What's going on???

Is it already the end of April? Am I really nearing the end of my first year of teaching? Is time allowed to move this quickly?

Spring has come- clear skies, a cool breeze, and sunny days. It's joyous to look out my window upon Diosd and know that I live in a sweet town in the middle of Hungary. This is home- I am so thankful for it. It's hard to comprehend that so much change is just around the corner- class changes, roomate changes, gaining and losing students. But, I'm determined to enjoy the rest of this year. We're in school until June 8th- so I actually have a little over a month left. But, when we take out holidays- surprisingly we have a few days off in May- weekends, and exams- the days remaining of class are limited. I feel the pressure to wrap things up in class, but I'm not ready to wrap up the wonderful relationships I've built with my students. I'm really going to miss my 9th and 11th graders as they move on. I think I'm realizing how much I appreciate them as I begin to accept the fact that I won't spend every day with them next year. But, the relationships that God has allowed me to build have been wonderful- and I plan on continuing them. I'm challenged to keep class intriguing. I long to ground them in the word and truths of Christ so that, as they move on, they aren't tied to me or this school- but to Christ. It's a big goal I know- but it's the desire of my heart.

Thank you for praying for me...it means so very much. I'll keep you updated on the last weeks of school. It's going to be crazy- but it's going to be good.

Spring Break: Educational and Fun

Spring Break 07- Germany and Italy

This Spring Break was probably the most exciting of my life. That's not an overstatement. I was blessed with the opportunity to attend ICEC, a conference for teachers at international Christian schools from around Europe. What an awesome experience to be with so many other people who share my love of education and are serving on the mission field. The greater experience was being with people from so many backgrounds, denominations, and countries. Truly a multi-cultural experience. The conference was held in Kandern, Germany at Black Forest Academy. The school was fabulous, the surrounding area was beautiful, and the knowledge I gained from experienced educators was well worth the 17 hr bus ride. I walked away really understanding Biblical Integration- for that I am thankful!

The second half of my spring break was spent in Italy. Even though we had a rough start with transportation, everything worked out to be a fantastic trip. We were able to see Venice, Cinque Terre, and Milan. The Italian people were so kind, the scenery was brilliant, and the history was more than I could possibly understand. I had a great time with Laura, Emily and Allison as we bonded over road maps, hundreds of stairs, and huge cathedrals. Please check out the pictures that correspond with this trip. God has truly created a world of great diversity and beauty. It may sound cliche, and it may be cliche, but being able to see more of the world has really challenged me to broaden my perspectives on life and especially on God.

Pictures from Poland

Krakow, Poland

Because of Hungary's 1848 Revolution celebration, ICSB gave us 2 days off creating a 4 day weekend. The roomies and I decided to make use of this time to get away. We drove to Krakow, Poland for rest and relaxation. I think we got both. The city was quaint and walkable. The history is fantastic. The food was also quite yummy. These pictures represent a few of the sites we took in. Krakow was not the biggest or the most exciting city I've ever been to, but it certainly was worth the visit. Beautiful and scenic, the city allowed us sleep while also giving us the chance to broaden our cultural horizons. I'll keep moving...I'll keep posting pictures...Spring Break is only a week away!

The end of March nears

Darling Readers,
Thanks for your prayers!! God has definitely been working amidst the Hungarian authorities because visas are being issued! Three teachers returned from the states this past week! We're still missing one and will be sending at least one more off tomorrow. We're not completely back to full strength, but God has provided for every position the school has needed covered. It is wonderful to be a part of this community and to witness God's hand at work.

My classes are going well. We're finishing up the novel- Huckleberry Finn- in 11th grade and the play- Antigone- in 9th. These units have gone over pretty well. But, I've got to admit, I have a lot to learn about teaching a novel. It's not as easy as I thought it would be. But, it challenged me to look beyond what I'm comfortable teaching. It has encouraged me to seek new ways to present material and keep the class involved.

This past weekend my roomates and I took a short trip to Krakow. We had a 4 day week because of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution, so the girls and I decided to drive to Poland. I'll post pictures and comments by the end of the week.

Upcoming events include:

• Parent/Teacher Conferences- always a prayer request
• ICEC Teacher Conference over Spring Break (we leave next Friday). I'm really excited about this opportunity to gather with Christian teachers from all over Europe in the central location of Kandern, Germany. I'll be seeing some girls I met at my EFCA conference again, and I'll be gaining insight into Christian education. This conference only happens once every 3 years so I am blessed to go this year.

Until the next time I have to write...may God bless you as you seek his will in order that you may glorify him to the greatest extent.

Prayer Petitions

Things have settled down around school- at least for a day. It seems that there is never a dull moment in the life of a school, thus there is never a dull moment in the life of a teacher (except perhaps when grading papers). Please read the following list of prayer requests...these are the ways you can be praying for our school and me personally! I appreciate all the prayers you've offered on my behalf thus far- it's comforting to have people petitioning God for my ministry.

1. Many teachers are gone because of visa issues. None have yet returned. Two more may be leaving closer to spring break. Please pray that classes are covered, visas are issued, and teacher return quickly!!
2. Planning! I need to work on my long-term planning. This will probably be a prayer request for the rest of my life...I'm not a futuristic person. But, for the benefit of my students and my sanity- I need to get a grasp on what the upcoming months look like for my classes. Please pray that I will be diligent in this task.
3. I have so much on my plate as I plan to return to ICSB next year. Please pray that the process of reapplying to the EFCA international mission would go smoothly and quickly. Please pray that I would be persistent and diligent in maintaining and establishing contacts for support next year. It also looks as if I may have to travel to Washington DC in order to apply for a visa renewal and to Minneapolis for a few days of mission training. So, as I plan for the summer, please pray I'll have wisdom.
4. I recently spent a week at the Jackson's house because the parents were traveling. In a week I'll have the opportunity to stay with the Bullock children as their parents are gone. While it is a lot of work to be a parent for a week, it's also a great learning experience because I get to see my students outside of the classroom. I'm able to observe their interaction with their siblings. I have gained new perspectives on my students from these experiences, pray that God will continue to use these times to build relstionships beyond the classroom.

Thanks again for all your prayers...they mean more to me than you can possibly know.

We've got spirit yes we do!

Spirit Week

Spirit Week was a lot of fun! I had a great time dressing up each day- although I admit that all my 'costumes' we're not always amazing. But, Cash day I dressed as June Carter, Superhero day I wore blue and red for Superman, Twin day I dressed as my roomie Allison the PE teacher and Spirit day I definitely wore my GREEN! I'm meant to be at ICSB- green's my favorite color!

As normally goes, the girls were much more involved in the dressing up than the guys. Most of the pictures include my 9th grade girls, but there is one of a group of guys from 11th grade. I only let students participate in picture taking if they were cool enough to have spirit. So, here's a glimpse into the life of ICSB during spirit week!

Pictures from School

International Christian School of Budapest

I regret that these are very simple and sparce...I'll get more...I promise!