :P Another
thing that the girls have really been enjoying (as well as Callie and
I) is the new PlayStation that the Babiches bought for the dorm. We
have a bunch of dancing games that go with it, and most days the
girls go out in the living room and dance away. Great laughs, as well
as exercise!
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9WHYaYYeEutBzG1RA6VwU92Exk9tc_v77rfHsd_S39gUVXVIqBkc8__ulTfJamc6Iy8QfMxBa_OxmG1EzZLyfhHxTTxFwnnre8q21p0m1KJEvsER9x4_M0UL-1cGHUOw3cShcn55vkKb/s1600/Birthday+banners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9WHYaYYeEutBzG1RA6VwU92Exk9tc_v77rfHsd_S39gUVXVIqBkc8__ulTfJamc6Iy8QfMxBa_OxmG1EzZLyfhHxTTxFwnnre8q21p0m1KJEvsER9x4_M0UL-1cGHUOw3cShcn55vkKb/s320/Birthday+banners.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday banners outside my room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So my birthday was two weeks ago, and let
me just say that it went way beyond my expectations! I think the Lord
knew I needed a boost since I was away from home during all the
holidays, so He provided some great encouragement from friends here.
Callie, my fellow RA, let me sleep in for an extra hour and took over
my breakfast duties, put banners up in the hallway, and had the girls
write notes for me to hang in my room (the notes were SO precious by
the way...melt my heart!). I had small group that afternoon, and one
of the gals made me a funfetti birthday cake, another made Sopa de
Mani (peanut soup from Bolivia!! So awesome!), another made jelly
filled croissants, and our group leader made super yummy baked brie
with brown sugar and walnuts. YUMMO! I got two bouquets of flowers,
gifts from home, homemade cupcakes from a friend, a very loud “Happy
Birthday” song from my girls, a short call home, and tons of well
wishes from all over the place! Oh, and get this...on the way out the
door in the morning one of my freshman got down on one knee, kissed
my hand, and called me “Your Excellency”...haha!What a blessed
day! So a big thank you to the many people who helped make my day
special!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I would like to ask for prayer for good
health. Colds and flus have been going around, and several are sick
with colds at Storch, including myself. It just makes life so much
harder when you can't breathe well and don't have much energy. We
also have been without a stove for the last 6 days...it broke and
maintenance had to order new ones. They're supposed to be installed
in the morning, so just pray that there are no complications with
that! God is good and He's been carrying us through the slumps by His
grace.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbfxaf0XJvL02qWB96oaW5pW71vvPPA-WQ0H3QwJYwp1UdYAP2mq3T0gaccZKUuNGfbTARCJJLX9VQZNRIUg_uDeHOTGxqUz7FiapOhYhf9InH9hvwStVNoLaYD5Lxe6EOZG-VQcmZUil/s1600/Dressed+like+Steve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbfxaf0XJvL02qWB96oaW5pW71vvPPA-WQ0H3QwJYwp1UdYAP2mq3T0gaccZKUuNGfbTARCJJLX9VQZNRIUg_uDeHOTGxqUz7FiapOhYhf9InH9hvwStVNoLaYD5Lxe6EOZG-VQcmZUil/s320/Dressed+like+Steve.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressed like Steve for "Twin Day"...or quadruplets ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When the new year rolled around, I
started reading the devotional book entitled “Jesus Calling” by
Sarah Young. If you haven't heard of it before, each reading is
written from the perspective of Jesus in the first person, and He is
speaking to the reader. The main themes are living in the presence
and peace of Jesus in very real ways. The Lord has been teaching me
more and more about what it really means to live <i>with</i> Him and
how to focus on Him. One thing I would like to do is start practicing
more spiritual disciplines. I would appreciate some helpful reading
material on this, so if you have any suggestions, let me know! I read
“Streams of Living Water” when I was in college, and that had
some great insights, but someone might have another book to
recommend. Thanks guys :)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Matthew 28:20b</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“And surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-41159664052630812632012-12-28T08:38:00.000-06:002012-12-28T08:38:49.782-06:00Frohe Weinachten!
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0mMn_pclQMj03x4T0MeLVFdmSeHCzaEVQ-rpJM5OwGwttNhqyPuEEYTvGXn-jSWu7Dkzm70N8HyWD-v7wfEJBqXMGx-Y-2WHKWzpuYh-TA4mCf_0xWJsQQ8DBEQLAKGYo2q2yFFPbvua/s1600/carving+the+turducken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0mMn_pclQMj03x4T0MeLVFdmSeHCzaEVQ-rpJM5OwGwttNhqyPuEEYTvGXn-jSWu7Dkzm70N8HyWD-v7wfEJBqXMGx-Y-2WHKWzpuYh-TA4mCf_0xWJsQQ8DBEQLAKGYo2q2yFFPbvua/s320/carving+the+turducken.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching Steve carve the turducken!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9avg6HFkMOSS9KteTjaXYRNUhENA8YOiQIaIRZ_gTSD68BeqiM4reVoXAu9iUFY9IU0qy4JDNzqR3Cz7pCpo5-92lTj0K85A4XLFF9cn0oeell7IoREonE7DBUpWyc7JhPilyqb4a7Krh/s1600/Rochelle's+Bday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyLVm_xY-DBiDHPn67AZv-JJzybDQb-2SSWAJovUhl9-OgUTq8cOlyAhVe4HTiMMpdn8KpDQfVF_C3-X-ALNruOUubdGqujvDsOuuhXAc7FHn_lTPiLnM1p0gLOytDkLIzgdUDxPdI2OZ/s1600/Storch+sign+out+board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyLVm_xY-DBiDHPn67AZv-JJzybDQb-2SSWAJovUhl9-OgUTq8cOlyAhVe4HTiMMpdn8KpDQfVF_C3-X-ALNruOUubdGqujvDsOuuhXAc7FHn_lTPiLnM1p0gLOytDkLIzgdUDxPdI2OZ/s320/Storch+sign+out+board.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storch sign-out board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Zv1zcwK6Xo2U2ENQmjENu21XJA5_A2hfhBuzohoGdxwUSBTV2w0H0tf-GpZcdLFvhet7z172QUAdJ1dWQvcOsyCrf9iMsZEinMoIgIqZTRpQ1kdFLFuk868VbELob1H2r8DCdCvf7y_/s1600/Christmas+party+food.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Zv1zcwK6Xo2U2ENQmjENu21XJA5_A2hfhBuzohoGdxwUSBTV2w0H0tf-GpZcdLFvhet7z172QUAdJ1dWQvcOsyCrf9iMsZEinMoIgIqZTRpQ1kdFLFuk868VbELob1H2r8DCdCvf7y_/s320/Christmas+party+food.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorm Christmas Party...fooood!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This building is much too empty right
now...it was meant to be full of life, but </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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. :) </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9avg6HFkMOSS9KteTjaXYRNUhENA8YOiQIaIRZ_gTSD68BeqiM4reVoXAu9iUFY9IU0qy4JDNzqR3Cz7pCpo5-92lTj0K85A4XLFF9cn0oeell7IoREonE7DBUpWyc7JhPilyqb4a7Krh/s1600/Rochelle%2527s+Bday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9avg6HFkMOSS9KteTjaXYRNUhENA8YOiQIaIRZ_gTSD68BeqiM4reVoXAu9iUFY9IU0qy4JDNzqR3Cz7pCpo5-92lTj0K85A4XLFF9cn0oeell7IoREonE7DBUpWyc7JhPilyqb4a7Krh/s320/Rochelle%2527s+Bday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rochelle's Birthday Party</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John 1:14</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-85378609603323997942012-11-18T17:18:00.000-06:002012-11-18T17:18:17.155-06:00Give Me Jesus
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpfS7CdKsDzmjboi_do50RQKv_ZVW3bTKvjnnV8RiNCMmQznZXz_7SOvn01MCvaeLXBF3bjeqLqWCQ7ueBUVBYR-DhP4psKULGBAA3pqZFvXJSMZZ9ytzQ3TiHrXb4BiBYH-kdyaQh0E9/s1600/girls+on+the+couch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpfS7CdKsDzmjboi_do50RQKv_ZVW3bTKvjnnV8RiNCMmQznZXz_7SOvn01MCvaeLXBF3bjeqLqWCQ7ueBUVBYR-DhP4psKULGBAA3pqZFvXJSMZZ9ytzQ3TiHrXb4BiBYH-kdyaQh0E9/s320/girls+on+the+couch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Mary, Stacey, Rochelle, Carissa, and Callie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKOSB1SclWyDEWDOvUqejETX2l_ioecur7Ey-icGEFamuc4mMW0q0KsRGlWBVdrBVs-T4nkIEjbpe5kFRPa-ktZByD08ScJi4qbJ2TFi-M8xsqoSjV761K15pcEhBQ8Y9y69YZydi5mFr/s1600/Thanksgiving+dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKOSB1SclWyDEWDOvUqejETX2l_ioecur7Ey-icGEFamuc4mMW0q0KsRGlWBVdrBVs-T4nkIEjbpe5kFRPa-ktZByD08ScJi4qbJ2TFi-M8xsqoSjV761K15pcEhBQ8Y9y69YZydi5mFr/s320/Thanksgiving+dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving at Storch Dorm!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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!
