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

.................

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!

...........

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.

-------------

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.

-------------

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

How can missionaries do what they do?

The One and Only Julie Roop

(Julie's silly attempt to look like a native German in a clothing store)

It has officially been one year (TODAY!) since I have moved to Germany. Over that course of time, I have introduced you to my students at Liel as well as members of my own family. And yet, I have left someone out. You've met my Mom, my Dad, and Jake, and now, you must meet Julie.

Are you familiar with the saying, "behind every good man is a good woman?" It's true, isn't it? A man is able to be a man of integrity, strength, and goodness because of the woman who supports him, loves him, serves him, and cares for him unconditionally. He can't help but be good because of her love that wins him over.

In my case, I would venture to say that "behind every good missionary is a good God and a good family."

If you have ever been encouraged by a missionary's call or even perplexed by their lifestyle, you might ask, "How can missionaries do what they do? How can they make that sacrifice? How can they leave their families?"

Well, friends, I think the answer is two-fold. When the Lord brought BFA to mind, I couldn't help but respond. This is how He moves. This is how He works. He gave me an undeniable love for these missionary kids before I even met them. I just wanted to go. I just wanted to serve those who needed care. And so, I had to be obedient to the call. The Lord gave me the grace I needed to raise support...He gave me the strength I needed to leave my family...He gave me the courage I needed to live in a foreign country. He has surely proven Himself to be a good God. I couldn't be here without Him. And so, it is because of Him that I am who I am. I have no reason to boast in myself. I am a good missionary because of the One who holds me, sustains me, and defends His cause in my life.

But behind every good missionary, there is also a good family. Through their affirmation and encouragement, the Lord has given me the confidence and the assurance I needed to come to BFA. They also make me strong. They believe for me when I doubt or feel defeated. They cover me with their prayers. They give me their blessing. They support me financially. They never question God's call on my life. They send me notes and care packages. They always answer the phone when I call. They always make time for Skype dates. They love me.

Julie loves me. Her generosity and kindness overwhelms me. Behind every good missionary is a good sister. Julie was the first person to support me financially. She was the first person to write a check. Julie was the first person in my immediate family to buy a plane ticket to Germany. Julie was the first person to schedule me in for weekly Skype dates during her Monday lunch break. A baby sister could ask for nothing more than the incredible love that Julie has shown me. I thank God for her. It is her story-telling and jokes that make me laugh to the point of tears. It is her commitment to family and those she serves that makes me proud. It is her generosity that encourages me to give. It is her love that makes me good. And so, this is all you need to know about Julie, my beautiful sister. It is all that truly matters :)

Julie, I hope you can see. I hope you can understand in some small way that you have made me who I am. I am never the same because of the love that you have poured out on me. You have made me good. I couldn't be here without you. I love you, J!

Oh, I am only good because of the God who stands before me and the family who stands behind me. This is precisely why a missionary can do what she does. It is no secret.

Sisters!

Badenweiler, Germany

I love her!

Blauen, Germany

Our Final Family Portraits

Last week, a good friend of mine came and snapped these last photos of our Liel family. [Thank you, Dani and Israel!]

I will forever cherish this year and the incredible opportunity it was to build relationships with Britta, Laura, Joyce, Priscilla, Kate, Ira, AJ, GI, Luke, and Josh.

The 2010-2011 school year is officially complete.

Middle school classes ended Monday.

Middle school final exams were completed Tuesday.

61 BFA seniors graduated yesterday.

And at the conclusion of today, all 10 of our middle school students will be home.

Since this week was our final week together, we wanted to make it as special as possible for our middle schoolers...

