Tommy Bresson and Germany

39 Days and counting...

2012-01-26T12:05:00.005-05:00

It is never to early to write a blog about soccer!
Our soccer season is just over five weeks away, 39 days from today to be exact. I am beyond excited and ready for it to be here. As it draws closer I have had a few people ask me whether or not I am looking forward to the season, my general response has been, "I have been looking forward to the season since last June!"

This year will prove to be different than the past, in more than one way.
To start with, and perhaps the biggest change for me, is that I am now the head coach. For the past two years I have been the varsity assistant coach, but was handed the girls soccer program last June. I thoroughly enjoyed my two years as assistant coach and learned a lot from those years. However, I cannot deny I am excited to be the head coach this year. Though, I am quickly realizing there are a lot of little things that happen behind the scenes that need to be in place in order to have a smooth start to the year. With each week bringing us closer to the season, I am trying to tackle one more project and keep my head above water. It's a lot of work, but I love it.
Another difference will be the players. Obviously every year we lose players to graduation. But last year is looking more like a mass exodus than graduation. From our entire team of 17 varsity players, we will have five returning. Some will move from the jv to varsity team, which will definitely help, but with that many holes to fill it will no doubt be different. As I was walking to school today I passed a colleague who began asking about soccer, and the turnover of the team. I gave him this fun fact that shows the experience we lost from last year's team...we do not have a single player returning on the varsity team that scored a goal last year.

Some may view that as a bad thing, and some are even calling it a "rebuilding year." Honestly, some outsiders have spoken of lower expectations/hopes for our team knowing what we lost. I look at it as a challenge and as an obstacle that will make us stronger, better, and more unified.

I am writing this blog today, because during lunch this afternoon I met with all the girls who are planning on trying out for the team. I gave them our season schedule, talked a little about tryouts, and gave them a pre-season packet that included a daily running guide to ensure they came to tryouts in shape and ready to run. We had a brief meeting right before Christmas break and I put quite a bit of fear in them, when I told them how hard I expected them to work. As I laid out my expectations for them, I ensured them I would provide the tools to help them meet those expectations. Over the past two years I had a growing reputation of running practices that were physically demanding, and tiring. The girls are worried, now that I will be running every practice, they will be pushed harder and harder.
They should be worried, because we will work very hard. After all... I don't want to fail to meet their expectations! ;-)

I honestly have no idea what the season will bring as far as our record and performances. I have some thoughts, but you never know. I am always optimistic and will always be positive. Regardless of what happens on gamedays, I know it will be a positive experience, a growing experience, and a challenge that made all of us better people.
In looking at our schedule we have the amazing opportunity to playing Patch and Ramstein - last year these are the two teams that played against each other for the Division 1 championship (we play in Division 2 with divisions broken down based upon your school's student population). Not only do we get to play both of those teams, we get to play them in the same weekend! I told the girls today, I am pumped for that weekend and really looking forward to the opportunity we have. It will be a great weekend. We have some redemption as well, seeing as Patch overwhelmed us last year and beat us 8-0.
I have been working hard in preparation for the season - gathering insight and information from former players, as well as picking the brain of other coaches. I have been meeting with three players weekly to create a vision for the team, and try to get a better grasp of who we are, and where we want to go. I have also been working on a secret project that took a lot of emailing and chasing, but finally landed it! Sorry...just like the girls you will have to wait to find out what it is! But I am certain the girls will absolutely love it and be blown away, it's going to be awesome.

As I finished our team meeting today I finished with the following four points. I told them these are things they can expect out of the season:
1. We are going to have fun.
2. We are going to work hard, real hard.
3. We are going to be different.
4. We are going to compete. Every day. Every game.

It's 39 days away, and I cannot wait!

What comes around, goes around.

2012-01-19T12:34:00.002-05:00

With all of our students having traveled to various countries over break, when they return, they not only bring back different trinkets of home, they bring back the flu. Within the past week there have been a few different types of the flu going around the school. About halfway through the day today I found myself drained of energy, and having a difficult time concentrating on normal simple tasks. So it is my turn to fight the 24-36 hour flu. I am in the process of heating up the closest equivalent to chicken noodle soup I could find - will take a few Nyquill, and then get as much rest as possible.

What's up next?

2012-01-12T13:04:00.002-05:00

Over our recent break I had one person come up to me and say, "What's up next for you?" Realizing it had been a little while since I talked with this friend I figured time was the reason I had failed to fill him in on the "next" plan. A few days passed and I found myself being asked that same question multiple times. I soon realized time was not to blame for people not knowing, it was my fault in not sharing with people. Thus, I shall tackle the question of, "what's up next?"
My plan is to stay at BFA for the remainder of this year, and all of next year as well. That will give me two years in my current role as guidance counselor and put my total tally for five years in Germany. That honestly sounds bizarre as I type it, but time flies when you are having fun - and if you know one thing about these past few years you will know that I absolutely love being here in Germany. At that point I plan to leave Germany for at least a year. There are a few factors playing into this, the most influential being the fact the German government has imposed a rule stating staff members will not be given a visa to be in the country after the fifth year. Upon reaching the five year mark we must leave the country for at least 366 days.
So I may like to think I have a few factors playing into the decision, but that in itself seems like a pretty convincing reason for me to leave.

I have been aware of this rule for a little while, and I have been blessed to see the way in which everything has played out as far as my relationships with the students goes. This year I was asked to be a Junior class sponsor - giving me the opportunity to be a class sponsor again next year with this group of students as they become the Senior class. It is special to spend the final two years with them, and in a sense be able to graduate with them. A really cool side note to that, is the fact that in my guidance counseling case load I have 33 of the 67 juniors. Virtually half of the class! I have gotten to know them this year through class activities and fund-raisers, as well as by being their guidance counselor. I will also spend a lot of time with them next year with college applications and references. (Of course there is the senior class trip that is an added bonus.) The icing on the cake is this: my first year in the dorm there were four middle school students, three eighth graders and one seventh grader. Two of those three eighth graders are still at the school and are now juniors, and will graduate next year. It is extremely special for me to think that my first year here was also their first year...as eighth graders. After spending these five years together, next year I will get to see them graduate. That is simply incredible. Looking back at the growth I have seen in these two is special. They have both had their ups and downs, but I can really see the two of them maturing. Just yesterday I was walking the halls and about to cross paths with one of these guys, he slowed down, gave me a hug, and just kept walking without ever saying a word. It was the highlight of my day.

Okay Tommy, you've avoiding the question, 'what's up next?' Well, to be truthful I do not entirely know. I have a few ideas and possibilities that I am letting roll around. I have a few thoughts I am pursuing and occasionally sending out emails about. At this point I have nothing solid, though I have not put forth the greatest effort. To be honest, the past three years I have always found myself in a position saying, "I do not know where I will be 6 months from now." I can confidently say I know where I will be for the next 18 months...and a small part of me wants to enjoy that.
However, I know time will continue to fly by, and I must be prepared for when I leave Germany. I have thought about going to seminary, as that has always been of interest to me. Pursuing a masters is also intriguing, perhaps in teaching, history, or counseling. Coaching full time also has a lot of appeal (by the way, our soccer season starts in 53 days. YES I do have a countdown. YES I am VERY excited for the season to start.) I don't know what my new job title will be. I don't know which specific avenue I will pursue. However, I do know this - I desire for my job description to be focused on relationships with students. I am passionate about pouring into the lives of teenagers and showing them Christ's love. That is what makes my heart beat, and that is what gets me excited. That's what I love to do and what I want to do. The specific job title I will have to do that... I'm just not quite sure.

It's done!

2011-12-30T17:54:00.002-05:00

It's done! Well..kind of..most of it at least.
This past Monday was a good milestone for me as it marked the day in which I wrote the final sentence for the book I have been working on over the past ten or eleven months. If you are unaware of exactly what I am talking about you can check out my blog from October 20, 2011 or by following this link http://www.tommybfa.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html (I hope the link works).
While I have officially finished the writing I recognize the work is far from over. The next weeks and months will include editing and finalizing all the fine details. I feel blessed to have a few different people looking over my writings and offering their insight and expertise. My goal still remains to have everything finished by March 5, which is the official start of our BFA soccer season. For my own sanity I wish to have the book completely finished so I can devote my efforts toward soccer. I would hate to feel torn and be giving either of those less than my best. Therefore the next two months will be spent re-reading and re-writing what I have already done.
However, for now, it is time to celebrate. I have not touched anything pertaining to the project since Monday, and will keep it put away for another 24 hours or so. Over the weekend I plan on pulling the chapters out and getting back to work. But for now...it is done, and I am really enjoying that feeling.

Thank you for all of your encouragement and help along the way.
Lastly, I have still yet to settle on a title so if you are feeling creative I would love to entertain different ideas.

Tommy

Welcome Back

2011-12-21T08:27:00.003-05:00

I apologize for not putting up a post last week. Thursday was the last day of the semester and things were a bit hectic in closing out the semester and getting ready for break. Starting Saturday night I began my 29 hour journey back to the States where I currently am. It is great to be here and to be with family. I left rain and cold and arrived in beautiful warm sunshine. Not a bad trade off!
As I was traveling home I was trying to come up with a creative blog topic. I had the idea of making my own version of "The 12 days of Christmas" but I couldn't think of a general topic where I could list 12 different things. However after letting that idea roll around in my head a little bit I began observing some of the things I was doing. I found myself acting as if I were in Germany - when in fact I was no where near Germany. Perhaps it is a bit of culture shock, maybe a bit of jetlag, or most likely stupidity. I like to think it is a bit of all three. Regardless, I hope you enjoy reading some of the things I have done that have helped me realize I am no longer in Germany. I apologize if some do not make complete sense, but hopefully you get the idea.
1. While walking down the street I greeted someone by saying, "Guten Morgen"
2. After drinking a bottle of water I searched the bottle for a Pfand (refund for recycling) and after not finding one, looked around the kitchen for the Gelbe Sac (recycling bin). I didn't find one of those either.
3. While at the grocery store after letting the cashier scan everything I quickly bagged everything up. After getting a surprised "thank you" from the cashier I later asked my dad, "do they bag your groceries for you here?"
4. While searching for items in the grocery store I found myself muttering, "Wo ist..." (Where is...)
5. While at a restaurant I made a special effort to point to the menu as I was ordering, a habit of mine in Germany. In case the waiter cannot understand what I am trying to say I point to the menu to ensure I order what I want.
6. At the restaurant I drank sparingly forgetting there were free refills.
7. While on the road I got frightened by the fact a Mini Cooper no longer looks to be the normal size of cars on the road, but is in fact mini.
8. Accustomed to driving stick-shift, I won't even mention what happened as I stepped behind the wheel of an automatic.
9. Prior to driving I was wearing flip-flops and went back to my room to change, only to realize Americans don't have a law about that. (In Germany it is a law you have shoes/sandals with back straps on while driving)
10. In the grocery store the man in front of me was purchasing alcohol and got carded. I was taken back as he clearly seemed to be over 16 and could obviously see over the counter. So why the need to see an ID?
11. There is basketball, football and hockey on TV, but no soccer.
12. I got to take a long shower. (Water is really expensive in Germany so most people shower extremely quick)

So, there you have it 12 ways I realized I was no longer in Germany. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

One thing I have learned

2011-12-08T15:12:00.004-05:00

Throughout the year I have had a continual learning curve. Every time I feel as though I have my job figured out something new pops up and I am reminded of how little I really know. Just today I was in a situation and somebody asked me a question and all I could do was look straight back at him and honestly say, "This is the first time I have ever done this and I have no idea what to do or what to expect." Every day there is something to learn. Thankfully there are things I have previously learned that can be applied to my role as a guidance counselor, and I honestly believe it is something that every person could and should learn: people want to be listened to.
We walk around with a lot on our minds. There are a lot of things that can make a heart heavy, or full of joy. Often we fail to learn about these things in other people simply because we fail to take the time to listen. Listening is not hearing the words coming out of someone's mouth and instantly queuing up your next thought - all the while ignoring everything else the person is saying. Listening is intently and carefully listening to what is being said. But it can go further than that. Not only is it hearing the words that are spoken, it is listening to the way in which they are spoken. Listening takes time. It takes focus and effort. It takes patience.

I feel blessed because in my role I have the opportunity to sit and listen to people. I have always told my students, co-workers and friends my door is open and they are welcome to come in and talk about whatever, whenever. I truly feel blessed when people come in and feel comfortable sharing things. And it is not always "big deep secrets" we need to share. Sometimes we have successes we want to share. We have an experience we want others to know about, or awkward situations that are simply too funny to keep quiet about. People want to be listened to.
I have one student in particular who comes in fairly regularly. Often when he comes in I can see the frustration in his demeanor. Something has happened and he needs to let it all out. So he sits and talks, while I listen. Sometimes you have to ask specific questions to get specific answers, but there is always something inside that desperately wants to be heard. When he leaves he will often say, "Thanks Tommy" and walk out. I always find that a bit odd, because more often than not I'm just sitting there. But I listen and that's what he needs and that is what he wants.

I want to encourage you to make the time to truly listen to someone. Be willing to be patient, quiet, and listen. It sounds so simple because we hear so much noise all around us. We hear the radio, we hear the TV, we hear the phone ringing and the people talking. But who are we really listening to?

I found the following thought online from Dietrich Bonhoeffer and thought it would be applicable to close with...

“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear.

So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him. Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.

Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon be no longer listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too.

This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words. One who cannot listen long and patiently will presently be talking beside the point and be never really speaking to others, albeit he be not conscious of it. Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies.”

Christmas Banquet

2011-12-01T11:17:00.008-05:00

It is crazy to think that Christmas Banquet has already come and gone. This year continues to fly by. I am not entirely sure why but this semester seems to be going at a faster rate than any previous. The students leave two weeks from tomorrow to go home for Christmas break. Crazy how fast it has gone by!
For some the countdown to break has been going on for quite a while, for everyone else it seems as though Christmas Banquet begins the time at which you can start counting down to break. So, with Christmas Banquet happening this past weekend it is officially time to start the countdown.
Christmas Banquet is a great evening put on by Student Council. The guys have the opportunity to ask a girl to banquet (which is often done in a very elaborate way). The whole night is a very formal evening. Guys in ties, jackets, dress shoes, and most of them wearing dress socks. Of course it wouldn't be a formal high school function without those few guys who forget to wear dress socks, or they forget to wear socks all together. The girls get all dolled up in their dresses, with their hair done in fancy and creative ways.

After the students arrive they sit down for a wonderful dinner. Throughout the dinner there are several performances by students, as well MCs leading a program. This is the second year where we have had ballroom dancing as a part of the program. After dinner the students had the option to go to the gym and learn how to waltz. I was simply a spectator, and absolutely loved my position in the peanut gallery.

Also interspersed throughout the evening are what we call, "granting of Christmas wishes." About six weeks ago students had the opportunity to write down their own "Christmas wish." The members of student council collected all the wishes and decided which ones they would 'grant.' Throughout the night different students would get called to the stage and be presented with their wish. Some wishes included; having hot chocolate served to the student body one day, allowing everyone to wear their pajamas to school, having a teacher sing a song during Christmas Banquet, etc.

To my surprise I got to be a part of a Christmas wish this year. One of the seniors at Sonne made the wish that CB and I (we are both former RAs from Sonne) would come up to the dorm and be subs next semester. It was exciting to be a part of that wish and to see those guys excited knowing we would come back to the dorm for a weekend.

This year's Christmas Banquet was exceptionally well done. Everything from the food to the decorations and performances was phenomenal. I have heard nothing but positive things from staff and students. Now that it is behind us the students have only one thing on their mind, Christmas Break.

I know this is kind of unfortunate but I couldn't help but take this picture and post it as the stereotypical group of guys watching everyone else dance. It was too perfect.

Here for a reason

2011-11-21T13:43:00.005-05:00

I apologize that I did not have the opportunity to post last week. I was out of the country all week for a conference and while away did not have internet access. So after a week of not posting, I am at it again...

"You are here for a reason." Those are the words my pastor spoke as he looked at the four high school students who were about to be baptized. As he spoke those words to the students I could not help but feel as though they held more than one meaning. Our pastor was encouraging them and reminding them of the reason for their existence and their importance to God. He was celebrating with them as they were publicly declaring their faith for all to see.
Without intending to, I felt as though he was speaking to me and reminding me that I am here (in Germany) for a reason. One of the main reasons for me being here is to help the high school students I interact with grow closer in their personal relationship with Jesus.
On November 13 there were four students who were baptized. As part of the way baptisms are conducted here, the individual being baptized has the opportunity to ask a few family/friends/mentors to stand with them on stage, and pray over them. When David decided he wanted to be baptized, I was blown away and honored as he asked me to be a part of his baptism. It truly was one of the greatest moments of my time here at BFA. It was something I will always cherish and something I will never forget.

David, a senior this year, is a phenomenal young man of; faith, integrity, joy, compassion, and character. He grew up on the field in China, but shortly after starting junior-high he lost his father. The tragic loss of his father created a sadness within his heart he did not understand nor could he figure out how to fill. Unbeknown to his mother David turned to alcohol thinking this would fill the void. However the empty bottle was no match for an empty heart. Something inside of him knew he had to change, and he knew he wanted to change. But in order for that to happen he needed a change of scenery.
So David came to Germany in his Sophomore year, and he landed on my hall. He needed a change of scenery. A new school. New friends. A new David. At first he was quiet, reserved, and hesitant. I could tell there was a lot going on inside of him, he was just hiding it. Over time he slowly started to open up and slowly started to break. It took close to 18 months, but I still remember the day he told me his story. He didn't leave out any details. He talked of the pain, talked of his decisions, and where he was now headed with his life, and the role he wanted God to play in his life. He had changed.
Now if I were to describe David as quiet, reserved and hesitant, everyone would laugh. He is lively. Full of energy, laughter, constantly smiling. He has a huge smile, but also has a goofy little grin that is, well, it is absolutely precious and adorable.
Last year David was needing a little education about the NFL. So I took it upon myself to educate him. He wanted to know a good player to follow and to be a fan of. I chose Clay Matthews. Numerous times we would sit down and watch highlights of Clay destroying the opposition. This turned into a "trademark hug" between David and me. If you have ever seen Clay Matthews get a sack, you may have noticed him flexing his biceps afterward. Whenever I see David, I raise my arms and flex my biceps (which are almost as big as Clay's), as does David, sometimes we'll each do a little grunt and then I give him a big hug.
Last year David began dating a girl here. I know her sister, so the sister sent me an email wanting to get information about "this David guy" wanting to know whether or not he was a quality guy for her sister to date. I responded and simply said, "If there is one guy at the school you want your sister to date, it is David. He is such a quality man that will do nothing but treat her well." I fully believe and meant what I said. David is such an incredible guy.
I consider myself to be a better person because I have had the opportunity to rub shoulders with him. His compassion has touched my heart. The comfort he received during his loss has enabled him to pour out comfort on those when they are dealing with loss, myself among the privileged. He walks into a room and you cannot help but smiling and feel a breeze of joy come in with him.
David, thank you for letting me a part of this journey with you. Thank you for what you have taught me. I am proud of you for the proclamation you made. I am grateful to have been there to stand with you and pray over you.
You're a stud. Don't you ever forget that!

College Fair

2011-11-11T12:32:00.002-05:00

With a big sigh of relief I can report that our College Fair has come and gone.
This past Wednesday we held a College Fair on our campus with the hope of exposing our students to various post-secondary education opportunities, as well as giving those institutions a chance to meet our students. Throughout the entire day everything seemed to be clicking just right, and everyone involved had a really positive experience.
Over the past two months the College Fair has been a project of mine that I was slowly chipping away at. In the past there has been an organization that contacts interested Colleges and plans a European trip for them. However, shortly after the school year started we were informed the organization had canceled the trip. Our guidance department was left with two options; cancel our college fair, or do what we could and organize it on our own. We chose the latter, which proved to be a lot of work, but well worth it.
One of my primary roles was to contact the colleges/universities and be the liaison that connected them to our school. Daily I was sending out emails to any and every college admission representative I could find hoping they would visit our campus. This past Wednesday we had seven different individuals representing schools, which may not seem like a whole lot to some, yet considering we are located in Europe and to visit would require a Trans-Atlantic flight, we were ecstatic about this number.
Knowing our real college representatives would be smaller than ideal we tapped into the community and offered staff and parents the opportunity to represent their Alma Mater. With these two groups of individuals we had over 30 different schools represented!
After determining the schools that would be represented, we then had to supply them with literature and other materials to display to the students. Thus, more emails and communication with the schools. By the time Wednesday rolled around my office looked like Santa's workshop, as I had boxes all over the place, filled with brochures, T-shirts, pennants, pens, and other college memorabilia.

On the actual day of the fair we had a slightly different schedule than normal. For the first two and a half hours of the day, the students attending different grade appropriate seminars that would help prepare them for college. The seminar speakers ranged from those within our community, as well as the college admission representatives. I had the privilege of speaking to the Freshmen class as well as the Sophomore class. I spoke on the topic, "How to prepare for college while in high school." Considering I started preparing my 40 minute presentation at 10.30pm the night before, I would say it went extremely well. Of course I did a little research and found some GREAT jokes to tell the students. My first session was with half the Sophomore class and apparently it was too early for humor. The next session was for the Freshmen, and they laughed, and laughed at my jokes. My final session was with the other half of Sophomores, and they proved to be a rough audience as well. Oh well. At least I was laughing.
In the afternoon the students had abbreviated classes, but at one point in the day each student came to the gym where the "fair" was being held. We had over 20 tables set up for the schools represented and students walked from table to table gathering information and asking questions. It was great for our students to be exposed to the different schools and to hear about the differences between them. As many of our students do not live in the States, this may prove to be the best way for them to have a "campus visit."

Above all I was thrilled to see the way in which the guidance department took on different responsibilities to make the day go as smoothly as it did. The following day my supervisor said, "I knew I only had to worry about my thing, and not the whole thing." We each had different tasks and roles, and we all came together to put on a terrific fair for the students.
Throughout the fair, a few times I found myself stepping back and looking at all the work of the past two months. I couldn't help but smile and be proud of what we had put together.

A full week

2011-11-03T12:43:00.006-04:00

There seem to be some weeks where I come to my computer on Thursday evening and I say, "what should I blog about?" Then there are other days where I come to my computer and I say, "of the multiple events from this past week, which do I want to blog about?" Tonight would definitely be the latter of the two. This past week we had two major events; on Monday our entire student body invaded the city of Basel for the annual fair, "Herbtsmesse" and then on Tuesday we had our third annual 3on3 basketball tournament.
Herbstemesse:
Every fall the Swiss city of Basel puts on a fair (Herbst translates to fall/autumn and messe translates to fair/party.) It isn't quite the size of a state fair, but is larger than your local town fair. Every year our school takes the entire student body down for Herbstemesse and we walk around the city enjoying the rides, food, and atmosphere.
This year as we turned the corner entering Herbstemesse we found a ride called "maximum." A few brave students bought a ticket and immediately hopped on. I was walking with students and we too stopped, and stared. The ride looked insane. Two guys I was with started trying to convince others to go with them. For some unknown reason I gave in and decided to go on with them. So after a few minutes four of us got strapped in and went on one crazy ride! The ride lasted for five minutes, but it felt like thirty. I am glad I went on the ride with the students, but am fairly certain I will pass next year. I came off with shaky hands, light-headed, and an uneasy stomach.
Clearly the best part of the night is when our school takes over the bumper cars. Close to 300 people meet at the bumper cars at 7.30 and for the next hour it is chaos. As I stood on the outside watching I thoroughly enjoyed the community. Looking around everyone was smiling, laughing, having fun and enjoying being together. Teachers were riding with students, dorm parents were crashing into students, coaches were bumping into anyone and everyone. I cannot fully explain it, but it was a magical time.

At the beginning of the year I was delegated the task of organizing and running this year's 3on3 tournament. Always up for an adventure I took on the task. About two weeks ago I started working on the tournament daily; setting up the rules, contacting adults to be refs, getting team rosters out, and collecting them, setting up the bracket, etc. Thankfully all went smooth and there were no major setbacks on Tuesday.
The tournament was specifically planned for the day after Herbstmesse, because it is a German national holiday. Therefore we did not have school. It was a little strange going to school on Monday, and then having Tuesday off. Monday night felt like a Friday night, and now... I just don't even know what day of the week it is. I guess that is part of the journey of being an international school.
Even though I was in charge, I was still able to put together a team. For the third year in a row I was a part of team, "Zimties." We made it to the semi-finals before finally losing and being eliminated. We eventually took 3rd place.
Overall we had 12 teams sign up with close to 50 people playing. Adults were allowed to play, so it was once again another unique opportunity for staff and students to come together and have fun. That is definitely something I have continually enjoyed being a part of here at BFA. While we will inevitably have our differences, we are a big community working together.

Needless to say after a long day on Monday, and a full day of basketball on Tuesday, I was a little tired.

Thanks for checking in on the blog. Next week I will post about the College Fair we are having on November 9.

