FIRST YEAR SUMMARY
Dear Family and Friends,
I am writing to give you a summary of my year serving at Black Forest Academy in Germany. It was a year of adjustments as I learned more about the culture in Germany, the German people, the ministry of BFA and staff at BFA – specifically in the Music Department. I had been praying this year that God would help me do life with people better. Let’s just say I had MANY opportunities….they weren’t all easy, and I did not pass through all the people experiences or this year with flying colors, but IT WAS GOOD…not easy mind you, but good. My daily schedule consisted of devotions and meetings with the faculty or the music staff, taking the German I class, teaching a few classes – Music Appreciation, Middle School Hand Drums or Choir, as well as a few private lessons on the flute or clarinet. After school I was either serving on bus duty, subbing at a dorm, coaching the Middle School Chapel Band, preparing for the Candle Light Dinner Outreach or leading the Sign Team. One night a week I met and practiced with the Kandern City Band (Kandern Stadt Musik). A few special opportunities I had this year included: visiting a missionary friend of mine in Paris, going on a BFA ski trip to Switzerland, attending the Association of German Schools International Conference in Hannover, hosting the Association of Christian Schools International Choir on our BFA campus (9 countries represented), assisting with the High School Retreat to Nurnberg, co-leading a missions trip to Duisburg, visiting some family who served as missionaries in Slovakia and seeing Vienna for a day. All of the above things have been good to do and experience, but when I do get homesick or frustrated, I’m reminded of why I’m really here…. God called me here. I did not go to Germany because I always wanted to be a missionary – I went because He called me. I did not go because the Music Department tasks I would be given were right up my alley – I went because He called me. I did not go because I didn’t like where I was (on the contrary, I loved where I was) – I went because He called me. I did not go to serve at BFA because I wanted to travel (even though I like traveling) – I went because He called me. While I do not know why God called me here…I don’t know if I ever will know….I trust that He has a purpose for me at BFA. I’m continuing to seek that purpose and I’m praying that this next year, He will give me clear direction and discernment….not to just be involved for the sake of being involved, but to be involved where He specifically wants me to be involved. Whenever I do get homesick or frustrated, He always brings me back to the students. That is why the school is here and I believe that is ultimately why He’s brought me here. The ministries and the teaching load that I have are different than what I expected when I came, but God’s plans are bigger than mine (Proverbs 16:9) and my ultimate goal is to fulfill the purpose that He has for me. Pray that my eyes and heart will be focused on Him as I continue to learn about allowing Him to live through me to the students, my fellow staff at BFA and the German community at large. This next year I will be adding hand bells and guitar class to my teaching load. I’m excited about these new classes! I’m praying about how to be more involved in the lives of the students – being accessible to them and approachable. BFA being such a transient place, people are in and out of these students lives. It takes them a while to warm up to you and open up to you, but I want to be there for them. Colossians 1:10-14 KatieAtBFA.com Serving Him With You, Katie
All of that to say…I am VERY thankful for all of the opportunities that I was given this year and feel privileged to have been called to serve here. It was stretching and challenging. I don’t feel that my heart is at BFA yet. I don’t know if it just hasn’t caught up with me in the last year or two. I know ultimately that God wants our heart of hearts to be focused on Him and be His. I want that to be true of me. However, I believe that He also gives us passions and a heart for certain ministries. This next year I’m still praying to do life with people better. I can always use improvement in that, but I’m also really praying that the Lord will give me more of a passion and heart for the ministry He has called me to at BFA….specifically for the students.
