I'll be home for Christmas

Christmas celebrations began this past Friday afternoon in Liel, Germany, when several girls and I visited a local neighbor that sells Christmas trees. A few hours later, the tree was up, the living room was decorated, and Rascal Flatts' "I'll be home for Christmas" was playing on the radio. It was a sweet tradition to share with the girls. Christmas is extraordinarily meaningful for us as there is so much that we are anticipating over the next month. We will celebrate Christ's birth in four weeks, we will be home in three weeks, and the fall semester ends in two weeks. GLORY!

I wanted to share a few photos with you this afternoon from the high school Christmas Banquet that took place Saturday night, November 26, as well as our Dorm Thanksgiving celebrated on Thursday, November 17. It has been such a joy to share these special occasions with my Liel family.

The classy tree!

My Girls--aren't they beautiful?

Our adorable dorm parents--Troy & Michelle

After just a few hours of hair and make-up preparations, they're ready for banquet!

Ji Soo and her date, Chan

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Liel Thanksgiving--November 17, 2011

Liel Family Photo!

The Liel Ladies and their guests

The big, big table--with lots and lots of food!

Priscilla, Eseli, & Michal

The Energetic 8th graders!

Laura, Me, & Lynnea

The Fabulous Freshmen

Joyce, Me, JAZ, Talya, Priscilla, Michal, & Eseli

The Spunky Sophomores

Kyra, Me, Erin, & Ji Soo

Offerings of Thanks

This Thursday, we are celebrating Thanksgiving with our students at Liel. The menu has been planned. The shopping will take place Tuesday. The food prep will begin Wednesday. But this season for giving thanks, starts today.

I am thankful because I get to share life with these students...

Dorm brothers

We've been celebrating several birthdays at Liel, including Seth's, one of the dorm brothers. Seth and his brother, Keith, are the sons of the dorm parents, Michelle and Troy. These boys are fantastic. They add such a great dynamic to our dorm family. They are funny, witty, musical, and just plain cute. They may be outrageously outnumbered, living in a house with 13 women, but they are such good sports :) They are so involved here and it has been so encouraging to see them build relationships with their dorm sisters. Their biological sister, Lynnea, has also done a wonderful job of sharing her brothers.

Joyce--Transformed by Grace

The chapel theme for this year at BFA is "Only Grace." Joyce has been so moved by grace in her life, that the Lord inspired her to write a song about it this fall. Once the song was completed, she shared it with the high school chaplain and the chapel band. It was so well received that the chaplain and chapel band invited her to share her song at chapel two weeks ago and explain how grace has changed her life. It was incredibly encouraging. Joyce's testimony and song were inspirational. It is beautiful to see the Lord at work in such a young life. Pray that the Lord would use her to minister to her class and spur them on.

Displays of Talent

Lynnea, Joyce, Ji Soo, and Talya just finished with BFA's fall musical, Suessical. The production was fantastic and I was so impressed by their dedication to it. They spent hundreds of hours practicing and rehearsing over the past two months. Ji Soo played in the pit orchestra and Lynnea, Joyce, and Talya were Whos (as pictured above). These ladies are so talented.

My little baby bean! (Do you remember?)

Laura has been especially energetic and full of life this past week. She just celebrated her 14th birthday on October 31, so perhaps that has something to do with it! She is always making us laugh--especially when she demonstrates her most recently learned ZUMBA moves to Shakira's Waka Waka. It is absolutely hysterical! This girl is going to be a professional exercise instructor. Her fun-spirit is absolutely contagious. She makes a bad day, better :)

My trouble makers...

Erin and Ji Soo are sophomore roommates and they have officially earned the title of "dorm pranksters"--these girls love to joke around with us. Their most recent prank was pretending to be German youth late one night, who were knocking on our windows and taking pictures of our dorm students from outside of our building. The girls were dressed in black and their faces were covered. It just so happened to be the dorm parents' night off and our dorm sub and BFA track coach, Peter, decided to check our property to be safe. He spotted the "girls." They started running. And Peter started chasing (while also addressing them in German). He caught them (what a surprise, right? haha) and the girls took off their disguises. We all laughed...the next day :) But not only do I laugh with these girls, I also have the privilege of living with them on the same floor. I have been profoundly moved by their hunger for Jesus. We have "couch time" before bed and this has been a sweet time of prayer, asking questions, and finding answers about how to seek God. I love these girls.

Victories

Priscilla was awarded MVP for the JV volleyball team at BFA--I was so proud! She is such a dedicated young woman. Pray for her as she tries out for basketball this week!

