kingdoms and dynasties

BFAMS 8th grade and Staff

I am about to complete my fifth year of teaching in the BFA middle school, and at times I feel like there is no tangible way to show all that has been accomplished in that time. Then I think about the many families who have trusted me with their children over the years. It is a special privilege to teach multiple children within one family!

A few of us middle school teachers have come up with a special system for keeping track of the various combinations of students we've had. For example, if you teach three children from the same family you have a Kingdom. Four is a Dynasty, and five (!!) is a Super Dynasty. While it is quite common to have taught two siblings, three or four is a bit harder unless you stick around for an extended period of time.

The Riffe Bookends

Perhaps one of the most special pieces of my "collection" is what I have lovingly dubbed my Bookends. Their daughter (now a graduating senior) was in my very first eighth grade class at BFA, and their son was in my last (for now) eighth grade class. While so much has changed at the middle school over the last five years, these two somehow ended up having very similar experiences! They both were a part of classes that were so large we had to split them into two sections, and they were both in my science class. They also both stayed at the same place during their trip to Lugano AND got to travel by bus instead of vans - considering we've stayed at three different places in the last five years, the odds of that happening were pretty slim! I have enjoyed getting to know these kids and their parents: two of the kindest, most generous and loving people I've ever met.

The Campbell Kingdom

I have had the awesome blessing of teaching many Kingdoms during my time at BFA. This particular Kingdom is quite a special one, as I got to present the two oldest sisters' eighth grade tributes upon their completion of middle school. Unfortunately I will be in Spain during the youngest sister's eighth grade year so I will not get to carry on that tradition, but you can bet I will still be there in spirit! These gorgeous girls have blessed me with their warm smiles, encouragement, and servant hearts - qualities that are also true of their parents who have so faithfully supported and cheered on us teachers.

The Martin Dynasty

I currently have only one reigning Dynasty and these beautiful kids are on the throne. Three of them I have had the privilege of taking to Lugano (and hopefully I'll get to take the youngest in 2016!), two of them I got to teach for all three years of middle school, and one of them even got to watch me puke my brains out after running a half marathon! They have served on student council, dazzled us in theatrical performances, and shared their joy with us in the middle school. It amazes me how smart, thoughtful, funny, and creative they all are, but if you know their parents then you would not be at all surprised.

There are, literally, about a hundred students I could tell you about - each one with his or her own talents, funny stories, and cheesy grins. Every single one has been a precious gift to me. The ones I have mentioned are just a few that stand out when I reflect back on God's faithfulness to me over these last five years. Many times one of the first questions a student asks a new teacher is, "How long are you going to be here?" The fact that I have been able to stay here at BFA for five consecutive years is a huge deal to these kids, as transition and change are so often the norm for them. What an awesome privilege it has been for me to be a source of normalcy and even routine for so many of them.

This, of course, would not have been possible without your faithful and unending support. You have stepped into my classroom, taken the time to hear their stories, laughed and cried with me over them, and given generously to finance my life in a foreign country. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for the role you have played in allowing me to complete five years of service at Black Forest Academy. Who's ready for five more?!

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3-6