Wittlingen

Witt Chicks!

That's the nickname for the lovely girls in our dorm. Seven new girls arrived yesterday and eleven returners will arrive today. This maze of a house is about to get very noisy! I am so excited to finally have the girls here. This morning in the drizzly rain I got to drive the new girls to there first day of school (orientation). There was so much excitement in the van and the girls absolutely love that we are located about a ten minute drive from school. Yesterday one of the freshmen girls told me she already loves it here and feels at home. What a great blessing from God.

Please be in prayer for all the transition these girls will be experiencing within the next week. Saying goodbye to parents, living in a new country and time zone, living with 22 people, some just entering high school, and a new school. It's a lot but I know the Lord will be faithful in providing them with comfort and peace.

Interesting Facts about our Dorm

In one of our many attics the internet is held for the entire town of Wittlingen!

Our house used to be a dance hall and guest room for the town. Consequently, some people still stop by looking for a room!

There are 48 sinks in our house. One of the new girls counted as a challenge from our dorm dad, Brant.

The old half of the building was built in the 1700's.

We have an old picture of German soldiers standing outside the building. In the basement some of there names are carved along with a swastika.

So there is a lot of history in this house. But to all of us girls and one guy, Brant this is home!

Wittlingen! Yep, we have a deer on our house:)  

Grill out area, and a walnut tree with a tire swing.
In the fall we have thousands of walnuts to pick up!

Our garden with many pumpkins.
We are so blessed to have such a big back yard!

Tschuss!

Amy

Deutschland

I have officially been in Germany for over two weeks. Woah…time has flown! So far my time here has been filled with German Orientation, ResLife Orientation, All Staff Orientation, and Dorm Orientation. There are so many people to meet and so much information to learn! But I am loving it!

The first week and a half all of the RA’s lived together in a dorm. It was such a great time to spend time with the RA’s and begin to form relationships. The dorm parents would come over for lunch and dinner each day. With all of the ResLife staff together there are about 35 of us. Let me tell you….it gets loud! I have loved interacting with all of the staff and it’s so amazing to see how the Lord has brought each of us to BFA.

During this orientation each of the new RA’s was placed in a dorm. My dorm is Wittlingen! (“w” is pronounced as a “v”) The dorm parent’s names are Brant and Laura, and my co-RA is Erin. I am so excited to serve, encourage, and disciple the young women in this dorm alongside this staff. They have some crazy fun traditions that I am looking forward to. I will share them as they come! The girls move in beginning August 22^nd.  Please be in prayer for them as they soon will be experiencing a lot of transition.

Prayer Requests:

• Driving in Germany is very new. Different road signs, laws, manual vans, navigating directions/places, and plenty of windy roads with hills. Soon the girls will be here and I will regularly be driving around 8 girls. I am definitely getting in lots of practice so that’s good. Please be in prayer that I will learn quickly to navigate the area.

• The staff at Wittlingen as we are getting to know one another. Pray that our strengths and weaknesses will work together well and that we will be patient and gracious with one another. They are wonderful people!

• That I will constantly rely on the Lord and grow in my relationship with Him this year. He is the reason I am here serving and I don’t want to lose sight of that amongst all the business.

Here are some pictures of my time here so far. Hopefully they will give you a glimpse of life in Germany!!

Basel, Switzerland

                                                             

I feel right at home with all the crops in Kandern!
  

Loading up all my luggage after a long day of traveling.

All of the houses are so beautiful in the Kandern area!                                                                                                         

Rotteln Castle near Kandern

I am so grateful to our Father for your faithfulness in supporting and praying for me. May the Lord bless you!

Love,

Amy

Summer in the Country

I have been back at home for a few weeks now and oh how I have missed summer in the country. Beautiful sunsets, family and friends, church, no traffic, tall corn, and the smell of straw-----so good!! I need to soak up these last two weeks. I wonder what summer will be like in Germany.... I will find out so soon. My plane ticket is purchased and I'm leaving July 28th!!!

Support came in overwhelmingly this last week and pushed me over the 90% mark. It's all becoming more real now that it's official. Raising support has stretched me, humbled me, and amazed me. I am confident that Christ raised up a ministry partner team not only for me but for these missionary kids.