The Book

2011-10-20T12:09:00.006-04:00

For those who read my blog last week, you might remember I gave an advertisement for today's blog. If you don't remember or didn't read last week's blog, go back and read my blog from last week!
Over the past ten months or so I have been working on a project. It has been quite challenging, enjoyable, discouraging, encouraging, insightful, and more all rolled into one. Since late January I have been trying to write a book and I hope to finish the initial writing stage in the next month and a half.
I have always enjoyed writing. In college I much rather preferred a paper to a test. Gathering the materials, doing the research and compiling it into a paper excited me. Additionally writing provides me a way to get out my emotions, and to organize my thoughts. As odd as it may sound writing is a way in which for me to express myself artistically. Put a paintbrush in my hand and I will struggle to make something that comes close to resembling a stick-figure. Give me a piece of paper and pen, and I feel as though I can paint my emotions using words. If you were to look through my room you would find numerous journals, all with their unique purpose, yet all containing my writing. At any given time I am writing in three or four different journals. Some, more often than others.
Throughout college I began getting the urge to write a book. I thought it would be a great challenge and something I would really enjoy. With my love of studying history I always envisioned I would write about a historical event/figure (I've always wanted to write about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor). After spending a few years in Germany I had a few people encouraging me to entertain the idea of writing a book about my journey here in Germany. The thought was exciting and I felt as though I would have plenty of material to go off of. However I felt as though one of the biggest requirements for writing a book was time. Something I had very little of. Therefore in my mind I kept saying to myself, "When I leave Germany I will have more time and at that point will sit down to write a book." I was excited writing a book was still in my vision, yet relieved I could push it off for a little bit.
Right before Christmas break last year (December 2010) I received a Christmas card from a former student. In previous conversations I had expressed my interest in writing, and she had always encouraged me to do so. Yet within those conversations I talked of how I felt time was an issue and later would be a more opportune time. Within her Christmas card she wrote to me, "You should write now. You will never be less busy. If you always think you will have more time somewhere down the line, you won't. Do it now or you never will." I really took those words to heart, and I decided to act on my desire to write.

With that as a long introduction, what is the book actually about?
The book is going to be a devotional based off of running a marathon. While there is a huge running emphasis, it is my hope the book will appeal to runners and non-runners alike.
It is my belief that running is such a phenomenal parallel to life. Many of the things you learn and experience while running (especially a marathon) easily parallel/translate to life.
So the basis of the book is a marathon, 26.2 miles long. Therefore the book is going to be 26.2 chapters long. Each chapter represents one mile in the race. I have chosen 26 words that I think accurately describe a specific mile of the race. For each mile I talk with a "running hat" talking about what that mile will look like, what to expect, how to train for it, etc. I take the "word of the chapter" and talk about how it applies to running. But I also talk about how that word translates from running into life. For each chapter I have chosen a biblical character who epitomizes that particular word/emotion. Using the biblical account of their life I show an individual who has lived out that word/emotion and I talk about how we can be encouraged and challenged to practically implement that word/emotion/characteristic into our own lives.
Words for my miles include; courage, discipline, patience, trust, pain, loneliness, worship, freedom.

As I mentioned above, I am hoping to have everything written by Christmas. I currently have 19 chapters completely written, so only a few more to go! After Christmas I hope to spend a few months editing the chapters, with the goal of having everything finished by March. The BFA soccer season starts March 5, so I am hoping to have everything finished and published by the start of soccer season.

Prior to this post there were a small handful of people who knew about the endeavor I am undertaking.
So why put a blog about it?
- I would appreciate your prayer as I continue to move forward. You obviously cannot pray for this project if you are unaware it is happening! I am unaware of how many eyes will actually read the book, but I am praying what is written will prove encouraging and beneficial to those who do read.
- Making a "public announcement" and openly talking about it now, adds some accountability. I have stated what I hope to do, and the time in which I hope to do it. I have personally had the goals for a while but now I invite you to share them with me, and keep me accountable to them. Feel free to check in on my progress, send encouragement, or send a slap in the back of the head if I am slacking.
- Recently as the depth of my schedule has increased my energy to write has decreased. I am hoping this will help jumpstart me again and give me the energy to write the final chapters.

When sharing my idea with those who have already heard about this project,, I have been asked a few of the same questions repeatedly; how are you publishing the book? Will you make money off the book? How many pages will the book be? What is the book going to be called?
1. I have a friend who might be able to give a manuscript to an editor at a publishing company. While that would be phenomenal, I am not holding my breath over it. My current plan is to self-publish via an online company.
2. Since I am self-publishing there is a cost for me to do so. Honestly, my goal is to have a minimal cost, or to simply break even. If I can break even I will be delighted, my ultimate goal in this has nothing to do with finances.
3. My original thought was to write 100-125 pages. I felt this was a respectable amount, and a good goal, especially for someone who has never attempted such a project before. After finishing the 18th chapter I have somewhere around 150 pages written, with seven more chapters to write! Knowing I will definitely edit a number of pages out, I think my sights are now between 150-200 pages.
4. I don't have any idea what the title will be. If you have any suggestions please feel free to share them. I would love for you to offer suggestions and to be involved with it.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to let me know. I would love to dialogue with you more about it if you want.
Thank you for your interest, and thank you for your prayers.

Tommy

Why I do what I do

2011-10-13T16:36:00.002-04:00

The other day I sat down to type a few more pages in a book I am in the process of writing. After letting what I wrote sit for a few days, I went back to it and felt as though it would make for a great blog.
If you read the first sentence of this blog and said, "Wait. What? He's doing what?" Check my blog out next week and I will post more about that project.
For now, I hope you enjoy, and I hope you are encouraged.

As I’ve mentioned I recently had an opportunity to take a trip with the junior class. It was an incredible trip. However throughout the journey I did not get much sleep – I failed to get comfortable on the bus and similarly did not find a cold tile floor to bring any more comfort. One night while trying to fall asleep I was reviewing the day I had just gone through. The highs, the lows, the positives, the frustrations. As I was thinking about the day I was struck by who I had spent time with. It was a bit weird looking back because I knew that while the day was going on there was no question or no hesitation on my part. I hung out with certain students and it felt natural, it felt like an easy decision. As I lay on the cold tile floor I began chuckling to myself and whispered, “Mom, I blame you.” Now I really do not blame her in a negative way – but I realize she was extremely influential in raising me in such a way that my eyes are continually open to those students who need a friend, who need someone to come alongside them, who do not easily fit in, or may seem to get lost in the crowd. I lay there blaming my mom, when in all reality I was realizing how blessed I was to have been raised and encouraged to act in such a way. Thankful for this realization I flipped over hoping a new position would bring with it some needed rest. The other side of the pillow might be cool, but the other side of a hard tile floor, is still a hard tile floor.
Still unable to fall asleep I asked myself two questions, “Why am I the way I am?” and “Why do I do what I do?” In pondering these questions I came up with some answers I felt compelled to share.
I realized because of my mom, I see the best in people. I have a heart that wants to love the unlovable. I strive to make others feel as though they are a part of a group, and that they belong – regardless of what their peers may think or say.
I refuse to give in. I refuse to give up. I choose to persevere and keep going. I do this because Whitney has modeled for me what it is to persevere. She has demonstrated an attitude that is unwilling to settle for what others may deem impossible, and make it possible. When others say, “you can’t” she says, “I can, and I will.”
I write notes in hope of being a blessing to others. Receiving a personal hand written note has the power to change an attitude, and take you from a point of frustration to a point of happiness. I know this because after an incredible journey from Maine to Florida I received a note from Croce as we sat in the Jacksonville airport. That note has given me more strength than I can write about, as it has stayed in my wallet since the day I first read it.
I persist in wanting to truly know how people are doing, growing unsatisfied with surface level answers that do not honestly answer the question, “how are you doing?” Why do I do this? Jack. For an entire soccer season he refused my initial response to ‘how are you feeling?’ until I took off the mask I was hiding behind, and let my superman cape fall to the ground. He persisted with me – and now I do the same with others.
I grow facial hair now, because for four straight years I received ridicule from Ross because I couldn’t. Of course, it didn’t help he could daily produce a furry rug of hair – on his face, chest and back.
I seek adventure, and feel the strength to stand up for what I believe in knowing I have a brother who will always have my back regardless of where I go, or what I do.
I no longer dread saying good-bye as I once did, after seeing my friendship with Free be maintained and even strengthened, despite great distances and even greater time between being in the presence of one another.
I have chosen to make cinnamon rolls for a dorm, after waking up on many Saturday mornings after a sleepover, with the scent of bubble bread spreading throughout the house. With each bite my taste buds were awakened, causing them to dance and rejoice over the cinnamon goodness.
I have come to realize and enjoy going super deep in conversations as a result of rubbing shoulders with AJ. At the same time coming to an understanding that it is okay to go deep, especially when you have huge muscles.
I laugh and use my humor to enrich and liven situations after watching my dad use humor when skies were gray and smiles were hard to come by. Wisdom, strength, and laughter infiltrate my actions resulting from being his son.
When I play soccer I think back to playing with Bear, and the white hot rage – knowing that it is simply the only way to play.
I enjoy studying the Scriptures after having conversations with Manny and seeing the direct and powerful impact it has had on his daily life, and everyone with whom he interacts.
I enjoy meeting new people after having a random freshmen roommate who turned into a life long friend. The start of a friendship can prove to be extremely entertaining and full of adventure if your friend suddenly has a violent reaction to poison ivy within the first month of living together.
Now, the season of Fall is upon us and nothing signals Fall to me more than a soft snicker-doodle washed down by a hot glass of apple cider. This combination will always bring a smile as I remember the miles my grandparents traveled every fall in order to watch me play soccer. Along with great conversation and fellowship they brought a jug of apple cider and a coffee tin full of snicker-doodles. I plan on making these treats for some students with the hope they will be filled with love and joy – in the same way my grandparents filled me.

As I lay on the cold tile floor I got a better understanding of why I do what I do, and why I am the way I am. So many of the things I do are a direct result of what you have done in my life. The way in which Christ has shaped you and changed you, has changed me. When Christ pours out of your life, He pours into my life. For the things mentioned, both serious and entertaining, I thank you.
I stand where I am today looking back at different chapters of my life. For those who I have been with in previous chapters, your influence is just now being made evident. I am still writing the BFA chapter. I know for certain in a few years from now I will look back at those individuals with whom I am currently rubbing shoulders with, and be thankful for the way in which you have poured into my life and changed me.
Thank you.
On behalf of my friends who receive notes because of what you have written to me, thank you. For those who will roll their eyes at my jokes, and enjoy a fresh batch of snicker-doodles, thank you. You have helped shape me, mold me, and change me. I plan on passing on what you have taught to those around me.
Thank you.

Extra extra read all about it...

2011-10-10T17:17:00.002-04:00

Normally I blog every Thursday but I figured this was worthy of a random post. I wanted to tell you about what I saw when I walked into my office this morning.
Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon a few of my colleagues and a few of the guys from Sonne worked their way into my office and decided to leave me a little birthday present. Rather than giving me one or two random things to unwrap - they decided it would be great if I had to unwrap MY ENTIRE OFFICE. As you can see in the pictures everything, and I mean absolutely everything was wrapped in newspaper. My computer mouse? Covered, including the wire. My keyboard? smothered. My clocks? Wrapped with fun messages written on the newspaper. My Green Bay Packers football I throw around in my office? Wrapped. My chairs, my fan, my bookcase, all wrapped in newspaper. They even took newspaper and put it on the inside of my pictures! Apparently a few were worried I would get upset they covered up my pictures, but I actually found that to be one of the more entertaining things they did. I ended up leaving the newspaper in the picture frames all day. They went all out - including wrapping the door stop.
It was an extremely entertaining morning and I enjoyed having different co-workers come into my office at the start of the day wondering what had happened. It was also extremely entertaining waiting and watching the different students slowly approach my door throughout the day. Unaware of how I was going to react they were a bit hesitant. During the first period I knew one of the guys had a study hall, so I went to his study hall room and upon seeing him burst into laughter, gave him a big hug, and was smiling from ear to ear. He came back to my office and we hung out for a bit...until the smell of newspaper started to give me a headache, so we cleaned it up.
Scattered around the room were random notes written on the newspaper wishing me a happy birthday. My favorite was a note written on my "keyboard" saying, "we love you Tommy." By the handwriting I knew who it was - and very much appreciated it. It was definitely an entertaining start to the week, and something I truly enjoyed.
To those who helped...well done. I loved it.

Normandy Trip

2011-10-06T16:54:00.002-04:00

As mentioned in last week's post over the weekend I traveled with our Junior class on their field trip to Normandy, France. Simply put, it was phenomenal. Everything went smoothly, everything went according to plan, the weather was unbelievable and the students had a great time. There is a lot I could say about the trip but I will try to choose a few different aspects that in my opinion highlight the trip.
- The Experience -
We stayed at a campground that was literally less than a five minute walk to Utah Beach, one of the five beaches invaded on June 6, 1944. So when I say we were "right there" I literally mean we were right where everything happened. On Saturday morning I woke up at 6.30 to walk to the beach to see the sunrise (well, technically I woke up around 4.30 but that is a different story). It was refreshing and enjoyable to be on the beach watching the sunrise, yet it was an unreal experience to be on the beach knowing I was standing right where the invasion of Europe took place. There were still a few pieces of the Atlantic Wall still standing - so I walked around those while the sun was rising. The Allies landed at first light - the time at which I was walking on the beach.
In addition to Utah, we were able to visit Juno Beach (a beach invaded by troops primarily from Canada) as well as Omaha Beach. With every beach we visited we took time to be silent and reflect on where we were and what happened there a little over 65 years ago.

- The Education -
One of the main purposes of the trip was educationally based. The students were filling out a packet that led them through each stop, and informed them of the significance of where we were. We had the honor of visiting a Canadian cemetery, a German cemetery and the American cemetery. We also visited museums at Utah and Omaha beach, as well as museums dedicated to the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. There were a lot of artifacts within the museums that were great to witness. Within one of the museums we were able to walk through a glider that was used to drop the paratroopers, and at several sites we toured German bunkers.

- The Bonding -
After traveling a decent distance, going on little sleep (I got 16 hours of sleep in 4 days), and being very busy you are probably going to walk away having one of two reactions; extremely disliking those you are with, or bonding with them. Thankfully the class chose the latter. Plain and simple the students had fun together. They were rowdy on the bus, laughing, singing, talking, and having a good time. They were hanging out sharing stories, and helping each other whenever possible.
One of the unique ways we were able to bond was a direct result of the amazing weather we had. The first night we were there, some students asked if it would be possible to sleep outside under the stars. After a few sponsors agreed to be outside with the students (including yours truly) we allowed a group of about 25 brave individuals to sleep outside. Nobody thought to bring a tent, so they threw their sleeping bags down on the grass and went to sleep. That night/morning I woke up around 4.30 because I was absolutely freezing. I had brought layers for my upper body, but did not really bring much for my legs. Additionally, I was not planning on sleeping outside so I brought the smallest/lightest sleeping bag I have. After trying to get warm for an hour or so, around 5.30 I found a few other guys and plopped down in between them, thinking I could use them to help protect me from the wind, and create a little more body heat. I awoke one of the guys who wasn't too happy with me, but later in the day he told me it was simply because he had no idea who I was as he didn't have his glasses on.

- The Friendships -
As I mentioned in my blog prior to going my main objective was to get to know the students better and spend time with them. Through the bus rides, the free time, the museums and everything else I definitely feel as though I accomplished this goal. Each adult had a "sponsor group" of about 10 students. Any time we traveled somewhere the students were responsible for checking in with their sponsor group. It was a quick and easy way to ensure we had all 67 students. The night we left my group decided they wanted a group name, and they came up with the name, Shakira. Additionally we decided every time they checked in they would have to perform some kind of act. At first they had to kiss "my lucky egg" aka a boiled egg I grabbed from our breakfast. After that, they had to touch "my lucky hat." Stupid? Yes. Silly? Of course. Memorable? Absolutely. The students had a great time with it.
Another great aspect to the sponsor groups was the way they were set up. Though completely random, it could not have been put together any better. As a guidance counselor my case load is divided up alphabetically - and it just so happened the 10 students in my group, were all within my alphabet range. There were definitely a few I did not know extremely well prior to the trip, but now I feel as though whenever I pass them in the hall we can stop and talk (which has actually happened since being back.)

As you can see overall it was a great trip. There are a lot of entertaining stories to share, but there just isn't space to write them all out. I have attempted to include a slideshow of pictures along with this blog post. I am awful with technology so I am not certain it will work - I hope it does. If you are having trouble viewing some of the pictures please email me and I can send them to you as an attachment.
Thanks for continually checking my blog! I really appreciate it.

Tommy

Amazing experiences

2011-09-28T15:30:00.002-04:00

There are days where I am truly blown away by where I am. Even though I have been here for three full years, it still amazes me. Yesterday I was driving out of a shopping center down by the Rhine river and at the exit it had three separate lanes. Lane one was for those wishing to go to France. Lane two was for those wishing to go to Switzerland. Lane three was for those remaining in Germany. One exit, with three different country options.
However, the amazing experience I wanted to write about has not happened yet, but is one that is moments away. Tomorrow night at 9pm (3pm est) I will board a bus with the entire Junior class (about 68 kids) and a handful of chaperons. We will drive through the night arriving in Carentan, France around 8.00am. From there we will spend the weekend touring the various museums, cemeteries and memorials dedicated to the troops that landed on those beaches over 65 years ago as a part of Operation Overlord. Every year for the past 12 years our school's Junior class has ventured out to Normandy for this amazing historical experience. I was thrilled to be a chaperon on the trip two years ago, and am very excited to be going back again.

Over the past month I have been reading a book by Stephen Ambrose which has proven extremely beneficial in providing me with great historical insight into the invasion and the events surrounding the invasion. Ambrose is the author of the book, "Band of Brothers" which spurred the HBO TV series by the same name. Ambrose also served as the historical authority for the movie, "Saving Private Ryan." As a class, we will watch clips of both Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers throughout the trip. Our campsite is actually within one of the landing zones of the Airborne Division - so it is quite an incredible feeling to watch the clips knowing you are sitting exactly where it happened.

I am extremely excited about this trip for two reasons; history and quality time. I will not deny my love for studying history. I absolutely love learning about history, especially World War II history. As a self-proclaimed history nerd, I am headed toward one of the most historically significant places of the 20th Century. Walking the beaches, seeing the remains of the Atlantic Wall, walking the grass of the cemeteries will be incredible.
As a side note: if you are aware of any World War II veterans who served in Europe and are willing to talk about their experience, I would love to hear their stories.
While I will no doubt enjoy the history, I am also thrilled about the opportunity to spend time with the students. Over the next five days I will be surrounded with students. The long bus trips will be great avenues for conversations, laughter and memories. Walking through the city will provide opportunities to experience the history with the students. I know a good amount of the Juniors, but do not know all of them. There are some guys within the class who I am going to be extremely intentional about getting to know. While I love history, I know experiencing the history comes secondary in order of importance to spending time with the students.

I will post next week with pictures and stories from the trip. It will no doubt be an amazing trip, but also an exhausting trip. We will drive through the night twice sleeping on the bus, and sleep in a makeshift camp site the other two nights.
Lots of history. Lots of students. Lots of memories. Little sleep. Sounds like the recipe for an amazing experience!

History lesson

2011-09-22T16:26:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend I heard this story and I found it quite interesting and wanted to pass it along. Going off of last week's post about Budenfest this is another little cultural moment.
For those who do not know, pretzels are absolutely HUGE over here. It seems wherever you go, you can find them, especially this time of year. Right now out in Munich the Germans are celebrating "Oktoberfest" originally a wedding celebration that has turned into a huge beer festival that attracts over 6 million people in a three week stretch, where over 7 million liters of beer are sold. After reading the history about the pretzel it seems a little odd for the pretzel to be so common at Oktoberfest. But pretzels along with cookies in the shape of a heart are everywhere you look. I am still looking into the history of the cookies. Until I figure it out, enjoy the history of the pretzel:
According to legend, a young monk in the early 600s in Germany was preparing a special Lenten bread of water, flour and salt. To remind his brother monks that Lent was a time of prayer, he rolled the bread dough in strips and then shaped each strip in the form of crossed arms, mimicking the then popular prayer position of folding one’s arms over each other on the chest. The bread was then baked as a soft bread, just like the big soft pretzels one can find today. (To be fair, some traditions date the story to even the 300s.)

Because these breads were shaped into the form of crossed arms, they were called bracellae, the Latin word for "little arms." From this word, the Germans derived the word bretzel which has since mutated to the familiar word pretzel.

Another possibility for the origins of the word pretzel is that the young monk gave these breads to children as a reward when they could recite their prayers. The Latin word pretiola means "little reward," from which pretzel could also be reasonably derived.

Apparently, this simple Lenten food became very popular. Pretzels were enjoyed by all people. They became a symbol of good luck, long life and prosperity. Interestingly, they were also a common food given to the poor and hungry. Not only were pretzels easy to give to someone in need, but also they were both a substantial food to satisfy the hunger and a spiritual reminder of God knowing a person’s needs and answering our prayers.

Budenfest

2011-09-15T16:36:00.004-04:00

Each September all those in our village, as well as those in the surrounding villages come together for a non-stop three day festival called, "Budenfest." The fest somewhat loosely translates to "festival of booths" and is essentially an opportunity for local clubs to raise money. The local youth soccer team, wrestling team, accordion club, etc. set up booths in our blumenplatz and for three days they sell food and drinks. I have attended Budenfest the past three years but this year was quite different as it was literally right outside my window.
For two days prior to the actual start our road was blocked off as hundreds of individuals took to the small square to erect their buildings that would soon host hundreds of patrons. There was a lot of hammers pounding which soon became annoying - but at the same time it helped build excitement and anticipation.
The morning Budenfest officially started I had my window wide open and was in a trance as the smells of German grilling flooded my room. There is definitely something sensational about a good old American cook-out with a charcoal grill and burgers, but I think the Germans take it to another level. I didn't know exactly what I was smelling, all I know is that it was amazing.
That night I went out for a bit and walked around and enjoyed the sights and sounds. The different booths were selling a variety of food items. Of course there is traditional wurst. Some were selling pizzas (though quite different than American pizza), others had pretzels, french fries, and even a version of funnel cakes. While I loved being in a big crowd I absolutely loved sitting down and saying to those with me, "This IS Germany." There was absolutely no denying it that we were in the heart of Germany, embracing and enjoying the German culture. It was phenomenal.
Naturally our enjoyment of the night ended around midnight or so - but the Germans kept going. I woke up at 3.00am to loud music still blaring. My first thought was, "why are they still playing music at 3.00am?" My second thought, "of all the music to be playing at 3.00am, why on earth did they choose this song?" German radio is easily one of the most random things you will ever listen to. After multiple years of listening to music on German radio I am still baffled by the songs they choose to play.
Anyway, Budenfest was a cultural event that was a lot of fun to participate in and once again experience. It is easy to quickly be consumed in the "BFA culture" that you lose sight of the German culture so prevalent around you. Through the sights, sounds, and smells Budenfest brought that reality home.

Listening

2011-09-08T11:11:00.003-04:00

As I have settled into my new role I seem to have quite a few people asking me questions. While I don't mind questions, the annoying aspect is that they are pretty much the same two questions over and over again; How is it not being in the dorm? Or, What background/formal training do you have to be a guidance counselor?

The first question has an answer that is not yet fully developed. I am still learning my role and learning all the ins and outs of what it looks like to be living a "civilian life" as a good friend calls it. My cop-out answer so far is along the lines of, "It is bittersweet and very different. Different is different. Not necessarily good, not necessarily bad, just different." Perhaps in the coming weeks or months I will be able to better answer that question, but for the time being I am satisfied with that.
The second question has a clear cut answer, NONE. I do not have any degrees in counseling, or anything remotely close. I have never been a guidance counselor before. I have never even read the book, "Guidance Counseling for dummies." In fact, I don't know if such a book exists.
I can be honest and say I hate being asked that question. The question drives home fear of feeling inadequate and unprepared. Being asked that question seems to give the devil a foothold to whisper, "you're useless. you can't be productive here. you don't know what you're doing." After being asked I sheepishly smile, avoid eye contact and try to change the subject of conversation.
However as I get more plugged in to work I have realized the thing I do most is something you don't need any training in. It is an easy thing to do, yet so few seem to be able to do it. The task? Listening.
In reading a Chuck Swindoll book the other day I was greatly challenged and encouraged. He had this to say on the topic, "Listening. I don't mean just hearing. Not simply smiling and nodding while somebody's mouth is moving. Not merely staying quiet until it's "your turn" to say something...Check out Christ with the woman at the well (John 4) He could have blown her away with an endless barrage of verbal artillery. He didn't. He genuinely listened when she spoke; He "listened slowly." He read the lines of anxiety on her face and felt the weight of guilt in her heart. As she talked, He peered deeply into the well of her soul. It wasn't long before she found herself completely open, yet not once did she feel forced or needlessly embarrassed. His secret? He listened. He studied every word, each expression. Even the tone of her voice...Two ears. Two eyes. Only one mouth. Maybe that should tell us something."
I have taken these words to heart. In my job I spend a lot of time listening to the students, and I love it. I listen to their dreams, their desires for higher education, their struggles with academics, their funny stories. By now I know how to change a class schedule, look up grades, and inform parents their children are doing poorly in class (never a fun one). But above all as the students continually come into my office I hope to be someone who will genuinely and sincerely listen to them. That is something I don't have a degree in, and I am absolutely fine with that.

They're back!

2011-08-25T12:10:00.007-04:00

Everywhere you look...there they are - and I have absolutely no complaints. The students have made it back to campus as school started up this past week. On Monday campus was flooded with new students and their parents, while the returning students joined them on Tuesday for our opening ceremonies.

Monday proved to be quite a busy and hectic day for me and my fellow guidance counselors. I showed up to work shortly after 8.00 to make sure I had everything in order and was ready for the big day. There were a few random tasks here and there to take care of in the morning, but mainly it was prep time for the afternoon. Starting around 11.30 I had a few students trickle into my office wanting to make changes to their schedule. Before I had the chance to breathe it was 6.30pm and we had finally changed the last schedule of the day! At that point I went home and quickly made dinner, only to return to school an hour later for an "open house" in which parents had the opportunity to walk through their child's schedule and meet the teachers. Naturally a few parents drifted up to our offices and we once again worked on schedules. Finally around 9.30 I walked through the door, home at last. It was a really busy day, but a lot of fun. I got to meet a lot of students, and finally put a face to the schedules I had been working on.

Tuesday we had our traditional opening ceremonies. One of my favorite days of the year. The day begins with the seniors parading into the auditorium, each carrying a flag of a country that is represented by students and families of our school. Following a "charge" to the senior class, residence life staff, and faculty staff, we have the "roll call of nations." One individual calls out all the nations represented by students/families and then the students stand up as their nation is called. This year we have 53 different nations represented. It is moving, inspiring, and encouraging to realize how many different countries are represented, and how many different areas of the world people are working to spread The Good News.