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjqF6ZSOyH5ikAo1b8iGfJBz9X45oVp_IzgaADX96-f5qma-5E7rrOIOpsXAiBFksCkYpxnKYjMAGsOJmVaVD-JJKUI5ytgbR7hM0ZHs6kbZbStnQxwzjHBNjjOwGanCapq541IWasxyL/s1600/dog+pile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjqF6ZSOyH5ikAo1b8iGfJBz9X45oVp_IzgaADX96-f5qma-5E7rrOIOpsXAiBFksCkYpxnKYjMAGsOJmVaVD-JJKUI5ytgbR7hM0ZHs6kbZbStnQxwzjHBNjjOwGanCapq541IWasxyL/s320/dog+pile.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mimi's Cathartic & Clothed Cuddling Club...hahaha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxr1YuJ8R3kQ_eRU5qzl-FyLhdaMXLLMu4O_T-RPRJSwwwFpVGUbS4PZQ6DTfIHou3Jkr1xlj2AzJ0GngiSXiDKi74S6yqRfnnbQIdLvpmUIpPLAO8clPsIhveEB2hrVdHhH2Kjma98jo9/s1600/tea+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxr1YuJ8R3kQ_eRU5qzl-FyLhdaMXLLMu4O_T-RPRJSwwwFpVGUbS4PZQ6DTfIHou3Jkr1xlj2AzJ0GngiSXiDKi74S6yqRfnnbQIdLvpmUIpPLAO8clPsIhveEB2hrVdHhH2Kjma98jo9/s320/tea+party.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would you like a spot of tea?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John 11:25-26</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">“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?'”</span></div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-5790283211884327342012-10-31T18:38:00.000-05:002012-10-31T18:38:45.193-05:00Bumper Cars, Paris, & Princesses
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.” :)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uRmJOQbBZeaYvTDUnwub8fJkOlyIAfDVX3AoCkD0TyTVR5SfV4yj1aF4FCz49H9dke3xM41EbE8tj93I9FXLZ8YG-KlJ_z8Zig7XMLMeoZttJWDj2t1syxct4A4I75OrB7a7twK8EOdU/s1600/Bumper+cars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uRmJOQbBZeaYvTDUnwub8fJkOlyIAfDVX3AoCkD0TyTVR5SfV4yj1aF4FCz49H9dke3xM41EbE8tj93I9FXLZ8YG-KlJ_z8Zig7XMLMeoZttJWDj2t1syxct4A4I75OrB7a7twK8EOdU/s320/Bumper+cars.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callie & I after a good run on the bumper cars :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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!) </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdYPa7j8JWg3wGcBGs8uxqhARfDSlxM6nlpQgeh5RwTK_sO0PdSDCPhbt8K5rRnBQabhv1y1wX5wDh6uGwR9DvIk37sutXUNinUUSaK8zw3AvCHs-S4exoGlSOsZkEhqiaLF7tiyi83nu/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdYPa7j8JWg3wGcBGs8uxqhARfDSlxM6nlpQgeh5RwTK_sO0PdSDCPhbt8K5rRnBQabhv1y1wX5wDh6uGwR9DvIk37sutXUNinUUSaK8zw3AvCHs-S4exoGlSOsZkEhqiaLF7tiyi83nu/s320/020.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winged Victory aka Nike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I had the privilege of taking a trip to
Paris this past weekend. It was my 2<sup>nd</sup> 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.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr align="left"><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKSnr4H2kOifQIwbvrOaiUjMAinKkbEvvBbgkooBJAc3Bo2DemFaxfiZcfR_4hklsJ8ejuTJRdm-_oyaBffaNydROeCi5BL-B449G-p8uLy-KOQ3hOI2tJpdnKe9Y2CZ6XIzEK2Lb5kka/s1600/123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKSnr4H2kOifQIwbvrOaiUjMAinKkbEvvBbgkooBJAc3Bo2DemFaxfiZcfR_4hklsJ8ejuTJRdm-_oyaBffaNydROeCi5BL-B449G-p8uLy-KOQ3hOI2tJpdnKe9Y2CZ6XIzEK2Lb5kka/s320/123.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stained glass in Saint-Chapelle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzMhxekAh_WdfFyrEdAcHsTVPnvoZ-kvmHuSsmu5tj514gO_DQ9xSkRjVNKM7xDQ3j5QLcxunUfkZyXKOVn9a0pupltKRq3dwWDx6Bnf99pBr3dFn5KZAp0qw2WpWoOXrLiJFm4Kv5zy8/s1600/Dancing+princesses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzMhxekAh_WdfFyrEdAcHsTVPnvoZ-kvmHuSsmu5tj514gO_DQ9xSkRjVNKM7xDQ3j5QLcxunUfkZyXKOVn9a0pupltKRq3dwWDx6Bnf99pBr3dFn5KZAp0qw2WpWoOXrLiJFm4Kv5zy8/s320/Dancing+princesses.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancing away at Fall Party!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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!
</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group photo at the Eiffel Tower!</td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span> <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">II Chronicles 20:17</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You will not need to fight in this
battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord.</span></div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-14667234638099920822012-10-07T09:57:00.000-05:002012-10-07T14:43:12.512-05:00Life is a Hamburger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gxlAubo5Ifgl64eZjMdsV941bhlhyztgHiK7zJyRJprMes0Ymd0wgG_YW3t2pFErYGghjArc8vnz3G-7Kfg6kMyYPIN-1KxvXaJ_ClLZ-PrU8u9pW37Z9r9eR-DvpJ2NGR925zpHPU2u/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3gxlAubo5Ifgl64eZjMdsV941bhlhyztgHiK7zJyRJprMes0Ymd0wgG_YW3t2pFErYGghjArc8vnz3G-7Kfg6kMyYPIN-1KxvXaJ_ClLZ-PrU8u9pW37Z9r9eR-DvpJ2NGR925zpHPU2u/s320/015.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Paul's Basilica, from one of the other towers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSi3f_bNx0YxTEzLJRYtpA1CXpXy1xQ6eLIkiKHrBLiWABxlif5_c-OLkNMxU308mfxI0ZPJC1_Uk2c4dQ-0AUnBydAxQKZwhg3D8-HM6QivHwWFzTTP7IVJhPsvihB-yR-axwCBkYVwwq/s1600/phone+booth+sardines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSi3f_bNx0YxTEzLJRYtpA1CXpXy1xQ6eLIkiKHrBLiWABxlif5_c-OLkNMxU308mfxI0ZPJC1_Uk2c4dQ-0AUnBydAxQKZwhg3D8-HM6QivHwWFzTTP7IVJhPsvihB-yR-axwCBkYVwwq/s400/phone+booth+sardines.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sardines in the phone booth! 12 girls inc. RA's!</td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQv9dMd9qkmN4OCyhb3y1SRwlGq9KuP4KbkDPQR7aWJT-oB_Smx4s30iUs4tQOKsvpmBvbvhcOeDmAZcZXrCeQpTcZGmMM0JqOabFXa3iji-yYaAwR_fvF3UEsVUu_lIo74tse3p5TMVj/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQv9dMd9qkmN4OCyhb3y1SRwlGq9KuP4KbkDPQR7aWJT-oB_Smx4s30iUs4tQOKsvpmBvbvhcOeDmAZcZXrCeQpTcZGmMM0JqOabFXa3iji-yYaAwR_fvF3UEsVUu_lIo74tse3p5TMVj/s320/051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frank, Me, and Ethan at the soccer game!</td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">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 M<span style="font-size: small;">ünchen,
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. </span></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from St. Paul's Basilica</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">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!!</span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">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. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Isaiah
41:10</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></span></div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-80125750973635399942012-09-19T16:57:00.002-05:002012-09-19T16:57:57.409-05:00A Day in the Life<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xXDeJfA0CbXX9tZLqenPuC6kLStIDAfqEXbuAtrp_DSPyGF6Yibmv5sqMoVddEJO3Q-Khg7lJNawNTe0VQ7ljE3t-3ccWbCCR-6GV_wS67nmsKGasa_tYaXVRcqW5YLd13KYYg1UXDu3/s1600/Chillin+n+Grillin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xXDeJfA0CbXX9tZLqenPuC6kLStIDAfqEXbuAtrp_DSPyGF6Yibmv5sqMoVddEJO3Q-Khg7lJNawNTe0VQ7ljE3t-3ccWbCCR-6GV_wS67nmsKGasa_tYaXVRcqW5YLd13KYYg1UXDu3/s320/Chillin+n+Grillin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Callie (far right) with some of our gals</td></tr>
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Messages left on my board the 2nd week :)</td></tr>
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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.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Holzen; Photo by Stacey Babich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4d1NmxA7fqSOOipmEkDItlgZ99s5r29PtJQjZEHi5gCLSswCRZ1X9YI9mhNhqg3n0_Aoo8MmeQVa-HstLNK-r8C4YdifM1tecu21tVXLH4KQD-ZKOFSULiPqelOwpsoDY1CRXGNOvly8/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4d1NmxA7fqSOOipmEkDItlgZ99s5r29PtJQjZEHi5gCLSswCRZ1X9YI9mhNhqg3n0_Aoo8MmeQVa-HstLNK-r8C4YdifM1tecu21tVXLH4KQD-ZKOFSULiPqelOwpsoDY1CRXGNOvly8/s320/030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storchlettes cheering at a football game</td></tr>
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Philippians 2:13</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
...for it is God who works in you to
will and to act according to his good purpose.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-11591223177562052702012-09-03T08:12:00.000-05:002012-09-03T08:12:16.287-05:00They're here!!!