Please be in prayer for:
~ My safety as I head over
~ Orientation (that I will retain all the information I learn, the placement of R.A.'s and dorm parents within the residences)
~ For wisdom as I minister to these young girls

While at home I have had the opportunity to catch up with family and friends. This past week my mom, dad, and my cousin Autumn went up to Petoskey, Michigan. We have been going every summer since I was a little girl. It was such a relaxing time, filled with lots of goofiness, old memories/stories, and laughter!

Auti and I on the pier

A beautiful sundog....rain's a comin'

Mackinaw Bridge

I'm looking forward to the end of the week...my sister is coming home!! Her and Josh are moving back to Ohio. The Lord has graciously provided jobs for both of them in Columbus! Even though I won't be around I'm excited that they will be so close when I come home:) 

In these next couple weeks if you live near Ohio and would like to meet up before I leave, let me know!!

So Much Goodness

Where to begin....I have been in the city (Chicago) the past couple weeks. I am living in an amazing neighborhood that offers a park practically in the back yard. I was sitting there the other morning...no buildings in sight. Just trees, runners, moms with strollers, and the sweet sound of summer. I felt like I was in the country. Well, minus all the people. But really it's good. I discovered if I came back to the city this is the neighborhood I want to live in. I am living with a couple from my church-- the Wheeler's. It truly is splendid, I feel so at home! We even played tennis under the lights a couple nights ago:)

I'm babysitting three adorable kids. The girls I have babysat for the past year and a half. I say goodbye to them on Friday...not looking forward to that:( Yet, so thankful for the families kindness and getting to be involved in these kids lives.

Here is a good story! The other day I took the girls on the train for the first time! I was trying to get the CTA workers attention because kids ride for free. So I kept yelling "Sir, excuse me sir" "sir!" They were far away. Got a response finally. "I ain't no sir, who you calling sir?" Me "I am so sorry ma'am I couldn't tell from this far away." Now that I think back probably not the best response....whoops! Oh well, at least I can confidently know that I will never see her again.

Days at the beach, millennium park, pool, and lots of crafts! So good:)

More goodness from God---> I am currently at 75% of my support. I continue to be amazed at how the Lord is providing. Next Sunday I am speaking at another church. Kudos to my grams and gramps:)

My good friend Kim just came back into the city and we have been hanging out the past few days. It's great to have a week together before I head overseas. Well need to cut this long post to get ready for a game of Settlers with friends.

Bottom Line: I am overwhelmed with the goodness of God all around me!

Post-grad

Well it's official I have been graduated from Moody Bible Institute for almost a month. The reality of being done with school after 18 years still has not sunk in. Perhaps, it will seem real when the leaves begin to change and everyone else returns to school. Although, I am returning to a school--just not for my own education. In less than two months I will be in Kandern, Germany serving as a Resident Assistant at Black Forest Academy. BFA is a Christian, international, English-speaking boarding school for missionary children. Quite the mouthful to say! Although I'm not exactly sure what my daily routine will be I know it will involve loving on, serving, and discipling high school girls!

There is much preparation before I move my life to Germany. Right now I am in the midst of raising financial support. All staff members at BFA are supported. This allows the cost of education to be drastically lower for missionary families. The first week of June I spent my time at Greater Europe Mission orientation. They are my sending agency. They really know how to care for and encourage their missionaries! It was a long, exhausting week but many questions were answered. I was able to meet many staff members who had previously served at BFA or sent their children to the school. It was exciting to hear their stories and confirmed and grew my passion even more to work with these wonderful students!

I am currently at 50% of my support. My time in Germany begins July 31st. I need to be at 90% to buy my plane ticket. I have been so humbled at the amount of support that has come in so far. It's amazing to see the body of believers come together to support this ministry. I am trusting and praying in faith that the Lord would continue to provide.

On a different note- I'm in Chicago nannying for the month of June. Beach days, navy pier, arts/crafts...they keep me busy! I love this family....even the days when the kids really know how to stretch me:) I am living with a couple from my church and it has proved to be a great fit. Time seems to go faster and faster each day and before I know it I will be back in Ohio then on to Germany.

Keep up with my journey if you like and I will try to post fairly regularly!