coffee cupdate: con leche, por favor

If we were to sit down for a cup of coffee, I'd have a lot to tell you.

I probably wouldn't know where to begin, because it has been so long since our last Cupdate. Carefully I would wrap my fingers around my mug and apologize for not doing my part to stay in touch.

You would probably ask me about my new students, and I would share little details about each one: how passionately Alex sings along when Hillsong's Relentless comes on during math practice time; how loudly my science class announces the arrival of Hump Day each Wednesday; how persistently Collin questions me, demanding answers far beyond my meager understanding of science; how Dafne and Elizabeth are attached at the hip; how adorable Jonathan's British accent is... I would shake my head in disbelief wonder aloud how it's possible to care so deeply for students I have only just met.

I might tell you how discouraging my first quarter of pre-algebra was with the eighth graders, but how many of them have turned over a new leaf in this first week of quarter two. I'd tell you with a huge grin how exciting it was to give out FIVE solid B's on last week's quiz, and how thrilled they were to have earned such grades!

Maybe I would share with you some of the inner struggle I have been battling each day here in Spain. I'd confess that while I am determined to be fully present and committed to my students and my role here at ECA, not a day goes by that I do not think of, miss, or pine away for my "old life" at BFA. You would most likely assure me that this is a normal part of transition and yet, I would still feel guilty for missing Germany so much. Together we might ponder how I ended up here--the way God has worked so clearly to orchestrate my timely arrival--and dream of what He will do during this year.

I might also share with you how, on accident, I have discovered the perfect café con leche at a small coffee shop in the neighborhood near my church in Madrid. You would be jealous when I tell you that this deliciousness is available for a mere fifty cents! At this point, I would simply wink and tell you that it's time for you to visit Spain so that I can treat you to one.

What would you share with me?

it's Christmastime in the city

One of my most favorite things about spending Christmas in Europe is going to the Weihnachstmarkt, or Christmas market. It's something that has become a new tradition for me as I learn how to spend Christmas in a new place. Many of the surrounding cities host markets during the Christmas season, with booths selling handmade goods like scarves, wooden items, candles, soaps, ornaments, and other items. Food booths sell local cuisine, as well as warm kinderpunsch and glühwein in special mugs that you get to keep after you finish your drink (or you can return for a small refund!). Visiting the Weihnachtsmarkt always means a good time with friends and getting into the Christmas spirit. I usually get a good amount of my Christmas gifts at the markets, and sometimes I even find a little something for myself.



Colmar, France

 

some of my best friends and I checking out the HUGE tree in Colmar

 

Freiburg (Germany) market was cold and rainy...

...but I had a lovely evening with these ladies!

Hauptstrasse (Main Street) in Kandern

first day of school

I know, I know, I have been completely MIA around here lately. Can I just say, it has been one crazy week, and I have basically been running on adrenaline. Now that school is back in session and I am starting to settle into my new routine, I hope to get back to a regular blogging schedule as well. in the meantime, please just bear with me.

I wanted to give an update on our first day of school but forgive me, because it's now a whole week late! I don't know about you, but when I was a student, the first day of school was only exciting because I got to wear new clothes. Aside from that it was a pretty normal, boring day. Here at BFA, the first day is a celebration!

seniors bearing flags from their countries

We start all together (high school and middle school) in the high school auditorium with Opening Ceremonies. During that time there is a Parade of Nations in which the seniors carry flags from their respective countries. There is also a Roll Call of the Nations, when students cheer as their country is announced. It also involves a charge to the seniors, to the dorm staff, and to the teaching staff, and is such an incredible testimony to how awesome God is. To have brought us all together from around the world, to be together here at BFA, with so much diversity and yet we are now a family!

before the parade of nations, there's the parade of teachers!

There is something indescribable about that moment, when I look around and see the hundreds of students cheering for their respective countries, and their parents applauding the dorm staff and teachers. It is a bittersweet moment for them, excited for the opportunities to learn and grow in a safe environment yet scared or sad to drop off their children and then leave for another country. It is sobering to realize that their parents have entrusted us with their most prized possessions (for lack of a better term!), that we have been entrusted with so high a calling. I admit, I don't feel worthy. But I am willing to serve, and God's strength is made perfect in my weakness.

Just a few of the 52 countries represented at BFA this year!

So, let the 2012-2013 school year begin!

five things on friday the fifteenth

{1}

Black Forest Academy: At A Glance from Black Forest Academy Videos on Vimeo.

You should watch this video produced by our communications experts at BFA. It's a great overview of the school; I just wish it included middle schoolers as well. If you are thinking about joining my support team this year, this video should seal the deal. ;) Or maybe this video will make you want to join me in Germany this fall...

{2}

source

Last week I discovered a new flavor of coffee creamer. Being in Germany means no creamer, just milk and sugar. I am suddenly finding all kinds of excuses to drink coffee because of this stuff. It is WAY better than my go-to Peppermint Mocha!

{3}

source

I started running again, though at this point I can only refer to it as "wogging" - that's my word for combination walking/jogging. For some reason I have this sick desire to run a half marathon with my friend Katrina in Switzerland in September. So, I am combining my couch to 10K schedule with a couch to half-marathon schedule that I found online. The C210K has guidelines for how long to run at a time - for example, it starts you out running in only one-minute spurts and eventually builds up to running 15-20 minutes at a time with 1-minute walk breaks in between. The C2HM has guidelines for overall distance and takes you from 3 miles all the way up to 11 miles. So this week I have been covering a distance of three miles, by running one minute and walking two minutes. I know it sounds lame, but I have been working up a sweat so I know I'm doing something right. Plus, I don't want another knee injury so I am trying to be smart about this! Oh, and having my parents' dog along for the ride helps because he tugs on the leash and keeps me going!!

