Still enjoying fall in Germany

I found a new trail while out on a hike this week. This is not surprising because there are so many of them where we live!
Even though most of the leaves are off of the trees it is still beautiful here in the Black Forest!

Immaculate vineyards

Reflection of Hochblauen (our local mountain) in an old shack window.



Photogenic sheep!


Golf course - not many leaves left!

BFA Thanksgiving

Last night was Thanksgiving in the residences at BFA. We always celebrate each year in between Canadian and American Thanksgiving (with one grand meal instead of two!). Since we sub at Palmgarten dorm, we were invited to share a wonderful dinner with them. I helped with decorating as well as with baking. We had a great evening together with the 19 girls who live at Palmgarten, 4 dorm staff, and other invited guests.



Dorm dad with Krista and Katey.

Little Katie!




Lizzy and Krista proving how stuffed they were!





All of the residents of Palmgarten!

The amazing and wonderful staff of Palmgarten! Luke and Stephanie in the middle are the dorm parents. Lizzy and Bonnie are RA's.


Cream eating contest

Dorm Life

During these days when our school is shut down because of the swine flu, faculty are helping out in the different residences in order to give the dorm staff a bit of a reprieve. Tim and I were at Palmgarten dorm for about six hours today and had a great time with the girls. There are only a couple of students in each residence who are still running fevers, so we trust that the worst is behind us.
Here are two lovely Palmies who were in quarantine and so we delivered "Meals on Wheels" to their bedroom.

Jessica and Jessica giving the dorm dog a "bath" after they all got muddy from playing tackle football outside on a warm but rainy day.

Talking to Naomi, an ocean away. Naomi graduated from BFA last June and is a former resident of Palmgarten.


Palmgarten dorm recently hosted an open house with a very creative music theme. Here, Lizzy is helping me make caramel popcorn for the event.

Palmgarten staff dressed up for the occasion!

Visitors to the open house.

A weekend visit from her mom makes Krystal, a Palmgarten girl, very happy!

Masks and Drama

The H1N1 virus has come to BFA. In hopes of trying to contain it and send it on its way, Tim and his administrative team made the decision to close down BFA for 4 days. This means that on Saturday and Sunday, dorm students are quarantined to their respective residences and the same goes for Monday and Tuesday as school has been cancelled.
This weekend is our annual school play. Because of the many hours of preparation that have gone into it, and because of parents flying in to see their son or daughter perform, it was decided that the play would go on. However, all attendees would be required to wear masks.
Tim and I attended the drama performance last night. Our students did an amazing job in acting out "Said the Spider to the Spy", an hilarious mistaken identity comedy. Below you will see a few snapshots from the play as well as some of the masked guests.








At the end of the performance Tim was presented with a token of appreciation from the cast for letting the show go on (and not canceling it) - a surgical mask signed by each of the cast


Can you tell that we're smiling for the camera?!

Tim's Trip to Nigeria

Tim had supper with new friends from the American Christian Academy. On the left are the Director and Principal of ACA - the Nwolos.

I didn't know that the IRS has its own airline!! Well, apparently they do in Nigeria.

Chapel service at Hillcrest Academy in Jos, Nigeria.

Tim with some of the Hillcrest parents. Tim was interviewing them regarding school accreditation issues.

This is the AP Biology class at Hillcrest. Great kids, great school.

High school Bible class at Hillcrest.

This is called a "Flame Tree". When it is in full bloom it is fiery red! On the campus of Hillcrest School.

Tim got to visit Mashiaha Foundation in Jos, Nigeria. Here women who are HIV+ are treated and given a safe place to live as well as training and a job sewing and quilting.

One of the mothers and her daughter at the House of Hope in Jos, Nigeria.

Part of the property belonging to the Mashiaha Foundation.

The Director of Mashiaha and one of the boys who live at the home.

This brother and sister are the children of one of the dorm parents at a Hillcrest dorm.

