The Duchess Gloriana XII of Grand Fenwick

Off-stage, she is Miss Britta Parsons...

But on-stage, she is the Duchess Gloriana XII of Grand Fenwick!

This past weekend, five of our middle schoolers performed in the middle school play, The Mouse that Roared. Luke had the lead male role and Britta had the lead female role. In the play, they fall in love and are engaged to be married...in real life, they are dorm siblings--brother and sister, both members of our Liel family. Bob, Sue, and I were incredibly impressed by their performances. Though I wish you could have seen them in action, I must leave you to use your imagination.

Since I introduced Luke two weeks ago, it seems appropriate to recognize Britta today after her stellar accomplishments on-stage...

Not only is Britta a lovely and confident actress, but she is a wonderful neighbor, a motivated student, a compassionate friend, and a generous resident at Liel.

Britta joined us after Christmas when her family moved back to the States after seven years on the mission field, working at Black Forest Academy. Her parents are both doctors and her dad was quite well-known in the community, wearing multiple hats as 'Doc Parsons' and the highly respected biology teacher.

Before joining her parents in the States, Britta wanted to finish 8th grade and I am so glad that she did.

Britta has been a wonderful addition to our dorm. Though she has never been a dorm student, she has transitioned so well, which was an answer to our prayers. Thank you for praying on her behalf.

A few interesting facts about Britta...

-Britta's favorite tea is blueberry-vanilla

-She loves to paint her nails

-When she needs some affection, she just asks... "Lauren, I just need a hug" :)

-She can turn on a fantastic British accent

-She is incredibly artistic (I love watching her doodle)

-She is fascinated by people's names and the meaning of these names

-She doesn't like to drink plain water

-She loves going for walks and running down hills (while also giggling and shouting)

-She loves to talk and tell stories like her dad (who is one of the best story tellers! When asked about his "love story," he shared for the next 45 minutes about pursuing and finally marrying his wife on a medical mission trip to the Philippines. Our entire Liel family was in stitches by the end of his story)

A special memory of being touched by Britta...

About a week before Valentine's Day, both Britta and Joyce stopped to buy a bouquet of flowers after school--it happened to be Britta's 14th birthday. After arriving home, Britta and Joyce came to me, giggling, while also clearly concealing something behind their backs. For no special reason or occasion, they gave me this special bouquet of flowers with three red roses. Hidden in the flowers was a note that read...

"Dear Lauren, Here are some lovely roses to reflect on your inner and outer beauty =) You're an awesome RA and we love you so much! We love your laugh, your open ready heart, your tea parties, and special conversations. Thank you for everything.

Lots of Love,

Britta & Joyce."

..........

I must confess that it is sometimes so easy for me to think about and dwell on what is difficult about being a missionary, who is thousands of miles away from everything familiar. I have a fierce love for these children under my care, but I continue to struggle with being disconnected from my family. I find myself sometimes overwhelmed by what I have left behind. I feel like there have been too many moments of loneliness and emptiness.

And then, He reminds me that the greatest remedy for my hurt is to fill my mind with Him. Just as He has compassion on the Japanese who have been shaken by an earthquake, just as He has compassion on the Libyans whose country is imploding, so too does He care for me, a 22-yr-old Amercian missionary who misses her family. He comforts all who mourn, not just those suffering from natural disasters, political uprisings, and war.

And so, as I am gently reminded of who He is, I am also encouraged to recall some of

the simple and wonderful things about being a missionary at BFA:

-Receiving encouraging notes and flowers from the girls

-Being prayed over in moments of need by a sweet new friend here

-Right now, G.I., Josh, and I are enjoying seaweed wraps and Korean rice, while also jamming to some "K-Pop" (Korean pop music)

-This afternoon, I watched "The Little Mermaid" with Kate, who was home from school and sick with the flu

-Learning about the healing that some of the missionaries here have experienced

-Seeing how diverse and beautiful is the family of God

-Being invited to learn how to cook a French dinner with one of the art teachers

-Coming to understand God as 'Potter' from another art teacher

-Hearing that one of the girls in my small group from the high school retreat finally talked to her dorm staff about some of her hurt

-Seeing Laura bow her head and pray so reverently before receiving Communion at church

-Receiving a special cup of coffee today with a note letting me know that I am appreciated by my dorm dad, Bob

Yes, these are such good things.