Wednesday and Thursday brought a little normalcy to school as students started to settle in. The guidance department remained busy patching up a few schedules and rearranging a few classes. I had a few students come in this morning with tears in their eyes stating, "I lost my schedule and don't know what class I'm supposed to be in. Can you tell me?" So I quickly printed them a new schedule and pointed them in the right direction. The school is not massive, but it is a good reminder of what a huge step this is for so many students. New country, new dorm, new school, new teachers, new classes.

Throughout the week I have been blessed to have so many of my Sonne guys stop in the office just to hang out. On the first day of school every single senior stopped in at one point or another to sit and talk and catch up. I had to laugh at one of them because it was the first day of classes, and he was already asking me if I could write him a pass because he was late for class. I wrote a note, and got him excused, but don't worry it was legitimate!

It has been extremely hot here this past week - so we have been doing everything possible to stay cool. Sunday-Wednesday it was above (33c) 90+F every day. Thankfully last night a storm blew in and brought with it some cooler temperatures. Of course, it is still in the mid 80s, but it feels nice. German weather is so bizarre.

Hope you enjoy some pictures from the opening ceremonies. I admit, I did not take any of these, I am borrowing them from friends. So thanks to all you who posted them on facebook for me to take!

Tommy

2011-08-18T11:17:00.010-04:00

As mentioned in my previous post I am no longer living in the dorm and am living in an apartment in town. It is definitely a bit different than the dorm but I am learning to enjoy and appreciate the differences. I have continually told people that the transition is, bittersweet. There are things I desperately miss - though I have occasionally found myself saying, "I am glad I don't have to do that anymore."
With the permission of my roommate I figured I would give you a little "tour" of the place. Our Haus is about a 7 minute walk to the school - which is amazing. So every morning I have been enjoying the few minutes, and the brief exercise on my daily commute. I had to laugh the other day, because as I was walking down the main street there were more pedestrians than normal - so I chose an alternate way to avoid the "morning rush." A 7 minute commute is a huge blessing.

This is a picture of the outside of our building. I live on the 3rd floor - so we are at the very top. From this angle you can see our sky-lights. The one that is open, is right above me as I type. I have my computer under this window to get some fresh air while at my computer.

Here you can see half of our kitchen. Our table isn't huge, but it will seat a few students who are looking for a good home-cooked meal during the week.

And this is the other half of the kitchen...(notice the magnet on the fridge!)

We also have a nice living room - a futon that will certainly see a few guests throughout the year and a nice little couch on the opposite side of the room...

I have enjoyed being able to put up pictures throughout the apartment. A lot of the pictures on the walls are pictures I have taken - which is enjoyable for me to have displayed. While the apartment is not huge, it suffices. It is comfortable and enjoyable. We share a bathroom yet have our own bedrooms. There is not a ton of space but we envision having people over often, whether students or coworkers.

This is a picture of my room. You should all be proud - I did NOT clean my room, or make my bed just for the picture. This is what it looks like most of the time! I cannot stand a messy room, so I am pretty meticulous with it. Though not completely visible with this picture, I have A LOT of pictures of friends and family on my walls. It is important for me to display my friends and to be able to visibly remind myself of good memories, and people I truly love.

Lastly, a view from my bedroom window down the street. I felt this would give a good idea of the German streets (small and skinny), as well as my immediate surroundings , and the typical German weather (overcast).

And finally - some may think that two males living in an apartment rely on frozen pizzas, paper plates, and cereal. While I am not quite ready to host my own cooking show - I enjoy cooking and can handle my own in the kitchen. Over the weekend I had some chicken and was pondering what to use to compliment the chicken. After some thought I had an idea, walked to the grocery store and an hour later was pulling my chicken enchiladas out of the oven. I made enough for dinner one night, and lunch the following day. They were very tasty, in fact some would even be bold enough to say they were deee lish.

There is always a place for you to stay if you want to come and visit!

Hi-ho Hi-ho it's off to work we go...

2011-08-11T17:04:00.003-04:00

The students are not back yet, but there is still plenty of work to be done before they come. The Residence Life staff have been back for close to two weeks and are furiously working to make sure everything is in order. Meanwhile the teaching staff (of which I am now a part of) are busy at school making sure all the I's are dotted and the T's crossed.
While I am preparing for my fourth year here in Germany this year has proven to be very different in that I am in a new role. I have been caught off guard a bit because I am back in a village that is familiar yet at the same time it feels more foreign than it did when I left. I am living in an apartment in the heart of "downtown" Kandern (I will blog about my apartment in a week or two.) and am enjoying the thrills of getting that set up and setting a foundation.
I had a few days here before I went into my new office so each day I took on one task. Though it may seem odd to have only one task on the "to do list" when operating in a foreign country one is enough. One day was all about groceries, one day was banking, one transportation, one for the apartment, etc. Thankfully I was quite successful with my adventures and feel as though I have been productive and taken care of all the odds and ends.
As soon as I felt good with that, it was time to tackle the job. This year I am moving to the academic side of life here, and will be one of three guidance counselors. My role will be varied and will look different every single day. Some days I will be bunkered at my computer emailing parents and fixing student's schedules. Other days I will not touch my computer and will have students coming in looking for help with their applications, recommendation forms, class schedules, etc. This year I might even have the opportunity to enter the classroom every now and then as a "guest speaker" on a variety of topics.
Regardless of what the day holds - I am in that role with the intention of being an advocate/mentor/friend/brother to the students. I am excited to be in the role and feel as though it will be a very good fit. My office is in a great locations, where I can see everyone who walks down the hall. Therefore my door will be wide open and always welcoming to any passerby looking for a conversation, or a small piece of candy.
So far this week I have been doing my best in acclimating to the new and different demands of the job. Each morning I sit down with my supervisor and we talk for an hour or so and discuss certain "issues" I may face on a daily basis. After our conversation he releases me to my office, where I go and work on what we just talked about. So far I have learned how to check graduation requirements, class schedules, and four-year plans. Today I was adjusting schedules and hoping to make them mirror the student's request. I have had fun moving the classes around and have viewed it as a puzzle, or as some may understand; a game of Rummikub. I sit there and say, "Okay if I move Algebra 2 to 4th period I can move Chemistry to 5th, but then need a place to put US History..." It was quite enjoyable, but after doing that for the entire freshmen and sophomore classes, my head was hurting a little bit.
Of course, right now it is not all work, there is a little time for fun and games. I have joined a local soccer team and am training with them a few times a week and hoping to play in the games over the weekend. We are still trying to figure out how to get a German player's card, but hopefully that will come soon. Perhaps a longer blog about this experience will come in the future.

For now, I am going to work on putting together some home-made posters for my office. Right now the walls are ghostly white. It's pathetic. I simply don't have anything to put up. I found a few of my favorite Winston Churchill quotes, as well as some classic strips from the comic, "Calvin and Hobbes." While on my way to soccer tonight I had the thought of putting up a "question of the week" for students to answer. An example might be; "Who was the first person to break the four minute mile?" If you have any good trivia questions, or fun facts for this portion of my wall please email me.
Of course, I am working on getting a big Green Bay Packers flag to hang above my desk. I need to make sure everyone is reminded of who won the Super Bowl last year!

Safe arrival

2011-08-04T17:52:00.002-04:00

I am happy to say I have arrived back in Germany in one piece. To be perfectly honest, it was a pretty smooth and harmless journey back. My total travel time was just over 15 hours, but that is not too bad. Thankfully all of my luggage arrived and the lady at the check-in counter did not charge me extra even though my suitcase was over the weight limit by a few pounds!
I have spent close to 5 hours this evening unpacking and moving in to my new apartment. It is taking a lot of work, but it is looking good. I am definitely one of those people that needs to get everything arranged and organized before I feel at peace. However, the Church bells from across the street just chimed, (as they do every hour!) telling me it is midnight here. So I am going to call it a night and head to bed.
Thanks for everything! I will write more next Thursday, if not over the weekend.

Tommy

A few days away

2011-07-29T05:26:00.002-04:00

I feel as though I should have a lot to write about - but I honestly don't have too much. Life has been fairly normal and the same since I last posted. I have been spending time with family and friends, hopped on another plane and went to a wedding, and have been getting random tasks taken care of when possible.
Next Wednesday evening I will board a plane for the 9th time in six weeks and head back to Germany. I am arriving a little earlier than I need to, in order to give myself some time to get situated in my new apartment and all that comes along with that.
Upon returning to Germany I plan on blogging once a week again, rather than the every other week routine I adopted over the summer.
Thanks for continuing to keep up with the blog!

Summer time

2011-07-14T21:57:00.002-04:00

It feels good to stop, rest and relax. Since my whirlwind traveling tour that saw me spend over 26 hours in a plane and 24 hours in a car throughout a three week span - I have been able to slow down and catch my breath. I have thoroughly enjoyed being back on the east coast and spending time with my family and friends in the area. The days have been nice to spend time with my family, whether on the golf course, on walks, or playing Wii. I must give a lot of credit to Whitney, as she has absolutely dominated me in Wii bowling throughout the summer. I get competitive and hate to lose, but she is good...and me... well, I'm not very good.
I will spend a little over two more weeks here before I head back to Germany. It is hard to imagine that my summer is almost over - as it seems it just started. But I know I am very excited and anxious to begin a new school year, and a new role.
Having a little more free time has enabled me to dabble with some new hobbies I have picked up. Through a program online I put together a book that includes every one of my blog posts from the time I graduated college, to the most recent BFA graduation. It is pretty special to be able to flip through the pages and see the different posts that were put up, and the pictures that went along with them.
I have also put together a photo album of pictures I took throughout the past three years. While traveling I found it entertaining to take pictures of lampposts in the different countries and cities I was in (I honestly have no idea how I came up with the idea) This book has over 30 pages of pictures from 16 different countries.

If anyone is interested in obtaining a copy I can provide you with the information you need.

I have also put together a DVD that sums up the past school year. The DVD includes a ten minute video about dorm life, a separate video from our mission trip to Moldova, and a third video from the soccer season.
I sent out a few of these in the mail. If you have not received one yet but would like to, please contact me and provide me with your mailing address. I would be more than happy to put one in the mail for you.

Lastly, it has been phenomenal being able to watch the Women's World Cup!! I am crushed I didn't stay in Germany and go to a game - but I have been glued to the TV every time the USA plays. As I'm sure was the case for a lot of people, I was going crazy when Wambach put in the header against Brazil. Such a great game. I hope they do well in the final!

Thanks for checking in, and keeping up with my blog.

Tommy

Happy Birthday

2011-07-08T21:27:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday to the greatest sister in the world!
She is absolutely beautiful and provides me with so much love, energy, laughter, and joy.

Happy Birthday! I love you.

Three nights and you're out!

2011-06-24T01:29:00.002-04:00

Considering baseball is America's great pastime, I figured I would use a phrase from the sport to name this blog. Though I took the liberty to tweak it slightly to make it a little more fitting for me personally.
I have been traveling a lot lately. It seems as though as soon as I unpack it is time to once again pack up. Within the first twelve days of being back I have spent a night in Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Lancaster Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Philadelphia. In just a few short hours I will leave for Seattle.

Thus the reason behind my lack of posting and lack of emailing. I apologize - but hope you understand.
Though traveling can be tiring, it has been phenomenal to reconnect with a lot of family and friends. It has been tremendous catching up face to face and talking.
For those I haven't seen yet... I hope to see you soon!

Graduation

2011-06-07T06:44:00.012-04:00

As I briefly mentioned last week we held our graduation ceremony this past Friday. There were 6o seniors in total who walked across the stage, diploma in hand, ready to take the next step. It is quite difficult to put into words the significance of graduation here. While in many ways it is similar to any other high school graduation, I believe it is vastly different, and far more significant.

Similar to all other high schools the students needed to pass certain requirements in order to be given a diploma. Homework had to be turned in, tests taken and passed, lockers cleaned out, etc. From the outside perspective things look normal. Students complete their years of high school, exit the door and enter the world. Yet the majority of the 60 graduates did not spend their entire high school career here. In fact, there were five seniors who spent only their senior year with us. When this class were Juniors, they welcomed 20 new students. At least 25 of the 60 graduates spent two years or less at BFA. Only one student out of 60 completed first through twelfth grade at BFA. While the majority of our graduates will further their education at a collegiate level, the location of that next institute is spread across the world. Here in my dorm we have a "sign out board" for the students to indicate where they are going during the day. As they left for the summer we wrote down where they would spend the next two months (or college). These are the countries listed on our board; Poland, Germany, Switzerland, China, S. Korea, Mongolia, USA, Canada, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, England, Ukraine, Australia. In a dorm of 21 guys, we have 14 different countries listed!

The most difficult thing about graduation is the emotional aspect of it. Students come here for however many years, not knowing if they will return or if they will ever see their friends again. For an average American high school graduate they can anticipate seeing friends during breaks. Whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, or summer break. Though not constant nor consistent, they share a 'home-base' with their classmates. That is not the case with my students. For them, Germany is a home away from home. It serves as the home to their high school, but not the home they will visit. When they come across summer break, most likely they will not return to Germany, but somewhere else in the world. Graduation represents the last time they will all be together. It signifies the end of a journey traveled together, and the start of a new beginning.

With that in mind the students soak it all in. They cherished the remaining moments they had. Knowing this is my final year as an RA, I too have found myself cherishing every opportunity with this senior class. As I have written before, and told many others, across the entire student body I am closer with this senior class than any other class. I feel blessed because I felt as though I could wander into any one of our dorms and feel as though there is at least one student there who I have a solid, personal, encouraging relationship with. I have invested in this class and poured into them so much. Tears poured from my eyes in the days prior to graduation, knowing what was ahead. I woke up early to get in one last run with a student, went to bed late to squeeze in one final heart-felt conversation, wrote one last note to hopefully once again communicate the message I am here to deliver, "God loves you. I love you." Watching them graduate was one of the most bittersweet events. I am so proud of them, so excited for them, so happy for them. Yet, there is a void that has been left by their absence.
They have left the school, the country, the continent. I am confident they are going to do marvelous things. They are the greatest students in the world.

On a different note: I will be returning to the States for about 6 weeks starting tomorrow. I will be traveling a lot spending time in: Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Washington. I would love to see as many people as possible, so if I am coming anywhere near you, please let me know. Even if I'm not, let me know where you are and I'll see if I can swing by!

Today is the day

2011-06-03T03:25:00.002-04:00

In just a few short hours 60 students will walk across the stage, and graduate from high school. Today is a day of many emotions.
I will write more next week, but wanted to let you know what was happening today.

Today will be extremely hard. I love these students and detest saying good-bye to them.

Tournament video

2011-05-29T13:38:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned in my previous post I was working on getting a video online for you to view. It took a lot more work than I was hoping, but I finally got it figured out, and hopefully it is up and running smoothly.
This video was put together for the girls, as a reminder of their season. It includes a random assortment of pictures as well as different videos that were taken. The theme is, "Who? What? Where?" which is the traditional game we play while traveling for away games. Within the video you will see random video clips of our team playing the game. Additionally you will see the girls having their "dorky dance parties" which they did at different times.
I can't help but watch this video and be overcome with an assortment of emotions. These girls are amazing and I hope you get a glimpse of that through the video.

To see the video:
Copy this link into your browser: http://vimeo.com/bressontw1/soccer2011
You will be prompted for a password, type in: falcons2011

If you have any issues watching the video please let me know. Otherwise, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Tournament

2011-05-26T16:04:00.005-04:00

I apologize that I did not post last week. As many of you know I diligently try to post every Thursday, but sometimes it does not happen. Life over here has been very busy and I have been running in different directions doing various things. Today I wanted to write about our soccer tournament which was last week. It will honestly be quite difficult for me to articulate everything that happened, and how I am feeling, but I will do my best.

For the past two years I have been the assistant coach for our girls varsity team. Ask me in person how I feel about coaching girls, and watch as my eyes light up, my face beam with an ear to ear smile, and listen as I struggle to put into words how much I enjoy coaching. It is an understatement to say that I love coaching this team. Way back in August, as the students rolled in to start the school year I was already starting to talk about soccer, and getting excited for the season despite the fact I had to wait through the volleyball and basketball seasons. Even still, I knew that if I were to have half as much fun as I did last year as coach, this year was going to be phenomenal.
Our soccer season here is quite different than most high schools in the States. We practice Monday-Fridays with a game on Saturday. Unfortunately we have more players than adequate space. So on most days we share one field with three other teams (guys varsity/jv and girls varsity/jv). Practice starts when the girls get to the field, which is generally around 4.10. Because most of the students have to catch a bus to get back to their dorm, practice ends at 5.30. So we are not given the greatest conditions in which to practice which always makes things interesting as a coach. On the weekends of our games, we play as a part of the DoDDS League, which is comprised mostly of American Military schools. For our home games, we have to rent a local field, which always seems to be different from week to week. For our away games we pile four teams on a bus and drive anywhere from 4-8 hours on Friday, sleep in the school’s gym, wake up Saturday to play, and then drive home Saturday after all the games have been played. Divisions are designated according to the size of the school, Division 1 being the largest schools. We are in Division 2. During the regular season we compete against schools within our region, not our division. So this season we played four Division 2 schools and three Division 1 schools. Our three losses came to Division 1 schools. At the end of the year the Varsity team heads to “tournament” where we meet teams from all over Europe within our division. Once there we have pool play (3 games guaranteed), and then we move into the knock-out rounds. These rounds continue until the championship game, where one team is crowned European Champions.

So, last Tuesday we loaded the buses and headed off to tournament with the goal of winning tournament. We came in as the #4 ranked team (of 15) and knew we wouldn’t roll over everyone, but we felt we had a fighting chance if the ball bounced our way. Our first game was Wednesday, and the girls came out ON FIRE. Less than 10 minutes into the game we were winning 3-0. We ended up finishing the game with a 7-0 victory. We played again a few hours later and were a little sluggish. We came away with a 1-1 tie (they scored on a penalty kick) and we felt as if we were the stronger team. We were a little disappointed, but ended the day knowing that when we were clicking on all cylinders, we could make some noise. Thursday we woke up and played a tight, heart-pounding, tense game. We were clearly the better team (I am a little bias, I know) but couldn’t seem to put the ball in the net. After another 1-1 tie (they scored on a free kick) we went into a penalty shootout. Simply put, our goalie was phenomenal. She blocked two shots and put us in a prime position to win. Our final shooter was a senior, and a captain, and she stepped up with confidence and easily slid the ball home. We won and were through to the quarter-finals! Friday morning we were back on the field playing for a spot in the semi-final game. Unfortunately we went down 1-0 15 minutes into the game, and never found an equalizer, and lost 1-0. The girls played with passion, energy, and heart, but there seemed to be an invisible fence in front of the goal. With that, our season was over.
In our four tournament games, we let one goal in through the run of play, all others were set pieces. We outscored our opponents 9-3, out hustled them, but simply couldn’t seal the deal when we needed to. I walked away extremely proud of our performance, yet discouraged that we weren't able to advance to the next round. I believe we had the talent.
So that is a recap of what happened ON the field. Now let me explain about OFF the field.
This team is awesome. This team is so much fun. They have energy, enthusiasm and they know how to laugh and have fun. They care about each other. Here are a few of my favorite moments:

We had a team "meeting" the night before each of our away games. Essentially we would talk for about 3 minutes and then play a game called, “Who? What? Where?” It is a combination of telephone and charades, that will leave you rolling on the floor laughing. I love that the team is willing to participate, and essentially make fools of themselves. This past tournament we played this game two or three nights, each time proving to be hilarious. One night I was called to act, and had to imitate a belly dancer. Unfortunately my belly dancing skills are not up to par, and my interpreter thought I was playing with a hula hoop!

On Thursday after our game we ate at an authentic Mexican restaurant. I have some of the greatest friends, and former teammates who graciously provided the finances to make it possible. I had such joy sitting in my chair watching them salivate over the chips and real salsa (Germans don’t know how to make salsa). At one point one girl said to me, “This burrito in front of me makes up for every bad thing that has happened in my life. This bite right here, makes up for the time in fifth grade I wet my pants after school.” More information than I really wanted to know, but touching nonetheless. I was filled with joy as I engaged some in conversation, and at times leaned back in my chair and watched everyone else enjoying themselves. It was a time where our team could do something different, something unique, something special. It was special to me knowing that a few years ago I was a player making memories with my teammates, and now those same friends and teammates were helping these girls do the same. I want to thank my friends, and I want you to know that the girls greatly appreciated it as well. THANK YOU.

I don’t know how to sum this one up… but I got to spend a good part of five days with people I truly care about. The bus rides were enjoyable and filled with good conversations. In between games I would talk strategy with players, but also talk about life, summer plans, college goals, and fears about next year. We would watch our guys’ team play, and make fun of the way they ran, or role-play and attempt to figure out what was going on in their head’s. Whatever we were doing, it was fun. It was enjoyable because I truly believe this team is awesome. I came in hoping to teach them about soccer, and about life, only to walk away knowing they probably taught me more than I taught them. I want to highlight three different players who have taught me different things throughout the season, and will hopefully give you insight as to why I simply love coaching them…

#20
When I think of this player there are two obvious things that come to my mind right away; selflessness and persistence. Coming into the season everyone was thinking, including the coaches, she would play as a forward again this year, which is where she played last year. After a few days of practice, though, we decided it would benefit the team more if she played sweeper, the last man back on defense. She went from the spotlight of forward, to the sometimes forgotten position of defense. And she did it without complaining, she did it without flinching, she did it trusting in her coaches, and believing it was best for the team, which is what she was most concerned about. In today’s sports society I find it unique when a player chooses to elevate the team above the individual player. But this is what she did, and I was thankful, and encouraged by her attitude and actions.
Additionally I continually saw a heart of persistence within her, though not necessarily on the soccer field. She was persistent in that she never wanted anyone to feel out of place, lonely, or not a part of the team. She went out of her way to include those who might have been easily forgotten in the shadow of others. Her persistence meant that nobody was alone, and everyone felt like they had at least one friend on the team. I feel as though far too often I blind myself to those around me who are in need of a kind word, a listening ear, or a high five. Throughout the year I saw her consistently pursue others, which has left a lasting mark on me.

#9
Trust.
I love the movie Gladiator. At one point in the movie, one of the characters poses the question, “Have you forgotten what it was like to trust in someone?” Trust is such a valuable thing. To trust yourself and to trust other people. I don’t think it always comes easy for me, and I imagine I am not alone. This player has redefined my definition of trust. She is an all around athlete, yet has more experience playing basketball than soccer. During many practices, and games, she would come to me and ask, “Am I doing this right? What should I be doing better? How can I be more effective? Do you have any tips for me?’ She would ask these questions, listen to my answer, and trust that what I was saying was right, and then go out and do it.
I don’t claim to know everything about soccer, so sometimes I don’t know that I trust what I am telling players. But she would listen to what I said, trust that I had the team’s best interest at heart, and her best interest, and then attempt to go out and accomplish what I told her. It was encouraging and challenging to see someone exhibit such trust in another person.
Prior to each game I would write a note to each of my captains. I would give some advice, an encouraging word, maybe a joke, and I would always try to finish the note with a question for them to ponder. One week I asked her what I would consider a simple question, yet a very important question, “Are you having fun playing?” While I am very competitive, I want to make sure my players enjoy playing. The next game, during warm-ups she came up to me and said, “In response to your note, of course I’m having fun!” She went out and scored three goals that game. I know I definitely had fun watching her play.

#16
About a week before the season began she gave me a scare and let me know she wasn’t sure if she was going to play or not. I panicked! That night I sat down and wrote out 15 different reasons why she should play, and did my best to convince her to play, which she thankfully decided to do (not sure if my words were helpful or not).
I haven’t coached any other player that has the combination of; skill, desire, energy, attitude, and joy that she has. Simply put, when she is on the field and when you are coaching her, she makes it fun. She has a positive attitude, great energy, and a willingness to be coached, and to learn. She wants to get better, she wants to do better, and she wants to have fun doing it. She has fun playing, and she makes coaching her fun as well. This year has especially been fun to coach her, because for probably the first time, I felt as though I knew her just as well as a person as I did a player. With that I felt comfortable telling her things about the team, that some coaches might not tell players. I didn’t openly criticize other players, but I felt comfortable enough to tell her the truth about our situation. At the same time I felt as though there was enough of a friendship that I could challenge her, I could give her things to work on, and she would receive them openly. I tried to push her and build her as a player. I have told her that I wanted to coach her in a way that makes her a better player today, and a better player for our team now, but also so that she is a better play in the future, but most importantly a better person.

Our last regular season game I saw her play her best game to that point. After the game I told her she had a fire I hadn’t consistently seen. She responded by saying, “I was upset about something and felt like I was playing with a chip on my shoulder.” She then proceeded to ask, “is it okay for me to play like that?” I started to laugh, and pleaded with her to play like that all the time. She was by no means dirty, by no means rude, by no means a nasty player. She was a player that would not give up on any ball. She would not wimp out of any challenge. She was confident, and determined. It was great to watch!
At tournament I saw her step up in a leadership role that was much needed. She was encouraging the team on and off the field. Picking up the players when they were discouraged, hyping them up when they were tired.

As I hope you can tell by my words, this team is amazing. They did extremely well on the field, but their character is even more impressive. I taught them a little, and they taught me a lot.
I am sad the season is over. My heart is still a bit heavy. I was crushed when we lost because as a competitor I wanted to win, but I was more saddened that my time with these players was over. Many of them will graduate, including the three I have highlighted. They are so special to me. I am thankful that over the course of these two seasons I had the opportunity to coach individuals who were not merely players, but friends.

Ps.
I had hoped to upload a video with this post, but I haven't been able to do it yet, so please scroll enjoy the pictures until I am able to put up the video, which will hopefully happen over the weekend.