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgoUknGDmV4Hr_mvjtwYsj7htwzEzjZtMCEiLDy1pEttnOQ7xkIZEq4dhX0JyJurzzDxxexnlRZ5z8Z1n1-qvQ7w2Wk7-sZ5_8NMLOnpqNO-oBseR_ylFJsEqTdSyCB_MF1S7uvy0GVFD/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgoUknGDmV4Hr_mvjtwYsj7htwzEzjZtMCEiLDy1pEttnOQ7xkIZEq4dhX0JyJurzzDxxexnlRZ5z8Z1n1-qvQ7w2Wk7-sZ5_8NMLOnpqNO-oBseR_ylFJsEqTdSyCB_MF1S7uvy0GVFD/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Holzen from my window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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 <i>entirely</i> clueless
at least!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6KmA_9W9PTiCcRKSc8uly89WvushGyVJpD8TIoIYeRJyrzGr9vrwPMqpoiqvcmnlhZkxypjC2s_e2GKK2MVFNRgt4P14HqTrXtZsyUPqG8ehsHcMxcMdQRR8hSXRS43mDR_skjXTCbFP/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6KmA_9W9PTiCcRKSc8uly89WvushGyVJpD8TIoIYeRJyrzGr9vrwPMqpoiqvcmnlhZkxypjC2s_e2GKK2MVFNRgt4P14HqTrXtZsyUPqG8ehsHcMxcMdQRR8hSXRS43mDR_skjXTCbFP/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My desk, where all this literary magic happens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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 <i>basket</i> 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.
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNz5h5rGe9gm98C26hWqwQ0EfBQjWxy4aO4njU708_vILtgHKdIPY6cM2uzsSF2x4JTwTGiWoBDv10NW_81LWLqPbXyOKB77MYAcPCRrIGCNfNAINP8Gy5Bz0CcyXJwajbGLPb4llbZC-/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNz5h5rGe9gm98C26hWqwQ0EfBQjWxy4aO4njU708_vILtgHKdIPY6cM2uzsSF2x4JTwTGiWoBDv10NW_81LWLqPbXyOKB77MYAcPCRrIGCNfNAINP8Gy5Bz0CcyXJwajbGLPb4llbZC-/s320/020.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lovely town, Todtnau, that has falls nearby</td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I John 3: 1a</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How great is the love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-12886995745858325862012-08-22T16:20:00.001-05:002012-08-22T16:20:49.531-05:00The Beginning<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe1phHVCP0_fbpLAMrBPiCfsBpl-Qba6DGXsguHaNj6QyXu25OMVye2SX9kM4_1bhihBE4s6RTqGktvwU4vqSuQqRDN-iUzWUocjR3Js2yGrdqdEJCn8z-2os8mtWZGIiHQ5-F8aOb719/s1600/Storchenblick+Dorm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe1phHVCP0_fbpLAMrBPiCfsBpl-Qba6DGXsguHaNj6QyXu25OMVye2SX9kM4_1bhihBE4s6RTqGktvwU4vqSuQqRDN-iUzWUocjR3Js2yGrdqdEJCn8z-2os8mtWZGIiHQ5-F8aOb719/s1600/Storchenblick+Dorm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storch! My room is the <i>very</i> top left window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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!
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqweC2FdDXhdbr9ALnHQ1066WaneikIrj45QCzDqaKiS1Y639fjfwau1C0GgZ4YzYXFUesWZOX9xMqtR4UrFeXDs38MjpAylJscq13N4EyHqi4jbfVyTuVJpUKZhru3xhxmcmsaqQ6XxhU/s1600/Storch+Dorm+Staff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqweC2FdDXhdbr9ALnHQ1066WaneikIrj45QCzDqaKiS1Y639fjfwau1C0GgZ4YzYXFUesWZOX9xMqtR4UrFeXDs38MjpAylJscq13N4EyHqi4jbfVyTuVJpUKZhru3xhxmcmsaqQ6XxhU/s320/Storch+Dorm+Staff.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callie, Me, Stacey, & Steve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTRCId6GFuX1D8MJVxGKmS82L1x7N3pj412FDjHPLJ_O9SFzcsOGIUAdxXsN0uCpE9y6LC-bbmlaTkRDAnjmYpUWiYg_hL0qCaRyBvc4zqO4UEAAyDn5c9IutreIWQSPSX0mATJYmdqr2/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTRCId6GFuX1D8MJVxGKmS82L1x7N3pj412FDjHPLJ_O9SFzcsOGIUAdxXsN0uCpE9y6LC-bbmlaTkRDAnjmYpUWiYg_hL0qCaRyBvc4zqO4UEAAyDn5c9IutreIWQSPSX0mATJYmdqr2/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely view from a local mountain, Hochblauen</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JpUYH_Trc2HFbXCZ2OU2k2uzFmLAXE8eDyniZw92qwXAgdKCzzzCArPDUsPkBD3pecVS8aSf05ga4qG5S2MyoTTv9_ps5C2MzJWJSiCh7eMpVduwZfIWcvF3xgPFec730UIG4Nh11M16/s1600/051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JpUYH_Trc2HFbXCZ2OU2k2uzFmLAXE8eDyniZw92qwXAgdKCzzzCArPDUsPkBD3pecVS8aSf05ga4qG5S2MyoTTv9_ps5C2MzJWJSiCh7eMpVduwZfIWcvF3xgPFec730UIG4Nh11M16/s320/051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Rhein in Basel, Switzerland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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!
