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April 8th, 2011

Spring Has Sprung

Written by Dani Filed under: BFA, Dani, Life, Prayer, Travel, Work & School

Today is the last day of school until April 27th. Tonight we begin two and half glorious weeks of Spring Break. Happy sigh.

The entire BFA community is pretty excited about this, let me tell you. Not only are all the students heading home to see their families (Family!) and to return to the place they love, but 88 students and leaders are going on Mission Trips. We have five trips heading to Africa, Eastern Europe and East Asia. There was a trip going to the Middle East but it was canceled due to unrest there. These students and leaders will be doing construction, evangelizing, working with orphans, teaching and more.

I’m not looking forward to Spring Break because we’re going on a mission trip (we decided not to lead one this year), or visiting Italy or any other such thing. I’m looking forward to Spring Break because it’s a break—a wonderful, glorious, two week long break. Thank you Jesus!

I’ve been looking forward to this break so very much (as if you couldn’t tell). People keep asking us where we’re going over break, and I say “nowhere” with a big, toothy smile.

Rest = Goodness

I realized recently that with the pregnancies, miscarriages and resulting emotional roller coaster, I still don’t feel settled here. It seems that every few weeks some major event rocks my little world so much that I don’t have the time, energy, or normalcy to get used to life in Germany and at BFA. For example, going to the grocery store still frequently stresses me out, my house is rarely clean, and I still get overwhelmed by every new thing. I know many of the other first-year staff members are experiencing the same things, but I feel a little behind the adjustment curve.

We have yet to have a rest in Germany. We had Christmas Break, but with family visiting and then going to Turkey, it wasn’t restful in the way we needed it to be.

I firmly believe that people need breaks, even missionaries. BFA life is crazy. There is always something to do: a soccer game, a play, a small group, a student, a project…. It’s wonderful, but it’s also exhausting. We could literally fill up all of our time. Yes, our time would be full of worthwhile things, but we’d be too busy to be effective at any of them.

I’m looking forward to this break because I need to enjoy being here. I need some time to stop merely making it through the day, and to actually look forward to things again. The past few weeks, when girls come in to see me, I often have trouble having a conversation or staying focused. Sometimes I’m just so tired! I know this is all some combination of cultural adjustment and grief, but it’s frustrating and it makes me feel so ineffective.

My hope is that, when we return from break, I’ll be more present. I want to be able to soak up the last few weeks of school with these students. There are Seniors graduating who I’ll sorely miss. My small group girls will be leaving for the summer. The end of the year is quickly approaching and I want to value what’s left of it.

Pray

If you would be so kind, could you pray for a few things over the next few days?

Pray for:

Safe travel for students, staff and mission trips. Many people are traveling even as I post this.
For God to work through the mission trips, both in the teams and in the communities where they are serving
For rest and rejuvenation, both for ourselves and for the rest of the BFA community
Israel happened to roll his ankle quite badly yesterday morning. Please pray that his ankle heals quickly so he’s not confined to the house the whole break.

Since we’re pretty free over break, we’ll have lots of time to SKYPE! Let us know if you’d like to schedule a Skype date sometime before Easter. We’re skyping with our community group in Arkansas on Tuesday. So excited!

Tags: BFA, Black Forest Academy, Dani, Germany, holiday, mission trip, Prayer, rest, spring break, Travel, vacation

March 1st, 2011

BFA High School Retreat – Lenk, Switzerland: 2011

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Written by Israel Filed under: BFA, Prayer, Travel, Work & School

BFA High School Retreat â�� Lenk, Switzerland: 2011

One of the biggest BFA events is upon us—The High School Retreat. It’s happening this coming weekend, Friday through Sunday. The theme for this weekend is Restoration. A time of rest physical and of rest spiritually for staff and students alike. There will be time for sleep, sledding, ice-skating, snow activities, shopping, just loads of stuff not school related. My dad is going to be leading worship, and Rod Taylor will be speaking.

This is the Theme Verse for the Weekend

Restore us to yourself, LORD, that we may return;
Renew our days, as of old
Lamentations 5:21

Tags: BFA, Black Forest Academy, God, Prayer, Switzerland, Travel, Weekend, work

December 25th, 2010

A Long Awaited Post and Merry Christmas!

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Written by Israel Filed under: BFA, Christmas, Culture, Life, Prayer, Travel, Work & School

A Long Awaited Post and Merry Christmas!

Well right now we are staying warm inside on a very snowy white Christmas! Dani is trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube (starting from the solved position) and I built a two-seater car. We are really glad to have some time to ourselves and to have a short break.

