My March Madness

Escape Update
Thanks for praying me through Escape. Students heard about Jesus and many responded to the Sprit's moving. Our speaker talked a lot about forgiveness, both God's forgiveness and our need to ask for and offer forgiveness to the people in our lives. Many students went home and had some pretty deep conversations with family members on the topic of forgiveness. Praise God for not only stirring hearts, but giving students boldness to process and act on His stirrings. Our Ramstein students came home desiring to be known as a "youth group that likes to laugh together and be serious about studying God's Word together." We've got a pretty great group.

For the first time in many years, we made 0 trips to the hospital! 274 people and no injuries that a band aid or pepto couldn't take care of. Thank you Lord!

March Madness... but not the fun basketball kind

We started the month of March off with an Amazing Race like scavenger hunt for our high schoolers. The hunt took us all over Ramstein and some surrounding towns, to forests, climbing walls, lakes and abandoned logging trails. My team came in first!

And here's where the craziness begins...
I went to bed the night of the scavenger hunt exhausted. I chalked it up to running around all day. The next morning I woke up with a fever and headache, and proceeded to lay in bed for two days. My fever broke, but I continued to have a headache, swollen lymph nodes and feel tired. The following weekend, my landlord stopped by to tell me about some work he's going to do on our place. In the middle of the conversation, I felt myself get dizzy and lightheaded, and the next thing I knew, I woke up on the ground. I fainted and fell face first on the floor, splitting my chin open. I ended up going to the ER and got 8 stitches! It's healed quiet nicely though, I posted a few pictures below (sorry if it make you queazy).

A few days later I broke out in hives and was still struggling with fatigue. I finally decided that I should go see a doctor and get checked out. The doctor ordered a very comprehensive lab check, and they took 3 tubes of blood. I went back in a few days later, expecting to be told I had some sort of vitamin or iron deficiency, and to my surprise, they said all my vitamin levels were very normal. However, my liver enzymes came back abnormally high. The doctor ordered a few more tests and I went home to sleep. The labs came back negative, and I continued to sleep a lot. A few mornings later, I woke up with white spots on the back of my throat and after googling and webMD'ing, I went back to the clinic fairly confident that I had mono. (Did you know flu like symptoms, skin rashes, white spots and excessive sleeping are ALL symptoms of mono?) The doctor ran a few more tests, and called the the following day to confirm that I tested positive for mono.

Case solved. I was pretty thankful to have a firm diagnosis, as the week of waiting and extra tests was a bit nerve-wracking. I have no idea how I contracted it. There's no medicine, only sleep. It's estimated to last anywhere from 3-6 weeks. I'd suspect that I'm about halfway into it, though I'm not certain of then it officially began. I'd appreciate prayers for good rest. Please also pray for my co-workers, Kevin and Sharon, as they pick up a heavier load since I've been pretty absent from the office, and unable to help at youth groups and Bible studies.

Getting out of God's Way

Lessons from giggly middle school girls

I lead a middle school girl's Bible study every Wednesday from 3:30-5:00 at the base food court. Girls walk over from school, buy some snacks, we play a game and then we try to settle in for our study. While I dearly love each girl, this year's group is probably the most giggly and chatty group of girls I've ever led. For many, this is the first Bible study they're apart of. We're still working on listening, not interrupting and keeping on topic. Each week as I sush side conversations and whispers, I gently remind them that God's Word is important and they don't want to miss out on what He has to say.

We began a study a few weeks ago that addresses various issues teen girls face today. This past week, we started our lesson on "anti-conformity" by writing out a few things that make each of us unique, then we guessed who wrote what. It was fun to learn little tidbits about each gal. We then went to the Scriptures and began looking at verses that talk about not conforming to the world and living as foreigners here on earth as we await our eternal heavenly home.