Life on the outside

A view of the Swiss Alps from our retreat site in Lenk, Switzerland

The BFA Falcons Logo

Over the past eight months, I have spent a lot of time in Liel, the middle school dorm. Helping to raise 10 students, ages 13-15, has a way of keeping me indoors--13 loads of laundry have to be washed and dried and folded or ironed each week, dinners and breakfasts and snacks for 15 people must be prepared each week (and I can't forget about all those dishes with only one small dishwsher!), dorm devotionals must be planned, phone calls and emails must be exchanged to manage the schedules of the 10 students, students must be transported to and fro throughout the day, student chores must be overlooked, the cleanliness of the rooms must be checked, Residence Life staff meetings must be attended, students must receive help with their daily study hours, student accounts must be balanced, the administering of antibiotics and medicine must be logged, and the list goes on ...

Despite all the busyness, you must know that I do love my job and all of the daily activity I get to participate in, but every now and then...I need to get outside!

As a result of all my time spent indoors, I have missed out on getting to know other members of this new community--the high schoolers, the student athletes, the teachers, the coaches, and the people who sit next to me in church.

And so, this past week...I made a few decisions :)

-For those of you who know me well, I am sure you are familiar with my passion for running. When I run, I feel the Lord's pleasure...my body is free...I am alone...I can pray...I can think...I can observe...I can release. Now, while I do most of my running alone, someone encouraged me recently to see about helping with the BFA track and field team. After making a few phone calls, the head coach welcomed me to join the team. So, every Monday and Tuesday afternoon, I am running with high schoolers and two of my middle school girls (Laura and Priscilla), I am encouraging the ones who are struggling, I am meeting the coaches, I am becoming part of my church here and I love it!

-This past weekend, I took my four-day weekend off to attend the high school retreat in Lenk, Switzerland. I was so blessed by the opportunity I had to lead a small group of freshmen, teach a few beginning skiiers how to "snowplow" (as my dad always called it... he is a farmer through and through) down a slope, worship with BFA staff, and simply be included in the lives of those who I rarely see or don't even know. I am meeting new parts of the body and I love it!

*If you could, please continue to pray for ways that I can become invested in this new community. Pray for my continued interactions with the small group that I had at the retreat. Pray over my time with the track athletes--while I don't know much about the mechanics of sprinting, jumping, throwing, or distance running, pray that I might still be able to encourage them.

Thanking God for you today and the moments I have had on the outside,

Lauren

The One and Only Luke

Luke and G.I.

Fall 2010

Luke and Britta

Spring 2011

I have never met an 8th grader quite like Luke. He is sophisticated, talented, and tender. Luke is at the top of his class academically and he loves to read in his spare time--it is no surprise to find him reading a theologically stimulating book by G.K. Chesterton on a Saturday afternoon. Wild, isn't it?

And yet there is so much more to Luke than his success in the classroom...you should see him on stage! Next weekend, Luke will be performing the lead role in the middle school play. As his RA, I have only heard him tell stories around the campfire in a convincing Irish accent, so I am really excited to see him showcase his talent before a crowd.

Growing up as an MK has shaped Luke's faith in beautiful ways--he is incredibly knowledgable about Scripture and his prayers are simple, yet profound. During a Sunday night dorm devotional in the fall, I can recall Luke concluding us in prayer, "Father, thank you for fortifying us tonight. Amen." After making his way through several prayer stations, Luke chose the word "fortifying" to describe his experience. It fit so well and these few words were quite enough. I left our time together feeling encouraged and impressed by the work that God was doing in Luke.

A few more interesting facts about Luke...

-Luke began attending BFA in 1st grade and was a boarding student in Liel when it was an elementary school dorm several years ago. So, Luke is our one and only Liel alumni!

-Luke's parents are church planters in France with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church

-After growing up in Macedonia and developing a taste for Greek food, we can't keep Luke away from feta cheese!

-Luke adores his two older sisters who have both attended BFA. It is so special to hear him talk about Erin and Hallie who frequently send him postcards and candy.

*Please pray for Luke and his transition to a high school dorm this fall. While MKs are accustomed to change, it certainly doesn't mean that it is easy. He will have new dorm parents, new RAs, the dorm will double in size, and 75% of the students will be older than him. Pray that the staff and students would be sensitive to Luke's needs and his tender heart.