My dad and Raina just left from being here for about 10 days. We went to France, Switzerland, and of course Germany. They wanted to see all of Europe, but that wasn’t going to happen. We both miss having family here for the holiday seasons. Christmas is amazing here, but it isn’t the the same without family.

Dani solving the Rubix Cube, from the end.

Israel making a two-seater car.

The Past Months

So I’m going to try and recap our last two or so months here in Kandern, Germany. We’ve had some really great experiences and some not so good ones, from working in the dorms during Thanksgiving, to having the car break down on our way back to Germany.

Herbstmesse

This is the fall festival/fair that happens at various places around the area. Pretty much everything is closed except food and rides. The school takes a day trip to Basel for all the students to be able to take part in the festivities. It was pretty crazy seeing all the rides. It was like a little carnival. But the big hit at Herbstmesse every year are the bumper cars. I guess those are always popular no matter where you are. You can see the pictures here → Herbstmesse Gallery.

Thanksgiving in Germany

So, of course, there is no Thanksgiving celebration in Germany. (I wonder why?) But the school and the individual dorms celebrate the event during the month of November. At the dorm we substitute at, Blauen, we helped prepare the food and get ready for the meal. It was a great evening with the girls at the dorm, and with the other couples who help, at the dorm, as well. You can see the pictures here → Blauen Thanskgiving Gallery.

Storch Dorm

So Dani and I also go visit a few of the other dorms. One of those is Storchenblick, or Storch for short. I had to get our car worked on after the first freeze. The driver’s side door decided to not unlock anymore, and we also hadn’t put our snow tires on the car. So, one of the girls at Storch, who speaks German, helped me translate at the local auto-shop, Auto Brehm. We got our car back a few days ago, with new locks/keys and tires. Yeah! I also took a mid-semester group picture for them. You can see the pictures here → Storch Group Gallery.

Christmas Banquet

The school has a few banquets during the fall semester, and one of the biggest is the Christmas Banquet. This years theme was a Masquerade Ball, and the Student Council decide to just do desserts instead of a full meal. It was alot of fun, and there were some great skits that happened. The school grants wishes every year that the students submit, and one of those was for all the Korean guys to go up and sing on stage. Needless to say it was hilarious, and not all the guys knew what they were getting into. You can see the pictures here → Christmas Banquet Gallery.

Last But Not Least, The Visit

So my dad and my youngest sister, Raina, came to visit us for about 10 days. They wanted to see everything in Europe. We are not that adventurous, or capable. So we ended up visiting just a few places. We went to a castle, Haut-Kœnigsbourg, and a cute little village called Riquewihr in France. They walked around Lörrach (without us). And had a few days to walk around in Kandern Germany. We then went to Adelboden, Switzerland and skied the Alps. And then on the next to last day took a train and visited a few towns on the way to the Christmas Market in Freiburg, Germany.

So, Coming Back From Switzerland

We were driving along, minding our own business, when all of a sudden the engine light comes on, and the car starts overheating! Seconds wizzed by, and moments later…Okay, ignore the melodrama. We did end up getting stranded in Heimburg-Bern, Switzerland for about 5 hours more than we had planned. The radiator had overheated. It was too late in the evening to find help, and we had no cell-phones. So after looking for possible solutions Dani and Raina found a wireless signal without a password, which is illegal in Germany. (I’m not sure about Switzerland.) And we used the wireless internet, the laptops we had, and cell phones to find help.

We were eventually able to Facebook, make Google calls and email our way into finding someone to pick us up and call for help for the car. We found our way to a McDonalds, had some food, and our ride picked us up and took us back home. It was a crazy unexpected twist that taught me that I will have to look into getting a cell phone plan here if I’m’ going to be doing some more driving. We all went home exhausted and overwhelmed since this was two days before they went back home.

‘Tis the Season

So overall we’ve had a good first semester. It’s been much more difficult then we expected. And there have been plenty of unexpected challenges along the way. We’ve learned alot about the trials of marriage, living in another culture/language, and developing a new life in a new world. We love it here. But are learning that it’s not always easy: like getting stuck in Switzerland.

We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Drive safe, and always wear your seat belts. We love you all, and are very thankful for the gifts and prayers that have been sent our way.

- Israel and Dani

Tags: Castle, Christmas, Family, France, Germany, Herbstmesse, Jernigan, Kandern, Life, Missionaries, Missionary Kids, Photos, Seasons, Storch, Switzerland, Thanksgiving, work

October 2nd, 2010

A Day in Holzen

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Written by Dani Filed under: Culture, Life, Spiritual Journey, Travel

In case I haven’t told you lately, I love living in Germany.

It’s beautiful. I’ve never lived in a cleaner place. Every building has delightful flowers and gardens. I believe that over 25% of Germany is set aside as green space.