Making bricks by the road in Jos.

Jos, Nigeria.

Lagos, Nigeria. Trying to sell peanuts to Tim as he was driving by.

Mission Pizza Party

Today after church, we got together for a pizza party with students from BFA who are with our sending mission, The C&MA. There are 22 of them altogether this year. We had a great time eating, playing "four on the couch", and just hanging out together.

A Birthday celebration!

Today Jessica (from Ethiopia and Israel) is celebrating her 18th Birthday. I took hot lunch to her and the rest of our small group.

Katey, Jessica, Lizzy



Katey's dad is visiting her from Spain.

BFA Volleyball

Our girls volleyball season at BFA is almost over. This past weekend was a home game and the last one before tournament (finals). We do not have a guys volleyball team because the DoDDs schools that we compete against do not have guys volleyball. It is a fall sport here, and guys at the military bases play football instead.



Every year at the end of each "season" of sports, we honor the seniors on the team before they play their last game. The other members of the team form a arch for them to run through before they are individually recognized by their coach.

Hannah (a senior) and her proud parents

Katey and Jae Eun, both seniors. Katey plays on the team and Jae Eun is one of the managers.

Herbstmesse in Basel

Last night was BFA's annual "migration" to the Basel Herbstmesse. We rented 5 buses to transport students and staff, plus many of us drove our own vehicles.
Tim and I went for a ride on the ferris wheel, which we learned is the largest portable one in the world.




For many at our school, the highlight of the evening is when we meet at the bumper cars and more or less take them over for approximately two hours! The attendant always gives us a good deal on tokens since we buy so many of them!







After surviving a ride in the bumper cars, Tim drew a sketch of the ferris wheel and surroundings.

Autumn on the golf course

Late yesterday afternoon I was walking on the outer edge of the golf course and took these pictures as the sun was starting to go down. I love the long shadows.


Looking down on our town



Our apartment is in the house with the two gable windows on the left hand side of the photo.

Berlin

Tim is flying to Nigeria this weekend, and in preparation for that, he had to fly to Berlin yesterday to obtain a Nigerian visa. They would not issue it by mail, so it ended up being a very expensive visa because of the cost of the flight! While he was waiting for his visa to be processed he spent some time in the famous Pergamon Museum. Here are some shots from that visit.


This is a model of the museum.

All of these original artifacts were taken from their locations, mostly from modern Iraq, and placed in this museum. The sheer size is amazing - buildings inside a building!!

This is the Ishtar Gate originally located in ancient Babylon!!



These blue tiles are the real deal!


In Berlin the hotdog vendors carry their gas grills around hanging from their shoulders!! Think about it! These guys are carrying around a tank of gas and it's lit! Seems a tad dangerous!

Some more of fall

New dorm open house

This week Tim and I attended an open house and dedication of BFA's new guys dorm, which was recently built on top of one of our girls dorms. The roof with the gables is the new part. It is beautiful inside.
We happen to live beside this large (and sometimes noisy) dorm. We don't mind the noise!

The new living room inside the dorm


The kitchen

Ribbon cutting which was part of the dedication ceremony.

The colors of fall

This afternoon KD and I went on a long walk in the woods (just a five minute walk from our house). The forest is so beautiful right now. Actually, it is always beautiful in my opinion! That song "You are amazing, God!" kept coming to mind:
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea,
Creation's revealing Your majesty.
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring,
Every creature unique in the song that it sings.
All exclaiming......
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing,God!

1st Annual Palmgarten Bake-off

Tonight the girls' dorm that we sub at, had their first ever bake-off contest. Tim was asked to be one of the judges. The dorm was divided into teams and each team spent a lot of time and effort into preparing their entry.

Here are some of the desserts that the judges got to sample!




Waiting while the judges deliberate.....



Winning team for most flavorful ("Hey good lookin'! What you got cookin"?!" category) Notice the cool trophy!

Best of Show winners

Very sad loser!