On Tuesday afternoon, we treated our 10 students to an Italian dinner out on the town (which is a treat given the fact that families of 14 are difficult to seat and expensive to take out) and then we came back to the house to watch a slideshow of pictures and videos from the school year. The evening was completed with creative Dorm Awards. As each student was called forward to receive their award, we took several minutes to explain what we (as a family of staff and students) valued and appreciated about that person and then Bob, Sue, or I would pray over the student. It was incredibly uplifting and it was such a healthy way for us to close our year together. Giving the students the freedom to express thanks, affirm their friends, encourage their roommates, and articulate how valuable they find their dorm brothers and sisters to be... well, this would make any mother cry :) It was beautiful. Brothers lifted up sisters. Sisters praised brothers. And they all expressed their admiration for their dorm parents, Bob and Sue.

I always laugh when people think I am so unique because of my affinity towards middle schoolers. They explain that this is a special calling as it must require an abundance of energy and an extra measure of patience. I would agree that there are certainly those called to minister to this age group, but you must realize that this is no ordinary group of middle schoolers. It would be difficult for anyone not to fall in love with them! They are spectacular. They are mature beyond their years. They are compassionate and respectful. They are silly and energetic. They are sensitive and generous. They are wonderful.

..............

As this year comes to a close and as I have time to process my first year in missions, I hope to continue sharing some of my reflections with you over the summer. So, please continue to read this blog and please continue to pray.

This summer, I will be living in the nearby town of Holzen and watching a house and a poodle for a missionary family while they are on home assignment in the States. I am excited to have these next two months to rest... to read... to refill my cup... and to spend time with the Lord before Residence Life training begins again on August 1. As much as I have been giving and pouring out over the past 10 months, pray that I would know how to be still. Pray that God would teach me and encourage me and prepare for me what is ahead. Pray that family and friends coming to visit this summer would have a better understanding of the needs here and why this ministry is so important to me. Pray that as I continue to serve at BFA, that I would become more like Christ for the sake of my students.

Pray for our students. Pray that their reunions with their families would restore them. Pray that they might be kept protected as some are in dangerous parts of the world. Pray for our returning students to Liel (Laura, Priscilla, and Joyce), pray for the students transitioning to new high school dorms (Kate to Blauen, Ira to Witt, GI to Sonne, AJ to HBR, Marshall, Josh, and Luke to Maugenhard), pray for our 9 new high school girls coming to Liel in the fall as well as the Gallaghers coming to serve as dorm parents with their three children.

Thank you, friends, for joining me in this year of outreach. I appreciate you more than you will ever know.

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ

just as He has so faithfully done for me.

2 Thessalonians 3:5

Yours,

Lauren

Kate: "What is your love story??"

One last introduction: Kate Lee!

May 2011

From the first day that I met her in September of 2010, I was captivated by Kate's bubbly personality. Never before have I met someone who expresses so much enthusiasm in her speech and I just love it! Kate is able to take any common or bland English phrase and spice it up with some Korean inflection and flavor--I find myself smiling just thinking about it :) Some of these phrases include, "Oh my gosh!"... "That is so gross!"... "OH! Watch the poops!" [exclaimed on several of our treks through the woods when we would come upon an animal dropping]... "Lauren, what is that?"... "Oh, that is so good!"

There is so much that I value in Kate. She is exuberant. She is funny. She is entertaining. She is brave. She is extremely disciplined and extraordinarily intelligent. At the 8th grade awards ceremony last Saturday, Kate won an academic award for being the top scholar in her Algebra 1 class. We were so proud! And then, I can't forget to say that Kate is such a romantic! On special occasions, when we have guests over for dinner at Liel, each student is encouraged to ask the guest a question of any kind--it can be serious, goofy, relevant, irrelevant, spiritual, etc. But the BEST question that always receives the BEST answers would consistently come from Kate when she asked, "What is your LOVE story?!?" Sometimes the guest would keep his or her answers brief, but others would go into extreme detail and the answer became more of a narrative that would have us rolling on the floor in fits of laughter with cramps in our stomachs and tears in our eyes. We could always expect that Kate would be brave enough to ask this question to any guest invited to our table :)

Kate comes to us from Seoul, South Korea, because it was extremely important to her parents that she receive a formal English education in an authentically Christian environment. She left all of her Korean friends, her culture, her family, and everything that was familiar in order to come to BFA. And so, I admire her strength and her courage.

