First weekend off

I wanted to share some pictures from my first weekend off in the Swiss Alps with members of the BFA staff.  It was wonderful to meet teachers and other BFA workers that are not involved in Res Life.  Our conversations were inherently different, which I appreciated greatly.  I hope to continue some of these.

Here's a quick description of the pictures before they come: Our hike was two days long, and we stayed in a youth hostel in the middle of it.  A friend of mine let them know that we were celebrating my birthday, so one girl hiked with a little tiny cake and a candle for Saturday night dinner.  Also, in the first picture, the man was actually waving his arm, but he was a life-sized robot that looked like a contstruction worker.

Thanks to you all for supporting me.  This past weekend provided a much-needed respite from the chaos of life.

Blessings,

Steph

New Dorm Parents

Our dorm parents arrived last Tuesday from Canada.  I had met them in Winnipeg during our Janz Team training, and we had said there that we would love to work together, so it is very exciting that we are finally able to actually be in the same dorm.

They arrived Tuesday night with their 7th grade daughter, Sorche, and their 10th grade son, Niall.  Jim, Lynn, and Niall came with Candy and I to a new staff gathering that night.  Kandern, being so tiny, is impossible to get lost in, but I managed to get this poor, jet-lagged family lost for an hour in the tiny town that I should know quite well.  Oops!  

They recovered quickly, and have been intentionally learning girls' names and personalities.  They will officially take over as dorm parents on Tuesday.  Please pray for all of us to have grace and patience in this process of transitioning again.

RA's working in the kitchen to clean up after our fancy (last) dinner together before the students came.

Haymond and I at Hochblauen which is in Germany, but overlooks France and Switzerland as well. Sarah works in Personnel, and is a great pal for me.

Thanks for taking the time to check out these pictures. I am sure that there are many more to come. Tonight, we're planning on having a bonfire with the girls.

Blessings to you all!

Top Center: This picture shows the beauty of Storch. The girl on the bed is our seventh grader, Jin, the sweetest kid ever. Junior Esther is keeping her company while doing homework. The older girls here are so good about welcoming in the younger ones.

Left: A view of Holzen from my room. The Large roof is hanging over a horses' stable.

Top Right: The girls at Storch have a tradition of dunking Birthday Girls in the horses trough nearby. Candy's (my Co-RA) birthday was the Sunday of move in day. After we all settled in a bit, they welcomed her in true Storch style.

Bottom Right: The first day of school, Seniors walk into the opening ceremony carrying the flag that represents the country their parents are serving in. The girl the yellow shirt (Alyssa), the girl in the green shirt (Erin), and the girl peeking out around the flag (Autumn) are all Storch girls (aka, mine). :)