{4}

I've added lots of brand new pieces to the shop this week and will continue to do so next week. My creative juices have been flowing like lava from an active volcano. Now I just need to channel this creativity into my support raising and I'll be set. Click the link above to get your hands on some new bling and support me in the process. :)

{5}

I love this shot I got of the pup today on a drive through town. That is all. :)

coffee cupdate: reverse culture shock

If we were to sit down for a cup of coffee I would have a lot to tell you.

First I'd share with you that I've been in America for one full week now, and am still laughing at myself for little cultural mixups that have been happening to me.

I'd tell you, perhaps with a hint of frustration, that everytime I get into my mom's Explorer, my left foot searches relentlessly for the clutch, and my right hand automatically reaches down for the shifter ... but either one has yet to find it because my mom's Explorer is an automatic!

I'd mention how strange it is for me now to throw everything away in the same trashcan, and how yesterday when my mom asked me to bring in the garbage can I couldn't believe how BIG the can was!

I'd shake my head in shame as I confess to you how much pop - namely root beer - I've consumed in the past week and the weight I've probably gained because of it.

I'd confess that I have a love/hate relationship with air conditioning. I love it when I'm trying to sleep at night and the humidity is so thick it can be cut with a butter knife, but I hate it when I'm in the middle of church/a theater/a restaurant/a grocery store and can't stop shivering!

I'd ask you if you've ever experienced culture shock, or even reverse culture shock upon returning to America. What would you tell me?

Lugano 2012 - Day 3

The third day of our trip was divided up over several smaller activities. Our first event of the day was a visit to the Alprose Schokoland. Here we toured the factory, learned about the process of chocolate making, and were able to see chocolate being molded, checked for quality control, and then wrapped up and packaged for selling. Students completed a scavenger hunt, then gorged themselves on the all-you-can-eat free chocolate sample buffet. If you like chocolate, this is the place for you!!

Watching the chocolate move through the factory on the various conveyor belts was pretty cool. There was a walkway over one of the belts and as we watched the chocolate move underneath us, I was reminded of the game Pooh Sticks (see video below).

When our time at the chocolate factory ended, we returned to the hostel for a mapping exercise related to the hike and utilizing skills we had covered in science class.

Photo by Daniel Meade

Following lunch, students had a good chunk of freetime to play games, swim, relax, and just enjoy each other's company. There was an old barn up on the hill behind our hostel that had been somewhat renovated to house a ping-pong and fooseball table as well as a climbing wall, an overhead walkway, and a zipline! It was all very cool, and the kids enjoyed hanging out up there.

Traditionally the last night in Lugano involves a grill-out, with hotdogs and s'mores. Following dinner we played an awkwardly awesome round of Ducky Wucky (well, we teachers just watched...). The kids always hear from previous students that DW is a Lugano tradition and beg to play it, but then afterwards they complain about it being awkward .. even though they are laughing and having a blast the entire time the game is in play.

A pillow is our awkwardness buffer.

Again, I am praising God for another fantastic day in Lugano! Thank you so much for your prayers.

Lugano 2012 - Day 2

Tuesday morning brought a new onslaught of anxiety as I anticipated our upcoming hike. I had only hiked this route one other time and honestly hadn't paid enough attention to warrant being the lead hiker this year. But, God answered my prayers and allowed me to recognize so much more of the trail than I had expected. Before the hike I wasn't able to visualize hardly any of the trail, but as I approached each intersection along the way, I somehow knew exactly which paths to take and that was 100% God!! The only place I got a little muddled was the path to and from our lunch spot, but after three tries we finally found it!

I was also nervous about back and knee pain during the hike, something I experienced last year. So I came prepared this year: I took two Aleve before the hike and then put on my knee braces before going down the stairs. We had the kids count the stairs ... there were some discrepancies but the final count ended up just over 1,400 stairs, and I hiked them all without a stich of knee pain! Praise the Lord!!

We're not cruel enough to make the kids hike UP the mountain, so our day actually began with a ride up on the funicular.

Once at the top we climbed to the top of the church for the traditional photo shoot and shouting of "Sono Libero!" (Italian for "I am free!").

We then spent the next few hours hiking down the mountain. We stopped for lunch at the Parco San Grato and then completed our hike on the aforementioned Stairs of Death, eventually ending up in the coastal town of Morcote. It was an enjoyable walk full of sunshine, laughter, and conversation. I'm really proud of the students who hiked at the front of the pack and made a conscious effort to stay with me despite their youthful urges to take off running ahead down the trail.

The faithful few lead hikers on stair #700!!

Here's just a taste of the Stairs of Death. I realized after watching this video that you can totally hear my bum knee snap-crackle-popping with every step I take!! Sorry about that!!

From Morcote, we took the ferry back to our vans and drove back to our hostel. By then it was dinner time and the kids were famished, so they gobbled down their meal and headed to games and devotions with full bellies.

Everyone's checking out their pictures from the hike!

Leaders still smiling after a four-hour hike!!

Probably my favorite picture from the whole day!

Thank you so much for your prayers for us on day two of our trip! It was evident to me throughout the day that God was with us on each step of the hike and for that I give Him praise.