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It has been refreshing for me to share this update with you because many times I forget to be thankful. I forget to rejoice that this is the day that the Lord has made. I forget that today is holy and good. Instead, I find myself getting so caught up in a daily routine that somehow I am living life, but failing to revel in it and enjoy it. How can it be that my eyes don't see? That my ears don't hear?

I don't have an answer to my own questions; but I do know that I am human and therefore also very weak and prone to wander. And yet, Jesus is strong and never far off. He got my attention today--as I reflected on my time with these students, I was much more able to grasp how the Lord has been good to them and to me. A father baptized his son in church yesterday and he encouraged the church to remember this theological absolute--"God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good." As a result of this truth, we every reason to rejoice and every reason to sing.

Please join me in offering thanks to our incredibly Good Father today.

"But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me."

Ps. 13: 5-6

"Oh give thanks to the Lord,

for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever...

I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

This is the Lord's doing;

It is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Ps. 118:1, 21-24

"There is only Christ: he is everything."

"There is only Christ: he is everything."

Colossians 3:11, JB

Sometimes these posts are about the girls and dorm life at BFA, but sometimes they are also about the beautiful and broken missionary journey that Jesus has called me to in Germany. My hope is that these glimpses into my own personal spiritual growth can encourage you and challenge you. My prayer is that these words would never be written in vain, but that they would be read in order to fulfill the purpose for which they were shared.

Over the past month, I have been challenged. I bought a round trip ticket to the States and was holding my grandmother's hand within 24 hours as her battle with cancer was ending. I grieved her death with my family two days later. Four days after that, I returned to Germany to find that by October 26, the personnel office at BFA needed to know what my intentions were for the 2012-2013 school year. I was overwhelmed. It seemed as if too much was being required of me.

Several weeks later, after having the time that I needed to process and grieve, I was able to see that the beauty in all of it was that Jesus was there...

When I saw my grandmother's frail body, there was an immediate understanding that this was not what the Lord created her for. She was not created to have a body ravaged and destroyed by disease. She was created for so much more. And so, in celebrating her life, He gave me hope. Those who believe will be restored. Those who believe will receive new life. Those who believe will experience precisely and completely what they were created for--intimate fellowship with their Creator. My grandmother's death was indeed swallowed up in victory through Jesus Christ (I Cor. 15). I am so incredibly blessed that the Lord made a way for me to be home through the generous gifts of my family.

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While in the States and upon returning to Germany, I have fielded many questions about what I will be doing next year (when accepted by BFA in February of 2010, I signed a two-year contract and raised support for two years). To be completely honest, these questions have burdened me because I didn't and still don't have an answer. I have thoughts and I certainly have hopes, but I don't have a plan. And this makes me feel irresponsible. The pressure is familiar. I am immediately reminded of my senior of college and my senior year of high school. And I certainly don't welcome the stress and anxiety that seems to accompany feeling "lost."

But in reality, I am far from lost. In fact, I am following Jesus. I am not alone on this journey. I am being led. I do have a leader. He has called me to wait. He has called me to trust. It is not in His character or nature to supernaturally reveal the future to me. Otherwise, why would I need to trust Him?

For the next 8 months, I am sure of one thing--I have the privilege of serving and loving high school girls at Black Forest Academy. This reality brings me joy.

Friends, I don't know much. I don't know why some suffer through disease. I don't know what the future holds for you or for me. But I do know Christ and He is everything.

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Over the past three days,

three people have called my attention to the Lord's words spoken to David in Psalm 32...

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you...

...steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord." (vs. 8-10)

For God to keep His eye upon us, revealing His vigilance (n.-the action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties) and intimate care over all who believe...

And for God to promise us steadfast (adj.-resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering) love when we trust Him...

This is the Christ that I will wait upon. He is everything.

What is Liel?

Tonight, I wanted to let pictures tell the story of life at Liel. These were taken on a Saturday afternoon picnic at the top of a vineyard in our village. It is hard to describe this place because words don't seem to be enough. But, I can say that these ladies are life-giving. Liel wouldn't be the same without them.

So, what is Liel?

Liel is....

...life...

...family...

...fun...

(The classic 1...2...3 BAM shot)

...friendship...

...joy.

Thank you all for your prayers and support that allow me to

share life with these beautiful young women.