Hooky

2011-05-13T17:10:00.000-04:00

Sunny day? Check. Two inflated inner tubes and one semi-inflated inner tube? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Ten foot long windsurf board, that was used as a bobsled last weekend, and for today turned into a raft? Check. Chilly water, with a pretty strong current? Check and check. Three dudes who have a greater sense of adventure, than common sense? Absolutely. When you put all of those things together, you get a great afternoon!
Today, I was granted the opportunity to let two of my guys play hooky, and I believe we took full advantage of it, by going down to the Rhine river and having fun. The two of them had a grand plan, and there was not much that was going to stop them.
In the morning they woke up for breakfast, but then went back to bed for another hour. After waking up again, we sat down and watched an episode of the tv show NCIS, a show the three of us have come to really enjoy. Following that it was time for lunch (these guys LOVE to eat) and then head out for the afternoon. I admit, they did a very good job of planning most of the day - but forgot small little details along the way. For instance, small detail worth figuring out: directions! We had gathered all the materials, jumped in the van and headed down the road. With windows rolled down and music blaring, I leaned over and asked; "Do you have any preferences as to what part of the Rhine we go to?" My question was met with blank stares. So I rephrased the question, "Do you have any idea on how to get to the Rhine?" This time I was greeted with stares that seemed to be saying, "That's what you're here for!" Though I consider myself directionally challenged I thankfully know how to get to the Rhine.
We showed up and instantly received some bizarre looks from the locals. The supplies we were carrying, as well as the board shorts covered in Hawaiian print stood out form the normal European beach fashion. We stumbled over the rocks and set up camp alongside the river. We assembled our surfboard and hoped it would carry us down the river. We soon found out that balance became an issue - we tried one person standing, with two sitting. One person paddling on the left, and one on the right. All the while they were trying to stay dry, while I was subtly trying to tip them into the water. The current would tip us left, which forced us to lean right, yet three guys shifting their weight in one direction, at a fast speed, meant overcompensation, and instant doom. Eventually we got the hang of it and were able to peacefully float about a half mile down the river until we paddled to dry land, disembarked, walked back to our starting point, only to do it again!
After a few runs the raft/surfboard didn't prove to be quite as challenging, plus the inner tubes looked lonely. So we ditched the board, picked up the tubs and headed up river. The current isn't extremely strong, but it is strong enough that if you simply try to tread water, you are going to be carried away. With some rocks visibly peaking through the water, and others lurking noticeably below, we didn't see danger, we simply saw obstacles to avoid, and adventurous terrain to be conquered. There were certainly a few bumps and bruises along the way, followed by stretches of an inner tube floating one direction, and its' passenger five feet behind going a different direction. The tubes definitely proved to be entertaining and enjoyable. A few runs with the tubes, then it was time to relax and enjoy the sun.
So we sat down on our surfboard and kept ourselves entertained with a plethora of rocks at our disposal. At first it started as a rock-skipping competition. Then we realized that you could bounce a small rock off of a larger, stationary rock, and have it ricochet back at you...or...at the person sitting next to you. After a few direct hits, it was time for one last run on the inner tubes before heading back to town.

Later in the evening, at dinner, we all sat together and began complaining about random nicks we had accumulated during the day. Different bumps that had arisen that we were initially unaware of. Yet with each bruise that surfaces, with each cut from a rock, we all seemed to smile, and laugh from a day well spent.
No school? Check. Bruises and aches? Check. Memories that will not soon be forgotten? Absolutely.

A special place

2011-05-05T17:59:00.001-04:00

Tonight I want to write a post about my friend Joel. He has no idea I plan on writing about him, and won’t see it until I email him the finished, published copy. Even without his permission I thought it would be appropriate to write in this fashion tonight.
I have told many people that Joel is the person behind my coming to BFA, and I truly believe he is. He was a student here for three years, but our story starts when we landed on the same hall in college. I instantly appreciated his world-wide awareness, and adventures in places I had never heard of, nor could I correctly pronounce. Additionally, he found it entertaining to blurt out random Turkish phrases - which I never understood, but always enjoyed. Not to mention, he had a kettle in his room that was perfect for heating up apple cider on a brisk fall night! As our friendship grew and deepened, I shared with him my passions, dreams, and goals. After doing this one night he looked me straight in the eye and said, “You have to go to BFA and be an RA. You would absolutely love it!” Having never heard of the school, let alone the concept of a boarding school designed to serve MK’s his advice went in one ear and out the other. Thankfully Joel is a stubborn guy, who is not willing to give up on anyone, or anything. From that conversation on it seemed as though he always found a way to put a bug in my ear about coming to BFA. Honestly, I am extremely thankful he bugged me so much. Thoughts along this line pounded my heart the other day in two very different circumstances; one of joy and one of sadness.

A few days ago our school held our annual Staff Appreciation Dinner. It is an evening where the entire school staff gets together for an evening, of fellowship, food, and good-byes. This community is one filled with transient people. I do not know the exact numbers, but I imagine at least one third of our staff turns over after every school year, if not more. Therefore having a night where we as a body can recognize and show appreciation to those departing, is necessary. This year the sadness of good-byes proved to be quite difficult. The reality sank in as I watched two couples walk across the stage to receive their ‘years of service’ recognition. Both were present at my mission’s orientation in Canada, three years ago, where the journey for all of us began. Of the 30 of us that attended orientation, sixteen are currently in their third year, and only ten will still be here next year. As I watched them on stage two things struck me.
First, I have so much love, care, and respect for the individuals that make up this community, and this school. As I witnessed the evening, I was reminded of how many quality people are here. The love they have for God, for their work, for their students is incredible. The talents they posses, the way they conduct themselves, is phenomenal. I felt blessed simply by being in the same room as them. I felt as though I was being sharpened and encouraged by sitting at the dinner table with them and engaging them in conversation.
Secondly, I was overcome with a sense of unity with them. I met one couple at the orientation, and they were newlyweds. Three years later, and they have a newborn child. I met two people at orientation, one single guy, and one single girl. This summer they will celebrate their one year wedding anniversary. Over my time here, I have walked through life with these people. We have all had our bumps and bruises. Challenges and victories. Yet we went through them together. It is difficult to explain, but let me assure you it is a special thing. This is a special place. These are special people.

That is the sadness I experienced that day, as I saw a chapter close on relationships. The joy I experienced occurred over a span of one hour, during which I had the privilege of sitting down face to face once again with Joel. It had been three full years since I last saw Joel, though we have kept in touch via email and skype. He was making his way through Germany and had about 36 hours at BFA. With his large list of people to see, and my insanely busy schedule I was thankful we found time to reconnect. Joel is the first person from college to come to Germany and visit me - and I think he was the perfect one to do it. He understands. He didn’t need any explanation. He knows.
The first time I saw him I was on the field coaching- so I ran over and had a blast bragging about my players. I enjoyed saying to him, ‘watch her she can really trap the ball’ or “watch her shot, I haven’t seen a goalie yet who can block it when she really connects.’ Later while we were talking I got to watch some of my guys walk by and tell him funny stories from the dorm. Stories that reminded him of his years in the dorm.
Of course, we also spent time going through our list of ‘remember when…’ “Remember when we used to go to the cafeteria on Friday nights…” “Remember when I tried to get you a date…”
Spending time with him, even for a quick hour, brought great joy and refreshment to my heart. It was amazing for me to have a friend to share all of this with. To sit beside them as they watch me do what I have been doing for the past three years. For a brief hour I got to share this place that I love, not through a blog, not through a picture, but through face to face talking, and him witnessing first hand. (If you have ever desired to come to Germany, there are still a few weeks left in the school year! It’s not too late to make it out. I would love to show you this place that means so much to me.)
But my heart was also overwhelmed with happiness because I knew that he understood. I knew that I did not have to use a lot of words, he simply got it. While I do not want this school year to finish, deep down I am looking forward to being home for a bit and being with family and friends who understand. Those individuals who don’t need to hear the background story, because they are that background. Those special people who don’t need to ask how a scar appeared there, because they witnessed it happen. As great as a place as this has been, it has been challenging for me socially.
Then again, I simply smile, because I know that this is a special place, unlike anywhere else. Daily I am blessed to interact with the greatest students in the world, and some of the greatest staff in the world. This is a special place.

Thank you Joel for putting the BFA bug in my ear. Thank you for encouraging me to fill out the applications, and to pursue the RA position. Your love, encouragement, and support in the past three years has been a blessing. Thanks for coming to visit, it was great to see you again. Boo-yah-kah-shah. You’re a stud.

2011-05-01T10:35:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in the post below, there is a video that has been created for the trip to Moldova. My friend, Brabdon, did a great job in making the video and upon watching you will get a better idea of where we were, and what we did. You can read the post below, and then watch the video and it will hopefully all make sense!
Enjoy!

2011-04-28T08:27:00.006-04:00

I want to start by stating that in a few days there will be a video/slide show completed of the trip to Moldova. I thought about waiting until that is finished to post, so that I could include it, but I realize I have not put up a post in two weeks, so I thought it best to write again today. Please check back over the weekend, or early next week for another post that has more about our trip to Moldova.

This is a picture of our team on the final day. We look tired, cold, wet, muddy, thrilled. Those are the adjectives I would use to describe the trip.
There were 15 students and four leaders that traveled to Moldova for a week long mission trip. While there our purpose was two fold; build a mini-golf course, and run a VBS for the local kids.

Mini-golf course
Some may scratch their head and say, why a mini-golf course? To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how that idea came about, but that is absolutely fine with me. We partnered with a local Baptist Church in a small village of about 3,000 people. The church has about 100 members (random side note: on Sunday I delivered the message at Church), and seeks to be a light within the village. They have created a building called the "communitas" which roughly translates to 'community center.' Within the center the locals have access to high-speed internet. In much of the world internet access is common, and accessible from anywhere, including your phone. In Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Europe, owning a computer, let alone having internet access is a luxury and not the norm, but the rare exception. So the communitas was built and operates with the hope to draw the outside in. Within the building individuals seek to establish relationships, witness, and exhibit a life centered around Christ.
The mini golf course is situated right next to the communitas building. When the course is completely finished (the cement has to dry for 30 days before they can lay the turf) it will also be used to draw the community in. It will be a drug and alcohol free compound, with the hope that families will come and spend time together. I get excited envisioning Moldovan families, high schoolers, and kids, laughing and enjoying a relaxing game of mini-golf.
Here you can see what the course looked like on day one:

Then this is a picture of one of the nine holes we created.

Through our time there we built 9 holes for the mini-golf course. It is amazing to see the 'course' on day one, and then see all 9 holes dug, stoned, cemented. We had roughly 20 people, some shovels, buckets, one functional wheelbarrow (and one wheelbarrow that had a wheel that wouldn't rotate), and a few rakes. Every morning, for five days, we spent at least four hours in the rain, sleet, hail, mud, wind; digging, gathering rocks, carrying buckets of dirt, buckets of cement. I won't lie, it was a messy job. It was cold. Yet our team had a phenomenal attitude. I was thoroughly impressed with the work ethic, but even more so, the attitude while working. The students jumped right in and got the job done. We had our groups of people who would sing random songs to provide entertainment. A different group played the "ABC" game, coming up with multitudes of categories.
One of my favorite days/scenes occurred on Thursday. Bodies were tired, the weather was cold and horrible. All the holes were dug, we simply needed to pour in the cement. So we set up a "fire brigade" and for four hours passed buckets of cement up and down the line filling each hole one by one. It was an incredible picture of unity and teamwork. Not only that, but it was quite entertaining coming up with different ways to yell out "full bucket" or "empty bucket" when passing to the person next to you. I really enjoyed this time as I got to talk with specific students for an extended period of time. They answered my questions and entertained me with stories while working.

Following our morning work at the golf course we were blessed with a traditional Moldovan lunch. Each day the food was different, and I can't remember what I ate...probably because at the time I didn't really know what it was. But it was good, and that's all that mattered!
VBS
After stuffing our faces we were overrun by little kids! They would come through the gates ready to play games, run around, and listen to a message. There was a definite language barrier, but we thankfully had translators - and of course used actions often. Here is perhaps the coolest stat of the week: on day one we had 30 kids show up. We challenged them to bring a friend the next day, and sure enough, the next day we had 60 kids! So we once again encouraged them to bring another friend, and after day three we had 70. That night the leaders challenged the students to pray that we would have 75 kids the following day. It would be the last day, and we wanted as many kids to come as possible. The total for our final day: 90. From the first, to last day, we had tripled in size!
Here you can see some two of our students acting as 'sharks' for the game, 'sharks and minnows' one of the greatest kids ever listening to instructions, BFA students playing "Blob tag" with the kids.

Overall it was a very positive and rewarding trip. I walked away impressed with our students and the way they worked and interacted with the kids. I was challenged as I walked through a country of poverty. Each night we gathered as a team to process through the day, and to participate in what we as leaders called, 'forced family fun (FFF).' Surprisingly the students were always asking if we could have "FFF" They were times of sharing, growth, and laughter. Every night without fail, we had hurting stomachs from laughing so much. I feel as though I got to know a different group of students in a deeper way, which is awesome.

Thank you for your prayers for our team as we traveled and served on the trip. Please pray for the church as they will soon launch the grand opening of the mini-golf course. Please pray for the little kids we interacted with, that they would remember what we said, and why we came.
Check back in a few days for a video!
Thanks again for keeping up to date with me via my blog.

Marathon

2011-04-08T13:52:00.006-04:00

It’s over. It’s done. I finished.
This past Sunday I completed my third marathon. Upon hearing this, people have approached me with one of two responses, either they ask, “How far was this marathon?” or they ask, “Why would you do that to yourself?” To set the record straight, a marathon is a standard distance of 26.2 miles. Regardless of what country/city you run in, you are going to run 26.2 miles (which is equivalent to 42km). Why do I want to run that far? Simple answer: I love running. I love the feeling, I love the challenge, I love the thrill. I also love the way in which a run parallels life. The ups, the downs, the joys, the struggles. The emotions you experience throughout life, you will come across while running.
Even though this past Sunday I ran my slowest marathon time in three attempts, I know that this race will stand out as one of the best ever. It sounds odd that my worst time would stand out as the best race, and trust me, I was not saying this a few days ago - but I have come to realize that my race this past weekend was a physical representation of my life during the last month. The community. The joys. The challenges. The perseverance. The encouragement. The friends. The triumph.

The community.
The marathon was in the city of Freiburg which is about a 45 minute drive from campus. On the morning of the race there were four separate cars that made the drive, packed with my friends and family. Riding along with me was my close friend, Jim, who has himself, completed a handful of marathons. He referred to himself as my “pit crew” and made sure I was physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared for the race. While driving we were reminiscing about past races, future dreams, and the like. We talked about the different emotions that were swirling around. A different passenger asked me, “how are you feeling?” To which I responded, “Anxious, nervous, scared, excited, ready, overwhelmed, happy” and Jim just laughed and said to me, ‘Boy you are ready to run!”
I was blessed in such a great way by those who came. It was humbling and encouraging to know that they had come to watch me race. They also provided me with a lot of entertainment, as many had never witnessed a race before. Amy (aka Scrappy Doo) is one of my soccer players who came along, and she was fascinated and thrilled to learn so much about the sport of running. She was asking questions left and right wanting to figure anything and everything out. Sometimes I think she got a little startled when she found out about some of the precautionary methods runners take.
Within all this, there was one moment that perfectly depicted the word community. We were walking towards the starting line and there were ten people walking with me. Unintentionally I found myself walking in the center with everyone in a little circle around me. I felt as though I was a world champion boxer headed to the ring with an entourage around me. Jim was there with his arm around me making sure I was loose. Lynn was ahead of me scouting out the course trying to find the best spots to be. Scrappy had her eyes peeled commenting on any and every runner, lightening the mood with her incredible humor. There I was surrounded. Surrounded by people who love me. Surrounded by people who were supporting me, surrounded by people who were there to cheer me on.
This is a part of my 'pit-crew' taken before the race started. All the girls came in one van, and the guys came in a separate van. Lynn is on my right with map in hand, Amy is on my immediate left, and Jim on my far right.

The Joys.
There is something incredible about being in the pre-race atmosphere. Everywhere you look people are putting on bibs, warming up, guzzling water, talking strategy (well… talking German, so we didn’t know exactly what they were saying.) There is an overwhelming sense of anxiousness as people are continually looking at the clock wanting to perfectly time their last bathroom run, or their last mouthful of banana. There is a buzz of excitement in the air knowing that soon all the training, all the preparation will be tested. There is a bit of celebration for making it this far, but not too much celebrating, for the ultimate challenge still looms. There is nothing like the atmosphere before a race.
My pit crew spotted me within the first quarter mile of the race and snagged a great picture!

The challenges.
It has been my experience that when you run a marathon you pick a race and hope that all the stars magically align around your date and everything goes as smooth as possible. That may happen for some, but this time around it definitely did not happen for me.
The month leading up to the marathon proved to be extremely challenging. It was a time in which life was difficult. A time of emotional, spiritual, and mental stress and difficulty. A time where tears far outweighed laughter. A month where my heart was downcast to the point my whole body felt tired, heavy, and weak. My body was physically present in one place yet my mind and heart were a thousand miles away. This caused restlessness while sleeping, difficulty concentrating. It was a challenge.
The day of the race proved to be no different. In fact, it started twenty-four hours before the race began. We had soccer games on Saturday and the weather was gorgeous - not a cloud in the sky. It was beautiful for so many people, yet I could feel the sun beating down on me, slowly draining my energy. The morning of the race was no different. It was sunny and hot. In fact I have heard that this past Saturday and Sunday were the hottest days ever recorded in Germany for this time of the year. In the fifteen minutes it took me to walk from my entourage to the starting line, my mouth had gone completely dry. The race hadn’t even started and I already felt thirsty, tired, and sluggish. I hoped it was merely adrenaline leaving my body, but sadly I knew it was the sun depleting me of my strength and energy.

The perseverance.
By mile 7 I was feeling more tired than I wanted. By mile 12 I felt as though I was starting to fall off pace. By mile 14 my body was starting to shut down. By miles 16 and 17, the cramps arrived, and my body was revolting against what my mind was telling it to do. First went my left calf, in trying to stretch that my left hamstring would tighten up - quickly shifting my weight to stretch that would cause my right calf to tighten, and so on. Despite the pain, despite the embarrassment, despite my frustration I was determined to persevere and keep going. There were honestly times where I thought I wanted to stop, call it a day, and start walking home. Yet deep down I knew I couldn’t do that. I knew that in the same way I needed to physically persevere through the race, I needed to persevere through life. Regardless of the difficulty I had faced in the previous weeks, I needed to keep fighting, and refuse to quit.
At one point I turned a corner as tears started to mount up in my eyes. Then out of nowhere I saw Jim running towards me, and my entourage 200 meters down the road.

The Encouragement.
Jim is an eternal optimist. I have never heard a discouraging word come out of his mouth. Despite my obvious pain, and struggle he pumped my mind and heart with positive thoughts. He put his arm around me, told me how great I was doing, how proud of me he was, how much fun he was having watching me, and told me to keep going. I looked at him and said, “Jim I just want to quit.” He looked back at me, with a little grin and said, “I know you do. But you’re not going to.” He walked with me for 100 meters pumped some water in me, and on my head, and got me going again. He told me to, “start running for your fans, and they will carry you through.” So I started jogging again, past all those who had come to support me, and kept running.
There were two guys from my dorm who came to watch. They have been my close friends for three years now, and wanted to be there for me. They gave me some high-fives, and a little grin that seemed to say, “Keep going. I’ll see you at the finish.”
There were some of my soccer players who had made signs one reading, “you can do it!” and the other, “go Tommy Boy!” Some knew of my recent challenges and was there to cheer me on. Not only in the marathon, but the race of life.
One friend was there, who had run the Basel marathon with me last September. At that point in the race I received no words, but a look that essentially said, “I know what you’re going through. You can do it. You‘re doing great.”
One of my friends was celebrating his birthday that day, but chose to celebrate by watching me run. At one point in the race he jumped on the course and ran alongside me. I talked with him for a minute and then he dropped off. After the race I found out he went back to the rest of the group and was asked, “what did he say?” His response was, “I don’t know. A whole bunch of stuff about running. I didn’t understand any of it.”

The Friends.
These people were physically there to support me during the race, but they have been alongside me for the past month encouraging me, helping me, listening to me, processing with me. It was more than just a race, it was a celebration. It was a physical representation of the way in which they have been there for me in my moments of pain and struggle. I truly believe that each one was there because they care for me, and that is a really cool feeling. My friends have been monumental for me and on a day where I once again needed them, they were there full of love and encouragement.

The Triumph.
I finished. It’s over. I crossed the finish line. I did not cross in the time I wanted to, I did not run as well as I would have liked. Honestly, there was a lot of initial disappointment and frustration. But that has slowly faded away and been replaced by feelings of accomplishment, joy, and triumph. As I came near the finish line I once again saw my entourage there cheering me on, cheering for me by name. The pain in my face, the slowness of my jog did not bother them at all. They were there to see me finish regardless of how long it took me. After receiving my medal and a brief refreshment in the tent, I found all of them outside ready to congratulate me. Every one gave me a hug, despite how sweaty, smelly, and purely disgusting I was. Their words of encouragement and affirmation meant more than I will ever be able to express.
Though it sounds weird, I feel as though I can say, “thank you” and show my appreciation to my friends be reprinting the words they spoke to me.
- “Be very proud of what you did achieve today, we were really glad to be there with you and have the girls there to experience it as well. Thanks for letting us crew for you. Well done.” -J.P.
- “I know how hard you worked, I know how hard you trained, I know how hard you fought, I know how much this meant to you. I know that in all of our minds you didn't fail, but I know how you feel right now so all I can say is that I am proud of you. I'm glad I was there to see you run, to see you finish, to continue to be part of your struggle in this journey.” - S.W.
- “I wrote you an email telling you how proud I am of you, and I’m writing still, because I am proud of you… I’m glad I got to be there and witness your race no matter what you think or what you tell yourself - you did awesome Tommy.” - S.F.
- “As we said there is no reason to be discouraged. You should be rejoicing in that despite the obstacles you were still able to finish.” M.B.
- "run because you've made it and are persevering. run because you've been training so hard, run because God gave you the diligence, perseverance, a functional body, and persistence to be able to do this. don't give up, push yourself to your limits." J.K.

Update on Life

2011-03-31T14:08:00.003-04:00

There has been a lot happening over here, and I feel as though an update on all the random things going on would be a good thing to do.

Soccer:
Our season has been underway for about a month now. This year I am in the same position I was in last year, as the assistant coach for the varsity girls team. It is sufficient to say that I absolutely LOVE the position and love being a part of the team. The girls I coach are talented, energetic, entertaining, full of integrity, interesting comments, and character. We have only played two games so far this year, and are 2-0. We won our first game 4-1 and our second game 4-0. We play again this Saturday and will face our toughest competition in this game. Some of the girls are a little worried, yet I am confident. I have continually been impressed with their skill and their ability to play as a team.
Last weekend we had an away game, which included a 7 hour bus ride each way, and a night sleeping on a gym floor. I love these weekends as they provide us the opportunity to get away, and be together as a team. Friday night we played a traditional game of “Who, What, Where.” I love it. The girls feel completely comfortable to be themselves, and I end up rolling on the floor with a hurting stomach from laughing so much.
Soccer continues to be a great experience and a great opportunity for me. I am getting to know the new girls better, as well as continuing to develop previous relationships.

Our varsity guys are also 2-0. They opened their season with a thrilling 3-2 victory and then won 3-1 in their second game. I have five of my guys on the varsity team, and two on the JV team. I love being able to watch them play, and talk to them about the game in the dorm. I am not technically a coach on the sideline, yet after every game they come to me with questions about how they played, and ways they can improve.

A few pictures from our first game of the year...

Spring Break:
I don’t know where to start with this topic. Since mid-November I have had it in my mind and heart that I would help lead a team to a country in the Middle East for a mission trip. Our team was small, which allowed for us to begin bonding early, and start to unify as a team. When the social unrest began in this region of the world, I became glued to news websites wondering if our trip was in danger of being canceled. About a month prior to our departure riots erupted in the country we were headed to and our worries began. Thankfully they soon calmed down, yet we were on alert. Unfortunately about two and a half weeks prior to our scheduled departure things began to escalate once again. With certain restrictions the government was placing on the residents, the leadership found it best to cancel the trip. This news was met with great discouragement and disappointment. It took me a few days to process the news, as my heart had been set for the students I would be traveling with, as well as the people we would minister to. I still don’t know why it all happened, but I am trusting that there are ways God is moving that are beyond my vantage point.
After hearing this news, I was left to figure out what to do for spring break. I was presented with the opportunity to go to Moldova and join a different team. I emailed a few people and honestly said to them, “can you make the decision for me. Tell me what I am doing.” I knew they couldn’t really do that, but that is what my heart wanted to have happen. After a lot of thinking and praying I have decided to join the team, and will be traveling with three other leaders, and 15 students. We are going to conduct a VBS type program for the local kids in the morning, with some physical labor on a community center in the afternoon. One night we are going to prepare a program for the local high school students, as well as a service for the local church.
It has honestly been a bit difficult trying to so rapidly change my mind and heart from going to the Middle East, to Moldova. From working with high school aged Muslims, to little kids. Yet with each day I am finding a renewed enthusiasm, and more peace. I have been blessed by being shown so much grace and patience from the fellow leaders and students. We will take off on April 9 and return to Germany on April 16.

Next Year:
I continue to move forward with my plans for next year, which is an exciting thing. I have lined up an apartment, and things seem to be falling into place. I know that I will greatly miss the dorm, but I am excited about the new role and the new opportunities it will open up. I have already had multiple students inquire as to whether or not they will be able to come over, hang out, cook, and watch sports. I’m starting to line up a few different groups of students who will come over on a regular basis. I am excited about opening up my apartment to them and engaging them in a different realm. I am still trying to figure out my plans for the summer, though I have told myself that I will start to think about that more in depth after spring break.

