Rachel and Kristi go to grade school again and jump rope!
Krista and I enjoy Italian Ice on a warm Spring Day
A hoard of Witt girls head to Starbucks
Yum - we like frappaccinos!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Almost Spring Break
These last few days before the girls leave for Spring Break has been like running a marathon. Monday I was able to take a little break though and have a field trip with other RA's at BFA's Elementary school - Sitzenkirch - we had never been shown it before. It was fun playing tetherball and jump roping. Some of us enjoyed some ice cream at the EisCafe to celebrate the springlike weather. Tuesday hit and it was meetings and dorm clean. As a reward for a good dorm clean, we took the girls to Basel to the Starbucks there - it was good fun. Yesterday began the departures - I have already done 2 airport runs - 1 to pick up people from the conference that BFA is hosting this next week and I brought one of my girls to the airport at night. Now all the girls are gone except for a few. Though the girls leave, we as a staff won't fully have a break until next Wednesday - we are required to help drive people back and forth, do airport runs and help in the kitchen for the conference. Pray for us as we try to find the strength to make it until next Wednesday. It can be frustrating to be in need of a break, but to still have stuff to do. It will be an interesting experience, because people are coming from all over the world - just knowing how much energy we will have is the question. I am still recovering from being sick - still a little congested, so please pray for my healing soon. I am looking forward to having friends coming to visit this weekend and next - it will be good to see people outside of BFA. It is hard to believe that only 7 weeks of school will be left when Spring Break is over! It is flying by! So much is happening in this life of mine - I can only take it one day at a time with God's help. Anyway, that is a little synopsis on life here right now. Here are some pictures of the past few days:
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Spa Night :)
Tonight, Witt girls did what we do best - relaxed w/ fun facials and hair treatments and watched lots of American Idol (it is quite the obsession over here thanks to Kristi's mom feeding us new episodes each week). We had good fun - enjoy a look at some of it! :)
Deborah is the glamor girl w/ a turban (do I see Sunset Blvd?)
Yummy - let's put this on our faces!
Cool Koreans Jessica and Hannah enjoy the goop
Relaxin and hoping our favorite contestants will stay
Yay American Idol!
Deborah is the glamor girl w/ a turban (do I see Sunset Blvd?)
Yummy - let's put this on our faces!
Cool Koreans Jessica and Hannah enjoy the goop
Relaxin and hoping our favorite contestants will stay
Yay American Idol!
Recent Happenings at Witt
Here are some pics of recent happenings at Witt - We did Kareoke last Saturday - I went hiking and saw an amazing sunset last Monday, and I hung out on Friday at Lauren's Bridal Shower - we are the 2 LBC grads/RA's that are engaged here in the Res Life Program - fun stuff! Enjoy the pics!
Jess and I enjoy a hike in a nearby forest ;)
Jess and I enjoy a hike in a nearby forest ;)
Amazing German Sunset
Drea and Sean do a duet
Lauren and Christine - engaged and proud of it :)
Friday, March 23, 2007
This is what it has looked like in Wittlingen and the Kandern area this past week - constantly snowing! I keep waking up and it is still snowing - it melts and snows and melts and snows. The weather just cannot make up it's mind. Winter won the battle for this week - come back Spring, come back!! Will we be "snowed in" this weekend? We'll see!Wednesday, March 21, 2007
first day of spring
Today was an unusual first day of spring. A battle between Spring and Winter ensued as snow fell to the ground - and then the sun shone through - and then snow and sleet came again - yet the ground did not accept it and made the snow melt. It was fascinating to watch this afternoon as a day that is supposed to be springlike was full of snow. It has stopped now - but I am thankful for the amusement that weather can bring on these busy days of March.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
snow day
So, it is a snow day - a snow day in which we had snow - but not enough to make a mess of the roads but enough to give the school an excuse for a "morale" snow day (this is the only school I have ever worked/been at that has done this. Snow days come in a mixed bag - they are fun for the kids and teachers - a little bit more work for RA's and dorm parents since we have to be "on" all day. It can be an adventure. I am just thankful that I had off yesterday - a little break b/f being inundated with people for the next 24 hours. We are keeping study hours in place to make sure the kids don't watch movies the entire day. So yea that is my day today. We'll see how it goes.
I am feeling better this week as opposed to last week. I look forward to this cold to be completely gone. I am thankful that I can function better than before. Praise God for healing even if it comes slowly. Sickness can make morale much lower for staff and students - we are trying to boost it as we face this last week before Spring Break begins next week. You can pray for us as we try to get healthy and for energy amidst the tiredness.
