Celebrating a birthday in Spain

I had no idea what to expect this year for my birthday. It was really, really hard to think about spending it away from my closest friends and family, and I had even considered flying to Germany for a few days because my best friend Katrina was passing through Kandern that very weekend. Unfortunately that didn't work out for a number of reasons, so I ended up celebrating my very first Spanish birthday!

The day began like any other, but once I arrived at school I quickly realized something was up. Usually the third floor filled up with middle schoolers right around 9:00 but as the warning bell rang and no students appeared, the halls were still and my classroom was empty.

Where are all the students?

At 9:10 on the dot, the bell rang to begin first period and the familiar chimes sounded to signal the start of the morning announcements. They were nothing special, but I listened carefully for any sign of shenanigans. Just before signing off for the day, the announcer revealed that there were some people in the office wanting to wish me a happy birthday. Through the loudspeaker I heard a crowd of students singing, cheering, and shouting happy birthday to me while the rest of the school was forced to listen in. Turns out both the seventh and eighth grade classes had crowded into the office to partake in the festivities! 

Meanwhile in the office ...

(photos courtesy of my roommate Robbyn, who was at the scene of the crime)

Moments later a stampede of students tramped up the stairs and burst through the door bearing huge grins and all kinds of wonderfulness.

Surprise!

My first period class, life science, had already made plans for a class party that day because it was the end of the quarter and they'd earned it as part of our class reward system. Those sneaky seventh graders hijacked their class party and turned it into a surprise party for me, and they were pretty proud of themselves for pulling it off! They lavished gifts and sweet treats on me and I had to spend the rest of the day comvincing the other teachers that I did not, in fact, plan a birthday party for myself! Thanks, kids!!

Some of the snacks and goodies from the seventh graders

Lots of affirming words on these cupcakes - how did they know my love language?

Not to be outdone, the eighth graders crafted a jumbo birthday card for me full of funny quotes, sketches, and some of our class catchphrases. Some of them also gave me individual gifts like a tin of cookies and chocolate milk, while others gave me the gift of the written word via a letter and even a personalized poem. To say I felt loved would be an understatement!

After school let out, a few friends and I went to one of the larger malls nearby for a visit to Starbucks and dinner at Foster's, a restaurant that is known for serving American style cuisine. I enjoyed a delicious burger and Coke, my splurge meal for the week! Due to the typical Spanish schedule the restaurant didn't open until 8:00 pm, so it made for a long day on a school night, but the meal and time with good company was definitely worth it.

Obligatory escalator selfie

And thus began the final year of my twenties. What will it hold? Only time will tell!

Christmas Presence

This year I had the huge blessing of spending Christmas in Germany. You're probably thinking, "Big deal - you always spend Christmas in Germany!" and you are very right. However, it IS a big deal to me because I did not expect to be spending this particular Christmas in Germany. A year ago I was beginning to think of life "after BFA" - where I would be, who I'd be with, etc. and I was preparing to apply to teach at ECA in Spain. I expected that I would spend Christmas in Spain this year, or if I was lucky, in America with my family. Then my visa application process took a few nasty turns and I ended up with an appointment to pick up my visa at the Spanish consulate in Germany on December 18. I figured if I was paying the money to fly to Germany, I might as well stick around for the holidays, especially since many of my friends in Spain were also leaving for break. My heart was overjoyed at the thought of being "home" for the holidays, and even though my closest friends were not here, I still enjoyed spending time with old and new friends alike.

I also had the privilege of staying in my own apartment, as the couple I am subletting to were away. I can't tell you what a huge blessing it was to sleep in my own bed, eat on my own dishes, and curl up with my own fuzzy brown blanket and a book. After all the stress and chaos and confusion of learning to live in Spain and finding my way in a new school, it was a much needed return to the comforts of home. Being able to unwind, decompress, and relax in my own apartment has helped renew my strength and prepare me for the next semester at ECA.

Christmas day can be quite lonely for single missionaries like me, so it's important to find a family to spend the holidays with. I lucked out in that I got to be with three different "families" over the course of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I am often invited to a Christmas meal at the home of a family, and this year was no different. My Christmas dinner was spent with three BFA staff families who I have known and worked with to varying degrees for five years, and being with them after having been gone was like being at home with my extended family. None of them are old enough to be my parents, so it felt like hanging out with my aunts and uncles while the cousins played rambunctiously in the next room. They wanted to hear all about Spain, and then, even on Christmas Day, our conversation turned to our students! These friends knew me well, and I was blessed to simply bask in the comfort of their friendship. Even though I didn't get to unwrap any presents on Christmas day, I was gifted with the presence of people I love and that was more meaningful than any tangible gift I could have received.

visa visit

Last weekend I had the huge privilege of visiting Germany. While I had a lot of fun during my visit, it was primarily a business trip because I had to go to submit my visa application at the Spanish consulate. You may remember the visa saga that has been going on since February - I have jumped through many a hoop in order to get to where I am now, but as of last Thursday my application was successfully submitted and now all I do is wait!