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
Chronicles 16:28</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ascribe
to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory
and strength.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-46935021577270187012012-08-12T15:39:00.001-05:002012-08-13T08:14:23.879-05:00Ja Deustchland!<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm in Deutschland folks!!!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr-_O3fWzwaKP8eudkqMZJKzyB-4YMOSwrqXin6HE2ctd4Rnctk2amAlIe3y29ZSwg0nWymPFZgN2Dt4tRINCOu4ZxQVqk0m53ATycn3H3Cca9KyMsVrPqzgSZP3C-cLoDyqHwlLUM3eU/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr-_O3fWzwaKP8eudkqMZJKzyB-4YMOSwrqXin6HE2ctd4Rnctk2amAlIe3y29ZSwg0nWymPFZgN2Dt4tRINCOu4ZxQVqk0m53ATycn3H3Cca9KyMsVrPqzgSZP3C-cLoDyqHwlLUM3eU/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my precious brother Caleb at the airport</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTu7NJ_nmqzM13wcJf9vUlNkZpwdgCeOi7m7GIbw6wZPsuxlHy_Rypdvlag4yjgLtT7pIEM8tKsRJ0i_GwUU06I34k5sggyGcyI0L3g8mBj9to63uRGdXS7zDMHSUDaqY12a1RSD4IMlgI/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTu7NJ_nmqzM13wcJf9vUlNkZpwdgCeOi7m7GIbw6wZPsuxlHy_Rypdvlag4yjgLtT7pIEM8tKsRJ0i_GwUU06I34k5sggyGcyI0L3g8mBj9to63uRGdXS7zDMHSUDaqY12a1RSD4IMlgI/s320/019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenery around Holzen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdJHaSi567OX9qW3vTy2QNJmBx1osyu4tNZKM99jwWoIf-5lGghEsEbkzab1XYxZ3uR8fHUiDNhkJCWrylQ2BOcYdzbXX7N_ZeIxKq4218eiwzXbuqTowJy4dczL8yL-b4hIdmXDgI_2N/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFdJHaSi567OX9qW3vTy2QNJmBx1osyu4tNZKM99jwWoIf-5lGghEsEbkzab1XYxZ3uR8fHUiDNhkJCWrylQ2BOcYdzbXX7N_ZeIxKq4218eiwzXbuqTowJy4dczL8yL-b4hIdmXDgI_2N/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopping in Lörrach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuDIiVxcWH05iMDBi2e2oFNgWn3s6PVkOpK2jTXQYA0tTAzFJomw89hTiUqHGEF00gkipnhii-mFFAj9eW4odlVWJ6rER_GqIvLGdOsOd2z2GVj7ZQ8QCDxpunPhuU5fYaj9zqyUULV3Q/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuDIiVxcWH05iMDBi2e2oFNgWn3s6PVkOpK2jTXQYA0tTAzFJomw89hTiUqHGEF00gkipnhii-mFFAj9eW4odlVWJ6rER_GqIvLGdOsOd2z2GVj7ZQ8QCDxpunPhuU5fYaj9zqyUULV3Q/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the RA's on a walk in the country-side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
James
1:17</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Every
good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.</div>
Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-74156101102089795522012-08-08T01:09:00.001-05:002012-08-08T01:10:11.959-05:00Great Things He Has Done<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<sup>th</sup>.
Wow.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJT0uYG87cp-4CefHshvwen6g-wA2NFHjLUCIpFwRX8wkQ2fHZtcqgyLSq71jUd61dp54aqJOOC-QovTgOqRJnf8VqbMHHmd9vbP_429NwDkAtvqmPEZ45vP9Iy0kbFWOB42iHOXjesGC/s1600/Last+Hurrah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJT0uYG87cp-4CefHshvwen6g-wA2NFHjLUCIpFwRX8wkQ2fHZtcqgyLSq71jUd61dp54aqJOOC-QovTgOqRJnf8VqbMHHmd9vbP_429NwDkAtvqmPEZ45vP9Iy0kbFWOB42iHOXjesGC/s400/Last+Hurrah.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Hurrah at Greenhouse Grill with great friends!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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!!
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Auf Wiedersehen!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ephesians 3:20-21</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-57854197614065162842012-08-01T17:26:00.000-05:002012-08-01T17:26:10.247-05:00A Poem<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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...</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Up, my heart!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Desert this bog of despair </div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
that would you devour,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
ever seeking to clamp its jaws,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
a vile dog desperate for the kill.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Light, that double-edged sword,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
swings swift and true,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
piercing the jackal's maw,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
extracting poison-tipped lies.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Grow angel's wings</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
and soar to heaven!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Tread the streets of gold.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Be not troubled for</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
tomorrow's mourning,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
but clothe yourself,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
daughter of Sharon,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
in rosy hues of delight.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Run free in wild ecstasy,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
hope pounding in your ears,</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
and rest assured</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
in fearless sleep</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
that dawn will glisten</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
off the morning dew</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
your feathers will not weep. </div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-58547313252454402882012-07-28T17:06:00.000-05:002012-07-28T18:44:57.094-05:00Rocky Mountain High<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fMec6Y_1YxZ-D8phsyiZAMmMBUbHl36-d8ZVyTFNiRJYV7ZJB07tmhYNdXv7l4z6p8CoknC07V1R40qxVCdQ-BLhwsjggcNRqbbbxiKujxxMFEQhgywni_DFgDb0oRoTTfI8fJTK8ZSj/s1600/IMG_20120722_143942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fMec6Y_1YxZ-D8phsyiZAMmMBUbHl36-d8ZVyTFNiRJYV7ZJB07tmhYNdXv7l4z6p8CoknC07V1R40qxVCdQ-BLhwsjggcNRqbbbxiKujxxMFEQhgywni_DFgDb0oRoTTfI8fJTK8ZSj/s320/IMG_20120722_143942.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily and Me :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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...</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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 :)</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39zjQ-ANu1hvcgT3TiT3Kxf31_qm7FUuKX5So8uWxFKO3we1PsYQEARzvsmsW3yL5h-ghzFySbQ40lElELCE4l-CubnuJk_TqJy0hn5wzMna53FYjl72oeWP0ZIs2lAiblUAzD3FLg15X/s1600/IMG_20120722_154131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh39zjQ-ANu1hvcgT3TiT3Kxf31_qm7FUuKX5So8uWxFKO3we1PsYQEARzvsmsW3yL5h-ghzFySbQ40lElELCE4l-CubnuJk_TqJy0hn5wzMna53FYjl72oeWP0ZIs2lAiblUAzD3FLg15X/s320/IMG_20120722_154131.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
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!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The 10<sup>th</sup> 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!
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoihkS2k97DUkX_qySS3dLRJW7VoUkZUAmXLM-lUnOCOqrCEaiqXkqivTPjmaIxiZvUH_Idi6vX9tNAZk9bh-wal0exqyM8W931X_2rOsbpBNcZJKjadbTsCAkGbZrT4AjK5aNlNe_E5kI/s1600/IMG_20120723_170552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoihkS2k97DUkX_qySS3dLRJW7VoUkZUAmXLM-lUnOCOqrCEaiqXkqivTPjmaIxiZvUH_Idi6vX9tNAZk9bh-wal0exqyM8W931X_2rOsbpBNcZJKjadbTsCAkGbZrT4AjK5aNlNe_E5kI/s320/IMG_20120723_170552.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Thanks friends!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Psalm 95:3-4</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-43874335310199014302012-07-16T17:46:00.000-05:002012-07-16T17:46:41.424-05:00Sunny CA<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw0mgD887HM_1V74_YPbG4lUrSlyWcA6HULVcZ-cThD32N5dd2G0C0bRowfC6WTV429KrZlxg8AGc-16O0_KjD55RAb07op1te0bC5n9vSdqKKfcMT-EZ0xQ0qwFmtLfzblZA5FzQ0H15/s1600/Tabor+Fam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw0mgD887HM_1V74_YPbG4lUrSlyWcA6HULVcZ-cThD32N5dd2G0C0bRowfC6WTV429KrZlxg8AGc-16O0_KjD55RAb07op1te0bC5n9vSdqKKfcMT-EZ0xQ0qwFmtLfzblZA5FzQ0H15/s320/Tabor+Fam.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the Tabor clan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrHwckmgen2iFsjEtKioNSA-tr9WGdTYJ48ReUS7f546S0wtyVk2_zwvBzxseEICGe8HcGdOrlV5aCNifQ7JBi6uKZ90pdbo5NS1guMcnve1-dRJe84PqGeRj9EjpdeVVmgGinmwQ9o0H/s1600/LCF+Presenting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrHwckmgen2iFsjEtKioNSA-tr9WGdTYJ48ReUS7f546S0wtyVk2_zwvBzxseEICGe8HcGdOrlV5aCNifQ7JBi6uKZ90pdbo5NS1guMcnve1-dRJe84PqGeRj9EjpdeVVmgGinmwQ9o0H/s320/LCF+Presenting.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking at the church, LCF</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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 <a href="mailto:mpeters@teachbeyond.org">mpeters@teachbeyond.org</a>.