Some interesting facts about Kate:

-She is obsessed with oranges and bananas...she eats them like candy!

-She wrote in her BFA application that she wants to be a foreign diplomat when she grows up

-The first thing that she is going to do when she arrives home tomorrow is kiss her two dogs!

-Kate is extremely thoughtful and encouraging--before leaving for Korea today, she left handwritten notes for all of the girls

-She is a creative and contemplative. Enjoy her poem entitled, "True Love"

It's white and pure like snow

comes to my cold heart

looking inside of my heart

and waits until the door opens.

It's warm and bright like the light

touches my cold heart

knocking the door softly

comes inside my heart softly.

It's hot and strong like fire

lives in my heart

getting bigger and bigger

consumes my heart completely.

It becomes cold and dry like ice

leaves my heart

taking warmness and brightness

gives hurts to my heart.

My heart closes the door now

tears falling down

waiting, waiting for my true love.

Kate the Romantic!

(After the girls had finished playing 'makeover')

February 2011

Beautiful Two

Two is a significant number, isn't it? Without two feet, we couldn't walk. Without two eyes, we couldn't see. Without two hands, we couldn't reach for or hold anything. Without two ears, we couldn't hear.

On Sunday afternoon, these pictures were taken to represent the significance of two--these are Britta's feet, my feet, and Priscilla's eyes. Beautiful things come in twos right? ...

... Yes, but recently though, it has been difficult to call these last two weeks beautiful. Sometimes the end of something good is seemingly not beautiful at all...

Britta is preparing to go back to Nebraska after spending eight years with her family at BFA. She has to say goodbye to the place that has become her home. She has to say goodbye to friends that she is not sure she will ever see again. This is hard. This is painful. She only has two weeks left.

Liel will only be a middle school dorm for two more weeks. It has been such a good place for our 10 middle schoolers. They have been safe here, cared for here, nurtured here, and loved here. Why does it have to end when it has been so good?

As I process these things, it has been so helpful and so healing to remember who God claims to be. On Sunday evening, we had dorm devotionals and we talked about the Lord as our Good Shepherd. It was so appropriate to remember the Lord as a Shepherd who cares for His sheep because considering the circumstances of Liel closing as a middle school dorm and nine of our students transitioning into a high school dorm, we are all a bit worried and anxious about next year. We don't know where the Lord is taking us. We don't know who our dorm parents will be. There is so much unknown. There is so much uncertainty. It is hard to let go of this good year. It is hard to imagine that next year could be more beautiful or better. BUT, we are all learning that the Good Shepherd is trustworthy. He knows exactly where the green pastures lie. He knows precisely where the still waters flow. It is in His nature to take us there, not to keep us hungry and thirsty.

This moment can be beautiful because He doesn't change in His care or concern for us. He will always be our source of nourishment. He will always be leading us, even if He requires us to leave something good behind and keep pressing forward.

We do believe that the One we are waiting on will not disappoint us.

So, as we wait, we pray that the Lord will gives us eyes to see the beauty of

His character and His plans.

...........

One more quick story about another "Beautiful Two..."

This morning, I was encouraged by something so true and yet so simple. G.I. was speaking with me about someone who had given him advice yesterday. This man said, "All that the Lord requires of you, G.I., is to love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself." These two commands, alone, are what the Lord requires of us. G.I. was so comforted by these words because no matter how difficult school can be, he knows that he will always be able to love the Lord and love his neighbor. In that moment, life suddenly became manageable for G.I. He was given purpose again. These two beautiful commandments free him. After our conversation, he walked out of the door to catch the bus with a smile on his face :)

A.J. the Miracle Boy!

