While Laura and Lynnea aren’t twins,
they’re certainly inseparable! In a dorm full of high school
students, they are the “babies,” and yet they proudly represent
the middle school as our two 8th graders. Though they
might be young and have an earlier bedtime than the others, they are
treasured at Liel.
This is Laura’s second year at BFA,
living at the Liel dorm, and it has been a joy to watch her grow
here. Laura may be little, but she is bursting with energy and zeal
for life. You might remember a post about her last year,
affectionately nicknamed “Baby Bean.” As the daughter of a
military father, serving in Moldova, it is no surprise that she is
extremely disciplined in her studies and chores. She is often the
first one up on a Saturday morning and first in line for breakfast at
9:45am (breakfast is served at 10am) having already cleaned,
organized, and vacuumed the computer room (her weekend chore). We
often joke as a dorm staff and wish that Laura could do all the
students’ chores because she is so thorough and reliable.
I appreciate the way that Laura lives
without abandon. She is bold and courageous. She is not afraid to
speak up and ask questions. She is not a people pleaser and this
gives her the freedom to be herself. She sings at the top of her
lungs. She stands on top of chairs to tell stories about Harry
Potter. She dramatically rehearses her new Zumba moves in the
kitchen (while trying to pack her lunch at 9pm). This girl brings joy
to my life.
This is Lynnea’s first year at BFA,
living at the Liel dorm. Lynnea moved to Liel after her parents, Troy
and Michelle, were accepted as dorm parents and missionaries here.
Lynnea is joined by her two older brothers, Seth (a senior in high
school) and Keith (a sophomore in high school). Lynnea is an artist
through and through—she has a beautiful voice, she paints, she
makes jewelry, and she loves to do her dorm sisters’ hair and
make-up. There are so many things that I appreciate about Lynnea—I
adore her laugh and smile (it makes a good day better), I enjoy
watching her dance in rain and hail storms, I am encouraged be her
love for her family, I am blessed by the thoughtful ways that she
serves others, and I respect the way that she earnestly apologizes to
those she has hurt. This girl also brings joy to my life.
CTL: What do you want to be
when you grow up?
Laura: “I want to be in the
military. But, I am not sure which branch of the military that I want
to be in. So, I want to be a pilot, but you can be a pilot in the
Army, Navy, or Airforce. Why do you want to be a pilot? Because
it’s fun. Duh. (Laura swivels her head at me…haha) I also
want to be in the military because my daddy is in the military—the
Army to be more precise. My mom wants me to go to WestPoint, which is
in New York, which is also the Army academy, which is also where my
good friend wants to go as well.”
CTL: If you had great
power and strength, if you were invincible, and if you couldn’t
get hurt, what dare-devil activity would you do?
Lynnea: “Cave spelunking! It
looks so scary but if you couldn’t get hurt then it would be fun to
explore God’s amazing creation beneath the earth in dark places.
Can I also have flashlight eye-balls?” (Of course!)
CTL: What are your simple
pleasures?
Laura: “Painting my nails.
Hanging out with close friends.”
Lynnea: “Just being around
people.”
CTL: What is your favorite
thing to do together?
Laura & Lynnea: “Taking
pictures of each other making funny faces!”
CTL: Think about a special adult in your life, what has he or she said that has been of great value to you?
Lynnea: “My dad. He always
says, ‘Lynnea, you have a choice.’ It’s SO annoying. But every
time I am struggling, he tells me, ‘Lynnea, I know you’re not
gonna like this…but, I have one thing to say…you have a choice.’
It’s valuable because it helps me to realize that I do have a
choice in tough places--I can choose to climb out of my hole or I can
choose to dig deeper into the darkness. And usually, I do make the
choice to do something and it has helped me. “
CTL: What is your favorite
part about having 10 dorm sisters and 2 dorm brothers?
Laura: “Not being bored! At
home, I am bored 24/7. But here, I am only bored for maybe 10 minutes
a day. I also really like girl time and being able to borrow lots of
clothes!”
CTL: How do you think you
have grown since you have been here in August of 2010?
Laura: “Well, I have grown 4
inches (I think)! I have also grown in Christ. I have grown into a
bigger room. I have grown to be more independent.”
CTL: What has been the
biggest change from 7th to 8th
grade at BFA?
Laura: “Transitioning from a
co-ed dorm for middle schoolers to a high school girls dorm. And also
living with a new set of dorm parents.”
CTL: Have you enjoyed your
time at Liel?
Laura: “YES! It was my
favorite and best experience…without my parents!” (Laura is
smiling and laughing)
CTL: What has been a special
blessing for you this year?
Laura: “A new best friend!”
(Laura points to Lynnea)
CTL: Lynnea, what is like for
you to share your family with 12 more girls?
Lynnea: “Well, I have done it
all of my life. My parents served at an MK boarding school in Kenya
for 6 years before we came to BFA. It’s something that I am
familiar with and used to.”
CTL: What would you girls
change about Liel?
Laura: “The Roof. It needs a
bridge, a pool, and chairs for sunbathing.” (The dorm dad and I
just so happened to lose the girls tonight as we were getting them
ready for bed…they went missing…guess where they went? They
ventured out onto the roof for the first time…we kindly asked them
to come down!)
Lynnea: “I would change the
garden. It drives me bananas. It is overgrown… my dad is going to
take some round-up and start from scratch.” (This is not the
German way…haha)
CTL: How/Why are you
different from most girls your age in the United States?
Laura (answering for Lynnea):
“You’re a missionary kid. You have traveled to Africa! You have
lived in girls and boys dorms! You have experienced it all, Lynnea!
Most girls her age have also NOT been friends with Laura Atkins!”
Lynnea (answering for Laura):
“Laura is indescribable. I appreciate that she is not afraid to be
herself. She is a military kid., but she fits in here so well. She
loves Jesus and has the same values as I do. “
CTL: What do you do in your
free time?
Lynnea: “I like to hang out
with Laura and with my family. I also like to draw and just do artsy
stuff.”
Laura: “I like to hang out
with Lynnea and I like to clean my room. I do homework, watch movies,
and read books. I also like to brush my teeth.”
Deceptive, but funny!
Lynnea with Laura's legs
And more!
Laura with Lynnea's legs