One of the challenges of leading a study with a dozen extremely chatty girls, is keeping them focused. It's amazing how one moment we'll be talking about the Bible and before we know it, we're discussing nail polish colors. Remember the old Elmer Fudd cartoon? As Elmer tiptoed through the forest he'd sing, "Kill the rabbit, kill the rabbit..."? Knowing when to kill the rabbit trails and when to let them go is a bit of an art. So this past week, when one girl (who's great at bunny trails),  raised her hand and started to tell a story about when she was in third grade, I sat there listening, trying to determine when to cut her off and reel her back to our stated topic. Slowly, as she continued to share, I began to see the connection point.

Beginning in third grade, her family experienced some extremely difficult times that impacted her socially and developmentally for several years to come. At school, she really wanted to fit in, yet she felt like an outcast. As we talked about verses that teach us to stand out and be different, she struggled to want to do that. She'd been there, done that, and it hurt.

Insert me. I started to explain how it's okay to want to feel loved and accepted, but God calls us to live holy lives that look different than the world. Another girl sitting across the table raised her hand. I hesitantly called on her, wondering which bunny trail her question would lead down.

And, that's when it happened.

She simply asked if she could get up and come around the table and give the other girl a hug. Then she asked everyone to clap for the girl's boldness in sharing her honest feelings and hurts. They each began going around the table and sharing what they do when they're sad and then they prayed for each other.

I must admit, I sat there a little dumbfounded. Since September, I've been praying for this group of girls to like each other and to speak kind words. I've continually prayed that they'd know Jesus personally and love His Word. There've been a number of weeks that I've walked away frustrated, thinking, "They just don't get it. Are they learning anything?" But as I heard them share and encourage one another, my heart was full of joy.

I felt God say to me, "get out of the way! Ditch your study, and head down those trails with Me." For the next half hour, the girls asked amazing questions about why there's pain and suffering, why did God let Adam and Eve sin and how did they not realize they were naked before they ate the fruit, why, why and why.... it was great. I loved it.

That night I came home to an email from a mom of one of the girls. She wrote ... "I just wanted to tell you that E had lots and lots to say about the girl's Bible study this afternoon. It sounds like you had a lot of tough questions from the girls and had a very interesting discussion with them. E was bubbling over with excitement and wanted to tell us all about the questions and the answers and ask more questions. It was wonderful to see her so interested and engaged in thinking about God's Word."

Praise the Lord. I need to get out of the way more often. : )

Thanks for joining me in this journey of sharing Jesus with students.

Beth

Fall Retreat

Thanks for praying for our middle school fall retreat to Switzerland, it was a fun weekend! 

We arrived on Friday afternoon, and after unpacking our vans and settling into rooms, we hiked to a nearby waterfall. That evening we kicked off our teaching theme of "community" by doing a few group activities that caused students to have to work together. On Saturday morning, we woke up to snow! It made for a fun day. 

Overall, we had a great weekend. Our talks focused on learning what it means to be part of the body of Christ, and how each person has something to contribute to the group. We often focus on things we can't do or aren't good at, rather than thinking through what gifts and strengths we do have. We challenged students to consider how they can use their abilities to encourage others. 

For one of our meals students couldn't ask for any food nor could they fix their own plate. After a little confusion, they figured out that in order to eat, they needed to make someone else a meal. For another meal, we zip-tied everyones wrists together and they had to figure out how to work together to eat their meal. It was a good visual of literally being "one." 

These group challenges went fairly well. Some responses made for prime teaching opportunities to lean into. We'd appreciate prayers that our group would continue to grow in unity this year and that students would be more willing to lay aside their selfish desires and look out for the interests of others. It's our prayer that students would grow in Christlikeness.

^A picture of our lodge surrounded by mountains. 

 Learning to work together...

 

 ^ In the middle of our group challenge, a farmer passed by our lodge with his cows. This picture doesn't do it justice, but each cow had a huge bell hanging around their neck. They were noisy! 

 Free Time...

 ^ Our lodge had an awesome yard... what a view! 

^ Our snowman!

