It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Greetings, friends!

Happy December to all of you-I hope this holiday season is treating you well, and that you’ve been enjoying your share of cold turkey sandwiches, leftover pumpkin pie, and maybe some freshly baked Christmas cookies. (Is it too early for Christmas cookies? No. I don’t think so.)

November was full of great memories and sweet times (which I’m highlighting for you below), but I think everyone here is praising the Lord that December has come. We need the hope and excitement of Christmas to get us through the rest of this semester. :)

Anyway, as promised, here are some highlights:

1. That time I was struck with a terrible illness, probably the flu, sparking a long and as yet unending succession of illnesses among our girls. 

Okay, so that’s really not a highlight. But it might help you understand what made November so hard. Tired, overwhelmed, and sick are adjectives that described a lot of days in our dorm this month--and this is a busy time of year in the best conditions. There were weeks where each day it seemed like we had two new girls fall prey to a fever, head cold, and chest cough. Palm is definitely on the upswing, but prayers for health and renewed energy would be awesome. 
But don’t worry--the month wasn’t all bad! The rest of these highlights are more fun. Read on. 


2. Dorm Retreat 

Each year, the dorms at BFA try to plan fun events to pull the girls out of the normal routine of school, away from the familiar sights and activities around Kandern and do something special as a “dorm family.” This year, we planned a weekend retreat in the Swiss Alps. (I know. I’ll just give you a minute to digest that one. :) ) We loaded up three dorm vans and drove about three hours into Switzerland, finally parking at a chalet that we had to ourselves for two days. I feel like I don’t need to tell you--it was beautiful. The chalet was nestled high in the mountains, overlooking a valley that was usually filled with clouds. Leftover snow still covered the ground, providing opportunities to sled and throw snowballs, but God gave us BEAUTIFUL sunny weather for the whole weekend. We rested, we went for walks through the woods, we played games, we worshiped, we made fondue, we had a fire...It was a wonderful time to just be together and enjoy each other. I ended the weekend tired, of course, but it was definitely worth it.



3. Dorm Thanksgiving

This was another event that left us all exhausted, but was definitely worth it. We celebrated Thanksgiving last Wednesday. Linda cooked two huge turkeys, we decorated the dining area with candles and flowers, and we invited our dorm subs to come and celebrate with us. In all, I think we had 40 people in our dining room, laughing and sharing what they were thankful for. (I was thankful that we were able to finish all the cooking in time, and that there was plenty of cranberry sauce leftover to put on my sandwiches. :) ) Some girls weren’t so excited to have a big event when they had so many papers and projects and other things to do for school, but I was proud of how they rallied and enjoyed it in the end, even pitching in to clean up afterward. Special shout out to Rachel, if she ever reads this: Rachel, thanks for making ALL of the name cards for the tables!! I’m sorry I ruined some of them with non-Thanksgivingy hedgehog drawings. You’re awesome. 


4. Christmas Banquet

Each year, BFA puts on a Christmas banquet for the high school students. It’s a formal event, with optional dates and mandatory gowns and ties. Students perform Christmas songs on stage while everyone eats catered food in a beautifully decorated auditorium. I won’t say much about this one--except that all of my girls are so beautiful. And it was fun to see them dress up, help their dorm sisters and friends with hair and makeup, perform on stage, and not get mad when I threw little paper balls at them from the balcony. Shout out here goes to Nara, Mozzy, and Beka, my student council girls who put SO much effort and planning and preparation into the evening. You’re awesome, ladies! I’d say you can mark this one down as a success.




That’s all for this month, folks! As I mentioned before, I would LOVE prayers for energy, health, and joy: in the dorm, in my heart, and in this school in general. 


God bless you in this Christmas season!



Happy Advent, 


Amanda