A.J. on defense

May 6, 2011

JV Girls vs. 8th Grade Soccer Game

So, I have three weeks left of school and I still need to introduce you to two more students! This afternoon, I wanted to highlight A.J. for the true miracle that he is to our Liel family but also to his own parents, Warren and Laura. This past fall, we anticipated welcoming two military students to our dorm--Laura and Roman (R.J.). R.J.'s application had been received and accepted. He and his mother were moving to Germany and his mom was to be stationed at the U.S. military base in Stuttgart. On the day of our students' arrival, R.J. never came. The director of ResLife at BFA received a call explaining that R.J. had decided to remain with his mom and go to school on base. This left us with one open bed. Who would fill it?

While Bob, Sue, and I were getting to know our 9 new students while also processing the loss of a student that we had expected to join our family, A.J. was helping to move his 15-yr-old sister into the Palmgarten dorm in Kandern. A.J. had applied to BFA, but since there was no room for him in the boarding program, he would be required to wait a year and attend Italian schools before he could join his sister, Olivia, at BFA. But, the Lord certainly had other things in mind... A.J. would go back to Italy with his parents, but only for a day to get all of his things! The same day that A.J. was helping to move his sister into Palmgarten, he received a call from the ResLife supervisor inviting him to stay at BFA after a student (R.J.) suddenly withdrew his application. And so, A.J. joined our family at Liel!

As months have passed and as the school year is about to end, I think I can speak for all of the staff at Liel and say that life certainly wouldn't be the same without A.J. The Lord was so good and so generous in allowing us to share life with A.J. Though he is certainly a quiet and introverted young man, there is such incredible depth to his personality.

In so many ways, A.J. is your typical middle school boy--he loves sports, he will eat everything (up to 8 servings of lasagna...haha, seriously!), his room is messy, he doesn't like to wear shoes around the house or a jacket to school on chilly mornings, his feet smell, and he loves to sleep! And yet, he is also unlike most boys... he is always singing worship music around our house (while he does his homework, while he plays on the computer, while he washes dishes, while he is shooting basketball...), he has memorized passages of Scripture, he always has something profound to say, and the Lord has given him such confidence about sharing his adoption story...

You see, before A.J. was even born, his biological mother had already made plans to give him up for adoption in Mexico. At the time, A.J.'s adoptive parents were serving as American missionaries there, planting churches and taking in Mexican children as their own. A.J. was Warren and Laura's second child to be adopted from Mexico.

I love A.J. and I am so impressed by his character because at age 14, there is no shame as he shares his adoption story. It is not something to hide. It is not something to be embarrassed about. Instead, it is something that he rejoices in! He is Mexican and he is proud of his heritage, he is American after being raised by the parents whom he so affectionately loves, and he is also Italian as he supports his parents' current ministry outreach. A.J. is exactly who God has created him to be.

One more encouraging story about A.J...

This past Sunday, we were talking about God as 'Light of the World' during our dorm devotions and I challenged our students to think about practical ways that they could be light. For just as Christ called himself the Light of the World (John 8), He also explained that we too are to be cities on hills, lights that shine before men (Matthew 5), and people who declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness and into His wonderful light (I Peter 2). After several students had shared their thoughts, A.J. said something quite unexpected, but incredibly true and profound, "Maybe, it's not about 'doing' anything. Maybe all we need is just to 'be.'" I see the light of the world in A.J. just as he is--he is kind, compassionate, loving, respectful, and gentle. He is a young man whose mind has been transformed by Christ. A.J. doesn't have to 'do' anything to be light, he just is light--it's so natural, so real, so authentic. Because of what God has done and because of the love and forgiveness that A.J. has received, there is remarkable light shining forth in this young life.

And so, I praise God for A.J. and the great encouragement he is to me. He is one of the most precious little brothers that an RA could ever ask for :)

A.J.

September 2, 2010

Runners! Take your mark... Get set...GO!

The countdown: 3 more weeks of school!

To illustrate the significance of the number 3 , Laura and I thought our pictures this week should be taken with the 30 km speed sign conveniently marked on the street in front of our house. And now that our track season has ended, we also thought it would be neat to show the three positions that a runner takes as he or she prepares for a sprint off the blocks... check out the following three pictures as Laura demonstrates:

Position 1, Taking the mark...