Marathon:
I probably haven’t talked much about this - other than a few random side notes and comments here and there. But this coming Sunday (April 3) I will be running my third marathon. The race is in Freiburg, Germany, which is a city about 45 minutes away. I have been training hard since Christmas (I actually went on my first official ‘training run’ on Christmas Eve) and am excited to hit the road. It has been a long spell of training, and there have been bumps along the way that have made training quite difficult. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to the race, if nothing else, just to get it over with. Growing up my mom made the BEST oreo cake dessert, and I am planning on making that Sunday night, as a reward for finishing. Funny thing is, you cannot buy Oreos over here (or at least at a reasonable price) so for the whole semester I have had people ship them to me, or bring them in a suitcase. This dessert has taken as much effort and coordination as my training has! Come Sunday night it will be so worth it.

Thanks for keeping up on the blog. I hope you enjoyed a brief update on a multitude of different things going on here.
As always I feel blessed to be here, I am excited to be here, and I am thankful for your love and support. I couldn’t do what I do without you.
Thanks.
Tommy

3.19.04

2011-03-19T19:39:00.003-04:00

I just spent an hour or so talking with one of my guys about things he is dealing with. At one point while he was talking he said to me, "The person I miss most back home is my little sister." Instantly a huge smile covered my face, joy bounced in my heart, and a tear fell from my eye as I looked at him and confidently said, "I know exactly what you are talking about. Me too!"
There is nobody I miss more than my sister. She is the most amazing person there is, plain and simple. Today more than any other day I wish I could be there to give her a big hug, tell her I love her, and hang out with her. I know that can't happen, and it hurts my heart.
In a similar fashion to what I did for my dad a few days ago, today I went through my journals to take a few snip-its from notes I have written Whitney...
God has blessed me with the greatest sister in the world. I do not know how I can accurately express how much you mean to me and the happiness you bring to my life. You are beautiful, funny, smart, out going, and down right amazing. I love coming in to Pop's and watching you work. Regardless of how stressful things may be, you always pause to point out your family and say to everyone who is in ear shot, "That's my brother, isn't he so cute?" Haha, I remember when you did that to some old man this past summer, and he looked at me as if to say, "she's crazy" to which I responded, "Yeah. She's pretty rad." Of course, he was completely lost yet we knew exactly what was going on. I love your imagination and the way you can create something out of nothing. I thoroughly enjoy when we get going in a conversation that would make absolutely no sense to everyone else, yet you and I carry on knowing exactly what's taking place. Your spunky attitude and bubbly personality is contagious and affects those around you. You have such an amazing way of getting people to laugh and allowing everyone to feel comfortable. Sometimes you do this by telling everyone a story. However, sometimes your stories fail to include a plot, climax, and conclusion. But that's okay, they are still priceless.

To me, Whitney is a role model of strength, character and perseverance. Her strength and determination day in and day out provides me with energy and purpose. She has been called to run a difficult race, but her character does not allow for her to quit, which bolsters my faith. She has chosen to not give up rather to persevere, which provides me with hope. Her strength, gives me energy. Her character, faith. Her perseverance, hope.
Whitney makes me happy. Plain and simple. Hearing her voice and reading her e-mails instantly brightens my day. Hearing her moo like a cow can instantly place me in a better mood. In fact, I have my Ipod programmed to make a cow noise when I receive a text message, because it makes me think of Whitney, and puts a smile on my face. Whit - there have been numerous times where my Ipod is in my pocket and it starts to moo, and I get a bizarre look from those around me. I simply smile and say, "that's my little sister!"
Of course, you are no longer 'little.' You have grown into such a beautiful young woman. I am so proud of everything you have accomplished and overcame these past seven years. We all know it wasn't easy, but we know how much strength you have. We know that the next seven years do not promise to be any easier - yet we know you will not give up. You have done amazing things, and you will continue to do so. Your smile, your laughter, your jokes, are a blessing to so many. You are my sister, and I am so thankful for that. You are my sister, and I am so blessed by that. You are my sister and I am so encouraged by that. You are my sister, and I love you. You are my sister and I miss you. You are my sister and no matter what, I will always love you. You are my chicken-little, and I am so excited by that.

I hope you have a great day today. Here is a ginormous hug from Germany, back to you.
I love you.

One journal to the next...

2011-03-17T18:08:00.006-04:00

In a sense, posting blogs on a weekly basis is a way for me to journal about my experiences here in Germany. Every so often I find it important and helpful to include a few things from my personal journals on the blog, and this week is certainly one of those instances. Scattered amongst this blog are quotes from my journals. Whenever I start penning a new journal, I write each member of my immediate family a love letter. They haven't read the letters, but I hope they know the words I've written by my actions. Today I want to share a few snip-its from a few of those letters.

Today is a great day. Sure, many celebrate St. Patrick's Day today, I however, find it more entertaining and fulfilling to celebrate my dad's birthday. Knowing I could not be in the presence of my dad to celebrate with him, earlier in the week I smugly asked him if he would like for me to send him flowers, his response was that he would rather I send him love. So, from half a world away, Dad, right now I want to send you my love.
You have no idea how much I look up to you and how blessed I am to have you as my dad. There are so many things about you I admire, a multitude of things I hope people one day say about me. You have always been there for me, regardless of what I have done. You have never stopped showing me love, support, and continually shower me with wisdom, affirmation and encouragement.
I remember growing up looking up to you and always wanting to be around you (though I am older, this hasn't changed). The way you took me to Brewers' games, Lambeau field, and many other places and events was amazing. I love how we can get together and witness an event or see something and then say, "Remember when we did ____ that was pretty cool!" There are so many cool memories and experiences we have shared. Haha, remember trying to get Philip and I to Milwaukee County Stadium to see Robin Yount get his 3,000th hit?
One of the other important things you have taught me is to have goals and a vision for where I am going. Though I probably disliked it at the time, I vividly remember you sitting me down to write out my goals to ensure I am going through life with a focus and purpose. Whether it was in regards to; academics, athletics, employment, relationships, spiritual life, you sat me down and made sure I had a vision of which direction I wanted to head. These would then serve as checkpoints along the way, to ensure I was on the path I wanted to be on. That is something I still do to this day, and don't ever see myself stopping. In fact, with our BFA soccer season getting underway, just the other day I sat down and typed out my goals for our soccer team this year!

It would be impossible for me to write and neglect to mention your humor. As soon as I type that, I can hear mom saying, "oh brother. Tommy, don't encourage him!" And you responding, "what? I'm funny!" Enjoy this for a moment, but don't let it go to your head, you are funny. Your humor is very much appreciated and has always helped our family through difficult times. Through our trials your humor kept everyone in a good mood and kept everyone at peace. There have been some scary moments for us, yet you used your humor to relieve us of stress and worry.
Most recently I have been very grateful for your wisdom. I am very blessed to know that I can ask you questions and get your opinion on any topic. Whether it be while we are golfing, or via skype, you listen to my questions and pass on your wisdom to me. Commonly your advice is spread over a few words, though minimal, they are powerful. Knowing my current circumstances I have found myself repeating advice you gave me a few times before, "Take a deep breath. Relax. Smile. Have fun."
This afternoon I was driving a few students back to the dorm and I was listening to country music. I asked if they enjoyed country music and the response was, "Ugh! No! My dad listens to country and it drives me nuts!" I couldn't help but share how when Philip, Whitney and I were all young, we would say the same thing. You wanted to listen to country, we wanted anything BUT country. As I type this blog, I'm listening to a little Travis Tritt. Hey, remember that time we saw him in concert? Pretty cool, huh?
I don't know how to best affirm your ability to raise me and guide me to the man I have become. you have been a hero, a fan, a man, and a father. I am eternally grateful for the parents I have been blessed with. I love you and I thank you for all you have done. I apologize I do not have the words to completely tell you how much I love you and how much you have been there for me.
Happy Birthday dad.
I love you.

His Story

2011-03-11T03:34:00.003-05:00

The other day I was off on a run and my mind started to wander. I love studying history. It fascinates me. The world's second war - even with all the tragedies intrigues me. Amongst the ugliness of those years were some great individuals, such as Winston Churchill who aroused a nation, refused to give up and strove to live each moment as their finest hour. Since then, stories have been written and biographies have been created, all coming together to tell history and his story.

This caused me to think, in the future what will be written about my story? In one of the opening scenes of the movie, "Gladiator" we find the Emperor aware the final page of his life will soon be penned as he states, "I am dying Maximus, when a man sees his end he wants to know there was some purpose to his life. How will the world speak my name in the years to come? Will I be known as the philosopher? The warrior? The tyrant?" Though I do not know when my final breath will be - I know that how I live today will impact what is one day written about my life.
Winston Churchill grew up with the belief that he was destined for greatness. I believe that I can identify with Sir Churchill, as I too believe I am destined for greatness. I do not know where this charisma originated from for Winston. However I know that my aura is founded in Jesus Christ. Some may deem a belief in greatness as arrogance, pride, haughtiness. Yet I recognize, and believe that the only Son of God came to earth to save me from my sins. He who was without sin, came to take the place of one who is full of sin. The greatest of all, became least of all so that the price could be paid. These facts provide me with the confidence I need to believe in what I can accomplish.
World War Two provided Churchill the platform that catapulted him into a world wide household name. I am no where near being a household name. I am still waiting for that platform to present itself. While I wait, because I cannot control when that will happen, or even if that will happen - I have a desire. I crave to ensure that every house I am in, every house that does recognize my name, is left with no other choice but to acknowledge that I am a follower of Christ. May the story of my life, tell His story.
I may never have a biography penned in my honor. I may never give a rousing speech that ignites a fire and passion into the hearts of a nation. Yet, every day I am given the opportunity to live a life that preaches His story. My desire is that my history will be His story.

Quote

2011-03-03T11:09:00.002-05:00

Right now I don't feel as though I have any words to offer, so I am deferring to my favorite author, Max Lucado. I read these words in one of his books over the weekend, they hit my heart and caused me to pause and think. So I share them hoping they do the same for you.

Do me a favor. Pause for a moment and think about the people who make up your world. Take a stroll through the gallery of faces that are significant to you. Mentally flip through the scrapbook of snapshots featuring those you deal with often.
Can you see their faces? Your spouse. Your best friend. Your golf buddies. Your friends at PTA. Your kids. Your aunt across the country. Your neighbor across the street. The receptionist at work. The new secretary in the next office.
Freeze-frame those mental images for a moment while I tell you how some of them are feeling.
I went to our family doctor not long ago. I went for my first check-up since the one required for high school football seventeen years ago.
Since I was way overdue, I ordered the works. One nurse put me on a table and stuck little cold suction cups to my chest. Another nurse wrapped a heavy band around my arm and squeezed a black bulb until my arm tingled. Then they pricked my finger (which always hurts) and told me to fill up a cup (which is always awkward). Then, with all the preliminaries done, they put me in a room and told me to take off my shirt and wait on the doctor.
There is something about being poked, pushed, measured, and drained that makes you feel like a head of lettuce in the produce department. I sat on a tiny stool and stared at the wall.
May I tell you something you know, but may have forgotten? Somebody in your world feels like I felt in that office. The daily push and shove of the world has a way of leaving us worked over and worn out. Someone in your gallery of people is sitting on a cold aluminum stool of insecurity, clutching the backside of a hospital gown for fear of exposing what little pride he or she has left. And that person desperately needs a word of peace.
Someone needs for you to do for them what Dr. Jim did for me.
Jim is a small-town doctor in a big city. He still remembers names and keeps pictures of babies he delivered on his office bulletin board. And though you know he’s busy, he makes you feel you are his only patient.
After a bit of small talk and a few questions about my medical history, he put down my file and said, “Let me take off my doctor hat for a minute and talk to you as a friend.”
The chat lasted maybe five minutes. He asked me about my family, he asked me about my work load. He asked me about my stress. He told me he thought I was doing a good job at the church and that he loved to read my books.
Nothing profound, nothing probing. He went no deeper than I allowed. But I had the feeling he would have gone to the bottom of the pit with me had I needed him to.
After those few minutes, Dr. Jim went about his task of tapping my knee with his rubber hammer, staring down my throat, looking in my ear, and listening to my chest. When he was all done, as I was buttoning up my shirt, he took his doctor hat off again and reminded me not to carry the world on my shoulders. “And be sure to love your wife and hug those kids because when it all boils down to it, you’re not much without them.”
“Thanks, Jim,” I said.
And he walked out as quickly as he’d come in - a seed sower in a physician’s smock.

Definitions

2011-02-24T14:13:00.002-05:00

I'll be honest, for the past couple of days I was struggling to figure out what to blog about today. Blogging was one of those things that was in the back of my head, but because I didn't have something I knew I was going to write about, it kept annoying me. But then in a conversation with a student this morning as he was preparing to go to school, an idea popped into my head. So here we go...

Though somewhat nerdy, I am a person who really likes to look up words and know what the definition of a word is. Sometimes I feel as though I use a word but fail to truly know what it means. So I use dictionary.com more than the average person. I am lame, I know. But rather than go to dictionary.com today, I figured I would poll my students and see how they would define and/or describe certain words. During study hours I walked into different rooms and asked the guys to help me define/describe/give an example of these three words: purpose, patience, studying. I figured purpose was a serious word, while patience was somewhat serious and somewhat goofy, and studying set them up for an entertaining answer. It was an interesting exercise that I plan on doing again - I think it was good for them to be forced to come up with a definition on the spot.
I hope you find their definitions enlightening and entertaining.

Purpose:
"The reason something exists"
"The real reason you're doing something."
"I have yet to find one for my life."
"The reason behind something. It's designed intent."

Patience:
"How long you can go without punching someone"
"When your sister gets on your nerves and you don't slap her. Wait...it's how long you go before you slap her."
"Doing something consistently even with it's not very fun."
"Love"
"A Virtue!"
"Controlling your emotions."

Studying:
"What you're distracting me from doing right now."
"Looking at things you looked at before, over and over again."
"Something you do to get into a better college."
"A waste of time."
"Not beneficial."
"The way to learn more."
"A 21st century word for slave labor."

Snapshots of life

2011-02-17T14:40:00.011-05:00

Today I wanted to give you a few pictures of the things I have been talking about to help you get place some images with all my stories...

This is one of my first floor guys at our recent home wrestling match. It was a great event and our guys competed very well. It was great to have all of Sonne there cheering on our guys...

These two guys are actually both from Sonne. One rooms on the first floor, and the other on the second floor. The guys watching had a good time cheering for their floor. I was hoping for a tie - but I don't think that is possible.

A group of the first floor guys got together during study hours to study for a history test. They are quizzing each other right here, but soon grow tired of it and get off topic. That's where I step in and keep them on task!

Two weeks ago we had home basketball games, and we have home basketball games again this weekend. This year our teams are doing a great job, and are competing in every game. Tomorrow will be 'senior night' and we hope they will go out with a win.

These guys are waiting to check into the game. As you can tell, it was a close game, and very intense.

Here you see a "Sonne birthday creeking" Even though it was cold, I decided to get in on the action and help carry our guy to the creek.

and just a few random pictures that I have taken over the years that I enjoy...

Next year...

2011-02-10T16:49:00.002-05:00

Even though we are nearing the halfway point of February there is beginning to be a lot of talk here at BFA about "next year." Students start to get anxious wondering who will be returning, and the school needs to know so that they can begin to look to refill the vacant positions. I have come to a decision that I fully believe to be in God's will, and I am very excited about it.
Starting in August I will transition out of my current role, an RA, and remain at BFA and move into the academic section of the school as a guidance counselor. At this point in time it is my intention and desire to remain in this role for two academic years.
Why a guidance counselor?
There are many factors that play into this, and I would like to highlight a few of them.
- I will still have plenty of interaction with students on a daily basis. I will have an office in the school where I will have an open door policy, allowing students to come sit, hang out, and plan their academic careers. Unfortunately I may not see students as frequently as I do in the dorm, but sometimes seeing them so much can lead to familiarity without depth. I know I will be disappointed to not see the guys on a daily basis, but I believe there can be a positive twist to that.
- One way I can maintain that depth while out of the dorm, is to ensure my apartment is a place that thrives on hospitality. I am very excited to have my own place. I have been living in a dorm type situation for the past seven years. As I have mentioned, in one sense I will deeply miss it - at the same time it will be a great change of pace. I am looking forward to having students over to watch a soccer game, a football game (Go Packers!), or to play games and hang out. My apartment is going to become a 'home away from home' for many students.
- Not only will I look to keep my apartment open to students, but I envision having a strong desire to serve the Res Life staff. I would love to have RAs come over on Mondays (our day off) or invite a couple sets of dorm parents over on Thursday (their day off). I already threw around the idea with a few RAs about trying to get a Wii over the summer, and establishing a "Monday night bowling league" in my apartment.
- I also believe the guidance counselor role will provide me with some amazing experience. The more I learn about the role, the more I find myself thinking about pursuing it long term (don't hold me to that!). I am thrilled to see "the other side" of the school and learn about what else is out there.

Why do I say I will be in this role for two years?
- I imagine I will have a learning curve I will have to get over as quickly as possible. While I can learn on my feet, I would like to get grounded in my position and enjoy time functioning on a highly competent level.
- Staff members here are facing an issue of "toatlization." Long story short, after serving at the school for five years it may become necessary to relocate for at least 366 days. Believe it or not, but I close to finishing my third year in Germany, and therefore would reach the five year mark, after two more years of serving.

Where will I be, and what will I be doing this summer?
I would love to supply you with an answer, but right now I honestly don't have one. I have a few options and am trying to use wisdom and discernment in making a decision. I get asked that question fairly frequently, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to address it. I have two very close friends who are getting married this summer and I would absolutely love to attend their weddings, so that may bring me back to the States for a bit. Stay tuned, because I am not sure what will happen at this point.

Thanks for keeping updated on my blog. I honestly don't know who reads this, but I know there are people who do. Don't be a stranger, if you have questions, comments, thoughts please feel free to let me know.
Also - if you would like to receive my blog updates via email, please let me know and I can add you to my distribution list.

Tommy

You never know what you'll find...

2011-02-03T05:06:00.007-05:00

Over the past week I have received a few emails inquiring about my plans for next year. I had every intention of blogging about my plans for next year today, until an unforgettable event occurred around 10:17pm last night. Therefore I will postpone that until next week and will choose to instead tell you an entertaining story. (Plus I have been battling a nasty head cold for the past few days so an entertaining story was more appealing to me.)

First of all, let me introduce you to one of the funniest kids I have ever met, Caleb.

He is new to BFA this year, and is a sophomore living on the first floor with me. In fact, his room is right next to mine and some weekends I have had to remind him of this fact, as the walls are pretty thin and I have good ears. Caleb has spent most of his life in northern Germany in a city that was a part of what was formerly East Germany. With my love of history he and I have shared many conversations discussing the evidence still visible today left behind by the communist presence in East Germany.
Within the dorm he is energetic, spontaneous, hilarious and unpredictable. He is consistently providing entertainment for all those around him. Sometimes I think he doesn't even realize how funny he is, which seems to make it even more entertaining. He is an amazing guy. Yesterday he had a performance in his french class, so he and I spent some time over the past few days practicing and dialoging back and forth in french.
Yesterday afternoon I walked into my room after spending a few hours down at school helping at basketball practice, and while I was gone Caleb had snuck into my room and placed a few "characters" around my room. He is extremely artistic and got a hold of some silly-putty and created a few different characters to place in my room. I instantly started laughing upon seeing them, and when I called him out on it at dinner, he burst out laughing as well.
At dinner the announcement was made that the 1st floor guys needed to put down their dirty laundry, so that I could start washing/drying/sorting it all. I threw in the first load around 7:15 and was rotating everything every half hour. Around 9.45pm I was walking the halls and happened to be walking right past Caleb as my watch started beeping, indicating it was time to switch loads of laundry. Without thinking anything of it, I told Caleb what I was doing and disappeared down into the laundry room.
Roughly 30 minutes later my watched once again told me I needed to switch loads. I descended the stairs, turning on the lights as I went into the laundry room. As I started to pull clothes out of the washer, from under all the clean clothes out pops Caleb, screaming, and scaring me half to death! I was startled, lost my breath, and completely and utterly scared. Caleb simply stood there looking innocent, yet with a goofy grin, pleased that he had accomplished his goal. I don't think that I get startled easy, but Caleb downright scared me!
After catching my breath and regaining my senses I asked how long he had been there, and how he knew I would be coming down. After all, it was 10:17 and he had to be in his room, going to bed at 10:30. Apparently shortly after our brief conversation at 9:45 Caleb realized he was bored and didn't have anything to do, so he decided to go to the laundry room and see if any of his clothes were clean. In doing so, he noticed that one of the washer's timer was at 20 minutes - so he figured I would be coming down to the laundry room sometime in the next twenty minutes. SO HE HID IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM FOR TWENTY MINUTES WAITING FOR ME! I could only admire his patience and diligence to wait for such a long time for me.
By the time I had finished what I went down to do, Caleb had made his way up to the living room and joyously told those in the room of his success. Everyone seemed to get a good laugh out of it, and when I walked in the living room a little later they all asked, "Tommy, how is your laundry going?" I could only roll my eyes, look at Caleb, and start laughing.

I asked Caleb if I could retell this story on my blog, which caused his eyes to widen and a huge smile covered his face as he giggled and said, "absolutely."
Congratulations Caleb! You got me good!

A day in the life

2011-01-27T05:41:00.008-05:00

Lately some of my guys have been doing a project for one of their classes that requires them to take a closer look at their time management skills. The teacher sent them home with a sheet of paper that required them to chart what they were doing every fifteen minutes, for a full twenty four hour period. After completing the sheet they were to have an interesting catalog of how they spent their time.
Intrigued by this, I decided to do the same thing this past Tuesday. While this does not represent what every day looks like, it is a pretty accurate portrayal of a day in the life...