Two Gifts from the East

This morning, I could introduce you to Hannah and Ji Soo on my own, but that would just barely skim the surface; instead, I decided to ask them a few questions and let them answer for themselves! But, let me start with a brief introduction--these two ladies are fantastic! Hannah and Ji Soo are our two Korean students at Liel and they are truly beautiful women who are full of life. This year is their first year at BFA and they are transitioning so well. Their parents are both on the mission field and it is quite apparent that their parents love for Jesus has had a profound impact on their daughters. It is not uncommon to find Hannah and Ji Soo playing piano and singing worship songs, encouraging one of their Liel sisters, reading the Bible or a devotional book at breakfast, or speaking with someone about what God is teaching them or how He has challenged them. They are treasures--my two gifts from the east.

Enjoy Called to Love's first interview! :)

Ji Soo & Hannah

Called to Love (CTL): BFA is like _____ (fill in the blank)?

JK: "Camp! (A LONG camp that is) We are away from our parents for a year and we are on our own, but it's really fun because we get to meet so many new people. It also allows me to grow in independence and learn to take care of myself."

HK: "A place where you can combine your faith and your everyday life. The church, the school, and the dorm are one. All teachers speak of the Bible regardless of the class subject--I really like that."

CTL: What was the best part about the first day of school?

JK: "I was excited because everything was new--the people, the life--everything was so different from Nepal. New is exciting for me."

HK: "It was good that everyone I asked wanted to help me, although they didn't know me and I didn't know them, they were so helpful. It was like we were already friends and yet I didn't know them."

CTL: Are you enjoying being a Liel Lady? Why?

JK: "Yes! Because I have not met any sweeter girls and awesome dorm parents and RA than I have ever met before. Even though we have only known each other for three weeks, we are already so close."

HK: "Yes! Because although we are all from another country and background and we haven't really known each other, we can still pray for each other and we can share our problems and our thoughts and our worries. We are like a true family--we have the parents, an RA, the other girls, and dorm brothers. Everyone is so different, but they are all accepted just as they are--no matter how weird or awesome, loud or quiet. I also like how small our dorm is--it allows us to get to know one another more, it allows us to be more like a family."

CTL: Tell me where you were born, where you have lived, and where you'd like to go?

JK: "I was born in Korea and then one month later, moved to Nepal for 14 years. Now I'm here in Germany. I would like to live in Italy because I think it is an awesome country--I am in love with it! And I want to visit other countries too--but there are too many to name."

HK: "I was born in Korea, I lived there for 10 years, then I came to Germany for 6 years, and now I am here again! I would like to live in a country where Korean, English, or German is spoken. I don't want to learn any more languages!"

CTL: What do you want to be when you grow up?

JK: "I don't know! I would like to be a loving person. I want to be known by how I love."

HK: "I dream about being a missionary doctor in Africa."

CTL: Tell us something that would surprise us about you?

JK: "Two things that I get really weird about are puppies and food! They just make me really excited. I LOVE Korean food. My secret talent is that I can get people hyper. I also have a very American accent."

HK: "I can speak German better than I can speak English. I can also cook Korean food."

CTL: Can you share a favorite devotional thought/Scripture verse or story? Or a favorite worship song?

JK: "I am intimately involved in all your moments and I am training you to be aware of me at all times. Your assignment is to collaborate with me in this training process." This is from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, I read it on August 25 and it encouraged me because I knew that I would have to depend less on my parents and begin depending more on God here. I understand now why God sent me here...I feel like God wants me to become closer to Him and collaborate with him in daily life."

HK: "I cannot pick one! Philippians 4--I find this interesting because God does not promise to change the situation or fix it (what worries us or makes us anxious), but He does promise to guard my heart and my mind. And this has a HUGE impact on me. When I look to the sky, I know that He is mighty and I know that everything is in His hands. When I remember who He is, I am not scared anymore. It doesn't matter where I am or what I do, I know He is mighty, He always has the best thing planned for me. I find it more and more possible to live by the Bible--it's really real, it is true."

Please pray for Ji Soo and Hannah as they begin this new and challenging season of life at BFA. They have left so much behind--pray that Jesus ministers to them in mighty and surprising ways here. Pray that the Lord would magnify, fortify, and deepen their faiths.

The Liel Ladies!

Liel Ladies

August 23, 2011

The girls are here! Despite the fact that school at Black Forest Academy has only been in session for three days, the girls have jumped right in! Six of the girls tried out for volleyball and made the team. Three have auditioned for the fall musical, Suessical! And two have auditioned for private music lessons. What can I say? They are just that talented and I am super impressed :)

In my post today, I wanted to note a few things that have been so beautiful to observe around the house...

