For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
“I have believed the Bible is true but I have just continued walking in my sin, and I feel so ashamed. I want to trust Christ and be free from this.” Jenny* cried in my office where we sat talking after the last Spiritual Emphasis Week chapel. Together we prayed, confessing sin and acknowledging God’s grace and forgiveness. We spoke about confession, accountability, and God’s love.
Setting the spiritual tone of the school year is important here at BFA, so during the third week of school, we hold Spiritual Emphasis Week with chapel everyday of the week. This year we had Andy Custard back again for the second year in a row. He is a pastor and BFA alumnus. He lead the students through a scripture filled week dealing with some of the hard things we face in life and how biblical truth responds to them.
On Friday, he clearly presented the gospel message and gave a time for students to stand in front of the whole student body if they felt they were being called to submit and follow Christ for the first time. Jenny*, one of my small group girls, stood. (*name changed)
God is Sovereign Still
This week we were hit with some hard news for our Resource team. Our new teacher Lynn and her husband were denied work visas by Germany. They will only be able to stay through the end of the month when their tourist visas expires. This has been a very difficult few weeks for them as they waited for the final outcome of the decision, and now they are faced with the emotions of it being denied. Lynn is a wonderful colleague and has done an excellent job, and she will be sorely missed. I am working with the school principal to find solutions for covering her Resource classes as this change will leave us significantly short-staffed. I am trying to focus on trusting in God in these circumstances.
German Culture and Language
Here are some fun facts about German culture and language.
1. Germans really sort the trash! Yep, I have 5 places for collecting trash in my house: the “regular” trash, the compost trash, the recycle trash, the clean paper trash, and the glass bin
2. Germans bring a hostess gift. If you are invited over to dinner it is expected that you will bring a gift such as a bottle of wine, chocolate, or flowers.
3. Alemannisch is the dialect spoken in this region:
English High German Alemannisch
Enjoy your meal Guten Appetit Ä Güde
We’ll see Schauen wir mal Mol lüge
Ninety-nine Neunundneunzig Nünenünzg
Please Pray…
Praise God, my sister and brother-in-law are now serving at the Christian International School in Prague
Praise God, 7 Germans with disabilities and their families came to the outreach that my church hosted
Praise God, for the students who responded to the gospel, pray they will grow in their faith in Christ
For Lynn and Jorge as they must leave Germany at the end of the month
For wisdom on how to fill the gaps in the Resource
For strength from God and trust in his sovereignty over all of this
For Bridget as she continues raising her support
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