6:40
An alarm clock wakes me from my mighty slumber. Groggy and confused at the sound I look at the clock 6:40. I roll back over after realizing the alarm clock was not mine, but from the room across the hall. Back to sleep for a few more minutes.
6:50
Doors opening/closing, showers running, the guys are starting to wake up. I'm struggling as this is a sleep in day for me.
7:20
My first alarm goes off. My watch takes a daily beating. It is bizarre how the alarm on my watch is fairly quiet yet wakes me up every morning. I locate my watch, give it a good slap, to stop the beeping. This is my version of a "snooze" button.
7:23
My second alarm goes off. This time I need to get out of bed. I throw on some shorts, a hoody, and my slippers and make my way out to breakfast.
7:25-7:50
Being up for breakfast is not required, but it is something I enjoy doing. I enjoy sitting at the table with the guys, striking up conversation about dreams, the recent snowfall, or simply sitting in silence.
Following breakfast I walk up and down my hall to make sure my guys are waking up, getting their things together and preparing for the day. There always seems to be one guy who needs medicine, extra help studying, or a good yank of the covers to get out of bed.
7:50-8:00
This is my morning time of peace. I like to retreat to my room for a few minutes and get "caught up" on news. I typically visit espn.com and cnn.com to see what is going on in the world. One of the things I miss most about living in the States is being able to read the newspaper on a daily basis. I often feel out of the loop when it comes to current events, so this is one small way of trying to stay connected.
This morning I decided to read an article about the Green Bay Packers. I'm pretty excited they made it to the Super Bowl.
8:00-8:15
Sitting in the living room hanging out with the guys. We are all a little more awake by this point, so my jokes are appreciated a little more. Sometimes they're not. Regardless of my audience, I know I'm funny. Any last minute studying is done during this time.
8:15-8:23
The guys head out the door to catch the bus. At Sonne we as staff go outside and give the guys hugs as they walk out. It was a little chilly so I put on my winter hat that resembles a monkey, a wonderful Christmas gift from my sister. The goofy hat generates a lot of laughter and smiles from the guys. I give each guy a slightly different hug, one that evolves over time. The special hugs are similar to a 'secret handshake' you would have with a childhood friend. One of my favorite parts of the day.
8:30-10:45
Staff meeting. The dorm parents, and three RAs meet together to discuss a multitude of things. Grades, social behavior, menu planning, van runs, discipline issues are all topics on the agenda, amongst many others. Keeping a dorm of 21 students and 5 staff takes a good amount of discussion, teamwork, and planning. This weekend we have a home wrestling meet, but away basketball games, so there is extra planning that needs to happen. Additionally we are doing hot lunch for our guys, so we need to plan for that as well. I generally walk out of the meeting with my own "to do" list that I have jotted down throughout the meeting.
10:45-11:00
Quite time. I need it. I need focus, prayer, purpose.
11:00-11:40
Time to take care of the to do list I just created! Tuesday is a day I like to check the grades of the first floor guys. I check to see if there are any classes I should be worried about - any teachers I need to contact, any missing assignments I need to nag about. Unfortunately today is a busier day for me in this regard. So I spend some time emailing different teachers, and set up a few times in which I can meet with the teachers to better help the guys.
11:40-12:00
I start to prep for a meeting I have at lunchtime. It doesn't take too long, but I need to make sure I know what we're doing, seeing as how I am leading the meeting.
12:30-1:00
Meeting with the students who are going on the mission trip. I met with the other leaders for a few minutes prior to the students arrival. Today we had to gather a lot of information from the students, such as passport information, travel accommodations and email addresses. We also discussed the current outline of the trip. A lot of details are vague at this point, but we are trying to paint a picture of what it will look like. The team is pretty quiet during the meeting. I asked if this is what we should expect, they laughed and said they would be a lot more energetic and loud during the trip.
1:00-2:00
I knew I would be at school, so I arranged to meet with a student during study hall. It worked out well that I could combine this seeing as how I was already at school. This was simply a fun time of hanging out, laughing, and sharing. Keeping in touch with students from other dorms isn't always the easiest thing, so I cherish times like this. This particular time was focused on hanging out and having fun. We hadn't connected much since break so it was a good time to catch up.
2:20-3:10
Back at the dorm and on skype. I love keeping in contact with alumni and had the chance to talk with a guy who graduated last year. He is in Korea right now so the time difference made things tricky but after a few failed attempts we got a time that worked. We were together in Sonne for two years and developed a great relationship. We try to talk once or twice a month depending on our schedules. Prior to this we would talk through landlines, but he finally figured out how to get skype, so we were able to do a video chat which was really enjoyable.
3:15-3:45
Power nap. A pretty full day so far has left me a little tired. Plus, I ate lunch while on skype so now that the food has settled I am drifting and enjoying a quick cat nap.
3:45-4:15
Every Tuesday I write a note I title "RA Homework" to the first floor guys. It is a random letter, but also includes a question for the guys to answer. This week I bribe them by stating I'll make a treat for those who answer the question. The guys will be home soon, so I put this together real quick and leave it on their desks.
4:15-5:30
The first group of students come home! We have a snack prepared for them, and they typically come running in, and hover around the snack table. Today, Chris made some AMAZING guacamole. Chips, guac, and salsa proves to be quite the hit. This hour is spent hanging out with the guys. I spend some time in the kitchen watching PJ cook as he talks to me about his day. He tries to teach me to eat with chopsticks which is an entertaining sight. He is a good teacher, I am an awful student.
5:30-6:00
Run. By this time some of the guys have gone to their rooms to do homework or take a nap - so I lace up my shoes and head out for a run. I am training for another marathon so I am trying to stay on a strict regiment. Thankfully today is a shorter run so I can squeeze it in here. It's cold outside so I was whining. Running continues to be a break, a joy, a way to get away and be alone for a bit. Running also provides me with time to reflect on the quiet time I had earlier. Running is amazing. I love it.
6:00-6:20
The rest of the students are back by 6:00 and we are hanging out before dinner. Nothing too structured as dinner will be served soon.
6:20-6:45
Dinner! Tonight we have "Hawaiian chicken" Some of the guys complain, I find it delicious. Dinner conversation is always entertaining, tonight is no different.
6:45-7:05
Dinner is over and it is gratis time. Every student has a specific gratis (chore) they do on a daily basis. I have my guys that I monitor and help. Caleb vacuums the first floor so I make sure he does a good job, especially outside my room. He always seems to chuckle when I inspect his gratis.
7:05-7:20
I escape to my room for a few minutes to catch my breath. Read a few emails, check up on the latest Packers news.
7:20-7:30
There is a lot of commotion in the hall. Nothing bad, just a lot of horseplay. All the laughter brings me out of my room and I join in for a bit.
7:30-9:00
Time to stop the fun, and pull out the books. The guys are in their rooms for the next 90 minutes for study hours. I sit in the hall and make sure anyone coming in/out of rooms is studying. Kyle and Ryan sit by me from 7:30-8:30 and work on Algebra homework. The three of us work through all the problems and compare our answers. I am a little rusty on my math, but thankfully I had a good math teacher! From 8:30-9:00 Ryan and Keith sit by my side and I quiz them in German. They have a vocab test coming up and want to be prepared for it. I enjoy putting a funny accent into some of the words, which throws them for a loop.
9:00-9:15
Freshmen meeting. I pull all of the freshmen (5) into my room for a quick meeting. They all thought they were in trouble. I just needed to explain to them our video game policy. They love playing video games. If only they loved studying as much as they loved playing video games.
9:15-10:00
Late night snack and hanging out. Nothing too organized so I just float around and join in different conversations with different guys. Some guys are giving David a hard time for spending time with a female friend. I listen, and throw in some jokes here and there. Good time of laughter.
10:00-10:08
8 minute abs. Not entirely sure why, but my guys have started working out together at night. I join them, and we cram 9 guys into a hall and follow a video made in 1994 that leads us through 9 different ab workouts. I'm not sure what is more entertaining, a work-out video from the mid 90's or a group of guys grunting and complaining.
10:10-10:30
I come back to the first floor and start the wind down process. Lights out are at 10.30 so I start to get them ready for bed. By 10:20 they are in their own rooms brushing teeth, setting alarms, packing their backpacks for the next day, setting out the clothes they ironed earlier in the day. YEAH RIGHT! At 10:29 I'm still chasing guys around, checking under beds and behind doors trying to make sure everyone is where they should be.
10:30-10:45
Perhaps my favorite time of the day. I walk into each and every room on the first floor and say good-night to the guys. In some rooms I tell a bed time story, in others I pray with the guys, it all depends on the night. Tonight Caleb and Sunshine get a bedtime story. I honestly can't remember what it was about - but they were laughing and enjoyed it. Caleb will laugh at almost anything I say, which I appreciate.
10:45-11:00
After my guys are in their rooms I make one last round through the dorm. I check my schedule to make sure I got all my tasks done for the day, help lock up and head to my room.
11:00
I head to my room, ready to unwind.
11:01
I hear a knock on my door and a senior walks in. He hasn't had the greatest of days and wants to talk about it. I shut down my computer, grab a chair and chat. I talk a little, and listen a lot. I ask questions and offer insight where I feel appropriate. Through the conversation my heart hurts because of his pain and confusion. We come up with a game plan to make tomorrow a better day. I am blessed, encouraged and thankful he feels comfortable to come to my room. I pray our time has been helpful and encouraging.
12:30
After he leaves, my bed is looking very inviting. I get myself ready for bed and close my eyes. The last time I look at my clock it reads 12:36. I smile. It has been a good day. I groan. It has been a busy day. I chuckle. It has been a great day, and I get to get up tomorrow and do it all over again.

That doesn't make any sense

2011-01-20T17:42:00.005-05:00

It has taken me a little while to digest this one, and figure out exactly how to most appropriately present this in a blog.
On my international flight from the States back to Germany a few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get a seat in the exit row. I didn't realize, until on the plane that my seat was directly across from where the stewards and stewardess sit during take off and landing. It took me by surprise at first, because I am not accustomed to having somebody face me while flying. At first I didn't think anything of it, as I was hoping to sleep and fight jet lag from the very beginning. However the steward sitting across from me had an alternative agenda. Apparently my closed eyes did not tip him off to my intention of sleeping. After trying to politely dismiss myself from the conversation I was reminded of a story a fellow RA shared about her travels to the States a week prior to my flight (See The Spallinger Scoop post titled, "Thomas"). After being reminded of this I began to trust that my seat assignment was not random but rather a divine appointment. With this realization my attitude changed, as did my interest in the conversation.
It was obvious what he did for an occupation, so I couldn't ask too many questions about that. Which left the door open for him to ask me what I did, and whether I was traveling home to Germany, or traveling to Germany for vacation. Unaware of his beliefs I purposely left my answers a little vague to see whether or not he would inquire further, which he did. As he asked about the demographics of the student body I saw this as my opportunity to state what the school stands for, and where most of our students come from. Then came the kicker, he asked whether or not the school paid well - to which I responded, "well, I actually raise support to be there, and through generous donations of family and friends am in a sense paying to be there." Even though we were 6,000 feet in the air, I think his draw dropped so fast, and so far, he hit the earth.
He looked me in the eye and with disbelief said, "You work that many hours, to put up with that many teenage kids, and don't get paid to do it, and still love what you do? That doesn't make any sense!" He offered, and I think he was rather serious, to "beat some sense into me."
To be perfectly honest it was not the first time I have heard the phrase, "that doesn't make any sense" in response to my explanation of what I do. I have yet to fully wrap my head around that response, and am not capable of expressing in words the way in which it makes me feel.
I struggle to see their view point, because to me it makes perfect sense. I simply love what I do. I love where I am and the students I get to interact with. I love having two underclassmen attempt to showcase their strength by wrestling me, only to find out how close they can resemble a human pretzel. I love getting down on all fours to help PJ get to his room, after rolling his ankle. I am sure it looks silly, and sounds bizarre, but we were both laughing the entire way.
I feel encouraged and blessed because I know that I walked off the plane knowing that I was traveling back to a school, and back to a job, that makes so much sense to me, and is a place where I can thrive and thoroughly and passionately enjoy what I do.

They're back...and jet-lagged!

2011-01-14T03:39:00.003-05:00

Well we started this semester in similar fashion to the way in which we finished last semester, a lot of airport runs that were complicated by delays, cancellations and missed flights. Yet at the end of the day everyone was where they were supposed to be, and everyone was in one piece. Our first student arrived at the dorm around 10.00 am and the final students came straggling through the door shortly before 1.00 am.
The day in which the students come back is always one of my favorite days of the year. I love sitting in their rooms as they unpack, and watching the unique food, clothes, gifts they brought to the dorm that in some way represent the country they just came from. It is also really enjoyable to be able to sit and hear them tell stories of their break. It seems as though the overwhelming majority of students are actually anxious and excited to be back at the dorm. Though they readily admit they are not ready for school to start! But they are all generally excited to see their dorm brothers once again and to be in a building that has over twenty guys their age. The excitement is contagious and entertaining to watch, that is, until the jet-lag kicks in!
This year more than any other I have been fascinated by the affects of jet-lag. I personally had a few rough nights of sleep as I adjusted back to this time zone - but this semester I have seen more students than I can remember struggling with jet-lag. Part of me attributes it to them having to fall back into a routine...mainly getting to bed at a decent hour and waking up while breakfast is being served, not lunch!
This semester we had a good number of students traveling from the States, meaning they are at least six hours BEHIND if not more. But we also have students traveling from as far east as Korea/China who are at least six or seven hours AHEAD of German time.
While on break it was not uncommon for me to be asked the question, "Do you find it harder with jet-lag going to Germany, or coming back?" The fascinating thing this break is that I am witnessing students where both are represented. We have students crawling into bed at 9.00pm because their body is telling them it is 3.00am. But then his roommate cannot fall asleep until 4.00am because his body thinks it is still 9.00pm. Throughout the week I heard guys waking up around 5.30 and starting to shower and get ready for the day, because to them it was already mid-morning. But for me, and others, 5.30 was a time in which we were just starting to fall asleep!
Overall it has been very interesting and entertaining to witness. Thankfully we are at the tail end of this and it feels as though everyone is pretty much getting adjusted.

It is great to be back, and it is great to once again have a full dorm of guys. This weekend will be pretty relaxed as we settle in and fall back into our routine.

Blessings from Germany!

Headed back

2011-01-06T16:02:00.003-05:00

I am sitting in the airport (one of four I will visit) on my way back to Germany. Over the past two weeks I have been able to spend time with my family and have come to once again realize something I have always known...
I love my family. I love spending time with them. I am blessed to have them, and I will deeply miss being around them.

Just like yesterday

2010-12-30T20:47:00.002-05:00

My brief break from the dorm has been busy. It has been phenomenal and I am thankful for the many opportunities that have come my way. The list of people I desire to spend time with always seems to be longer than the hours in a day. But despite the limited amount of time I am always blessed. I always walk away encouraged and refreshed. More than anything, I love walking away with the thought, "it felt like just yesterday was the time in which we were interacting on a daily basis." Whether it is friends from high school or friends from college I have been encouraged by the way in which the friendships seem to pick up in an almost effortless style. Whether we are talking on the phone or interacting face to face, we pick up right where we left off. Words, phrases, jokes that were once a daily occurrence seem to resurface after having been on vacation for years.
Perhaps one of my favorite things has been the way in which we hit the more important topics - without much fluff in between. With some people (myself included) you have to ask multiple questions before you can get to the heart of the issue. But when you know you only have a limited amount of time, you desire to talk about what is most important. The reality of this hit home to me when I was in Portsmouth walking around with a great friend of mine. We only had about an hour - but rather than sit down and talk we did what we have done consistently for the past 10 years or so...just aimlessly wander downtown. As we were walking and talking we did not have to ask each other certain questions to prompt conversation. Rather, we offered up the information we knew the other desired to know about.
I have also been extremely encouraged by the fact that friendships have lasted despite the distance, time zone difference, and obvious changes in life. I had dinner with a friend one of my first nights back and the fact was pointed out that we met and started our friendship when we were 14 years old. The fact that we are still hanging out and staying in touch 11 years later is pretty encouraging.
With one friend, I have not physically seen him for over two years. We have kept in touch via email and skype, but have not physically been in the presence of one another for two years. Yet we hop on the phone and you would have thought we saw each other a few hours ago.

To all my friends out there - thank you for your continued presence in my life, regardless of what it may look like, or how minimal our interaction may be like. You are a blessing in my life, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be closer to you and pick up right where we left off.

Gone

2010-12-23T14:37:00.002-05:00

In the blink of an eye they are gone. Well, only if that blink is covered with a mere sleepless night, inches of snow, and long flights.
Many students will declare the Thursday night before break as the most entertaining and exciting day of the year. Why? Because they have absolutely no academics, no bedtime and no reason not to celebrate and have fun. So after the guys are packed, they are free to watch movies, play cards, play video games, hang out and just relax. While it may appear to be chaotic in the dorm, the night was actually relatively calm and pretty low key. Many students were exhausted from a full semester, and fighting the flu, so there were not too many all-night parties. Plus, we were showing movies in our basement (called "the web") and the price of admission was to bring down a blanket and a pillow. This sly trick helped the guys fall asleep during the movie.
The students came home from school on Thursday knowing they would soon be leaving the dorm. Apparently mother nature wanted to throw a little twist our way as we got close to 26 inches of snow in an 18 hour window! By 8.30 in the morning we had shoveled the driveway three separate times and the casual observer would have thought we were lazy and forgotten to bring out our shovels! I signed up for the first airport run Friday morning, which left Sonne at 2.45am. By the time Chris, my fellow-RA came out to make an airport run at 5.30 he couldn't see my footprints! At first he thought that I had slept through my alarm because he saw no clear indication that I actually left. Thankfully all the drivers were extremely careful and there were no problems on the road. Granted, everything took longer but everyone made it to the airport safely.
Getting on the planes was a different story. If you have paid any attention to the world news lately you probably saw that London Heathrow was having major issues. Any staff and students trying to transfer through London got delayed, canceled or rerouted. Unfortunately a few students were unable to make their initial flight, and came back to town for a few days, but by Monday all students were on their way out.

I am currently in New Hampshire - though anxiously awaiting going down to Florida in a few days. My brother flew up last night, so the five of us are together for the first time all year. It is wonderful and refreshing to be in the presence of my family.

Recent happenings...

2010-12-09T09:50:00.005-05:00

After Jessica gave me a 'week off' from posting, I am back at it today. A while ago I talked to Jess about writing a post, but didn't give her any direction or prodding. I was extremely touched, appreciative and thankful for her words. If you have been reading my post throughout my time here you may remember me posting last spring on several occasions about coaching the girls team, and how great of an opportunity it was. Jessica was a huge reason why I walked away from that experience having had one of the greatest soccer seasons in my life. I consider myself lucky for having been given the opportunity to rub shoulders with her.

Things here continue to move along as we are now staring down the end of the semester. The students will finish their regular classes on Monday, with end of the semester exams occurring on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with Friday being the main day for departures.

I don't feel as though I have given an update regarding some of the events that have happened over here recently, so I will look back a little, before I highlight some of what is happening in the next week.

In the last weekend of November we held our annual Christmas Banquet. It was extremely well put together, and a great evening for all the staff and students. I always enjoy the night as it is one of the few occasions where the guys dress up and actually care what they look like. While the girls dorms are apparently crazy all day, the guys dorm stays relatively calm until about 30 minutes prior to departure. At this point you hear shouts of, "I need a silver tie!" or "Does anyone have a spare pair of dress socks!" Below are some pictures from the night...

Apparently he isn't as graceful at putting on the corsage as she would prefer. Although he did score major brownie points, because he made it by hand!

Just making sure the flower is in good condition before it is delivered to his date.

A pause in the night for some fun pictures. These two are seniors, and are amongst my closest friends here. I love them dearly, and really enjoy hanging out with them.

This past weekend our basketball season officially kicked off as we hosted the first games of the season. I am helping coach the guys team at least one day a week, so I feel a bit more connected, and watch the games with a more vested interest. Our varsity guys won both Friday and Saturday, with our varsity girls winning on Friday and losing on Saturday. All in all it was a very successful weekend.

This coming Saturday the entire high school will be traveling to a larger city about 45 minutes away by train. The staff/students will meet at the train station in the morning, bombard the train, and then walk around the city for the afternoon. It has always been a fun time for students, as it gives them the chance to get out of Kandern, walk around with friends, and enjoy the culture. They are encouraged to use this day as a time to buy Christmas presents for family, but realistically speaking the money will probably end up in a cash register in Starbucks or McDonalds.

Following church on Sunday we will return to the dorm for a few hours, before returning for the Christmas concert. There will be a few Sonne guys performing, so I am highly anticipating this event.
Sunday night we are having our Sonne Christmas party. We have purchased items for a white elephant gift exchange, and the students will purchase gifts for a secret santa party as well.

As you can probably see, this is a busy, but wonderful time of the year. The students are anxiously awaiting the day they can leave. I on the other hand, am not really looking forward to it. In all honesty, I don't want the students to leave. While the students have been using advent calendars to count down to break, or Christmas, I decided to use mine to count down the days until the students come back.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today. I hope you are enjoying your holiday season.

Tommy

Jessic's blog

2010-11-28T03:05:00.003-05:00

Dear Readers,
Today you get a special blog! You get to hear from someone other then Tommy :). I am here to momentarily relieve you from his thoughts but not from him.

So who am I? My name is Jessica Krause, I am 18 years old, and a graduate from BFA. I spent 5 years there, this past year being my last. Today, I attend a small Christian university where I am playing soccer and trying to figure out what I would like to do with the rest of my life. I've known Tommy since he first arrived at BFA two and a half years ago. Granted, I didn't really know him until about a year and a half ago. He was a fellow student in my French class for a semester and my soccer coach for a year. He is a brother in Christ and a faithful friend.

Now why am I writing on his blog? For several reasons,
1. As we were discussing his blog (which I am a reader of) a couple weeks ago he threw out the idea of me writing in it sometime. My first thought was, heck no. I don't really enjoy writing. And I definitely don't think I am very eloquent in expressing my thoughts. But as I kept thinking about it, I kept being persuaded. So I told him I would consider it, but not to have any expectations. And now here I am today.
2. As it is Thanksgiving week, I have decided to take this opportunity to do something I've neglected to do. I want to express my thankfulness for who Tommy is and who he has been to me and so many others.
3. I hope that you, as the readers, perhaps as his family or friends will realize that Tommy has been impacting lives for God's Kingdom.

Dear Tommy.
Thank you for investing in my life.
Thank you for writing me a note before every soccer game.
Thank you for encouraging me to play to glorify God.
Thank you for reminding me to see the bigger picture.
Thank you for looking past the surface and going deeper.
Thank you for listening when I was struggling.
Thank you for taking the extra time to help me get better at soccer.
Thank you for investing in me even though we are oceans apart, I know it's not easy to keep in touch.
Thank you for being a Christ-like example to me.
Thank you for sharing what's going on in your life with me.
Thank you for not looking down on me because I am young.
Thank you for realizing I am more than someone seeking to be a better soccer player.
Thank you for helping me learn to be a better player on and off the field.
Thank you for respecting who I am.
Thank you for encouraging me when we've lost a game or I played bad.
Thank you for taking me to the soccer game last year, because you really didn't have to.
Thank you for showing me that you care.
Thank you for going the extra mile to be sure I know you're there if I'm struggling.
Thank you for always responding to my emails and questions, whether they are easy or hard.
Thank you for joking, laughing, and always lightening the mood.
Thank you for trusting me.
Thank you for continually seeking God.
Thank you for being the girls soccer coach, you know you love it more then being the guys coach :).
Thank you for being optimistic.

It has truly been a blessing getting to know you and having you be a part of my life. You have been like an older brother to me. I am amazed at how you not only continue to invest in me but in so many others you care deeply about. You are always giving of yourself and taking the time to make sure everyone feels loved. You really are a great example of a follower of Christ. I hope to some day impact the lives of others as you have impacted me. Thank you.

Now back to whoever may be reading this blog, thank you for supporting him, through prayer, through money, through emailing him, calling him, whatever it may be, because your commitment and encouragement enables Tommy to allow God to work through him to impact our lives.

Dorm Thanksgiving

2010-11-18T17:21:00.009-05:00

To many, that title will cause some scratching of the head seeing as how the American holiday of Thanksgiving is still one week away. However, here at Sonne we celebrated Thanksgiving tonight. With our student body being composed of individuals from so many different backgrounds and cultures, it is difficult to appease everyone. Therefore each year we choose one particular day that hopefully suits everyone, and that wonderful day was today.
What does a dorm thanksgiving look like? A lot of planning, a lot of preparation, a lot of work, a lot of food, and A LOT of happy and content stomachs. This evening we entertained 32 people, which is actually a bit low for dorm standards on a day such as this. Some of the other dorms were nearing 50 people. Regardless, we had quite a group to cook for.
We began planning our menu a few weeks ago in order to make sure we had all the ingredients we needed. As I have mentioned before we are not in the States, and we are unable to simply go to a local grocery store and pick up everything we need. It is necessary to visit multiple grocery stores for specific ingredients. In fact, yesterday we sent a van into France in order to pick up supplies you cannot find in this part of Germany.
The five Sonne staff members began some of the prep work last night, but the majority of it was done today. We all met in the kitchen at 9.00 and worked for the next three and a half hours before taking a little siesta - only to start back up around 4.00. Each of us had a certain part of the meal we were in charge of. My tasks included; mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cherry fluff and biscuits. When you are cooking for over 30+ people you need to mash a lot of potatoes! My forearms got quite the workout. We ended up creating two full dorm pans of mashed potatoes, and one full dorm pan of sweet potatoes. I am not entirely sure of the exact measurements, but I would venture to say that a dorm pan is roughly 1.5x the size of a 9x13 pan…that’s a lot of potatoes!
It was definitely a lot of work, but it was absolutely worth it. As we sat down the guys were telling me how they had been strategic about their eating throughout the day. Some believed eating nothing all day would allow for them to have more room for dinner. Some were under the impression a normal breakfast, but no lunch would put their stomach in the best possible situation to consume a mountain of food. After hearing of their “pre-meal” strategy, it was then all about the strategy of the actual meal. What to eat first, how much to grab of each dish the first time around, what kind of biscuit goes best with the sweet potatoes, water or milk, all these decisions on a normal day may be small, but not today! It was a blessing and joy to sit at the table for a while (dinners here usually last no more than 12 minutes) talk, and enjoy the atmosphere.

As I sit here and type, I am in the living room being entertained by the guys as they allow their food to digest. How do they do that? Computer games. Not the most social, or healthy thing to do - but this is their Thanksgiving night and they deserve a night where they can relax and veg out. Besides, after all the food we ate tonight, we really are not going to be moving around much at all.
It is sad to have a Thanksgiving and not have a good NFL game to watch - for some reason it doesn’t quite seem right, but that is a reality of life here in Germany…and I love it. This is my third year in a row being here for Thanksgiving, and this is slowly becoming a tradition and something of familiarity. I am very happy about that.

On a very different note, I cannot write a note about Thanksgiving and not be reminded of the time during my junior year of college, I traveled to Florida with a group of friends. That was one of the finest memories of Thanksgiving I have. But I know if any of those individuals read this blog they will be wondering if I made pierogies tonight. I am saddened to tell them I did not, the tradition didn’t make it across the ocean this year!

Lastly, transitioning back to BFA real quick. I wanted to share this story from our dinner table that left me speechless, encouraged, and with tears in my eyes. Prior to eating, the dorm dad asked if a few would state something they are thankful for. Somewhat stereotypical, but a good activity nonetheless. After a few of the ‘normal’ answers were given one of the students boldly said, “I am thankful Tommy came back for this year.” I was not anticipating this, and was left speechless, with a very grateful and thankful heart. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tommy

Here I am making my mountain of mashed potatoes...

Some of the guys getting ready to eat

A quick picture of the sweet potatoes before dinner started...

A few minutes later an empty dish proves in the words of my dad, "They were deee lish."

Time to relax and let the food digest.

Courage

2010-11-11T13:39:00.007-05:00

"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others."
- Winston Churchill.

Over the weekend I had a few moments to myself where I was able to think, reflect, and process. Every now and then that can prove to be a dangerous thing, but in this case it was very enjoyable and helpful. I have recognized a slow growth of dissatisfaction with my approach to my ministry in the dorm. It definitely has not had a presence on a daily basis, but has shown its ugly face from time to time. I am content when difficulties come my way, but I often struggle when I cannot place my finger on what the difficulty is, the reasons why it is present, or how to fix it. It is impossible to fix a problem you cannot identify.
But this weekend enabled me to pinpoint the heart of my frustration...I had yet to settle on a purpose for the year. I remembered back to August and being on a run, and praying over what my focus for the year would be. I asked God and myself, "when the students finish the year in June, what characteristics will define the way in which they lived the year?" I had different words, different ideas, but nothing solid really stuck.

I am a nerd at times, and love to know the meaning of words. Sometimes I use words without fully understanding their true intention. When you look up the word purpose you will find this as part of the definition: the reason for one's existence. I simply love that definition and love that word. I desire to find the purpose, the reason, for the things I do. My frustration rested in the realization that I did not have a defined purpose for this school year.

Therefore I walked away from the weekend determined to sit down and create a goal, and a purpose for each guy in my dorm. Not only this, but I want each guy to be aware of the goal I have come up with. I want them to know my purpose. So I have been writing each guy a hand-written note detailing all of this.

As I have started writing these notes I have found myself using the word courage in just about every note.
- Courage to step up as a leader in the dorm
- Courage to seek out a mentor who will take you under his wings
- Courage to be yourself and not worry what others will think
- Courage to find your identity and value in what God sees, not what others say.

The dictionary uses these words to define courage:
-The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
-To act in accordance with one's beliefs, esp. in spite of criticism.

I have decided that this is going to be a year of courage, a year where young boys are raised up into young courageous men. Men who are relentless, determined, firm, persevering. I desire to see them achieve this academically, socially, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, physically.