We have tried to do some fun things to boost morale these past couple weeks. We showed a dorm video - the girls chipped in to make it - a reality tv show called "THE DORM" - it was very fun. We also had Dan and Jen get pizza from Dominos in France - they delivered it to the different rooms. I am glad for these fun ideas to help encourage all of us (staff and students).
So the 2 big prayer requests these days:
-Health - getting better from sickness
-Making it to Spring Break
I do praise God for the chance to get fabric for my wedding dress yesterday - I was able to afford it through the gift from my bridal shower that Res Life held for me recently. I am having a lady around here make the dress for me - I am very excited. Wedding plans are slowly coming along despite the distance. Jon and I have been able to talk about what marriage will be like and start adjusting to that as well. God is teaching us much these days. They aren't always the easiest of days but God is giving us strength each day.
Thanks for reading my thoughts of the day - pray for me as I balance wedding and dorm stuff - and just dealing with emotions and missing Jon, missing family - but knowing I am going to be missing people here too. One day at a time is how I must live my life. Thanks for your persistant prayers friends! God Bless!
I am feeling better this week as opposed to last week. I look forward to this cold to be completely gone. I am thankful that I can function better than before. Praise God for healing even if it comes slowly. Sickness can make morale much lower for staff and students - we are trying to boost it as we face this last week before Spring Break begins next week. You can pray for us as we try to get healthy and for energy amidst the tiredness.
We have tried to do some fun things to boost morale these past couple weeks. We showed a dorm video - the girls chipped in to make it - a reality tv show called "THE DORM" - it was very fun. We also had Dan and Jen get pizza from Dominos in France - they delivered it to the different rooms. I am glad for these fun ideas to help encourage all of us (staff and students).
So the 2 big prayer requests these days:
-Health - getting better from sickness
-Making it to Spring Break
I do praise God for the chance to get fabric for my wedding dress yesterday - I was able to afford it through the gift from my bridal shower that Res Life held for me recently. I am having a lady around here make the dress for me - I am very excited. Wedding plans are slowly coming along despite the distance. Jon and I have been able to talk about what marriage will be like and start adjusting to that as well. God is teaching us much these days. They aren't always the easiest of days but God is giving us strength each day.
Thanks for reading my thoughts of the day - pray for me as I balance wedding and dorm stuff - and just dealing with emotions and missing Jon, missing family - but knowing I am going to be missing people here too. One day at a time is how I must live my life. Thanks for your persistant prayers friends! God Bless!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
more pictures from nurnburg
Friday, March 09, 2007
more pics
pics from hs retreat!
Here are some views from High School Retreat in Nurnburg! Enjoy!
Freshmen, Rebecca Kim and Esther Lee became my new friends as I met them behind me on the bus, on my floor and in my discussion group!
A view of the bridge over the moat to through the castle wall in Nurnburg
Disembarking the buses to our new home for the weekend.
One side of the Great Room we met in (I liked this picture because it looks like one of the kids is a ghost!).
Some of my freshmen in a fountain on our scavenger hunt - one of my favorite pictures!
Freshmen, Rebecca Kim and Esther Lee became my new friends as I met them behind me on the bus, on my floor and in my discussion group!
A view of the bridge over the moat to through the castle wall in Nurnburg
Disembarking the buses to our new home for the weekend.
One side of the Great Room we met in (I liked this picture because it looks like one of the kids is a ghost!).
Some of my freshmen in a fountain on our scavenger hunt - one of my favorite pictures!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
update on high school retreat - pics coming soon!
Hola!
Well, we have been back a few days from the retreat and I wanted to finally send an update on how it went. It was an amazing weekend with tons of activity. Thanks to each one of you for your prayers. It was greatly appreciated.
The weekend began as I drove to the school with the kid's suitcases. After a brief information session, the 250 of us piled onto 6 tour buses and began our drive up to Nurnburg, Germany which is in north-eastern Germany - in Bavaria. It was a longer drive than expected as the bus I was on got a little lost and in a stau (traffic jam). But we made it in time for dinner for which we were grateful. After a good German dinner of noodles and sausage gravy, we walked up 3 flights of stairs to the Great Hall where we would hold all of our meetings for the weekend. The hostel we were staying was formally the Imperial Stables of the castle that we were right next to which was pretty cool. :) We gathered and split into our groups - I was partnered with a fellow RA Matt and we were in charge of 10 freshmen - 5 girls and 5 boys. They were a fun group of kids. We got to know each other that night by going on a scavenger hunt for letters throughout the walled city of Nurnburg. It was a blast! We came back and had our first session with the Bridge Band (who were excellent) and Phil Carnuccio who spoke. He talked about how we don't always like to accept the love of God - we harden our heart to it instead of absorbing it so we might share it with others. We met with our discussion group after and had a time to pray about the weekend. It was a night of going deeper which would be a precedent for the rest of the weekend.