My ideal departure date is around August 8, so there are just a few
weeks left! Questions, comments, suggestions...send them my way!!</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Thank you so much for reading this
blog, for sharing this journey with me! You are loved and
appreciated!
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-26145601610313451512012-07-11T14:16:00.000-05:002012-07-11T14:16:02.960-05:00Getting Out of the Boat<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLnH_lopGRWBsxZH3doNP7nm0nvgOcQ4h_Zi8gYWAnXyau2otqZAuTLqMLZH2GUKzpOUHdWN8aJHvhksIFEIZjuHJl__2A4EdgiiHb7wv5cLgjtSEOxX8ypL3BZ2EyHjFxSznrQMMAPgR/s1600/IMG_2897_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLnH_lopGRWBsxZH3doNP7nm0nvgOcQ4h_Zi8gYWAnXyau2otqZAuTLqMLZH2GUKzpOUHdWN8aJHvhksIFEIZjuHJl__2A4EdgiiHb7wv5cLgjtSEOxX8ypL3BZ2EyHjFxSznrQMMAPgR/s400/IMG_2897_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe your boat looks more like this ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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 <i>immediately</i> reached out and took Peter's hand.
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Psalm 105:1-4</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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.</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-44482354733544103412012-07-02T15:07:00.001-05:002012-07-02T15:07:22.723-05:00Getting Oriented<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cN_JdcwOXdkbnvLof8s9z5XxfEZsK-Gi654YPB-iaCTOZk9-KGb_EJ1OpWsW9lOQopNeZ3ViE6HKQyb290R8nrsA6_nUZ2lrBc5QjARaTDgKMRDebbrP2xrqAvdAHvJWW_H5vBnmXOuu/s1600/Iowa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cN_JdcwOXdkbnvLof8s9z5XxfEZsK-Gi654YPB-iaCTOZk9-KGb_EJ1OpWsW9lOQopNeZ3ViE6HKQyb290R8nrsA6_nUZ2lrBc5QjARaTDgKMRDebbrP2xrqAvdAHvJWW_H5vBnmXOuu/s320/Iowa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Farm where we stayed in Iowa</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span lang="ES-MX">It's amazing how much can be packed into a
short period of time! On Saturday, June 23, I hitched a ride with a fellow
TeachBeyond family from Arkansas to Minneapolis, Minnesota for TeachBeyond
orientation. It was nice to get to know them better along the way. We stopped
for the night in Iowa, and stayed with a family that lives on a farm that has
been in the family for over a hundred years. They were very hospitable, and I
enjoyed our short stay with them. On Sunday we arrived at Bethel University in
Minneapolis where we all stayed for the week and had our meetings. We stayed in
a dorm in suites, and it was great to get to meet all the lovely people who
were there. I met probably about 100 new people! I'd been in contact with some
of them already, especially staff, so it was nice to meet them in person after
seeing their names on emails for so long. This year TeachBeyond has 87 new
members, which is awesome! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our president, George Durance, came to
speak to us on Thursday, and spoke about how impactful Christian education is
and has been and will be in mission work. The world craves good education,
seeks it out...what an amazing opportunity and avenue to share Christ!
TeachBeyond's ultimate goal is to bring people to Jesus, and as an organization
has recognized the incredible effectiveness of transformational education in
bringing this about. Schools around the world are asking for help from
organizations like TeachBeyond, and the Lord has been opening doors for
Christian workers to enter fields that have not always been accessible. Mr.
Durance gave a great description of what MK education does for the Kingdom...by
giving MKs (aka TCKs – Third Culture Kids) a quality education and building
them up in their faith, we strengthen the infrastructure of the Kingdom. MKs
have a unique set of experiences and skills that allow them to enter different
cultures and relate to different peoples on a level that is not easily
accomplished by those who do not have the same experiences and skills. God can
use anyone, obviously, no matter what they are equipped with or who they are,
but I believe that MKs can be a an amazingly effective force in missions. And
let's face it, MKs aren't perfect people! They need encouragement, instruction,
and to know that Jesus loves them, too. They struggle, just as everyone does,
though some of their struggles are different. Being an MK myself, I am happy
that I'll be able to relate to them in this way and share what I have learned
over the years. So I'm very excited to have this opportunity to work with
TeachBeyond at Black Forest Academy to help educate and prepare these kids for
Kingdom work! May God be glorified in and through us!</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCs6NuELUxoLXOqgMjpjS_F2fla6BIlQuwZBjPsec5S3NM7hfCCj8zGQVMQVJEoe5p_kRaOc0XzU-7v-FEn1j2Htf1IpMoyy4mm_YLwRwaJDe_qqSMHGfmiC3JEaVJoZ2pTqy6HEfBG_l9/s1600/TB+Germany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCs6NuELUxoLXOqgMjpjS_F2fla6BIlQuwZBjPsec5S3NM7hfCCj8zGQVMQVJEoe5p_kRaOc0XzU-7v-FEn1j2Htf1IpMoyy4mm_YLwRwaJDe_qqSMHGfmiC3JEaVJoZ2pTqy6HEfBG_l9/s400/TB+Germany.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">TeachBeyond folks going to Kandern, Germany!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="ES-MX">So just a bit more about orientation...we
had loads of sessions about culture, TCKs, education, personality differences,
calling, transition, finances, IT, etc etc. It was great to get this
information and have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers. I think
the part that I appreciated the most, though, was the relationship building. We
were only together for a week, but we had this bonding experience, and I am so
happy to be linked to such a great group of people! It will also be really
great to see familiar faces when I arrive in Germany in August. So overall it
was a great blessing!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="ES-MX">Right now I'm in Alabama with my family and
our great friends, the Scroggins. We've known them since I was about 2, and we
love to see each other when possible. Spending time on the creek and just
lounging around so far. It's just lovely :) On the plane ride over here from Minneapolis
I sat next to a woman from Canada. We started talking, and then next thing I
knew I was sharing the Gospel with her! That's the first time that has happened
to me, and I know I could have done a much much better job, but I thank God for
the opportunity and pray that He does the real work in bringing this woman to
Him! So like I said, lots of stuff packed into a short period of time!</span><span lang="ES-MX"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="ES-MX">Please continue to pray for me as I prepare
to leave and develop partnerships in the ministry. Pray that God would prepare
my heart and mind for the change and work ahead, that He would prepare my
coworkers and the kids and their parents, that He would bring in the funds
necessary to go, and that He would bring me closer to Him during the whole
process. I'm grateful for your prayers! Here's a praise, too...I learned this
week that the numbers I had for my support schedule were a bit off, so I am
currently at 100% of start up costs, and 33% of monthly support! Praise
Jesus!!! Let me know if you want to learn more about how to give financially.
I'd love to hear from you anyway! Fyi, there is now a link on the sidebar to
download and print the TeachBeyond pledge form. There is also the online option
for giving, but know that there is a Paypal fee taken out for every transaction.
Automatic withdrawal is available, as well, you just have to fill in that
section of the pledge form. I am so grateful for your generosity and support! </span><span lang="ES-MX"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Corinthians 15:58</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="ES-MX"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.
Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-70277392069682888352012-06-19T18:51:00.000-05:002012-06-19T18:51:02.323-05:00"Follow Me"<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIpsAB3WqME8Lu1SjuNbIfpTjDMEFLMURHqPC2OSel6TIXYUSB9hGHAQMOnX1AkIYDK-7Jz64iyjy-MNagW61fVQq5jFVEXAiBPMoEUqfWXa07BYQufcAJT5QUAp4ECzcI7l0YMqcvQvY/s1600/IMG_20120619_180812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIpsAB3WqME8Lu1SjuNbIfpTjDMEFLMURHqPC2OSel6TIXYUSB9hGHAQMOnX1AkIYDK-7Jz64iyjy-MNagW61fVQq5jFVEXAiBPMoEUqfWXa07BYQufcAJT5QUAp4ECzcI7l0YMqcvQvY/s320/IMG_20120619_180812.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and me...notice the toy tools :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Happy Father's Day (belated)!! I just
want to say that I love my dad. He is amazing. I've never known
someone like him, and he is such a great example of following Christ
with all the gifts that he's been given. I am grateful for the
support, teaching, encouragement, and love that he and my mom have
given us kids all these years, even though we aren't <i>always</i>
perfect. :) Thanks, Daddy!!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is like a black hole that is
sucking time away...seriously, it's just disappearing! At times when
I was working in the school district I would get tired and flustered
and say, “I wish it was Friday already!” Mr. Larry, our school
custodian (who by the way is one of the sweetest men alive), would
say, “Now don't you go wishin' your life away!” Hm, he was right!