I arrived in Germany on Saturday afternoon, giving me enough time to take a cat nap and get to the high school for the 5:00 showing of High School Musical. As usual, I was blown away by the talent of the BFA students and staff. Attending these performances is so much more meaningful for me now than it was five years ago, when I didn't know a single student on the stage. While waiting for the show to start, I counted THIRTY students on the cast list that I had taught in middle school - and that didn't even include the pit orchestra! All that to say, it was a very special night and I am thankful that I was able to combine this and my visa appointment in the same trip.

Many students knew I was coming and therefore attacked me in a mob-like fashion as soon as the house lights were up, while others I had the joy of sneaking up on and scaring half to death. A few didn't even register that I was visiting - because I have been at BFA for five years it is just "normal" for them to see me there. My hug quota for the month was met in just half an hour!

This brother and sister duo both had major roles! Zeke and Mrs. Darbus!

After the musical several friends gathered for pizza, snacks, laughter, and a movie. I enjoyed catching up with old friends and laughing together, and I introduced them to Spanish mantecados, which are flavored lard cakes. They sound much more disgusting than they are - I personally find them quite tasty. The trick to eating them, though, is that they need to be squeezed and squashed because they are rather crumbly and fall apart easily. When you squeeze a little patty in your hand, it naturally takes on an interesting shape, which we were very entertained by. OK, I was entertained by it, my friends just rolled their eyes. Hey, I teach middle school, I'm allowed to have potty humor!

On Sunday before church I caught up over coffee and croissants with my friend Allison, who directed the play. Then I went to BFCF and saw many more old friends who wanted to hear all about my new life in Spain and at ECA. I was so thrilled to get to hear David Harrop give the message - he spoke from 2 Corinthians 4 on the theme "Do Not Lose Heart." It was a very encouraging and challenging message that came for me at just the right time!

Sunday was also "dorm thanksgiving" at BFA. Because the activities calendar is so full in November, the dorms celebrate rather early. I was invited by my friends the Duhans, who are the current dorm parents at Maugenhard. You may remember that I used to sub at Maugenhard on a regular basis, so it was like coming home for me. The majority of the boys I knew are graduated now, but it was still nice to be in a familiar place and enjoy a warm meal with friends.

Then Monday morning arrived - the main reason for my visit. What was supposed to be a quick trip to Frankfurt and back turned into an eleven hour ordeal as my friend Sammie and I got caught in horrible stand-still traffic going and coming, and because we arrived late (due to the traffic) spent about twice as much time at the consulate as we'd planned. Regardless, I was able to successfully submit my application for my Spanish visa. The lady who helped me said it would be ready in two weeks (?!) which I really hope turns out to be true! 

Happy faces upon leaving the consulate!

We made it back to Kandern just in time for me to head to dinner with my old small group girls, who are now seniors and meeting with a new leader, my dear friend Suzanne. We enjoyed Mulligatawny soup and MadLibs, sang and prayed together, and then I got a chance to share a little of what God has been teaching me this year in Spain. It really did my heart good to be with my girls again.

Oh, these faces!

Perhaps one of the highlights of visiting when I did was getting to see Germany in full-blown fall foliage. My area here in Spain doesn't have a ton of color during the summer because everything turns brown from dehydration, and I haven't observed many fall colors here in the desert. Had I still been living in Germany these colors might not have seemed so vibrant to me, but because I have been away, they stopped me in my tracks and took my breath away.

I flew back to Spain on Tuesday and spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping off the busy weekend. Thankfully I had been very productive the day before I left Spain, so I didn't need to do any extra lesson prep or work before returning to school Wednesday morning. There were shouts of joy and hugs from my students, lots of questions about Germany, and of course, demands for chocolate. These kids sure know how to work their teacher!

Madrid visit update

My time in Madrid was, in a word, amazing. I had a chance to stay with two staff members, Stephanie and Marie. Interestingly enough they both have BFA connections as Marie's brother attended BFA (he was a senior during my first year here!) and Steph herself is a BFA alum. So, we had a lot to talk about over the course of my visit! These girls were both incredibly welcoming by opening up their home to me, showing me all around Madrid and the surrounding area, and sharing their own stories and advice with me.

Seeing Christmas lights in downtown Madrid with Steph

Since I arrived on a Saturday morning, the first two days of my trip involved lots of touristy things: shopping, sightseeing, etc. I also had a chance to attend a progressive dinner with the ECA middle schoolers on Saturday night, and went to an international church on Sunday morning. I met several ECA staff members during the weekend, too. The rest of Sunday was spent in Madrid with Tour Guide Steph, who helped me finish my Christmas shopping, guided me to the best churros place, and basically showed me a great time.

Oh you know, just a ton of meat at the grocery store...

The city center of Madrid was jam-packed

Churros. That is all.



