Here is a look back at what I have been up to this fall! I have really enjoyed moments with my students, colleagues, and friends when we have been able to experience the beauty of this area. I am very thankful for the opportunity to strengthen relationships and invest in the lives of others. Here is a look at some captured moments from September through November.
The school year started with BFA Opening ceremonies. The high school seniors parade in carrying flags from their home country where their parents may be serving as missionaries. Every year I have to teach on this day and I have never been able to attend. This year I was able to be at the Opening Ceremonies and it was so special to see.
I love getting to meet with my small group every Tuesday night. My girls are juniors now and we have so much fun sharing life together.
Throughout the fall I love getting my students outside for learning. It is so fun to watch them explore God's creation and look at how it changes through the seasons.
The students are looking for different signs of fall. Now, most of the leaves have changed and are on the ground. It's getting much colder and the days are a lot shorter!
Winter is coming!
Fall means lots of fun festivals in Germany. My favorite every year is the pottery market in the center of our town. I love looking at all the beautiful handmade pottery and buying a few special things for gifts and for my collections.
This was my third year taking my students to the local apple farm to see how the apples are picked, sorted, cleaned, and made in to apple juice and many other products. We had a great time this year seeing how they make fresh, homemade bread, apple juice, and the workings of the farm. It was a beautiful day and I love that we can walk there from our school!
On our one school day off, some of my colleagues and I decided to drive to Switzerland to spend a day soaking in the beauty of the mountains. I am so thankful for these colleagues and friends and being able to hike together in the Alps!
There was a special exhibition at a church in a nearby town showing the story of Moses from the basket on the Nile to seeing the Promise Land. The story is shown through small figurines and really helps the Bible story come to life.
It was amazing to walk through the displays with the students and talk about God's faithfulness to his people. I loved the questions and comments from my students and how seeing the Bible stories in this unique form really made them think about what happened long ago. And God is still faithful to provide and protect his people today!
On the way back from seeing the Exodus display we stopped at this huge slide at a local museum. The students (and their teachers) climbed to the top and slid all the way down! This was definitely a highlight of the day!
I loved the slide and my students greeted me at the bottom!
In October we attended the teacher retreat with our partner school that is located in a nearby city. This is a large private Christian German school that my school, CSK, is partnered with. I was really blessed by this weekend away to give God thanks for blessing and growing His schools in Germany. It is amazing to see how students are coming to know the Lord through Christian schools in this country. I am blown away that I get to be a part of His work in this part of the world. Pictured are the German and English speaking colleagues that I work with everyday. We enjoyed a weekend away with LOTS of other teachers at this retreat center in the mountains of the Black Forest.
In November we celebrate St. Martin with a lantern parade through the village. Students and their families come to remember the work of St. Martin who gave sacrificially to the poor. Our students sang, "This Little Light of Mine" and then walked through the town carrying our lanterns and singing songs. Of course, we ate bratwurst and hot cider afterwards!
Also in November we celebrate Thanksgiving! The parents organize a really fun event for the students and they rotate through stations of games and crafts that relate to American Thanksgiving. At the end we share a traditional hot meal together and have a lot to be thankful for. I took this picture our of the window of my classroom looking down on some of the festivities below.
This last weekend 8 of my teacher friends and I went on a little get away to Adelboden, Switzerland. We stayed at a chalet run by Janz Team and were so refreshed by our time together and a relaxing weekend. I am thankful for wonderful friends and beautiful mountains.
It has been a busy season! These pictures are just a few of the fun and meaningful moments I have been able to experience.
I continue to help lead our school's chapel band each week and have enjoyed talking to the students about worship and praising the Lord.
I am really blessed by my wonderful 19 students and watching them learn and grow. It is amazing to see them learn in two languages and understand more and more about one another and the Lord.
I also spend lots of time working on my course work for my online graduate classes. I am really thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow professionally and find the courses interesting and challenging. I love that I can take what I am learning and apply it right into my classroom. I am still figuring out how to balance the work and deadlines with a busy schedule. But, God has been showing me that he is so faithful to provide the strength and energy I need for each day.
I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and take time to give God thanks for the many wonderful blessings He has given to us!