We've only got one, and it goes by fast enough!
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This last week I went to visit some
friends in Texas for just a couple days, which was nice. We chilled
out at their land, did some fishing, played some horse shoes, and I
shot a shot gun for the first time. That skeet didn't stand a
chance! ;) The day I got back I spent a good amount of time doing
assignments for orientation...stuff about families of origin, TCKs,
and personality profiles. All good stuff! I'm just a terrible
procrastinator...always have been. But it worked out alright! The
next day I went to Tulsa to pick up a couple of buddies from high
school who randomly decided to come out to visit me from Cali for the
weekend. It was the first time they had ever been to the “south,”
and luckily the rodeo was in town, so that was a high light for them!
We also did some hiking at a lovely state park. It was fun to hang out and share with them what life is like in this
neck of the woods. I was definitely wiped out by the time I got back
from taking them to the airport, though! I fell asleep at 5:30pm
haha.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS1z4jmiW4HhP8htZrnAx_BcUFrYdjTSGga247SmOI8tkJ3V_TaGFCINU__Lw4VtnSdGuW0Gph5iZUQTh6MWORHzZedtUj8P9jmBM21a6-ilG-Leu0frgAf51We494AbylfTaNC1OSOK-/s1600/Yellowrock+trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS1z4jmiW4HhP8htZrnAx_BcUFrYdjTSGga247SmOI8tkJ3V_TaGFCINU__Lw4VtnSdGuW0Gph5iZUQTh6MWORHzZedtUj8P9jmBM21a6-ilG-Leu0frgAf51We494AbylfTaNC1OSOK-/s320/Yellowrock+trail.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellowrock Trail outlook, Devil's Den State Park</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This weekend I'll be heading up to
Minneapolis for a week of TeachBeyond orientation. I'm so excited to
get to meet everyone!! It's going to be awesome and make this all
start to feel even more real! Check out this cool video about BFA by clicking <a href="http://vimeo.com/43572253" target="_blank">here</a>.
So exciting! Right after orientation is over I'll be going to Alabama
with my family to visit some dear friends of ours who we've known
since I was 2. They are basically our 2<sup>nd</sup> family. I'm pumped about spending the 4<sup>th</sup> of July with them! So lots of
traveling in the next couple weeks! Please pray for traveling mercies
for me, my family, and all the other TeachBeyond members going to
orientation. Thanks!</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm spending this week getting more
things in the mail, doing paperwork, spending time with loved ones,
and getting a bit of rest. It's amazing how many things there are to
do and to think about! I've really been grateful for the time that I
set aside for just sitting still and being with the Lord. It's always
a good thing to do, obviously, but it seems even more crucial during
this time. There is so much faith and trust that we need to put in
the Lord at all times of our lives and in every area, but this
experience of preparation to go on the mission field has deepened my
understanding of what it means to really trust Him. It's a hard but
beautiful thing. You know how sometimes you hear a recurring topic in
all kinds of places and it's just like, “Ok, God...I'm listening”?
Well this thing about trusting God has come up all over the place for
me lately, from my devotions, to church sermons, to the daily verse
on my Bible app, to comments made by other people. Sometimes I get
discouraged and think, “Am I doing the right thing? What if I got
confused?” And then a soft but clear voice speaks to me and says,
“Follow me.” Peter struggled with questions, too, but Jesus'
command was clear: “Follow me.” Yes, Lord.</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-82242028170814273892012-06-11T14:46:00.000-05:002012-06-11T14:46:22.860-05:00In Other News...<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqqKfoQzihDLutMdCge-B8JLlDGN9XGh8QxXKnU15n2krYm21FRdWDwgCfQOvlMCjCHfNiTsG4WGELaL5fg_Fdbr2HdX3UJu2uS1rndLrjnS8J1D_dJDNcz1s7fuRacMEDglnmk-CtnTq/s1600/wo+ist+bin+laden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqqKfoQzihDLutMdCge-B8JLlDGN9XGh8QxXKnU15n2krYm21FRdWDwgCfQOvlMCjCHfNiTsG4WGELaL5fg_Fdbr2HdX3UJu2uS1rndLrjnS8J1D_dJDNcz1s7fuRacMEDglnmk-CtnTq/s320/wo+ist+bin+laden.jpg" width="240" /></a>Hola amigos!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yes, I am moving to Germany, no I don't
speak German, yes I do speak Spanish. Make sense? Haha. One of my
friends picked up a book in Germany when she was there a few years
ago, and I've decided that I am going to use it as my source of
German language-learning. See picture ;)
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well the dessert at my friend's house
on June 2 was good. We had German Chocolate Cake, Black Forest Pie,
and German-made chocolate and cookies from Aldi...yummo! Good time
of talking about Germany and having fellowship. I'm grateful for the
interest and prayers! The day after that I had the first real day of
working the coffee bar at church, which was a little hectic but
great! I love getting to talk to folks and greeting them with a smile
and a hot cup of coffee. I also got to talk to Sunday School classes
for a couple minutes during a brunch and let them know a little more
about what I'll be doing at BFA. My apologies for the shortness of
breath when I speak in front of people...it's just one of those silly
physiological reactions to public speaking...I promise I'm fine and
don't need a medic. ;) Please continue to pray for partners in the
ministry with me. I am so very thankful for the generosity that has
been shown so far and am excited to share this experience and work
with you! I need to be at 90% of monthly support in order to leave
for the field in August, so every little bit helps! Please contact me
if you are interested in partnering with me in this. You can comment
below, send me an email at <a href="mailto:mpeters@teachbeyond.org">mpeters@teachbeyond.org</a>,
send me a facebook message, call me, skype me, etc! I would be more
than happy to answer any questions you may have and tell you more
about the ministry.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lots of travel plans for this summer!
I'll be in Texas and Minnesota this month and then Alabama,
California, and Colorado in July. And then on to Germany in August!
Lots of places to be and things to do! I'm excited about seeing loads
of people, though, before I leave. It will be a good time of visiting
and sharing! Orientation for TeachBeyond is in Minneapolis at the end
of this month, and I'm really looking forward to meeting the other
new members of the mission. I've gotten to know a few other girls
that are going to work at BFA through emails, and that has been a
blessing! I actually met another girl at church yesterday who is
going to be an RA at BFA as well...she was visiting the church with a
friend and came over by the coffee bar, and we made the connection!
Fun! I think God's putting together a great team!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEteiRKqX9Euzurp5Rig3oFbzWyPXG-S_b_D7ukE-3klHc7PCPkeFYLp5AdQ0gvh3pRgf8FFYPNcLGmib6_n-vaWKxNvSDa6GvrDYR5cJZvjqvtDMxM3GfH_nunl6_ulp50KlFIzq16Fkl/s1600/BRV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEteiRKqX9Euzurp5Rig3oFbzWyPXG-S_b_D7ukE-3klHc7PCPkeFYLp5AdQ0gvh3pRgf8FFYPNcLGmib6_n-vaWKxNvSDa6GvrDYR5cJZvjqvtDMxM3GfH_nunl6_ulp50KlFIzq16Fkl/s320/BRV.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buffalo River, right in front of our campsite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIr774gLWXs72gaDRUIZdDtSaSon23AuV3h49aF-pS8cJ5BWSQHPoSMOjHY2H_j3mzV1COr3djL6SluVMLWF-HXfpAfn24oKPhR6z6lhQIiqa9ME_ZcPlwCKGB_nHfZrZZ2QOSs1XVCZ0s/s1600/BRV+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIr774gLWXs72gaDRUIZdDtSaSon23AuV3h49aF-pS8cJ5BWSQHPoSMOjHY2H_j3mzV1COr3djL6SluVMLWF-HXfpAfn24oKPhR6z6lhQIiqa9ME_ZcPlwCKGB_nHfZrZZ2QOSs1XVCZ0s/s320/BRV+friends.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping friends, about to hit the trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This last weekend I had the opportunity
to go backpacking and camping with a few friends. It was awesome!