Friendship This is certainly a diverse group of girls who call 11 different countries "home" and yet their cultural differences have not kept them from reaching out to one another. I love how they see past color and age. Every girl is a new friend completely worth getting to know. On the first day of their arrivals, five of the girls were playing foosball in the basement. I watched for a moment as they laughed and jumped up and down... they were strangers and yet it looked like they had been friends for years. It was beautiful.

Praise Talya led some spontaneous worship before bed two nights ago and then again the following morning as she was waiting for the bus. The girls couldn't help but sing along and Troy (the dorm dad) couldn't help but enjoy that moment instead of enforcing our first bedtime/lights out...haha. It was beautiful.

Faithful The girls are incredibly respectful and obedient. We discussed the BFA dress code with them and in an effort to abide by the rules for modesty, the girls have come to me several times to make sure that their skirts aren't too short ("Lauren, do you have measuring tape so we can make sure that my skirt is exactly 2 inches above my knee?") or that their shirts have appropriate sayings ("Lauren, do you think my shirt that says 'How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?' is okay?"). Precious.

Security I have the pleasure of living with the four sophomores in a place that we have affectionately called the "loft" which is separate from the main dorm building. The past two nights, we have shared prayer requests and the girls have been surprisingly open. They have admitted the difficulty of this new transition to BFA, they have admitted homesickness, they have admitted struggles with language, and yet there is no shame. They already feel secure enough to share and to be vulnerable. We are already trusting one another. This is a gift from the Lord. This is what I prayed for.

More introductions, observations, and stories to come...

Christus Victor

It is hard to believe that our students at BFA will arrive in 9 days. The past two weeks have been filled with Residence Life meetings (discussing policy, expectations, assigning responsibilities, reviewing schedules, working through a philosophy of discipline, etc.), welcoming new Residence Life staff, orienting and getting to know new staff, preparing the dorm, and praying over/for staff and students.

To be perfectly honest, I struggled several weeks ago with all that would be new this year--new dorm parents, a new RA, new students, a new high school dorm with a completely different schedule. Though I have not written much about the move to Germany and the transition to the German culture and the BFA community, it has been a struggle. Everything is different here, everything was so new to me in the beginning--driving, shopping, banking, traveling, eating out, currency, language, dress, etc. There have been moments when my knowledge base was completely shallow, perhaps even dry!

I do not doubt that the Lord gave me the courage and the strength I needed to move here and leave my family, but I must admit that after that HUGE change, I began to value the predictable and familiar around here--the middle school schedule and the mix of little brothers and sisters in the middle school dorm. Yet, even after being here one year, everything is changing again. This is challenging. It is exhausting to be in a place of such intense adjustment and transition all the time, especially just as you are getting accustomed to a new job and ministry.

However, I have been so encouraged these past few days by the reality that this is all the Lord's doing. This is His will and there is great purpose in it. The change isn't in vain. The change helps me understand to some degree what it must be like as a missionary kid--just as I need stability here, so do they. Just as overwhelming as it may be for me to live with new people each year, so is it for these young students. As they transition, so must I. As they grieve the loss of family, so must I. As they search for friends, so must I. As they long for home, so do I. As they trust the Lord, so must I.

It is so comforting to know that Christ is victorious. I love this truth. He is victorious over change...he is victorious over new relationships...He is victorious over moves across the sea. He ordains it all. As He gives and even as He takes away, we are all challenged to bless His name. Oh that my heart would sing to Him and not be silent!

Praying that you too would know Christ as the Victorious One--"The victorious life is the

victorious Lord living in you and living in me in utter mastery."

A cross with the crucified Christ, seen upon entering the village of Liel

(Sunset, August 2010)

As you think of BFA, please pray for us! The new Liel dorm parents (Troy and Michelle) and I are waiting for our new RA, Carolyn, to arrive. She is not able to come until 90% of her financial support has been raised. Pray that the Lord would provide these monies soon because we certainly need her help with the 14 students. We trust that she is worth waiting for and that the Lord needs this time with Carolyn to prepare her heart and mind for ministry.

Pray also for our Liel ladies...

I am truly excited to meet them and begin introducing you to the 9 new girls!

Laura

Lynnea

Priscilla

Joyce

Jaz

Kyra

Erin

Talya

Ji Soo

Yae Ji

Michal

Eseli

Some fun end-of-the-year pictures with Laura and Britta...

May 2011