Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
A mixture of German and English filled my little apartment as three Germans joined me for an "almost" traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I invited my language partner, her husband, and Christian to join me for a Thanksgiving dinner. With Christian and I being gluten-free and the others being vegetarians, making the dinner turned into an exciting challenge. I started preparing for it several days before. With school in session on Thursday, it made for a long but fun day and worth all the hard work. I roasted a head of cauliflower instead of a turkey, make cranberries, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and gluten-free stuffing (in the crock-pot) and biscuits. "I love that stuff you didn't stuff in a turkey," my language partner told me with a smile as she dished up seconds of the stuffing. To finish off the dinner we enjoyed pumpkin pie and apple tarts. My language partner and her husband loved trying all the new dishes, and Christian ate his third American Thanksgiving without a turkey; maybe next year I'll roast one.
December brought me home to Redding, California for Christmas to spend one last time in my childhood home before my parents sell it and move to Arizona. Christian came with me and experienced his first trip to the United States. We were blessed in so many wonderful ways on this trip; it really was a special treat. First, we found amazing prices on our tickets which were direct flights between Frankfurt and San Francisco. To top off the travel, we ended up with three seats to ourselves on both flights. Over our two-week stay, we were treated to a quick trip to the Redwoods and coast by my best friend and her husband. My sister, Mikaela and her family came for the long holiday weekend, and we enjoyed the time together playing games, going for walks and reading books for fun. Christian experienced some American culture and visited Costco, Trader Joes and of course In-n-Out. We landed back in Germany and the only reason I didn't sleep through the new year is that the fireworks were so loud here that I woke up and watched them from my window for a few minutes before heading back to bed. Overall, we had a pretty relaxed trip which was just what I needed to refuel for starting school again in January. The untraditional Thanksgiving, California Christmas, and sleepy New Year, these holidays were all times filled with joy.
Upcoming Opportunities
I requested and was granted a 3-year extension to stay in Germany. Typically US citizens can remain in Germany for 5 years and then need to leave the country for one year to comply with the social security agreements between the two countries. This will help BFA since there will be a bit more turn-over in my department in the near future. This year our school psychologist is away in Berlin working on her internship for her doctoral program. She returns next year but then will be in the US the following year before returning again to BFA. Next year, both the ELL and Discovery supervisors are leaving along with one of the Resource teachers. I am hoping that by being able to now stay the next three years it will keep some consistency in the Academic Support Department as a whole. I plan to visit family and supporters in the summer of 2020.
In April, I will be attending ICEC, which stands for International Christian Educators Conference, in Prague. I will be presenting 2-3 workshops focused on special education and differentiation in the secondary classroom. I will also have the opportunity to spend one day with my sister, Lorelei, and family, who are missionaries at the International Christian School Prague, before the conference begins.
I have been asked to write an article for TeachBeyond's OnPractice, the organization's journal for educators. I will be writing about supporting the struggling learner in the classroom. I feel honored to be asked and nervous about what to write, but already, I have some ideas brewing. I think my subheadings may be Building Rapport, Building Success, and Building a Team.
In all of these things, I hope that the gifts, talents, and experiences that God has blessed me with can be used to encourage and strengthen other Christian educators in Germany, Europe, and beyond.
Please Pray...
For wisdom as I prepare the workshops for ICEC and article for TeachBeyond
For rescheduling my Resource students as they shift classes in the second semester (starts January 28)
For continued strength, as I am still struggling with issues of fatigue, it has improved some but not gone away.
For my parents as they hope to sell their house quickly and move to Arizona
For Bridget who is raising support to come and work as a Resource teacher next year
Praise God for a wonderful trip home and relaxing break
Praise God for the amazing team with whom I work in the Academic Support Department
Praise God for the gradual but continued growth that I see in my students