It’s simple. Every few days I walk three minutes to the grocery store to buy a couple (reusable) bags of groceries. We walk to school almost every day. I can buy a big bottle of mineral water for 19 cents. Doing official things (like bank transfers, car registrations, and even surgery) is so much less complicated than it is in the States.

It’s nostalgic. Every time I drive past a swath of forest, I’m reminded of looking at the same forest as a child. Today, I saw a booth of puppets and stared for several minutes while I remembered the puppets of my childhood. Last week, I played on a fantastic wood and rope play ground. It was so much more fun and imaginative than the plastic and metal contraptions that fill the States.

I’m not saying that I don’t love America. I’m just really glad to be living in Germany, even when I’m frustrated or scared or uncertain. This is most certainly where we are supposed to be.

Today was a wonderful affirmation of how much I love living in here.

Holzen is a town just a few kilometers from Kandern. This weekend was their annual craft market. We spent a few hours there today with our friend Alyssa, an art teacher at Black Forest Academy. We wandered among dozens of booths filled with pottery, artwork, handmade clothes, soap, and beautiful floral arrangements.

We also ate lots of yummy food, which is always my favorite part. As a late lunch, we enjoyed Flammkuchen, a thin-crusted onion and bacon pizza, which is baked in a wood-burning oven. We tried some pumpkin soup and shared a glass of fresh apple juice. And when I say fresh what I mean is that I took a drink and thought I was biting into an apple. Just outside the food stand was a long wagon filled with fresh apples. The apples were put into a press sort of thing, which trickled beautiful, cloudy juice into a trough. The Juice People (I can’t think of anything else to call them) would walk over to the trough, dip in a big pitcher, and then walk back to the table to fill individual glasses. I mean really, how wonderful is that? On our way out, we bought a loaf of bread (which I caught unintended, yummy whiffs of all the way home), three slices of pie, and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday. Enjoy the photos of our lovely Germany.

As far as the miscarriage goes, we’ve both been learning a lot. God’s doing a much work in us. He’s bringing good from our pain. He’s teaching me to trust him and teaching me to believe his love for me. I want to share in more detail, but I haven’t yet determined how to express what’s happening in my heart. There have been some really wonderful days and some really awful ones. I know that God is working through both. Last week, Israel’s dad wrote this song for us regarding the miscarriage. I may have listened to it a hundred times already. It helps my heart.

: A Gasthaus of Holzen{|}

: Oh to be a child in Germany.{|}

: DSC_6376{|}

: Walking into the market. The big building in the back is a girl's dorm.{|}

: Most of the houses are this beautiful.{|}

: Germans actually use pumpkin in their cooking. What a novel thought.{|}

: The Pottery Shop{|}

: DSC_6386{|}

: DSC_6389{|}

: DSC_6391{|}

: DSC_6396{|}

: This is a fish tank!{|}

: DSC_6406{|}

: Magnet Face{|}

: The most beautiful soap dishes I've ever seen{|}

: Germany Is Beautiful{|}

: Mmm, Apple Juice and Flammkuchen{|}

: The Juice Apples{|}

: DSC_6425{|}

: A Beautiful Bouquet{|}

: DSC_6438{|}

Tags: alyssa, america, apples, arts, Black Forest Academy, booth, crafts, dennis jernigan, dorm, fair, festival, flammkuchen, food, Germany, grief, Holzen, Kandern, learning, loss, miscarriage, never say goodbye, pregnancy, song, stroch, the united states, truth, Weekend

September 5th, 2010

In A Cow Traffic Jam

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Written by Israel Filed under: BFA, Travel, Video

For those who don’t use Facebook here is a link to the two videos! Enjoy.

The Introduction

Tags: BFA, Black Forest Academy, Dani, Germany, Israel, Israel's Video, Missionary Kids, Switzerland, Travel, Video, Weekend

August 2nd, 2010

The Morning Walk

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Written by Dani Filed under: Culture, Life, Travel

Hello there folks. Well, according to my little desktop widget, we’ve been in Germany for 17 days. I can’t believe that. It doesn’t seem possible.

Thus far, our time in Kandern has been wonderful. We arrived two weeks before anything started, so we’ve had plenty of time to get over jetlag and settle in. We are incredibly blessed to be living in the home of a woman who’s in The States for a year. This means that from the moment we stepped into our little apartment, we had internet, phone, furniture and food. Many staff members arrive to completely empty apartments. I’m so, so, so glad that wasn’t our experience.

This is our building. The top two windows are ours. Our windows open all the way and there are no screens; it’s fabulous. Also, that’s our car in the driveway. We have purchased and registered the car, but have yet to drive it. All in good time, my friends.