I've been camping and hiking many times, but never together like
that...hiking into the Buffalo River Valley with all our stuff on our
backs, camping right next to the river, and then hiking out with
everything the next day. Some little critter kept running off with
some of our stuff, but we eventually found some of it in the brush.
At night when I was trying to sleep there were many strange animal
sounds, some of them extremely close to my head (as in if I turned my
head and looked out the screen I would have been eye-to-eye with Mr.
Opossum...which is why I didn't turn my head and look out the
screen!!), but thanks to an amazing sleeping pad that a friend let me
borrow I had one of the best sleeps I've ever had while camping! It
was so nice to get out of town, enjoy the beautiful scenery, have
sweet time with </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
friends, and just breathe a little. God is so good!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Romans 8:35, 37</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Who shall separate us from the love
of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or
nakedness or danger or sword? [...] No, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him who loved us.”</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-61169793295062845152012-05-29T11:48:00.000-05:002012-05-29T11:48:18.984-05:00Go Team!<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am happy to report that the car wash
went great on Saturday!! We started setting up at about 8:45am, and
packing up at 4:45pm, and once cars started coming in they just kept
coming! We were super busy all day long, which was awesome but very
tiring! By the end of the day we were plumb tuckered! But what a
blessing! I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who
helped make it possible...some people came in shifts, some people
stayed all day long, some people helped buy supplies...ALL of you
were amazing!!! I am so grateful for the experience of getting to
work alongside you guys. I also would like to thank all you people
who got your car washed!! There was a great turn-out, and I
appreciate your generous donations! We brought in $575! Praise the
Lord! What a team! I've included several pics at the bottom so you
can see a little of our car wash day.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This next weekend I have a couple
things happening, too. On Saturday I will be having a dessert at a
good friend's house with ladies from her church. I will be
presenting my ministry to them, and at some point to their church
mission board as well. On Sunday I will be talking to all the adult
Sunday School classes at my church during a brunch, giving some more
details about the journey to Germany and answering questions. I ask
that you please pray for these events, that the Lord would give me
the right words to say and that He would prepare the hearers.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial
Day (if you are in the States)! My family got together along with a
friend of mine, and we grilled steaks, had a campfire in our back
yard, and played Farkle. It was lovely. :)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
John 15:16</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“You did not choose me, but I chose
you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your
fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name,
he may give it to you.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15iNrsyIO3yYEfioljB1fh8oYUW2rq4AQ_sJynWjdZeDwAH6DUxUo2WkDPhZHJPWUFmK5zbTm_QZAz39n4VSIftsNZEYE4GiAKRDVESZYdXDHJwGe_ceMbfsWUkVbRPSr0Pc7mV62MlCU/s1600/IMG_2722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15iNrsyIO3yYEfioljB1fh8oYUW2rq4AQ_sJynWjdZeDwAH6DUxUo2WkDPhZHJPWUFmK5zbTm_QZAz39n4VSIftsNZEYE4GiAKRDVESZYdXDHJwGe_ceMbfsWUkVbRPSr0Pc7mV62MlCU/s320/IMG_2722.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDfvGe0IW57ps8S-aJbSHzvW7BeaoKHzxKA1bcfA7weDevlAQa046wz4-xc4oS1KDaQUpO7NUNc1U-oe99V-yDwVyqqoU2EgnYHMB6C7RrHVGYebD7VGELm9SSFf7QkxpnEdSDy-Kd4a1/s1600/IMG_2725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDfvGe0IW57ps8S-aJbSHzvW7BeaoKHzxKA1bcfA7weDevlAQa046wz4-xc4oS1KDaQUpO7NUNc1U-oe99V-yDwVyqqoU2EgnYHMB6C7RrHVGYebD7VGELm9SSFf7QkxpnEdSDy-Kd4a1/s320/IMG_2725.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_Rs2B46JAS3aFEdlZMI16pvg85rWqNTvubJSTZZ3x85wbYjyYSUxv9p1yfiGzeicPy5R3gH12KLZoUe5PO_asMrNu_QMpuLtKP3cXUGTcFRtrySVQTjUDDaxsCnESGqoezNKQ3fW661u/s1600/IMG_2724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_Rs2B46JAS3aFEdlZMI16pvg85rWqNTvubJSTZZ3x85wbYjyYSUxv9p1yfiGzeicPy5R3gH12KLZoUe5PO_asMrNu_QMpuLtKP3cXUGTcFRtrySVQTjUDDaxsCnESGqoezNKQ3fW661u/s320/IMG_2724.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4vHOYWiTIwa6yUhyphenhyphen0SrvGjWv4yGTMWU0TPXKS-nddxP7zoOlNQ6XfHIxjrQvhH3BzkSphAlo38xHQBps6yBjso5afPJRHunv7SYwPl66f9StFTvdTvFMfbiBlXK2pLe76bJfg-azavsx/s1600/IMG_2723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4vHOYWiTIwa6yUhyphenhyphen0SrvGjWv4yGTMWU0TPXKS-nddxP7zoOlNQ6XfHIxjrQvhH3BzkSphAlo38xHQBps6yBjso5afPJRHunv7SYwPl66f9StFTvdTvFMfbiBlXK2pLe76bJfg-azavsx/s320/IMG_2723.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-63302497886095656532012-05-23T12:31:00.001-05:002012-05-23T12:50:41.462-05:00Car Washes, Coffee Bars, and Soccer<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Happy Summer Vacation! Well, if you
are on the same schedule as Siloam Springs, anyways :)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Saturday, May 26!! Car wash at
Community Christian Fellowship in Siloam Springs!! 9:30-3:00! Come
out and treat your car to a hand-wash! There will be two different
kinds of washes:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OlARiwAazQI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="font-size: small;">Regular (by donation)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-exterior wash</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-seat in the shade</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">VIP (minimum $15)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-exterior wash</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-interior wipe-down</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-interior windows</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-vacuum</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-seat in the shade</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">-complimentary bottle of water</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The address is 525 S. Lincoln St.,
Siloam Springs, AR 72761. I would love to see you there!
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This last Sunday I had the honor of
being introduced to my church congregation and let them know just a
tad of where I'm going and what I'll be doing. Hopefully I'll get a
chance to talk to some Sunday school classes a bit more in depth
about it, as well. One thing the church has decided to do to help me
on my way is to give donations from their coffee bar to my ministry
account. The coffee bar has been a project they've been developing
over the last several months, and it's pretty cool! There are a
variety of coffees, syrups, creamers, tea, hot chocolate, and
pastries. Yum! Anyone is welcome to whatever is available, for
free, but donations are welcome. We get to serve people, which
creates a great opportunity to talk and get to know people better.
Donations have been going towards a mission trip to Thailand that a
group from church is making, but since they are leaving at the end of
this month, the donations will start going towards my journey to BFA.
I'm so excited to get involved and meet people and make coffee! I
started learning the ins and outs of it on Sunday and really enjoyed
myself. So praise God for this opportunity!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCXIvTUVjtaN24YsZLCOr_yoT4loSxvly9UTP_MNxZ4-EpF8hlWR8mSpu3AKB3EYKsI1C2fU7VQ28TlV7bXnZgMDXpvM8qGny8LzeunVu0WRpfu5nCYtXPKSrbAms_aGvjVtsE1bxlNhi/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCXIvTUVjtaN24YsZLCOr_yoT4loSxvly9UTP_MNxZ4-EpF8hlWR8mSpu3AKB3EYKsI1C2fU7VQ28TlV7bXnZgMDXpvM8qGny8LzeunVu0WRpfu5nCYtXPKSrbAms_aGvjVtsE1bxlNhi/s400/010.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soccer time!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">My dad, Cliff Peters, works part of his
time with the Institute for Biblical Community Development, and some
of that includes teaching at their Center for Integral Mission during
summer courses. They get a wide variety of students, some come from
other countries, some from other states, and some locals. Last night
we had the students over at our house for supper, and I just loved
it! Internationals, MKs, and others all in one house eating Filipino
food and playing soccer in our front yard! Yes, it was awesome.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I would like to ask you all to continue
to pray for me during this process of preparation to go to Germany. There are a lot
of things to plan for and work on, and sometimes it's
overwhelming! Please pray for God's peace and reassurance as I seek
to follow His will, and for everything to come together on time.