Saturday morning, after a good German breakfast of cold cuts and musli, we settled back into the Great Hall and worshipped the Lord together (amazing with 250 voices together). Phil spoke about the power we have from the Holy Spirit - an authority we don't use very often. He emphasized that light (of Christ) wasn't meant to be in the light but to be shown in the darkness. He spoke from Ephesians primarily. It had a powerful impact on the kids. It got them asking more questions. We talked about how to be a light of Christ even at BFA where we are surrounded by Christians - and how we can make an impact even we don't realize it just by living out Christianity and truly loving others.
In the afternoon all of us were given free time. I had the opportunity to go to the Documentation Museum with a group and learned about what Germany was like during WW2 and how the people gave so easily into the propaganda of the Nazis - it was WW2 from a different perspective - I am glad I went. I toured around the city and got dinner the remainder of the visit with some friends.
After dinner we watched videos from the video editing contest and then headed into our session.After worship, we talked about the beauty of sex, why it was created (story of Adam and Eve) and how it needs to be kept in marriage and how important it is to one's heart. This night truly impacted the kids and many were praying together and finding people to talk to and crying. I had a good conversation with some of my freshmen about it and was able to share a bit of my life with them which was cool. I some other good moments with some of my own girls from my dorm. I went to bed truly exhausted.
Sunday was our last day - we talked about honoring our parents and how key it is in our relationship with God. We had a special time of communion afterwards. We had a time for a group picture and then met with our discussion groups one last time. It was such a gorgeous day that we all decided to meet outside and spent some time sharing thoughts from the day. Then we headed home after lunch, arriving at around 8pm - it was a long day, but good.
I am glad I had the chance to participate in the retreat this weekend. It was a good chance to get to know some different kids and be a small group leader. I didn't always feel adequate or prepared in some ways - esp. since I was basically thrown together with my coleader at last minute and so we didn't always meet my expections as far as leading groups. Our freshman could be a quieter group as far as discussion goes as well. Yet, somehow God worked through us and this weekend. I really enjoyed the freshmen - I realized how much I love that age group. I enjoy ministry - that was refreshing. I learned to appreciate my Witt girls more this weekend since I didn't get to see them as often - I missed them. I love my girls and am so glad to be in this dorm.
Here are some praises from this weekend:
*Safe trip to and from Nurnburg - and while there!
*Great chances to connect with students both new to me and those who were familiar
*Students had a chance to really connect w/ God and to ask the deeper questions, truly evaluating their lives.
*The discussion groups went fairly well - some are planning to continue to meet after the retreat is over
*Being reminded how much God loves us - it is mind blowing
Things you can continue to keep in prayer:
*That the kids would continue to ponder what they learned this weekend and ask questions and seek after God - that it might lead to good changes and that they would see how much God loves them and how He can work through them.
*Adjustments back into normal life - living out Christianity in the everyday (for all)
* A few of us came home sick - including me :( - pray that this bad cold/cough would go away soon - it is frustrating when you desire energy to serve - this weekend will be interesting since all 4 of us that are on working are sick! - pray for health and strength
Well, that is all for now! Sorry it is so long - I got into the details of it all! I hope you enjoy the account and thank you again for partnering me in prayer and praise! Have a great day!!
God Bless,
Christine
Well, we have been back a few days from the retreat and I wanted to finally send an update on how it went. It was an amazing weekend with tons of activity. Thanks to each one of you for your prayers. It was greatly appreciated.
The weekend began as I drove to the school with the kid's suitcases. After a brief information session, the 250 of us piled onto 6 tour buses and began our drive up to Nurnburg, Germany which is in north-eastern Germany - in Bavaria. It was a longer drive than expected as the bus I was on got a little lost and in a stau (traffic jam). But we made it in time for dinner for which we were grateful. After a good German dinner of noodles and sausage gravy, we walked up 3 flights of stairs to the Great Hall where we would hold all of our meetings for the weekend. The hostel we were staying was formally the Imperial Stables of the castle that we were right next to which was pretty cool. :) We gathered and split into our groups - I was partnered with a fellow RA Matt and we were in charge of 10 freshmen - 5 girls and 5 boys. They were a fun group of kids. We got to know each other that night by going on a scavenger hunt for letters throughout the walled city of Nurnburg. It was a blast! We came back and had our first session with the Bridge Band (who were excellent) and Phil Carnuccio who spoke. He talked about how we don't always like to accept the love of God - we harden our heart to it instead of absorbing it so we might share it with others. We met with our discussion group after and had a time to pray about the weekend. It was a night of going deeper which would be a precedent for the rest of the weekend.