Sept Review

Our students have a weird (one might call it disturbing) tradition of having a "___ is gone party" after someone leaves. Let me explain ... Living in such a transient community means we say goodbye a lot. In September alone we said goodbye to at least 9 students and 1 volunteer as they moved back to the states (that's not counting the dozen+ who already moved during the summer). One of the hardest parts of saying goodbye, is having to say goodbye multiple times. You say bye to someone at school, chapel, youth group, sports teams, etc. and then you run into that person at the commissary and exchange, so you say "see ya later" again. By the time that person finally leaves, you're almost relieved because so many goodbyes are extremely draining. Last year, during one such drawn out goodbye, Ashley told a leaving student she was tired of saying goodbye and that she was going to throw a "Sam's gone party" after he moved, so that people could return to being happy and celebrate that Sam was moving onto something new. Well, the tradition has stuck. This summer, as students have moved, their friends have come to youth group the following week with a poster and everyone gathers around for a picture that will be uploaded on Facebook so the student who moved can see it, and know that they're being celebrated and remembered.

In the midst of so many goodbyes, we've had the opportunity to welcome in a number of new students throughout the summer and into the fall. We kicked off our fall teaching series recently. For the next couple of weeks, we'll be doing an identity series in which we look at who we are as a youth group and why we exist. Our hope is that it will build unity and that students will understand what it means to live in Biblical community, committed to growing in faith together.
Bible Studies kicked off last week. Our middle school series is "His Girl" and we'll look at what it means to walk with the Lord in our world today. Our high school series is "Encounter" and we'll be looking through the Gospels as Jesus interacted with a variety of people. Please pray as we dive into God's Word each week, that God would draw us to Himself and knit our group together. 



Thanks for praying! 

Leaves are beginning to change in Germany and it's gorgeous! I feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful country, and to constantly be reminded of God's wonderful creativity. I pray that your fall is off to a good start and full of special God moments that draw you to Him. 

Mision trip to Hungary

We had a GREAT week in Hungary, serving with Good Sports International. Thank you for covering our mission trip in prayer. It was beyond evident that the Lord was present and active during the week. He provided us with safety - the whole way there, during our week of service and the whole way home. He united our team and they served one another well, and with good attitudes. : ) Our students stepped out with boldness as they interacted with the Hungarian students and taught them English. I was really proud of the way they not only worked with one another, but with the way the reached out to the Hungarians.

 

^ Our staff for the week - they were great and loved our students so well.

 ^Our team spent some alone time in the Word each evening, then we would gather together and worship in song and teaching. We spent time reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians looking for one another statements and common themes throughout the letters. We focused on a lot on unity and how we are called to live and treat one another. Our theme for the week, "Shine," came from Philippians 2:1-4; 14-18.

"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me."

Our team time was rich and encouraging as students shared about the time in the Word and what the Lord taught them. It was fun to hear their desire for growth and to be a light to those around them. 

^ The morning English camp was a huge success, and very creative. Each day had a different theme. This is what the week looked like, and an example of some of the questions/phrases students learned: 
Shopping - I would like to buy a girl's shirt. I would like to buy a book for a child. How much? That's too much.

Restaurant - I would like a Fanta. This is not what I ordered. My food is cold. 

Airport Travel - May I see your passport? What is your seat assignment? 

Directions - where is the train station? May I buy a bus ticket? Do I turn right or left? 

American holidays - Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter

^ Our afternoon sports camp was a lot of fun, and we had a great turn out. Each day we did a different sports: soccer, baseball variations, frisbee and water games. Two evenings we played capture the flag with glow sticks - it was a huge hit. The Hungarians were super excited to play on both nights, and it drew a lot of kids (and their parents) out to the field. Some of the Hungarian girls didn't like to play sports, so our girls brought along nail polish, face paint and hair stuff and spent all afternoon doing nails and hair. It was a huge hit and a great way to connect with one another. 

 ^ In addition to the camps we helped with, our team collected donations for Good Sports. We were able to deliver some of the donations to an orphanage for children aged 0-6 in Debreceen. The Good Sports team has ben working hard to develop a relationship with the orphanage director, and these donations helped pave the way. The director even invited us into the building and gave our team a tour of the facility. It was a huge step forward! Praise God!

