Right now, I am wondering if girls are being sincere with me in the dorm. I feel like sometimes they will put on a front when I am around. And as soon as I turn my back they are saying all these other things. I actually heard of a case with one of my girls. I love sincerity. I would rather have someone be blatantly honest with me about their frustrations and discuss it with them and try to help the situation out, rather than never know what is really going on and never attempting to help them. It is hard to hear other staff ask me about problems they have heard and I do not have a response because I am unaware of what is going on.

Here is something to be praying about. We have several girls that are homesick. There is even one of our girls from last year, who dealt with extreme homesickness and is facing the same feelings again. But I came to realize, for her at least, it is not just being away, but culture shock. She is European and grown up in Switzerland her whole life. She is not used to the noisey, American mentality. She has not fully adjusted to the culture at BFA that supercedes our surrounding German neighbors. For her it is completely placing her out of her element. I had never understood those feelings until Saturday. Please pray for understanding and comfort. I feel utturly helpless in knowing how to help them deal with these feelings.

GiDeOn

Life is perpetually changing here.  During my sickness, I missed meetings as a whole BFA staff.  One of the ladies in personnel, who happens to be my friend, got up and made a statement that challenged my perspective.  Within the last two months and throughout the recruiting season many key people in the BFA community have dropped out, found other options, couldn't raise enough support, or just didn't feel like this was what the Lord was leading them towards after they committed.  And now as crunch time approaches, the BFA community is feeling it more than ever.  We are missing English teachers, RAs, Dorm Parents, Discovery teachers, Language teachers....the list goes on and on, but despite all these discouraging episodes she turned our attention to Gideon.  

Last May I went to the prospective site of where Gideon may have brought his men.  He brought his army to this location to be stretched unknowingly by God.  He had already dwindled his army from 10s of thousands to thousands; and at this stream God called him to take one more step of faith and bring it down to sheer hundreds.  In this moment, it was God calling Gideon to let Him have the glory and not himself.  By Gideon clinging to a limited and weak army he had to trust that the Lord would bring the victory, not by his own army's strength.

We, as a BFA community, are, in our own way, experiencing that right now. With so many people not arriving and declining their previous intent...we are just left to hope that the Lord knows what He is doing.  It is a beautifully, difficult thing to do. In the end, it will be FOR HIS GLORY!!!

wAiTiNg

So much of life consists of waiting. Waiting to graduate, waiting to learn how to read, waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting for food to prepare, waiting to know where the Lord is leading, waiting for your 21 girls to arrive at your dorm. We have been discussing and planning for so long, the girls just need to get here. Sometimes it is hard to wait, but then I begin to think about everything we still have to get done; we are no where near ready. We are going to put the pedal to the floor the next few days so that when the students get here the dorm will be in order.
This summer two other dorms were being remodeled and built and are not even near finished...there is a lot of stress occurring over there. Remember to keep them in your prayers as they are feeling the weight of an unfinished dorm and all the expectations that are on their shoulders even though it is not their responsibility.

Life is good...and prayer is better!

AlMoSt DoNe

Summer break is almost at a close.  I have had a marvelous time catching up with family and friends.  I was able to go on vacation and travel up to Hume.  Now I am preparing for my best friend's wedding.  I remember talking about this day in high school; wondering when, what it would be like, and who he would be.  So the day is approaching fast and I still can't believe I am seeing it unfold right before my eyes.  

Soon, the same feelings will envelope me as I have to board a plane and make that inevitable flight back to Germany.  Don't get me wrong I am highly excited, but the good-byes that I must endure and the unknown of what the future holds is always daunting and makes for a little bit more of an uncertainty and doubt.  And when I say doubt it doesn't mean that I think I shouldn't be in Germany, because I have never felt so called to a ministry, but being affected and knowing that you miss those back at home is difficult and makes you doubt the decisions one has made.  Yet I can praise the Lord that He is directing and been continuously faithful in answering my prayers.

Please join me in prayer as a new year begins with new students, new challenges, and new adventures.