Saturday morning, after a good German breakfast of cold cuts and musli, we settled back into the Great Hall and worshipped the Lord together (amazing with 250 voices together). Phil spoke about the power we have from the Holy Spirit - an authority we don't use very often. He emphasized that light (of Christ) wasn't meant to be in the light but to be shown in the darkness. He spoke from Ephesians primarily. It had a powerful impact on the kids. It got them asking more questions. We talked about how to be a light of Christ even at BFA where we are surrounded by Christians - and how we can make an impact even we don't realize it just by living out Christianity and truly loving others.
In the afternoon all of us were given free time. I had the opportunity to go to the Documentation Museum with a group and learned about what Germany was like during WW2 and how the people gave so easily into the propaganda of the Nazis - it was WW2 from a different perspective - I am glad I went. I toured around the city and got dinner the remainder of the visit with some friends.
After dinner we watched videos from the video editing contest and then headed into our session.After worship, we talked about the beauty of sex, why it was created (story of Adam and Eve) and how it needs to be kept in marriage and how important it is to one's heart. This night truly impacted the kids and many were praying together and finding people to talk to and crying. I had a good conversation with some of my freshmen about it and was able to share a bit of my life with them which was cool. I some other good moments with some of my own girls from my dorm. I went to bed truly exhausted.
Sunday was our last day - we talked about honoring our parents and how key it is in our relationship with God. We had a special time of communion afterwards. We had a time for a group picture and then met with our discussion groups one last time. It was such a gorgeous day that we all decided to meet outside and spent some time sharing thoughts from the day. Then we headed home after lunch, arriving at around 8pm - it was a long day, but good.
I am glad I had the chance to participate in the retreat this weekend. It was a good chance to get to know some different kids and be a small group leader. I didn't always feel adequate or prepared in some ways - esp. since I was basically thrown together with my coleader at last minute and so we didn't always meet my expections as far as leading groups. Our freshman could be a quieter group as far as discussion goes as well. Yet, somehow God worked through us and this weekend. I really enjoyed the freshmen - I realized how much I love that age group. I enjoy ministry - that was refreshing. I learned to appreciate my Witt girls more this weekend since I didn't get to see them as often - I missed them. I love my girls and am so glad to be in this dorm.
Here are some praises from this weekend:
*Safe trip to and from Nurnburg - and while there!
*Great chances to connect with students both new to me and those who were familiar
*Students had a chance to really connect w/ God and to ask the deeper questions, truly evaluating their lives.
*The discussion groups went fairly well - some are planning to continue to meet after the retreat is over
*Being reminded how much God loves us - it is mind blowing
Things you can continue to keep in prayer:
*That the kids would continue to ponder what they learned this weekend and ask questions and seek after God - that it might lead to good changes and that they would see how much God loves them and how He can work through them.
*Adjustments back into normal life - living out Christianity in the everyday (for all)
* A few of us came home sick - including me :( - pray that this bad cold/cough would go away soon - it is frustrating when you desire energy to serve - this weekend will be interesting since all 4 of us that are on working are sick! - pray for health and strength
Well, that is all for now! Sorry it is so long - I got into the details of it all! I hope you enjoy the account and thank you again for partnering me in prayer and praise! Have a great day!!
God Bless,
Christine
Monday, March 05, 2007
famous couples night
On Thursday we had our annual Wittlingen Tradition - Famous Couples Night! The kids and staff dressed up as different couples - the kids chose their costume and the staff chose their date - so they didn't know who would show up until that night. The girls also chose dates for each RA to make things fun. It was a fun night of games, costumes, little minute acts introducing each couple and great food and company. It was declared the best Famous Couples Night ever - (which after all the work that went into it and the craziness of the day, we are very thankful). Here is a taste of what some of the kids and the event looked like!
Sean and Geoffrey McClary as Sheep and Shepherd
Hugo as Napoleon Dynamite doing Napoleon's dance as he introduces himself.
Sean and Geoffrey McClary as Sheep and Shepherd
Andy and Mary as Prison Guard and Prisoner
We RA's with our dates (Riki and Rachel as Dred Pirate Roberts and Princess Buttercup, Zach and Jessica as the Phantom and Christine, Jeff and Kristi as Miracle Max and Valerie and Mike and I as Luke and Loralai from Gilmore Girls)
What the tables looked like - quite a variety of guests!
Hugo as Napoleon Dynamite doing Napoleon's dance as he introduces himself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)