^ One of the highlights of our week was being invited to dinner by the local Reformed Church of Mikepercs. We were the first visiting group they've invited! It was similar to a good ole' American BBQ, except instead of burgers they served us an amazing goulash soup. It took a long time to prepare, and they let us help out a bit. It was a very special and tasty treat! After dinner, our team sang a few of the songs we'd been doing at English camp for the church members so they could get a glimpse into our week. They were amazed to see so many young people that were excited about their faith. It caused them to consider how they can begin pulling young people into their congregation. Currently, their church is made up of people well over 50, with very few children and teenagers. Our host said they couldn't believe that teens could be so on fire for the Lord and serious about sharing their faith. Seeing our team in action was both an encouragement and challenge to them as they consider the future of their church.

We're starving... going back for thirds

Our annual summer mission trip is coming up! We will be in Hungary July 13-21. For the third summer in a row, we will partner with Good Sports International to help with a morning English camp and an afternoon sports camp for students in the community. I'm excited!! We've got a great group of students (18) and staff (6) on our team this year. For many of them, this will be their first mission trip. They are pretty excited to step out and serve others. We'll be spending time each evening as a team looking through some of Paul's letters. We'll be looking at what it means to be unified and how we are called to treat one another. We will spend Friday afternoon packing and loading our vans, then we'll set out early on Saturday morning.

Would you pray for...
1. Team unity - pray that we'd be encouraging to one another (even when we're tired!), and that the Hungarians we interact with would see Jesus through our love for one another.
2. Safety - as we drive the 12+ hours to our destination and as we serve and play hard with the campers for the week.
3. Teaching opportunities - as students process their experiences throughout the week, pray for our staff as we lean in and encourage and challenge students in their faith.
4. Encouragement for the Hungarian Christians and American missionaries we'll be serving alongside - due to years of communist rule, Hungary is a very godless country and they often labor without seeing a lot of fruit. Pray that spending time with our team during our worship times would be refreshing for their souls.

I look forward to updating you after our mission trip on the work the Lord will do both in and through our team... so stay tuned for stories and pictures!

**

In other summer news... 

Our summer teaching series is on prayer in the Psalms. We've spent the first four weeks looking at what it means to PRAY (praise, repent, ask and yield) and we will spend the final four weeks looking at different prayer postures (hands, heads, singing, kneeling). It's been a good study so far and students are engaging well. Last night I taught on what it means to yield to God. We dove into Psalm 1 and compared the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked - and then spent time considering what path we're on and who/what we're yielding (giving way) to.

Summer brings a lot of unknowns to our group. Many families travel to America for the summer to visit their families and others take some time for family vacations around Europe. At the beginning of the summer we said goodbye to a number of students. We've finally begun seeing a few new families move into community. This past week we had 3 new students who are brand new to Ramstein. It's been fun welcoming new faces! In addition to saying goodbye to some students, we've also said goodbye to some key volunteers. A major prayer request we have as we move into the fall, is for more volunteer staff. We've been blessed to have a few new ladies joining our volunteer team, but we are in need of some men to invest in our students - particularly in our middle school group.

Graduation Time!

Last night I had the privilege of cheering on these 3 fabulous senior gals, as they walked across the stage and received their high school diplomas. Each gal has been very involved in youth group during their time at Ramstein. They are growing into wonderful Godly gals, and I'm excited to see the Lord continue His work in them as they step out into the world. I'm super proud of each of them, and so thankful to have been a part of their lives! One is off to University of North Dakota (go Sioux... that's where I began college!), another to a tech school in Wisconsin (my home state, so we will be able to meet up again!) and the other to Baylor in Waco, TX. Each is uniquely gifted and I'm excited to see what the future holds for them. 

We are in the midst of one of the more challenging seasons in the military community. Over the past 2 weeks, we've already said goodbye 5 students. As the school year finally comes to an end this week, we'll continue to say goodbye to many more families. It's always a privilege to get to walk alongside students and encourage them in faith and life, even if it's for a short season.

Would you pray for hearts as we grieve saying goodbye to friends, and preparing our hearts for new relationships.