Tommy

Fear

2010-11-04T14:47:00.003-04:00

Sometimes the title of a post will peak interest and draw in a few extra readers. The title above has very little to do with this post, other than a quote I will share in just a moment.
I will admit that sometimes writing blog updates can be a difficult task. Some weeks are extremely busy and it is difficult to pick one thing that I feel gives an accurate description of what is happening here. Other weeks are so busy (such as this past week) they leave me tired and without much energy. Although with the response I received from my post, "homesick" I have been inclined to on occasion share more in depth what is going on here, but also what is going on inside me.

That being said I wanted to share a recent email exchange I have had with a former BFA student. I hope it is helpful to show you some of my recent thoughts, as well as give a glimpse of some of the types of interaction I have with my students.
This student graduated my first year here, so there was not a whole lot of time for us to interact. I knew OF her for most of the year, but I got to spend more time with her as we traveled to Kenya together for a mission trip. From our time shared in Kenya a friendship was formed, that has continued some 18 months later.

Her thoughts and writing always intrigue me, and I will start with a quote she shared with me in an email a few weeks back:
"Fear is foolishness if it lasts for more than a moment."
Allow yourself to ponder that quote for a few minutes, it will keep you thinking.

Lastly, I want to share a piece of an email I sent to her, and then her response... (My email to her)
Here is an interesting thought... I love history. Over the summer I read a bit about Winston Churchill. Never knew much about him, but wanted to find out more. In one of the books they kept saying that as a child Winston had an aura about him that he was born to do great things. He had a sense that he was going to be remembered. I feel the same way. I have this sense that I am going to accomplish amazing things. I honestly feel as though I am destined for greatness, but I don't know precisely in what way. I know it most likely will not be in the way many Americans and non-Christians view greatness (mainly...wealth, sex, fame, worldly pleasures). But I fully believe I am destined for greatness for God's kingdom.
Perhaps a bit of an arrogant thought, but I do believe that I am here for more than what this world has to offer. I believe in purpose.
Purpose. That's one of my favorite words.

Then this is part of her response to my statement from above:

it's true what you said, that some people are destined for greatness in god's kingdom. i know that you are. i know that i am. although it sounds arrogant, it isn't arrogance in the slightest, because by definition, greatness in the kingdom means the opposite of greatness on the earth. we are great only when we surrender our own wills and let god use us as his instruments of love and grace. to be great means to be less; our heavenly crowns grow larger the more we slave and labor in love. sometimes this knowledge tortures me- i feel as if i'm waiting for something massive, shouting out to god 'send me somewhere! command me to do something terrible and wonderful! ask me to sell all my possessions! tell me to start a giant community house of believers to minister to the neighborhood! send me back to kenya to live in a hut!' i am waiting for a vision, i'm simply starving for a vision, and i have so many but for the present i am called only to small things. living as myself in a big city, listening to my housemates talk about things that matter to them, loving Addie and caring for her, saying hello to my neighbors who hate me for my color, spending a year truly resting for the first time since i was five. i can feel it growing though, a calling, a revelation, a task. and i am more than ready

I hope you enjoyed reading this - even if this post didn't really give much of an update about life here at BFA.

Tommy.

Ps. Winston Churchill is a really interesting individual to study. If you are looking for a good biography, find one about Winston.

Herbstemesse

2010-10-30T04:57:00.004-04:00

Typically I put up a post every Thursday, but this week I knew if I blogged on Thursday I would be giving a preview of Herbstemesse, but if I waited a day or two, I could write a review of the night. The latter seemed much more appealing to me.

What is Herbstmesse? Herbst is the German word loosely translated to, "fall or autumn" and messe in this instances is translated to the word, "party." Put it together and you get the Fall Party. On Friday night we shuttled down virtually our entire student body, as well as all Res Life staff, and many teachers to invade the city of Basel, Switzerland for the evening. I do not know how many people ended up going, but I think I can safely say it was over 200.
We rode down on buses, getting dropped off a little before 5pm, and got picked back up at 9pm. In those fours hours we were free to wander the streets and sights of Herbstemesse.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite nights of the entire semester. I don't know exactly what it is - but there is something about it that always gets my blood flowing. It is a night that is unique, we go into a larger city, there are lights, rides, food, and everywhere you look people are having fun.
Last night I latched onto a group of 5 seniors and spent the majority of the night with them. Shortly after grabbing some food we stumbled upon this unique "ride." It wasn't lit up, or drawing many crowds, because it was essentially a merry-go-round. Although instead of propelling yourself from the outside, there was a table in the middle that you spun around to get speed and momentum. I doubt that gave you an accurate picture of the 'ride' one person last night described it as, "being similar to the tea cups at disney." I couldn't relate, so I am not sure if that helps at all or not. Anyway, the six of us spent a solid 25 minutes riding this thing, going around and around. Honestly, it was hilarious and so much fun. After a little while we were trying to think of crazy things we could do in order to make it more entertaining, so we pulled out a deck of cards and started playing cards while spinning in circles. This definitely provided even more entertainment - until we unanimously decided for the well being of our dinner, it was time to step off.
Random. Free. Pointless. Entertaining. Hilarious. Wonderful memory.

Of course, a blog about Herbstemesse would not be complete without mentioning the bumper cars (though this merry-go-round contraption proved to be the highlight of my night.) At 7.30 everyone from BFA who was in Basel congregated at the bumper cars for an hour of mayhem, whiplash, and frenzy. Bumper cars are definitely fun for everyone (people of all ages were out there) but it was just as entertaining to watch the "race" for a car. Imagine 100 people scrambling for 30 spots. CHAOS.
I found myself anxiously awaiting the end of the turn, simply to see the mad dash of people flood the floor hoping to get a car for the next ride. I won't lie, I let my students drive me around a few times, and my back is hurting a little today.

All in all, it was a wonderful night, and a great memory.

Enjoy some of the pictures from the night...

This is a giant corn booth. I have seen it before, and it always made me laugh, so this time I took a picture of it.

Here you see one of my guys on the "merry-go-round" His face is simply priceless.

The picture doesn't do this justice. Only in Germany will you see an inflatable sausage with "fire" under it.

Enjoying the ride...

Playing cards as we spin...

Bumper cars...

Curiously watching the action and anxiously waiting to try and grab the next ride

Homesick

2010-10-21T06:18:00.002-04:00

Here is my second post of the day. If you have the time keep scrolling down to see the first post I put up prior to this.

This has been on my heart for the past day or so and I wanted to put it up. I realized a lot of the time I post about things that are going on here, or things that have been going on in my head, but I don’t really ever post something that would in any way shape or form answer the question, “How are you doing?” I think my main hesitation in that is because I am never fully aware of who is reading this (insert plug for you to email or leave a comment!) and therefore don’t always feel comfortable spilling my emotions. Secondly I know I would much rather prefer to answer that question face to face, through a phone call, or even email. With a combination of those two factors, and I assume a few others, there aren’t too many blogs revealing that.
So today I will answer that question with the hope of giving you a taste of reality thrown into an entertaining story.
Right now I am homesick. I have recently received a few emails from one of my closest friends in college, getting caught up on our individual lives. He told me he is hoping to find a job by December, and then buy a plane ticket and visit me in the spring. The reality hit that I haven’t seen him in quite some time, and that won’t change in the near future. I have also been emailing back and forth with another close friend from college, as I seek advice with a certain situation. She has been extremely helpful and encouraging, but I am getting tired of communicating through email. With these as two examples of many, I have found myself saying, “I wish they were involved in my daily life again, and we could do this face to face.” These two are amongst a handful of people I desperately wish I could interact with in, “the way it used to be.” It gets tiring and discouraging when I don’t understand what their life is like, or they don’t understand what mine is like. While I love being here, and I absolutely do, there are moments where it is extremely difficult to be away from your closest friends.
In a more entertaining way, but just as seriously, it is also difficult at times to be in a place that is very different than what you are used to. You can use the technical term, ’culture shock’ if you want. It is not a myth, but a reality. Knowing I have been discouraged by feeling homesick lately I looked at my meal-planning for this coming weekend as an ideal opportunity to cook something that will remind me of home, and bring to mind amazing family and friends. So this Saturday morning I am making bubble bread for the guys. Growing up bubble bread was a staple for any major holiday. To this day, bubble bread is served on Christmas morning, and it is always deee lish. I remember being in high school and having my friends sleep over, and my mom would make our taste buds throw a party when she announced the bubble bread was warm, gooey, and ready to be devoured.
But here is the entertaining thing, German grocery stores do not carry everything that a normal American grocery store would carry. As I mapped out the ingredients I will need, it looked as if I was building a family tree - where everything kept splitting off and getting larger and larger. As I found the bubble bread recipe I knew I needed Jello Butterscotch pudding. Simply put, you can’t find that anywhere near here. But that’s okay, there are options! So I did a google search and found a recipe to make homemade butterscotch pudding. However, in order to make homemade butterscotch pudding, you need dry milk pudding (what exactly is that stuff?!). Alas, google saves me again, and I get what I need for that. Now I continue to scroll down the recipe and notice I need rolls. After consuming as much bubble bread as I have in my life, I know that the bread is a very important ingredient. Germans love bread, they have some of the best bread in the world, but they don’t have the specific kind I need! Therefore I plan on making some homemade dough, in order to make my own bread rolls - making my list of ingredients expand once again.

I chuckled as I looked over my ever-growing list of ingredients. I thought for a second if it was really worth all that effort for the bubble bread. Homemade butterscotch pudding to cover the homemade bread. Whew.
But two thoughts came to my mind, the first was this: as bizarre as it sounds, bubble bread carries a lot of great memories for me. Memories of sleep-overs, memories of mornings in Tomahawk, memories of Christmas mornings and being with family. I hope that in ten years my guys will find a girl who makes them bubble bread, and he thinks back to his memories at Sonne. Perhaps a bit of a stretch (more the part about them finding a girl!) but I still find excitement and hope in that vision.
Secondly, I know I am missing home right now. I know my heart longs to be with family and friends. To be with those who know me well. I know that I can’t be with you right now, but as I eat my bubble bread Saturday morning, I will think of you, smile, laugh, perhaps shed a tear, and cherish all the memories that flood my heart.

It will be a good amount of work, but it will be worth it, and of course, it will taste amazing.

Tommy

Thank You

2010-10-21T06:12:00.002-04:00

It is my intention here to actually put up two different blog posts today. Over the weekend I had one train of thought and knew I wanted to blog about it - but in the past 48 hours or so have felt something else stirring my heart, that I thought would be good to blog about. But here is number one…

Over this past weekend I spent some time with RAs from different dorms, which was a profound blessing. At one point the conversation turned to financial support, and more specifically supporting churches. A few of the RAs I was with are planning on going back to the States during our Christmas break, and were talking about trying to set up an appointment so they can speak at one of their supporting churches. It was interesting to me to hear them talk about speaking in front of their churches, or to hear them talk about all the different friends and family from a specific church that support them. Being the “veteran” amongst the group they asked me what I had done with my supporting churches, how I communicate to them, how often I had spoken in front of a supporting church congregation, etc. To the amazement of everyone (including myself) I simply said to them, “I actually don’t have a single church body that supports me. 100% of my support is from family and friends. I don’t have a home sending church.”
I made that statement, and conversation seemed to move right along. However, I kept replaying the statement I had made, over and over in my head. As I continued to process, ponder, and realize that I am here as a missionary, and have been for two full years - moving into my third - without a sending church, my eyes filled with tears of gratitude, and I genuinely want to say THANK YOU to all of you. I am blessed, encouraged, and excited (to name a few) by the way in which you have financially supported me, and been faithful to my ministry here.
As I listened to the RAs talk about being able to meet face to face with the majority of their supporters it got me a little discouraged, yet also excited. My supporters (you) are scattered all over the place. It is discouraging because I cannot go to one central location and have the opportunity to meet everyone face to face. My parents are in New Hampshire, so that is what I would technically consider “home-base” yet my supporters are scattered across the country. Going off my post from last week a little, it is exciting to recognize where my support comes from. Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Hampshire, Indiana, Tennessee are states that are home to some of my supporters.

Thank you for continuing to support me in my ministry here. Thank you for all you do. I am encouraged and thankful for what you do for me, and these students. Even though I may not have the opportunity to see you face to face and allow you to see my tears of gratitude, please take this blog and know that I am extremely thankful.

Tommy

Numbers

2010-10-14T17:24:00.002-04:00

For those who know me a little bit probably realize that I am not the biggest fan of facebook. For a long time I didn't even have an account, but after a little while finally gave in. I don't go on facebook often, and seldom write on walls, or put up a status. However this past week I was thankful for facebook...
Last week was my birthday, and it seemed as though every time I checked my email I was getting another notification that somebody had posted on my wall. I was extremely blessed and encouraged throughout the day to receive little comments from all sorts of people. As I was watching the emails come in I tended to see a pattern which became quite entertaining to me.
The first comments came from people I know in Korea, who are seven hours ahead of me here in Germany. So by the time I was going to bed on Friday night in Germany, it was Saturday morning in Korea, therefore technically my birthday there. I received emails throughout the morning from people here in Germany, then as it became the afternoon in Germany, people were starting to wake up in the USA on EST. Then I started to receive emails and comments from friends and family in that part of the world. Finally, as I was starting to eat dinner, I was getting notes from friends on the west coast, as they were starting to wake up.
It was an amazing experience to walk through. It was so unique to witness as different time zones were waking up.

The ability to see the time zones come into play was fascinating, but it was also encouraging and inspiring to see the countries/regions/states represented by those sending me comments. Over the summer I had a friend say to me, "I look at your facebook wall, and it looks like the United Nations" my response was a chuckle, knowing that she was spot on. I went back this afternoon and counted the different countries represented by those who left me birthday wishes and came up with 17. That includes countries as far east as China and Mongolia, as far west as California (I know California is not a state, I put it as an example of a place in the western most time zone I got a message from) in the USA - and so many in between; Russia, Korea, Israel, Turkey, Austria, The Netherlands, Ireland, Italy...17 countries is quite a bit.

I don't mention that with any hope of being arrogant, I mention it with the hope of spreading the encouragement I received. I know people in all of those countries who are working to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are brothers and sisters around the world with the same purpose of living, as you. There are people all over the world impacting their community with the love of Jesus, in the same way you are. It is a big world, and there is a grand distance from California to Mongolia. Yet we serve a BIGGER God.
I was really encouraged to recognize how God is doing work in and through people not only in these 17 countries, but in a number too big for my comprehension.

Learning the language

2010-10-01T04:28:00.002-04:00

One of the questions I hear most often regarding working at BFA, and living in Germany is this, "How much German do you know by now? Would you say you are fluent?" Sadly the answer is always embarrassing as I admit I still know very little German. I always raise a few eyebrows when I respond by saying that my French speaking abilities continue to improve almost to the comfort level of being conversational. But that is a different story for a different day.
Some people may question why I haven't been able to pick up the German language after living here for over two years - while I don't always pick up on new German words, I have picked up some words from my students. Below I will introduce you to some words commonly heard around the dorm, and the way in which they are used.

Ole {Oh-lay} - an interjection, verb (used without an object)
Used as an exclamation of joy, success, victory. Typically followed by laughter as well as other shouts of "ole" by surrounding students. Most commonly heard, though not limited, in the context of a sporting event.
Examples of the use of ole:
-PJ is on the soccer field and pulls a move that makes his opponent look silly, so PJ joyfully exclaims, "Ole!"
- Josh is drying the dishes and finds he has a wet towel in his hand, and a close-by freshmen is pestering him. From the other room you hear a loud snap of the towel, a cry of pain, and Josh victoriously shouting, "Ole!"

Jokes {johks} - noun
something said to cause laughter and/or amusement for those in your vicinity. Stated to assure everyone no ill intentions were at the heart of the statement. Commonly covered with a lot of sarcasm.
Example of the use of jokes:
- Jonny sits down with Paul and says, "I think that girl really likes you." David sitting at the same table interjects and says, "Jokes" cluing in everyone that she in fact does NOT like Paul, and that he is silly for even flirting with the idea.

I will be honest and say I am still struggling to fully understand how and when to appropriately use the word, jokes. It pops up randomly in conversation and is followed by enormous fits of laughter, I am left confused.

Here is the last vocabulary lesson for the day, but when used correctly, perhaps my favorite...

Epic: {ep-ik} -adjective
impressive, great, majestic, of unusually great size or extent

The word epic is thrown around here extremely often. Not a day passes where there fails to be some event that is simply "epic."
Though probably not recognized by dictionary.com, this word can take on many different forms such as, "epicness" or the "epicistcy"
Here are a few direct quotes using this word:
Trevor, "That meal was so good, it was epic."
Henry, "I epicly failed that test today."
And the quote I heard yesterday and couldn't help but add it...
Caleb, "I tried to talk to a girl today, but it was an epic failure."

Tommy

Sonne Sunset

2010-09-24T05:08:00.005-04:00

Running the race

2010-09-17T02:35:00.008-04:00

Hebrews 12:1-2 states, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

About 18 months ago I had the privilege and joy of being one of the leaders on a BFA sponsored mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya. This verse from Hebrews served as our theme verse, and the verse in which we dove into on a nightly basis. I remember choosing this verse as our theme because I knew we were going to Kenya, a country that continually produces phenomenal marathon runners. I know my rational isn't very deep or profound, but this verse mentions running a race, and Kenyans run, so it all seemed to fit in my mind. Throughout our time in Kenya this verse pounded hearts and was used to transform lives. I am amazed at how God used my bizarre rational, to do amazing things.
The verse in Hebrews is special to me because it reminds me of our time in Kenya, but it also gives me such encouragement and passion. The verse seemed to be on my mind and heart constantly over the past week, as I recently ran a marathon.

The author begins by painting a picture of us being surrounded by witnesses. The witnesses are not there to mock us, ridicule us, demean us, rather they are there to encourage, uplift, cheer, comfort, and energize us.
This verse was made real to me during my recent race. My dorm brought down three vans of guys, Palmgarten (a female dorm at BFA) also brought down students, and other individuals from the community lined the street during the race.
Prior to the race I knew the Sonne guys were going to meet me at KM 32, and then at the finish line. Honestly, around KM 28 I started to feel a little tired, and wanted to slow down. Yet in my mind I knew I would soon see my guys, and I couldn't give up before I saw them. I couldn't stop running, I needed to keep going. So for 4 KM's I was driven by the excitement and anticipation of seeing the guys. I saw them at KM 32, and knew there was a chance I would see another group at Km 35. So for that whole stretch I was energized, excited, and encouraged by those that were cheering me on. I was lifted up by seeing a group of people who knew be my name, and had made an adventure to come and cheer me on. In my mind I said, "They came to meet me, and be there for me." This was extremely uplifting and provided much needed energy. By the time I reached the end of my "cheering section" I had a mere 5 KM left in the race. From KM 28-35 I was carried by the love and encouragement from these people.

When I came to the 40 KM marker I knew I only had 2 KM left, and could start to hear the crowd at the finish line. My legs were tired, my body was hurting, but I could hear people cheering, so I kept going. As I came into the final stretch I saw my guys lining up. They were in a long line stretching out their hands for high-fives. They refreshed me, they encouraged me, they spurred me on.

Having just run a race I know the difference a crowd of witnesses can make.
I hope that you will take some time to consider those around you who are also running races. Whether it be a coworker, a spouse, a family member. Take a moment and figure out how you can encourage them, refresh them, strengthen them in their race.
You see, it is a great thing knowing that I am running a race and I have a cloud of witnesses surrounding me who are there to cheer me on. But the greatest part of all this, is that I get to be that witness and that encourager for other people while they are running their race.

My cloud of witnesses for the race...

Student's perspective

2010-09-09T17:56:00.004-04:00

It is hard to believe I am here on another Thursday, posting a blog. It seems as though the days are going by too fast.
As promised, I had a student sit down at my computer for a little and write down some thoughts regarding his experience here at BFA, and Sonne. It was entertaining trying to give him a direction to head in, because I really didn't have any specifics I wanted him to cover. Yet I think he did a great job, and I hope you are blessed and encouraged by what he has to say.
Just so you can create an image of who Paul is, here is a goofy picture I took of him one day while he was out playing soccer...

Hi my name is Paul Park. I am a Korean and my parents currently serve in China. I am a junior in High school and this is my second year at BFA and the Sonne dorm. Living in the dorm with 20 other guys is pretty bizarre. We do the craziest and the stupidest things. It is fun to get hyper and do some wild things, but it is also fun to get to know the other guys in the dorm more in depths. A few of the guys in our dorm and I come together almost every evening and share with each other how things are going and what God is doing in our lives.

I remember being really shy and keeping a lot to myself when I first came to the dorm. I remember being scared to show others my true self. I also remember the first impression I had on the guys. I’ve lived in the states for 4 years, so seeing or living with non-Asians wasn’t a very big deal. But because there were so many different people from different cultures, I remember being slightly confused in how to act in front of them. Fortunately, all the guys in the dorm were welcoming and it was really cool because they were not mocking my culture but rather trying to understand it. Throughout the year, I began to show more of myself little by little. By the end of last year, I was a totally different person.

When I returned this year, I heard many people tell me “you’ve changed a lot.” It’s crazy because I saw myself doing things that I would have never done before, and unbelievably, I have the privilege of serving in Chapel Band this year, which I would have never dared to do before. In my opinion, I believe it was the dorm that really got me out of my bubble. The welcoming attitude, the willingness to understand, and the fellowship I’ve experienced in the dorm has made in to a new person. I am hoping that I will display the same characteristics this dorm has shown me to the new kids that recently joined our dorm. I am looking forward to a great year with them in our dorm, and I hope that they will come out of their bubble and change (in a good way) like I did.

Little Moments

2010-09-02T13:38:00.008-04:00

I have a few brief "advertisements" before I post what is on my heart.
- Next week one of my students is going to put up a post. I asked him to do one for today, but didn't give him enough time. I hope you look forward to hearing from him, and if you have any specific topics/questions for him, please feel free to email me.
- Starting September 13, our school will begin our, 'Spiritual Emphasis Week.' Please keep this time in your thoughts and prayers, as the chaplain's department lays the spiritual foundation for the school year.
- I am running a marathon on September 12 in Basel, Switzerland. I have been training for close to three and a half months now, and am excited to run, but also excited to get it over with and be done with the training. It is difficult trying to train with all the craziness that being in the dorm brings, but I have set a goal of 3 hours and 30 minutes (10 minutes faster than my first marathon). There are going to be a lot of hills, so we'll see how I do!

Yesterday the RAs from all eight dorms got together for a meeting, and we concluded by breaking into smaller groups to pray together. As my group was praying I was really challenged, and my heart was hit hard. I felt as though I have been spending too much time focusing on the worries of the day, the small things that get me down, the stresses that tire me out. My mind far too quickly ventures to think of those things, while I neglect to enjoy the blessings, the laughter, the joys that come my way.
I prayed that God would enable me to have the heart and eyes to see the many blessings He pours out on a daily basis. My prayer was that I would focus on the little moments that melt the stress away, the moments that leave my stomach hurting from laughter, the moments that captivate my heart and make me feel purposeful.
This was my prayer in the afternoon, and by evening these are the little moments where I saw that prayer answered...

- Shortly after dinner a bunch of guys were finishing their gratis (chore) and somehow gathered in the kitchen. It is not uncommon to hear loud music playing, and last night it was none other than Taylor Swift. As I walked in, six or seven guys were huddled around the stove singing at the top of their lungs, complete with motions and dancing. I stood and watched, then joined in. I couldn't help but enjoy the moment of singing and dancing with the guys.
- This morning I made french toast for the guys, so last night I made homemade syrup (side note: Here in Germany syrup is not easy to buy, and is probably around $5-7 a bottle...not cheap!) and as I was transporting the syrup from the stove pot to the pitcher, I splattered a bunch of syrup on the white shirt I was wearing. Not a pretty sight.
A senior was in the kitchen with me and witnessed the blunder. After the initial moments of pure laughter, he came to the sink and started to sprinkle water on me attempting to help clean everything off. After a few minutes I had a lot more water on my shirt, and about the same amount of syrup. However, the annoyance of the spill was gone, and the enjoyment of an amusing scene took its place.
- Shortly before rounding up my guys for bedtime, one of the juniors came to me and invited me into his room. In the room were six or seven other guys, and the purpose of the gathering was to sing some praise and worship songs, and read encouraging scriptures to one another. It brought peace and comfort, and great excitement to see these guys willingly seek to enrich their relationship with Jesus.

Singing. Dancing. Splattering. Worshiping. Little moments. Blessings.

Love,
Tommy

Here is a scene from the dance party

Sonne dorm dad (Marty) is in the middle of this shot chasing students after being creeked in celebration of his birthday.

This has nothing to do with the dorm, simply one of my favorite pictures I took over the summer.

Back and loving it!

2010-08-26T11:10:00.003-04:00

It is with great joy and excitement that I can say, THEY ARE BACK! As of late Wednesday night we have all of our students back in the dorm. This year we have a few less students than last year, but we also have less staff, so it somewhat evens out. We have six seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen. I am once again on the first floor, which is home to eight of the nine underclassmen. This year will prove to be different than last year as eight of our twenty students are new to the dorm. I am excited to start building relationships with the new guys, and am eager to see the many ways in which they will influence the dorm.

It was phenomenal to welcome in all the returning students, and to witness them embracing each other after only a few months apart. The first week back is always enjoyable as students (and staff) swap stories from summer adventures. I felt as though I had some pretty decent stories to come back and tell, but I soon realized my stories did not compare to others that started with the line; “in the forests of Mongolia…” or “Do you know what I ate in downtown Dubai?” or perhaps my favorite, “I got so used to speaking Chinese, that my Korean is rusty…” That last comment makes me chuckle, realizing that Korean is the native language, Chinese is second, and English is third.