Meeting Don Quixote and Sancho Panza

Monday morning arrived and even though I was on Christmas vacation, I found myself walking to school with Marie for staff devotions! The staff were also very welcoming and I enjoyed chatting and getting to know some of them more throughout the rest of my visit. I sat in on several classes, mostly middle school ones but also a few high school one, too. I was blown away by how similar the students at ECA were to my own students at BFA. Aside from the language differences, they were almost the same kids. If I were to close my eyes and just listen to the conversations, I would have thought I was just sitting in my classroom in Germany. It was really neat for me to see firsthand how another international Christian school operates.

As you might remember from this post, I have been entertaining the thought of teaching at ECA during my totalization year. I asked you to pray for God to guide my thoughts and conversations while in Madrid, and for wisdom in how to respond if a job offer was made. Well, I am excited to share with you that during my visit, I was offered an invitation to teach in the middle school next year! I've spent the weeks since my visit thinking and praying about whether to accept, and within the last week several things have fallen into place that have affirmed for me that I should accept.

So now I begin the process of seeking approval for this transition from my mission, TeachBeyond. There are a lot of bases to cover before I can truly announce anything officially, but it's important for you to know where things stand right now and where they are (hopefully) heading. In other words, I am taking intentional steps toward spending next year teaching in Madrid, but it is not a done deal yet. I am simply continuing to say "Yes" to God until he closes this door.

Right now I'd ask your prayers in these specific ways:
- Official approval from TeachBeyond
- Spanish visa application (must be approved four months in advance and is very detailed!)
- That I can still be fully present and focused on my current role at BFA
- That God would clearly and firmly close this door if he doesn't want me in Madrid

Serving at ECA would be very similar to being at BFA in that it is also not a paid position, and everyone on staff raises support to be there. I'll be sending out more details in the weeks and months to come, but for now I'd like to ask you all to consider how you might join me in this next chapter of serving the kids at ECA. I'll be looking for new monthly supporters to join the team and praying that many of my current supporters will choose to stay on for this next year.

updates and FYIs

Today is the first day of spring break, and I have placed under house arrest by my principal, Ruth. Over the last month sickness has plagued our school in various ways, and my usually impervious immune system has, in fact, been compromised. Last Friday I woke up with a sore throat, I coughed all weekend, and by Tuesday morning I had completely lost my voice. Against my better judgement I came to school every day, despite the fact that I could only whisper, and I couldn't stop coughing. My colleagues volunteered to sub for me, but there was just too much to do before break!! So now I'm at home drinking nasty tea with honey -- I hate honey! -- and praying that my voice comes back soon.

One might think that since I'm on break, I don't need my voice. On the contrary, this Saturday our school is hosting the International Christian Educators Conference, the attendance of which is mandatory for all BFA staff. Christian educators from all over Europe will be coming to BFA and my friend Katrina and I have been selected to lead a workshop that takes place on Sunday morning. So you see, it's actually quite crucial that my voice comes back in the next few days so that I can lead my workshop! Please pray for my cough to go away and for my voice to heal!

In the meantime, I am catching up on grading, blogging, and newsletter writing. I came to the embarassing realization that I wrote a newsletter in mid January that was never published. I suppose that's what happens when you are exhausted and life is moving a mile-a-minute, but there's really no good excuse for that! So, even though it's almost two months old, here is my February newsletter.

February Newsletter

And because the third quarter is now over, here is a very short March newsletter.

March Newsletter


You may or may not have noticed that my blogging has been very sporadic since Christmas, and I hope to remedy that during our last quarter. The main goal of this blog is to keep you, my friends, family, and ministry partners, updated on what's going on in my life and service at BFA. So, I apologize for my extended absence and hope to get back into my regular blogging rhythm in the last quarter!

In the meantime, if you want to #stepintomyclassroom more often, follow me on Twitter (@bertschirae) or friend me on Facebook. I post daily updates, quotes, and snapshots of a day in the life of Miss Bertschi. Every day is an adventure, and I invite you to join us!

thankful thursday: birthday edition!

This week I'm thankful for:

• A roommate who woke up early to present me with sweet sugar donuts for breakfast

• Peanut butter chocolate cupcakes from my "mama" Megan for second breakfast

• Students who filed into my classroom, each handing me an individually wrapped Thin Mint cookie and wishing me Happy Birthday, followed by a student presenting me with a carton of milk!

• Sweet surprises left by my colleagues

• Mint cupcakes and shakes for lunch

• An unexpected kidnapping that started with me having a literal panic attack over my "lost" (read: stolen) car keys and ended with me surrounded by good friends and basking in love

Not only my coworkers but my best friends, roommate, and small group coleader

• Friends who know me so well that they bought me THESE shoes, which haven't arrived yet...

• Countless Facebook posts, texts, emails, cards, and well wishes.
• And last but not least...a trunkful of balloons.

I am another year "older and wiser" and completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from my friends, family, and students on my birthday!