So far, we’ve learned our way around Kandern, learned how to shop, officially registered in the town, registered for a trash can (which we have yet to receive), and figured out the basics of life.

Our new friend Anne, who we met at Orientation, came a few days earlier than she needed to and stayed with us. It was fabulous having her here. We had many a long talk on many a long walk. I think we went for a three hour walk each of the three days she was here. On our first walk, we were caught in a ridiculous thunderstorm. It was a complete downpour for about half an hour. We had no umbrellas or raincoats. It was marvelous, if a bit chilly.

Today we started the first of our three weeks of Orientation—Survival German. Every morning from 9:00 – 12:00, we meet at Black Forest Academy in order to learn a few German language basics, you know, so we can buy food at the grocery store and such.

All of these photos were taken on the walk to school this morning. It’s wonderful to finally begin the “real” BFA stuff. Next week, all of the new staff will learn about the school. The final week of Orientation is for all of the staff.

Israel has been able to do some preliminary work for his job. He’s had several meetings about the media needs of the school and has a better idea of what his job will entail. He even made a trip to Ikea to purchase some new office furniture for the office, which he’ll share with the school’s graphic designer. Israel, Anne and I spent Saturday putting together all of his new office furniture. He’s pretty excited.

Here’s a funny story. We had a few over-ripe bananas. So I thought I’d make banana bread. Fortunately, the home we’re living in is stocked with all of the baking supplies I needed. All went quite well, I thought. I’d even said, “I think my first German baking experience was a success.” And then Israel tried the bread. “Dani,” he said. “What did you put on top of this?”

“Brown sugar, and cinnamon and sugar.” What else would you put on banana bread?

“Are you sure it wasn’t brown sugar, and cinnamon and salt?”

“………….”

Yep. It was salt. All over the banana bread. So here’s a tip, if you ever move to a foreign country, or just into someone else’s home, always taste any unlabeled containers that you assume are sugar.

We are absolutely thrilled to finally be here. Over the past six months, it’s become more and more clear why this is God’s perfect timing for our arrival at BFA. More on that later. Here are a few photos of the school where we’ll spend at least the next two years (hopefully more) loving missionary kids. Yay!!

Tags: apartment, BFA, Black Forest, Black Forest Academy, Car, Germany, Kandern, Life, Nature, Orientation, Photos, Travel, Walks

July 18th, 2010

A First Look at Kandern

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Written by Dani Filed under: Culture, Life, Travel, Video

Tonight we had dinner with the former director of BFA and his wife, Tim and Sandee Shuman. It was wonderful to get to know them a bit before they leave on Tuesday.

On the way home, we took a little video of Kandern, the town where we’re living. It’s absolutely beautiful here. Seriously, gorgeous. I think you’ll have to visit to really understand though.

Tags: apartment, Black Forest, Dani's Video, forest, Germany, hills, home, Kandern, town, Video, woods

July 16th, 2010

Are We Dreaming?

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Written by Dani Filed under: Life, Travel, Work & School

Well, unless God has some seriously different plans, today is the day we move to Germany. Can you believe it?! We can’t. God has been so very faithful to us through this process. Praise him for making this dream a reality!

Here’s our itinerary for the day. All times are local.

Depart from NW Arkansas at 13:15. Arrive at O’Hare (Chicago) Terminal 3 at 14:53.
Depart from O’Hare (Chicago) Terminal 5 at 17:20. Arrive at Heathrow (London) Terminal 5 at 07:00.
Depart from Heathrow (London) Terminal 5 at 08:30. Arrive at Basel (Basel), Switzerland at 11:05, July 17th.

Pray that all of our flights would be on time and easy. Pray that all of our bags arrive undamaged. Pray that God provides peace and excitement during this journey.

We have been so blessed over the past year. God has proven his provision, goodness and power so many times. Just think what the next year will hold!

We’ll try to update again once we arrive.

Tags: airport, Arkansas, Basel, Chicago, Fayetteville, flying, Germany, leaving, moving, praise, Prayer, Travel, XNA

Page 1 of 312 3

Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Spring Has Sprung

Rest = Goodness

Pray

BFA High School Retreat – Lenk, Switzerland: 2011

This is the Theme Verse for the Weekend

Please Pray

A Long Awaited Post and Merry Christmas!

The Past Months

Herbstmesse

Thanksgiving in Germany

Storch Dorm

Christmas Banquet

Last But Not Least, The Visit

So, Coming Back From Switzerland

‘Tis the Season

A Day in Holzen

In A Cow Traffic Jam

The Introduction

The Cows

The Morning Walk

A First Look at Kandern

Are We Dreaming?

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