Position 2, Getting set...

Position 3, Taking off!

.......................

While there are still three weeks of school left, the BFA Track season has ended, but let me give you a quick update and brag about my girls for just a second :) ...

Last week, Laura, Priscilla, and I traveled to the Frankfurt International School with the BFA track team for the first track meet of the season open to junior high athletes. Laura ran the 1500m race in 6:10 minutes and the 800m race in about 3:05 minutes. Priscilla ran the 100m dash in 14.31 seconds, the 200m dash in about 31.03 seconds, and the 400m dash. I was incredibly impressed by their performances! And for me, it was such a blessing to be able to travel with the team in order that I could coach, encourage, and cheer for these stellar athletes.

Next Spring, I hope to continue coaching and perhaps be a bit more involved if I can. I have found track to be such an intimate sport and I love that fans and coaches can watch and attend to one athlete while he or she competes against others. Team sports are certainly great, but track and field is just so unique. I get goosebumps watching some of our athletes run and truly push themselves to the limit. In one race, a spectator can see an athlete showcase his or her greatest skills and talents, which is not always the case in team sports since individual performance is typically dependent on the team. I have so much respect for these BFA students and I look forward to our next season together.

Priscilla, Lauren, and Laura

Frankfurt, Germany

May 7, 2011

4!

4!

The Liel Family (minus Marshall and Lauren)

"4!" may be equivalent to 24 if you see this as an equation and solve it as a factorial, but for us at Liel, "4!" means something so much more. It's official: four more weeks of school...four more June birthdays to celebrate...four more weekends together...4!

These last four weeks are extraordinarily special at Liel for several reasons. Next year, it looks as though our middle school dorm will be converted to a high school girls dorm to accommodate the abundance of applications for the high school girls boarding program. Just as the life of a third-culture-kid (TCK) seems to be defined by change, Black Forest Academy is also a place of constant change. I think we were all sad to hear the news about Liel, but we are certainly going to embrace these last few weeks together. We can be happy and glad because we have made history at BFA! Never before has the school opened a dorm specifically for middle schoolers. We are also unique in that we have a co-ed dorm with an awesome mix of guys and girls... AND we represent the smallest dorm with 10 students and 3 staff members (which has allowed us to be a more closely knit family). We can also rejoice that with this change, 10 more missionary kids will have an opportunity to receive an education at BFA. For these young women, all of the change is worth it.

If you can pray with us, we would be so grateful. Pray for the placement of four middle school students who have been accepted into the boarding program next year (it looks as though a home placement is most likely where missionaries in the area will open up their homes to house these students...one of our own, Laura, is included in this). Pray for our own 8th grade girls at Liel who now have the option of staying at Liel after they already decided to go elsewhere. Pray also for a couple to come to BFA to serve as dorm parents--Residence Life at BFA is still searching for willing servants to fill these vacant roles. And finally, please pray for me. Though, I will remain at BFA for another year, I am not sure where I will be serving. My placement is dependent on so many factors and so, this is a season of change again for me... a season of uncertainty... a season of waiting on the Lord.

Though I do rejoice today because as I was reminded in the Gospel of Luke (ch. 12) that the Lord has instructed us to not worry about our LIFE. It seems easier (in part) not to worry about tomorrow, but to not worry about my LIFE? This is radical. This is hard. Though He does give me the desires of my heart, He certainly doesn't include me in the planning of my life. He doesn't ask about my thoughts on converting the Liel dorm. He doesn't warn me about the possible loss of my current position, ministering to middle schoolers. He just acts. He just decides. And sometimes, He takes away. In the midst of this, He also asks me to replace my worry with belief. After all, He says, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." This is a promise that I cling to.

And so, despite the change, I am more at peace now because I know that I will SEE the kingdom in the children that I will get to serve next year, regardless of their age or gender. It's simply not worth worrying about... My Jesus came to GIVE me the Kingdom, certainly not to take it away.

To the One to whom all children belong,

Lauren

The girls say "Guten Morgan!"