Shustrings: January 2007

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

We work with missionary kids at BFA. A lot of "MKs" move many times in their young lives and so they have to say goodbye not just to friends but to beloved places they call "home". If you've ever moved away from a special place like so many MKs have maybe you can relate to this paragraph from "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo. (By the way, Les Mis is an awesome book - I only hope I finish it one day soon - it's thick!) - Tim

"While we come and go in our native land, we imagine that we are indifferent to these streets, that these windows, roofs, and doors mean nothing to us, that these walls are strangers to us, that these trees are like any other trees, that these houses we never enter are of no use to us, that the pavement where we walk is no more than stone blocks. Later, when we are no longer there, we find that those streets are very dear to us, that we miss the roofs, windows, and doors, that the wa

lls are essential to us, that the trees are beloved, that every day we did enter those houses we never entered, and that we have left something of our affections, our life, and our heart on those paving stones. All those places that we no longer see, which perhaps we shall never see again, but whose image we have preserved, assume a painful charm, return to us with the sadness of a ghost, make the holy land visible to us, and are, so to speak, the true shape of […our former home]; and we love them and call them up such as they are, such as they were, and hold onto them, unwilling to change a thing, for one clings to the form of the fatherland as to the face of the mother." Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Morning Sunshine

Morning Sunrise on our mountain the Hochblauen as seen out our window. "How Great Thou Art!"

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Snow in Germany

View out our of front window. That's Waldeckstrasse. Double click for a larger view of our neighborhood.

We finally got snow in Germany

Can you find KD in these snow pictures?

Thursday, January 25, 2007

BFA Technical Drawing Class

This is my second semester class that just started this week. This class is full of MKs from all over the world. Is that a Shuman I see in the back row?

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Please pray with us for needed staff members

Black Forest Academy Staff Needs
2007-2008
High School Faculty
Biology or Chemistry
Discovery (NILD Trained)
English
Music: Strings (Suzuki Method of Instruction)
Music: Choral
History
German
Middle School Faculty
Assistant Chaplain
Residence Staff
Resident Assistants (3 Male, 3 Female)
Dorm Parents
Support Staff
Chef
Please check the BFA web site for updates and changes to our Staff Needs List for the 2007-2008 school year.

http://www.bfacademy.com/
personnel@bfacademy.com

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Wind Storm hits Germany/Europe. BFA is spared.

Yes, as you saw in the news, we had a bad wind storm on Thursday, January 18. There are many many trees down all over the country. And unfortunately some fell on cars and people. The sign below says "Falling trees." "Do not enter." "Dangerous!"

(All pictures are from internet news service.)

The national train system shut down over night which is very rare. Most of the schools in Germany also shut down for the day. In our town the local German school dismissed at noon and sent the kids home before it got worse. However, BFA kept its doors open all day. Our area only experienced small gusts with no damage at all. We seemed to have missed all the excitement.

The next morning at school the kids were disappointed that BFA did not close school for a "wind day". My response? "Yeah, right." So much for all the excitement.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Luke and Tyler's Mission Trips

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=ddw82ptw_7dgkz7k&revision=_published
Luke and Tyler are going on separate BFA missions trips during the upcoming Easter break. Luke is going to Bulgaria and Tyler is going to Romania. Each one is raising support for this trip. To learn more click onto the link above or below (or in the far right column) to read more about how you might help them. Tim.

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=ddw82ptw_7dgkz7k&revision=_published

Friday, January 19, 2007

Kandern countryside

The big brown roof in the foreground is BFA's gymnasium. Our house is only 5 minutes walk away. The mountain in the distance in called the "Blauen" ("blue").

Kandern from above

Google Earth image of Kandern, Germany showing Black Forest Academy and our house. Click on the picture for a larger image.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Model Houses

My technical drawing class is ending this week. So, here are my students with their finished models. All of these kids are MKs. From the left, that's Anna from Italy, David from Czech Republic, Adam from Germany, Abby from France, Anna from Italy/Germany, John from Czech Republic. Next week I get a new batch of students and start all over again. :-)
This picture was taken in the school library.