See ya, September!

Dear Friends,

Greetings from the misty mountains of Germany. :) 
I’m looking out my window at a cloud of fog that has descended on Kandern, and the trees on the surrounding hills look like they’re poking out of a smoky blanket. It’s gorgeous, really, despite the gray. We’ve been having a blissfully beautiful week though, as far as weather is concerned. Sunshine and pleasant breeze! Not exactly typical German weather, but we’ve been loving it!

As September rolls to a close, I’ll try to find a few highlights to give you a picture of the month we’ve had.

1.       Fall Party

Every fall, the BFA student council hosts a fall party for the high school students. There are different activities and snacks and everyone dresses up in costumes according to a theme. (If you were reading my blog last year, you may remember that the theme was “My Favorite Things” and the RAs came as a group of Disney Princesses.) This year’s theme was “Blast from the Past,” and the only stipulation was that we had to dress up as someone (or something) from a decade in the 1900s. Talk about a broad spectrum! We had girls dress up as Rosie the Riveter, Lucy and Ethel, Princess Leia, 80s fashion models, and flappers. Katie and I dressed up as TY Beanie Babies (a staple from the 90’s, even if many of the students weren’t exactly sure what we were.) It was a hoot.

2.       Ceramics Market
      Kandern’s annual Töpfermarkt (Pottery Market) was last weekend. Local and regional potters from the area flooded Kandern’s main 
      streets with booths of their wares. I LOVE this market. It features so many unique styles, colors, and I just want to buy ALL the things. But that would be more money than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. But I love looking at the mugs, statues, candle holders, and dishes. (I’m including a couple pictures, but I must confess that they’re not mine. I stole them from a friend. Thanks, Amy!)
                      
   

3.       Chocolate factory

On one of our Mondays off, Katie, Hannah, and I went to the Callier-Nestle chocolate factory in Switzerland! It was SO fun, even though we got super lost on the way back. (Swiss highways are super confusing, and Google directions are not always very clear…that’s the excuse I’m going with, at any rate.) Not only did we get to go through the factory and watch actual chocolatiers creating actual delicious chocolate, but there was a tasting room at the end, where we could sample so many various kinds! We loved it so much that we’re going to take the dorm one day soon. So you can be looking out for pictures of that.

4.       Mom’s chicken enchiladas
      I just have to include this one. My mom’s chicken enchilada recipe is the best ever. I’ve made it twice for the dorm now, and both times it has gotten rave reviews. I think we could make them every weekend and the girls would still love it. Last weekend, I had a few girls in the kitchen helping me make them, and that made the whole process more fun, which is an added bonus. I love when they come into the kitchen to help. I get to hang out with them in a smaller group, get to know them better, AND it makes the job go faster. Winning. (So Palmies, if you’re reading this…I ALWAYS WANT YOU TO HELP IN THE KITCHEN! :))

5.       Flower picking after a visa trip.
      Earlier this month, I volunteered to take a group of students into Lörrach to get their fingerprints taken for visa requirements. It really should have been an hour-long affair. But somehow, I got schmoozed into taking them to McDonalds afterward, and then to pick flowers on the way home. So they ended up missing way more school than they probably should have. But you know…it was a beautiful day, a fun adventure, and I don’t regret the fact that they were 5 minutes late for their 7^th period classes. I think it was worth it.  

6.       Brother Dorm’s football game
      This weekend, all of the guys’ dorms got together and had a football (as in American football) tournament. And of course, since Maugenhard (our brother dorm) was competing, Palmgarten went to cheer them on—in style. We dressed up in as much red as we could find (Maug’s color is red), painted letters on our faces spelling out “Palm Loves Maugenhard,” and cheered until we lost our voices. But it must have worked, because the Men of Maugenhard were victorious! “Our team is what? RED HOT!”

Life is always an adventure around here; there’s always something going on. So as you can imagine, finding the time to pour into each girl individually is often a tricky business. I’m working on being even more strategic about that this year, with plans to take a different girl out for coffee each week (or so). And I really want to be sensitive to the Lord’s voice telling me who to invest in each day. I would love prayer for that—for discernment and wisdom for me in knowing who to invest in, and how.
I’d also love prayer for energy. I’ve been dragging these past few days (granted, it was the Dorm Parents’ weekend off, so there have been a lot of tasks), and I don’t want to be giving these girls (or God) my second-best. I need stamina to do this job that I love so much. And that’s something that Jesus is going to have to give me.

Thank you for your prayers and your support!

Until next time,
ajr