LiFe Is SwEet!

Yesterday I was getting very cynical, sick, and focusing so much on things at home that I was missing, rather than looking at the positive in my circumstances.  Then all of a sudden I decided to get out of bed and start writing letters.  I came to the realization that as soon as I got my eyes off myself I was able to find the joy in life and appreciate more the opportunities the Lord has provided for me.  That was a good moment!  

This last weekend we went to Nuremberg for the BFA's high school retreat.  Everyone stayed in a castle with a wall that surrounded a portion of the city.  In World War II, this was Hitler's prime Nazi city.  He had been building structures to represent the Nazi's glory.  They were created in such a way to make its members feel like they were apart of something big, but realize how minor they were in comparison. 

Truly it was an amazing retreat.  I was partnered with a dorm mom and a small group of girls.  Seeing how she challenged these girls was encouraging.  She definitely challenged me.  Through this experience I came to realize how much I enjoyed working behind the scenes aspect of this sort event.  Hume has showed me that.  Camp offered me this area of involvement; it was a place to serve those and minister but in a capacity I felt more comfortable with and more effective than being the one entertained.

Well, we only have two more weeks till spring break...pray for all our girls that are going on missions trip and that we will be able to make it till then. 

tImE fLiEs

I can't believe it is already the end of February.  I know that it may not seem like time is flying by, but here it feels like warp speed.  Last night, we had our famous couples night.  Each girl chooses a famous duo or couple and then their friend decides a options of dates.  Then we, as the RA staff, call the boys.  We tell them what to dress up as and then they come.  It is all a surprise.  It was fun.  All the students were so creative, but of course it had the awkwardness because some of the boys were just lame about it all.  No offense men, but think back in high school when you were too cool; we had a few of those.  That is what I love about my girls...they are not ashamed to go all out for things like that.  They are known for their ability to have fun and truly enjoy experiences.  But anyways, I was Pam from the Office...how original, I know...this was actually my second time being Pam this year.  No more for me.  

The other weekend I went to Garmisch.  Garmisch is an international army base.  One of my girl's mom lives there.  It is probably the most beautiful place I have been since I have arrived in Germany.  It had just snowed and has one of the largest peaks in all of Europe.  We went the the Cinderella Castle!!! It made me think of Disneyland.  It is always refreshing to stay in a home; we also were able to purchase American food on the base!! I was too overwhelmed that all I bought was floss and some triscuits...big spender, I know.  I had great ambitions, but I wussed out.  

Pray at ALL TIMES!!

I would like to ask your prayer for one of our dorms. In the past 7months, the staff at Sonne, one of our boy dorms, have had fourmembers of their staff of six have life threatening accidents. Theirfemale RA was hit by a log truck, the dorm mom had a horrific bikingaccident, one of the male RAs was basically mauled by a lawn mower,and just this week another male RA's room was lite on fire. We alsodiscovered that the landlord is a proclaimed witch. This isn't a timeto fear, but a time to seek the Lord for protection. Satan isattacking because he knows the work of the Lord that is going on inthis area. He is fearful, but he knows the Mighty work of our God. Iask for you to pray for all our dorms, especially Sonne. God is ourFortress and our Help in times of trouble...Please be praying with us.thanks,Cara

CoNtInUiNg To BrEaThE

Each day is full of its own surprises.  Each day there is a new problem that requires a solution or patience to endure till something can change.  This week with my girls was so fun! There was a SNOW DAY on Monday so I spent the whole time hanging out with them and they really encouraged me through their words and leaving presents the next day of how much it meant to them that I stayed with them on my day off.  I could not have imagined doing anything else.  I really felt like that time was used to further my relationships with the girls and the Lord totally used it to bless me!

On the other hand, one of my closest friends here really did something bad to his ankle.  I have been helping when I can, but I would just pray for it to heal quickly and the doctors figure out what he did.  Also, for his dorm staff who are already short staffed.  Allow them all to work together and see how to pick-up the slack in some areas that he can't normally do.  

Also, the plague (AKA any illness that sweeps through BFA and leaves numerous kids home sick from school) is beginning to strike.  Pray that we are able to combat all those evil germs from the immune systems of our girls.

Love and Peace

Slighlty dEtAiNeD

Sounds weird I know, but lately I have just been really distracted or maybe just disinterested in the life here.  Don't get me wrong...it is not in regards to my girls are dorm life.  I just feel like I am wanting to do so many things that I don't know how to pick and choose so instead I am not taking action to do any of them.  It is just that time of the year where I want to be everywhere and do everything, but there is only one of me.

So I don't know if you heard the news but my girls toilet papered me!!! It was AWESOME!!! I think I am the only person in the world who would think that was them showing me love.  I juest felt like the knew me well enough to actually think about me and care enough to know I would not get upset.  And then when I can home from my first weekend off they had connected all my underwear together and written all over my mirror and toilet with dry-erase maker!! Once again I laughed hysterically and loved every minute of it.  

Nothing is really going on here...I am teaching gymnastics and tumbling for two weeks for one of the PE classes.  I enjoy it, but it is also hard because I realized that I have lost a lot of what I had spent 14 years of my life doing....so yeah that is hard to handle, but now I am just more motivated to get it back!!!

Thanks again for praying for me!

Back to the Basics....

It is the first day back with all of the girls.  I come back looking forward to what this semester has in store.  I want to be aware of the opportunities that the Lord provides; I don't want to lose sight of girls that need someone to invest in them.  There is so much on my mind, rather than being focused here.  My mind feels cluttered and distracted, which is not how I want to feel as I enter this new stage of relationships with my girls.  I just ask for your prayer.  

But yesterday was probably the longest day of the year....I woke up to join all my fellow staff members at a breakfast.  Before that ended I was taken back to my dorm to receive girls that were already arriving.  I sat in our dorm office from about 11am till, literally, 4 pm, went on a walk with one of my girls, and then went back into the office/kitchen to do a little food prep.  Lets just say it was a long day.  And then even once we had all the girls in bed, we stayed up waiting for two more girls to arrive.  YES, it was a draining day, in a very non-physical way, yet it was sooooo blessed.  These girls just add so much to life here!!! 

vIsItOr FrOm AfAr!!!

My mom has been here for over a week now!!! It has truly been a blessing.  I really do not wish for her to leave, but everything good has to come to an end, right?  We were prancing around London for five days.  We saw Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London, the Globe Theater, St. Paul's Cathedral, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, Les Miserables, a classical concert at St. Martin's-on-the-Green, fireworks on New Year's Eve at the London Eye.  Lets just say we tried to see everything there was to see.  And now we are in Germany, continuing our adventures.

It is odd to have a stranger come and invade my new world.  It is not a bad odd, but it is a different odd.  I have enjoyed sharing this world and been able to enlighten my mom to the routine and surroundings I experience on a daily basis.  She now has a reference point for what I talk about.  

My girls are coming back really soon!!! I have missed them greatly and feel that without them here...it is pointless.  I cherish the joy they bring to my life and the moments that I see God in them.  I was able to see a few of my girls over the break just for a short period of time, but I can't wait to have their noise in the dorm again and feel like I am here for a purpose rather than just sitting around and waiting.

Grace and Peace!!!