Pray that God will continue to develop a strong team of partners in
prayer and support, that we would work together to bring Him glory in
our lives and ministries. Thank you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Numbers 6:24-26</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">“The Lord bless you and keep you; the
Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord
lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”</span></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-26912154161617631692012-05-07T17:07:00.000-05:002012-05-07T17:07:21.655-05:00Blessings<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7avssLeY7R8EGYfyUc-DE8QjU-CvQc8VewzLx7yEy6fIXkoQIMLziL-0vSCT8Hs6zeM5XTKTrb5En6-_HyH-PNBkM6nwwVfwwy_P9YiykhTPlaR3FGqqwgX4fuv8hchL5k7wZB9DNM0CZ/s1600/Sand+volleyball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7avssLeY7R8EGYfyUc-DE8QjU-CvQc8VewzLx7yEy6fIXkoQIMLziL-0vSCT8Hs6zeM5XTKTrb5En6-_HyH-PNBkM6nwwVfwwy_P9YiykhTPlaR3FGqqwgX4fuv8hchL5k7wZB9DNM0CZ/s320/Sand+volleyball.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volleyball!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Boy, playing sand volleyball for 3
hours with multiple dives and face-plants does a number on your body
when you're not used to moving like that! My neck doth protest. But
it was fun!! I'm really enjoying the warmer weather and getting to
spend more time outdoors. My mom's birthday was on Saturday (yay
Mom!) so our family went to Natural Falls State Park to cook out and
enjoy time with each other outside. It was lovely! I also saw “The
Avengers” this weekend, which pretty much rocked. So yes, it was a
great weekend!</div>
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<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm feeling very blessed. I know I'm
always blessed, even when I'm an ungrateful grump and don't feel like
it, but do you ever have those moments when you just are floored by
how awesome God is and how amazingly generous He is in your life?
He's been so good to me, and I just feel so grateful!! Counting my
blessings would be impossible, but I'd like to share a couple things
that I'm thankful for.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJweADlOUCxyGwGlHAqib5s0912x2y6bN7CIARWvfriFyKB8uUPyCL06TnvLz8kM5u3EB2uAXlYgRWxu5qV4XnB1eI9rpCOtmaR5paQugNpyfaMtbZRbL2jY-brfaObfNmKfz0aJp25GR/s1600/Brook,+Me,+Jenny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJweADlOUCxyGwGlHAqib5s0912x2y6bN7CIARWvfriFyKB8uUPyCL06TnvLz8kM5u3EB2uAXlYgRWxu5qV4XnB1eI9rpCOtmaR5paQugNpyfaMtbZRbL2jY-brfaObfNmKfz0aJp25GR/s320/Brook,+Me,+Jenny.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With a couple lovely girls from community group</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Back in December I started going to a
singles community group through Fellowship Bible Church in Lowell,
AR, since there wasn't really anything comparable in Siloam Springs,
unfortunately. But I've been so blessed by our Bible study and the
fellowship that we've shared over the last several months! There's
some pretty great people that I've met and am so happy that I was
able to connect with them. We had our last official group
get-together for the semester last week, which is sad for me since
I'll be leaving before they start up again, but I look forward to
some unofficial get-togethers! They are going to be helping me with a
car wash and rummage sale to help raise funds for Germany, which is
wonderful, and I'll let you know when they come up so that if you're
in the area you can come join the fun! :)</div>
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<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There have been some developments with
my church here in Siloam, Community Christian Fellowship, with
getting the word out about me going to Germany and the need for
funds. I'm excited to get more connected with the congregation and
share this great experience with them! Please pray that the Lord
would work out the details for all the different plans that are in
the works.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am grateful for all of the people
that have been so encouraging and supportive in this venture! It's a
team effort, and I am so appreciative of all you beautiful people!
Thank you for asking questions, sharing in my excitement, giving
suggestions, and being generous with your prayers and funds. I pray
that God meets your every need and that He fills you with His joy!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOvPlFfU6ooVhvd02G0Oy29bRPsgHWQJkqzWQ0O-eoW95VleI-UWxaBt_39hpr1w6sO-93znMART1Nsrj1r4NaB6KWJo6ZMsrC9P3ect5p6DMvptWQM34yX0UKX0mk2ULegt_pgW3gdSV/s1600/Family+on+porch+swing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOvPlFfU6ooVhvd02G0Oy29bRPsgHWQJkqzWQ0O-eoW95VleI-UWxaBt_39hpr1w6sO-93znMART1Nsrj1r4NaB6KWJo6ZMsrC9P3ect5p6DMvptWQM34yX0UKX0mk2ULegt_pgW3gdSV/s320/Family+on+porch+swing.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fambly, a couple years ago</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I just want to say how thankful I am
for my family. Well, I can't really say how thankful I am for them,
cause it's just too much! <i>I love them!!!!!</i>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another thing I am grateful for is that
I'm past that phase that I had when I was in middle school where
every time I ate mustard or chocolate it got on my clothes...oh
wait...that happened to me yesterday...all over the front of my white
shirt. I guess I'll have to keep working on that one...</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Psalm 100</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the
earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful
songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are
his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates
with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and
praise his name. For the Lord is good and his loves endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”</div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1326027006338797710.post-63499351474646749572012-04-23T20:05:00.000-05:002012-04-23T20:05:21.185-05:00Fun Factoids<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</div>
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Salutations!</div>
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I hope you all are doing just dandy! I
didn't have work today but I got mountains of laundry done, baked a
cake, did some other house work, wrote some emails, and played
several rounds of Draw Something...altogether a productive day for
me. :)</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I thought of some fun bits of info
that I thought you might like to know about...so here they are!</div>
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<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
#1 – My dad became a Christian after
watching a film at a Good Friday service...this film was by the Janz
Brothers, who are the same ones who founded TeachBeyond, the mission
I am going with to Germany! I think it's pretty special that I get
to serve with the mission that helped bring my father to the Lord!</div>
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</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QPKpTyqlPspC1M2rxdurBMzYVOeIuIgfbFtcv1dQH3wrNKeY0vHGcaOCqy9SFlX1fIiG_VWr7Vy-_3-PnXAN9t17YaTJ4kKWueKEuFJXZsHSAR6IOIy-Fac2kh5D2rkqnOkpsfsdWk8y/s1600/06110103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QPKpTyqlPspC1M2rxdurBMzYVOeIuIgfbFtcv1dQH3wrNKeY0vHGcaOCqy9SFlX1fIiG_VWr7Vy-_3-PnXAN9t17YaTJ4kKWueKEuFJXZsHSAR6IOIy-Fac2kh5D2rkqnOkpsfsdWk8y/s320/06110103.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kaesebiers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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#2 – This little factoid is probably
one that many of us have in common...I have German ancestors. While
that may not be so unique, I'm pretty excited to be going to the
motherland! =P Here is a pic of my great-great-great grandparents on
my dad's side, the Kaesebiers. They emigrated from Germany to Canada
way back when. I'd love to find out about what area in Germany they
are from and possibly take a trip to visit during some time off.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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#3 – My apologies for not getting the
word out about this sooner, but to make things a bit more convenient
for many of you, you can donate to the ministry I'll be doing online!
You can find the link to the page on the right sidebar, right under
the contact information section. Also, you can find a printable
pledge form on the same page if you'd like to send any donations in
by mail. Once again, I'd like to invite you to participate in the
ministry with me, and one important way to do that is through
financial support. I have 3 months left before I'm supposed to pack
up and head to Germany, and still have a ways to go financially in
order to make that happen. So I ask that you prayerfully consider
joining me in this way. Questions? Ask!</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
#4 – Apple Oatmeal cake is the bomb.
Randomly started thinking about it today so I had to make one! It is
delicioso! And I don't feel like I'm eating cake cause it has
oatmeal and apple in it...which means I can eat double the amount.
If you want to try it, I can send you the recipe!</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0in;">
#5 – Ever thought about doing
overseas missions yourself?? Black Forest Academy is still in need
of staff and faculty for the coming school year. If you are
interested or know anyone that is, please visit their website for
more details! <a href="http://www.bfacademy.com/">www.bfacademy.com</a>
</div>
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</div>
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#6 – If you have never heard of The
Piano Guys, you should look them up. They are awesome!! This is one
of my fave songs of theirs. Enjoy!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rR94NDIfGmA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div>
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<br /></div>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10662829292408581909noreply@blogger.com4