The first day of school was this past Tuesday, which begins with the tradition of opening ceremonies. Honestly, it is one of the most exhilarating events, and will always leave you with goosebumps regardless of how many times you have seen it. The seniors march in carrying flags of all the countries represented by the student body, place them on stage, and celebrate the beginning of their final year of high school. Towards the end of the ceremony we have what is called, “The call of nations” in which a staff member announces every country represented by BFA staff/students. The representation may come in the form of current residency, birth country, or country where passport was issued. At this point in time there are 54 different countries represented. Stop and think about that for a second. 54 different countries. Our community here is so diverse, so unique and so amazing. It brings me chills thinking about the work that is done for The Kingdom in all these different areas of the world.

Tomorrow is our annual “Chillin N Grillin” event where the whole school gathers in the evening for food, games, and as the name depicts, grilled food. This year my fellow RAs have put together a video for the students entertainment. We worked on it while living together during orientation, and definitely included some moments that will prove to be embarrassing. However, we all admit that if the students enjoy it, it is well worth it. The name of the movie is, “RA World Cup” and it tracks the RAs throughout our own soccer tournament. I am hoping it goes over well, and that the students enjoy it.
Saturday we will take all our students into France to go to a store called Carrefour. Essentially it is the closest store similar to Wal-Mart. It gives students the opportunity to stock up on school supplies, and any other goodies they may need.
Sunday after church we will have the traditional Sonne floor soccer tournament. Each floor will dress up and compete against each other. The soccer will prove to be less entertaining than the costumes the students come out wearing. I will have my camera ready to capture photos essential for blackmail!

They’re back, there is a lot going on, and I love it.
Thank you for everything!

Enjoy some of the pictures below…

Tommy

Culture night

2010-08-20T16:18:00.003-04:00

After posting the previous blog I was informed there was going to be a "special concert" a stone throw away from Sonne tonight. So at 8.30 I went out and was greeted by these two men playing the Alp Horn.

It was definitely a cultural experience and something I will not soon forget. It was surreal to be able to walk down our driveway and see these guys playing. Seeing as how I had put up pictures a few hours ago, I figured I would add a few more.

Almost here

2010-08-20T11:23:00.005-04:00

After being here in Germany for a few weeks, the moment where the students arrive is right around the corner. This coming Sunday any student who is new to BFA will arrive on campus, and in their respective dorm. Then on Monday the returning students will invade the area, with school officially starting on Tuesday morning.
It will no doubt be a very emotional weekend. From the standpoint of an RA such as myself, this is one of the most exciting days of the year. It is the time that kicks off a new year. There is joy in being reunited with students I haven't seen all summer, and there is excitement in meeting the new students.
From the viewpoint of a parent, it is perhaps one of the most difficult days of the year. Saying those final good-byes is never easy knowing it will be months between visits. Surely the length of separation is difficult, but also the realization that they will miss out on sporting events, periods of growth (physically, mentally and spiritually), and other activities.
For the students, it is a time of joy, fear, nervousness, and uncertainty. The returning students have not seen their classmates for a few months and will enjoy swapping stories of the past, present, and future. New students may be filled with nerves and uncertainty of what the year holds, and this new environment they are stepping in to.

Please be praying with me, and for me, as the new school year gets underway. Please pray for the many families that will be traveling to our community, and the multitude of emotions that will be hovering over everyone.

Tommy

On a side note, over the past few months I have really enjoyed picking up the hobby of photography. Below are a few pictures I have taken since being back in Germany, that I thought turned out well.

Surrounded

2010-08-12T18:09:00.000-04:00

During my first year here at BFA I was fortunate to be able to help lead a mission trip. One of my roles was to prepare devotionals to share with the group while we were in Kenya. I used Hebrews 12:1-3 as my theme verse, and found it to be extremely rich and challenging. In recent days I have found myself referring back to verse 1, as everyone here prepares for the students return.

The first half of the verse states, “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…”
From where I am right now I feel as though I have the honor and privilege of being surrounded by great people who are witnessing for the cause of Jesus Christ. As our newest members of the residence life program settle in, their presence is encouraging, challenging, and inspiring.
It is encouraging to hear the stories of the “newbies.” They share stories of individuals who played significant roles in their own lives when they were teenagers. They have been sharing ways in which they feel passionate about serving youth and ministering to the students. It is also encouraging to hear how each person was specifically brought to BFA. It is amazing hearing how they heard about the school, or what their connection was.
Additionally rubbing shoulders with the new staff has been inspiring. It is awesome to see and feel their enthusiasm for the upcoming year. It is great to be in company of those who share the same passion and mindset. It is inspiring to see how God has been faithful as they have all raised support, and faced the ups and downs that come along with raising support.
I have nothing but good things to say about all the new staff who have arrived. It has been a joy to walk alongside them for the past few weeks, and I have a great sense that amazing things will happen this year in and through us. I sincerely do feel as though I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who are here to do some work for the Kingdom of God.

Down, but not out

2010-08-05T12:10:00.002-04:00

As the previous post mentioned, this is an adventure. Getting here was certainly an adventure and this past week has shown that getting internet access has been an adventure as well! I apologize for any lack of communication you may have felt within the past week. I have not had consistent internet virtually since landing in Germany. The other day I was sitting in a dorm van parked outside a dorm in order to connect to their wireless internet. The dorm was in use, so there were people consistently walking by. This made for a few awkward moments, but that's what I had to do.

Despite this issue, it has been very good to be back and it has been an exciting and entertaining week. All of the RAs have been staying in Storch, one of the female dorms throughout the year. So the eight returning RAs welcomed the six new RAs, and we have been living together and getting to know each other better. I am very impressed and very excited about the group of RAs we have this year (both returning and new). They are full of purpose, vision, hope, love and compassion, to name a few. It is a joy to work beside them and to minister with them.

At my dorm, Sonne, we will have a staff of four this year which includes Marty and Debby Shilling as the dorm parents, and Chris as my fellow RA. Chris was here last year, and he and I get along really well and thoroughly enjoy working together. Marty and Debby were at Sonne for seven weeks at the start of the year last year, as they were our 'sub dorm parents.' It is great as we already know each other, get along really well, and have a lot of fun together.

Thank you for all of your prayers and your support. It is a great feeling to be back in Germany. It feels quiet and weird without the students, but I am enjoying all the preparation that must occur before they arrive.

Blessings from Germany.
Tommy

Back In Germany

2010-07-30T04:42:00.002-04:00

Everything is an adventure, right? I had great thoughts about being able to quickly hop onto my blog Thursday evening and type a simple and encouraging note that read, "Made it back to Germany with no problems" then head off to bed and wake up without feeling the jetleg. Well...that didn't happen, but that is certainly okay by me.
I am in Germany now. I, and all of my luggage did make it here. It just took close to seven hours longer than it was supposed to. A normal travel time from doorstep to doorstep of 15 hours eventually took just over 22 hours.
My flight from Boston to New York City was quick, easy, smooth and comfortable. Howewver once I landed in NYC things started going downhill. My flight from NYC to Zurich was supposed to depart at 10.05pm, giving me a two hour layover in the JFK airport. However as that 10.05 time approached the aircraft we were scheduled to take was slow in getting to JFK, so 10.05 soon became 10.30, then 11.00 and eventually 12.15. A short two hour layover soon became a four hour layover. I knew we were going to get "dinner" on the plane so being the cheap guy that I am, I didn't initially buy any food in the airport because I knew I was going to eat on the plane. However when we continually got delayed I realized I would need something sooner than when the airline was going to offer food. Just my luck, at that time all of the restaurants and shops were starting to close, leaving my stomach empty.
I think it was finally around 12.30 when we started boarding the plane, and everyone (the airline included) was hoping to make a speedy take off and make up for lost time. Somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour into our flight I started watching an episode of NCIS on my computer to help pass the time. As I am watching I heard some screams that sounded awfully real, but poorly timed with my show. After another scream, and some turned heads around me, and I realized the screams were on the plane, not on the show. A few rows back a woman was screaming as her husband was suffering a heart attack. The captains decided to turn the plane around and make an emergency landing in Bangor, Maine. As we touched down an emergency crew met us, and ushered the man off the plane. It appeared as though the man was in good condition, with all things considered.
While on the runway in Bangor, the captain realized there were some mechanical problems with the plane. I took a look at my watch, close to 3.00am. I had been traveling for twelve hours and had gotten as far as Maine, maybe a few hours from where I started!!

Finally around 5.00am we were able to take off, and begin (again) our flight to Zurich. From here on out everything went according to plan, and I made it safely back to BFA...allbeit between six and seven hours later than expected.

A side note, and an entertaining part of the story. To pass time while in the airport I was texting back and forth with different people. Yet as my flight got delayed I saw my friends on the east coast start to text something along the lines of, "going to bed have a good flight. let me know when you are there." So then I flipped through my phone looking for people on the west coast, knowing they would be up a few more hours! Unfortunately, even some of them were going to bed as I was still sitting on the runway in Bangor, Maine.

Made it back to Germany safe and sound. A few glitches along the way, but this is an adventure.

Family

2010-07-22T09:07:00.007-04:00

Many times I put up posts bragging about my students at BFA. I thoroughly enjoy doing that and love being able to spend time with the students. However for today I want to stop and brag about my family. I head back to Germany in less than a week, after having spent about a month in the States. For the majority of that time I have been in New Hampshire with my family. It has been a time of laughter, fun, good conversations, and relaxation.

My mom and I have spent a lot of time together so far, which is awesome. With her spending so many years as a teacher, I feel as though we are peers and co-workers in ministry. Obviously different settings, but we do what we do for the same reasons. This summer has provided us with the unique opportunity to travel together, which was quite the adventure. Together our unique sense of humor, and ability to make ourselves laugh made some rather unfavorable situations, entertaining and memorable.

The most precious girl in the world. This summer, perhaps more than ever, Whitney has made me laugh. Her stories about work, Duncan, or who knows what, are more often than not pointless, yet they leave you laughing and stunned with entertainment. I have thoroughly enjoyed going out to breakfast with Whit from time to time, and always feel like a celebrity when I visit her at work. Every co-worker of Whitney's as well as every customer is told, "that's my brother, isn't he so cute?"

Speaking of cute, I had to put up this picture of my dad and his "little buddy." Summers with dad would not be complete without a few rounds of golf. Being on the course gets us outside, provides exercise, headaches, frustration, but most of all fellowship and time together. I like to consider myself his good luck charm while we are on the golf course, as he always seems to play better when I am around. Perhaps it is my fluid, smooth swing that provides him something to imitate, but most likely it is my nack for looking the other way when a foot wedge is used to provide the perfect lie.

Unfortunately I was unable to see Philip over the summer. So this picture is actually a few years old, but is probably my favorite picture of the two of us. Despite our geographical distance Philip has continued to be my older brother and provide me with advice (finances, technology, running) and a slap in the head (when I chose to cheer for England over the USA) when I needed it. It is never fun when you realize twelve months (or more) will pass between visits. But it is the reality of life.

With my summer coming to a rapid end I want to thank my family for the love, support and encouragement they constantly and consistently provide me with.

Culture Shock

2010-07-17T05:42:00.003-04:00

As was the case last summer, traveling back to the States after spending significant time in Germany has left me feeling a bit out of my element. Culture shock seems to be a term that is thrown around, but never fully understood. At least that is my impression of it. For me, I have been in and out of different cultures periodically for the past two years, and have found a unique way to seemingly adapt without giving it much thought. However, returning to the place I grew up has brought new challenges. In so many ways I know that the American culture has not changed, but I have. There have been too many instances and occasions where I find myself whispering to myself, “I don’t feel like I fit in here anymore.” That has been a weird and daunting conclusion to come to.
Honestly it can be quite comical, as I hope to show you. It can also be quite stressful, and unnerving. But for better or for worse the multi-cultural life has left an imprint on me. Below I have highlighted some of the differences I personally have noticed between my German culture, and my American culture.
With this post it is my hope you can share in a laugh with me, and also gain some insight and education into my world.

Transportation
I know I shared this story at some point last summer, but it is priceless. I remember being in the States over the summer and legitimately being confused and in a bit of a tizzy when I was driving to the grocery store, when all of a sudden another car started driving next to me, going the same direction. I was baffled and thought I was doing something wrong. In Germany I am immersed in a community made up of small villages composed of one lane roads. Stop signs and street lights are few and far between In fact, I can only think of two working stop lights in my “normal“ driving radius. Roads are not simply for automobiles all shapes, sizes, and speeds are welcome on the roads. Cyclists, tractors, mopeds, trucks, smart cars, all travel the same road.
Above all, one of the most bizarre things to get accustomed to has been the size of cars in Europe. For example: when you see a Smart Car on the road in the States it catches your attention because of its size. SUVs blaze by almost making it appear to be a remote control car. Oddly enough, Smart Cars do not stand out in Germany, simply because most of the cars are relatively the same size, or slightly bigger.
I thoroughly enjoy driving, and driving in Germany has definitely been quite the experience. When all is said and done, I know the driving culture is in fact a bit different.

Language
Yes, this is an obvious one I know. But just the other week I found myself surprised in an American grocery store and realized how shocked I was. While in the grocery store I think I finally realized that I am indeed accustomed to living in a country of foreign language.
Even while in Germany, I predominantly speak English. Everything associated with the school is in English. So you might be thinking, “how does this differ from the Sates?“ However, take one step into the community and everything changes. While walking in the Germany grocery stores, in the airports, or in a foreign city it is common to walk around having no concept of what others are saying. Street signs, newspapers, radio stations, etc. are all in German. Therefore, when I vaguely hear English my ears perk up, I get excited, and I start to listen to what is being said.
When I was in the local grocery store and heard English being spoken behind me, without a second of hesitation I found myself getting excited as I turned around and asked myself, “I wonder who is here that speaks English?” Only to later remind myself that I am in an English speaking country, leaving me feel as if I don’t necessarily fit in anymore.

Fashion
Perhaps this is my favorite one to comment about. It is hard to describe but there is something very unique and very distinct about the European style of dress. In all honesty, I have found myself thoroughly enjoying the European fashion and probably hold as many “European clothes” as I do “American clothes” (having the fire in my room last year and needing to replace clothes helped speed this process along.)
One of the more entertaining things to do while in Europe is to attempt to dress “euro” and go out into the community with the mindset of trying to blend in. I have told a few people, “I can make people believe I am European by the way I dress, but as soon as they ask me a question in German and they hear my pathetically spoken reply, they are no longer fooled.”

Observing and learning about the different cultures I have found myself in has been fascinating, interesting, stressful, frustrating and unforgettable all at the same time. It is interesting how I feel as though I now have a better understanding and perception of the American culture after having been so far removed for a few years. Yet, despite how discouraging and difficult it may be, one must always remember to laugh along the way. Which is something I have tried to do while trying to fit into a foreign culture, whether that be the German culture, or the American culture.

To Pennsylvania and Back

2010-07-01T23:58:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I was blessed to have had the ability and time to drive out to Pennsylvania to see some close friends. It was wonderful. The entire trip took five days, two of which for the most part were spent driving. But it was well worth it in order to see friends I had not seen in a while. At least 12 months had passed since I last saw everyone, and for some the time apart spanned over 24 months. Yet I was highly encouraged as the time, distance, and differences did not seem to hinder the fellowship we shared.
I joked to one friend on Sunday that the night before I showed up at a house around 6pm, went to bed around 12pm, and there proved to be no more than 15 seconds of silence in those six hours. With a different friend I couldn't help but laugh as I tried to hide his phone and he chirped at me, "I haven't seen you for two years, but you are still playing the same jokes on me!" Unfortunately due to our schedules I was not able to spend a ton of time with everyone. For some, all I was able to manage was a brief lunch, or an afternoon siesta. One friend and I were headed in two different directions but managed to find a 90 minute block of time where we could meet in Grove City prior to going our separate ways. We ended up spending the majority of that time running, but a comment he made in some ways summed up my trip...
He was verbalizing a conversation he anticipated where someone asked him, "So how was your time with Tommy?" His response would be, "It was great. We connected. We shared. We got caught up." The first person then stated, "well, didn't you go for a run, how was that possible? What did you talk about while running?" To which he responded, "We didn't say much at all actually. Just running together again, being side-by-side, was enough to bring our worlds together and connect us once again."

My time with my friends was short, but no matter how little time we had, we were together. I was grateful for the opportunity to see my friends at work, see their living arrangements and even their pets! We reminisced about the past, shared about the present, and discussed visions of the future.
I am thankful for the friends that have played a significant role in my life. It is extremely difficult for me to go long periods of time without seeing them, without talking with them, and without being with them. But I am thankful for the moments we shared together.
For those I was able to see, THANK YOU. For those friends I was unable to see, I guess you'll just have to come over to Germany now!

Back and relaxing

2010-06-23T13:11:00.002-04:00

I made it back to the United States about a week ago and have been relaxing in New Hampshire since my return. It took me a little while to get over the jet leg and to get readjusted to the States, but I think I have finally made it over that hurdle. It was a little entertaining as I came back and felt normal the first day, but the next couple of days proved to be a little more tiring and challenging.
As I boarded my plane in Zurich, Switzerland I knew I had 40 days until I would be on a plane again headed back to BFA. In the big picture that 40 days seems short, and will no doubt go by quick. While in one sense that is a disappointing thing, at the same time it is really exciting. I will in no way deny that a period of relaxation is going to be amazing. It is needed and something I am going to take advantage of to the Nth degree. Meanwhile in my heart I know I am already counting down the days until I can get back to BFA, and get going with another year.
As mentioned in previous posts, it was very difficult to part ways with the graduating seniors. There are many students that have become near and dear to me, and it has been difficult to be away from them. In many ways it did not 'hit' me even after graduation. But the morning of my flight home I put a status update on facebook (which I rarely do) regarding my trip home. It was almost as if at that precise moment I felt the realization that the seniors were gone. Even though they graduated and were out of Germany, I was still in the country. For some reason even though I was still in the country it felt as though the year had not officially ended. However, when I knew I was leaving my heart fully realized the year was over. I knew I would be back next year, which brings great excitement, but it also brings the realization that when I go back in the Fall, those seniors won't be there.

As for the next few weeks, I will be relaxing and spending as much time with family and friends as I can. I am about to take off on a mini road trip out to Pennsylvania. I will be gone for 5 days/4 nights and will meet up with a lot of friends from college. I am really looking forward to this trip as it has been at least a year since I have seen these friends, and some it has been over two years.
After that I will do a little traveling with my mom, and former high school french teacher, which will be phenomenal.
In addition to these trips, I have decided to run another marathon. There is a marathon in Basel, Switzerland (about 25 minutes away from BFA) in September that I will run with a co-worker. So I have started training for this and will thoroughly enjoy the training process and the challenge of running. My running of course has to be strategically planned so I don't miss too many World Cup games.

Please feel free to contact me throughout the summer, and if there is any chance we can meet up, I would be blessed to do so.

Thanks.
Tommy

End of the year

2010-06-12T01:12:00.011-04:00

Those who know me well will attest that I am not one who tends to be over dramatic. Therefore, I mean it when I say; I am tired and my heart hurts. We have just come through the busiest time of the year with almost nonstop activities. I know I have not put up a blog in a few weeks, and that is for two reasons. First of all, I am very proud of our girls soccer team, and our season, and wanted to make sure you had an opportunity to read about our season. Secondly, there really has not been that much time where I could post. Since tournament we have had; spring party, dorm outing, senior recognition day and dinner, middle school awards ceremony, high school awards ceremony, spring choir concert, alumni games, senior recognition at church, and the grand-daddy of them all, yesterday was our Graduation ceremony.

Right now I am tired. It is more than your occasional lack of sleep physical weariness. Granted, I have gotten close to 14 hours of sleep over the past three nights, but I know that is not the entire reason behind my fatigue. It has been a long year, and a long semester. Long does not immediately bring a negative connotation, though there were definitely moments of difficulty. It has been an intense year that has slowly but surely worn me down. I have not had the ability to reflect on the entire year yet, but hope to do so over the next few days as I wrap everything up. After giving my heart and mind the ability to reflect I will be sure to put up a post. I will honestly say that I am tired from the year. I will not deny that - but in the very next breath, through the weariness that covers my face I will boast a large smile, get excitement in my voice, a tear of joy in my eye, and say that it has been such a good year. Always easy? No. Always fun? No. Good? Absolutely.

Right now my heart hurts. Unfortunately this is not a new feeling, but one that has been there for about ten days. I cannot remember the precise moment but I know there was a day where reality hit my heart like a ton of bricks. I sat down at my desk, put my head in my hands and through tears said, "Soon I will have to say good-bye to them." The days since this realization have been amazing, but have been emotionally heavy. Our commencement ceremony was phenomenal as we celebrated the 78 graduating seniors. There was laughter, excitement, encouragement, good-byes, sadness and tears. My heart is hurting because I know I will miss this group of seniors more than I can express. There were 10 seniors from Sonne who graduated. Additionally, 10 of the 18 soccer girls were seniors, multiple graduates were a part of the Kenya mission trip from last year, and many more became friends through our time shared at BFA. It has been amazing to see the growth these seniors have gone through over the past two years. It brings such joy to my heart to see who they have become.
I have a strong desire to brag about them, but I know that I am emotionally drained. I feel as though if I were to attempt to share some of their amazing stories with you at this moment, I would be doing them an injustice. Therefore I use the cop-out phrase, "a picture is worth a thousand words" and hope these pictures show a hint of how special these students are.
In closing - yesterday while at Grad I stood by a dorm dad from a different dorm who has become a good friend of mine over the past two years, and he said to me, "This is a very special place. Look at these kids, they are special." I enjoyed simply standing and watching the kids hug, interact and love on each other. They are very special.
The good news amongst all the heavy and sad emotions...I will be back here in 45 days getting ready to start another year!

The entire class up on stage

Hats in the air! It is official, they have graduated!!

The tears of good-byes are never easy, nor fun.

Even though they are graduating, doesn't mean we can't have a moment to be goofy!

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2010!

Tournament.

2010-05-27T03:54:00.009-04:00

I was just hanging out with my friend Adam and got to watch first hand what he does for a living. At one point while we were talking he made this claim which really got me thinking, “For me this would be a normal week, but because you are here it is more special and more memorable. This is more exciting because I get to share what I do with you.” That last part really stuck with me.

At times it is very difficult for me to share with you what I do. I so desperately wish I were able to fully and clearly communicate what these students mean to me. I wish I could accurately describe how much love I have for them, and how special they are to me. I wish you could hear their stories, see their smiles, feel their hugs. I wish I could share with you how special of a place this is. As the summer rolls around and I come back to the States, I hope to be able to talk with you about my time here at BFA. I hope you see the passion in my eyes, I hope you hear the excitement in my voice, and the purpose I feel when I am here. So many times I leave a conversation after having talked about the students here and I feel as though I didn’t do a good enough job of sharing how much I love them. But hopefully you get a small glimpse!
Honestly, I love being here at BFA. I love these students. They have the ability to put a smile on my face and joy in my heart. They educate me, challenge me, and encourage me. Yes, they also frustrate me, drain me, and annoy me, but I am okay with that.
These students are simply phenomenal. So allow me an opportunity to share with you what I do, and who I get to rub shoulders with on a daily basis.
I know I have put up a few posts recently talking about soccer, but I had to put up one more talking about our tournament. I also wanted to have one more opportunity to brag about our team. These girls are simply phenomenal. As I have said all year long, they are very talented on the field but the most impressive thing about them is their character, and who they are off the field. They are women of great character. Women who are caring, loving, hilarious and enjoyable to be around.

Tournament is the highlight of the season. We only play five or six regular season games, and have the ability to play three to six games during tournament. Not only is the week filled with a lot of soccer, but we left campus on Tuesday, and returned Saturday, making it a very short week for them academically. For me tournament is such a fun experience because we are away from school, away from the dorm, and away from everything ’normal’ and we get to be there as a team.
While at tournament we approached our last game of “group play” knowing if we won we would go through as the #1 seed. If we lost or tied, we would go through as the #2 seed. With about three minutes left in the game we were up 1-0, and feeling good. Unfortunately the ref gave a free kick about 20 yards away from our goal, and a girl stepped up and hit a gorgeous shot. Our goalie made a valiant effort, and tipped the ball so it hit the post, but unfortunately it hit the post, and bounced off her back, and into the goal. We tied 1-1, fell to the #2 seed, and were a bit down. The girls played very well and hustled all game. I was so proud of their effort and their enthusiasm throughout the whole game.
The next day we played in the quarterfinal match, the first of the “lose and go home” matches. We were paired against a team from Naples, Italy. Our girls fought hard the entire game and put forth a great effort. Twice during regulation we hit the post, and once their goalie made an unbelievable save, to keep us off the scoreboard. After 80 minutes of playing we were still tied 0-0, and went into overtime. With two minutes remaining in overtime one of their players hit a beautiful shot that barely flew over our goalie’s head and ended our season.
It was a heart-breaking way to end the season. We felt as though we were the better team, and played very well, we simply couldn’t buy a goal. A few times the ref looked over at us and seemed to say, “How have you not scored yet?” That’s just the way the ball was bouncing that day!
I walked off the field upset. Not as a result of the way we played, not because I felt we deserved to win, but I was upset and hurt, because I knew my girls were hurting. I could hear some sniffling, I could see the pain in their eyes, and I knew there were some devastated girls. Our seniors were disappointed that this is the way their BFA careers would end. Our Juniors were sad knowing this was their final game with the seniors. For many the end of the season signaled the end of relationships, the end of being a student at BFA, the end of many amazing memories.
I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to coach these girls this year. It was definitely new and different, but it was amazing. I anticipated practice daily with excitement and joy. I enjoyed getting to know the girls better, and interacting with them on and off the field.
The night our season ended I sat on the gym floor and looked around the gym at the girls. I wrote in my journal specific things I will miss about some of the seniors. I know I have mentioned how special these girls are, and it is because of who they are off the field. I wanted to finish this post with sharing a few things about some of the seniors.
(I will use their jersey numbers, to help keep some privacy)
#9
One of the best female athletes I have ever met, but also one of the most solid and devoted women of God I know. I will not soon forget waking up and seeing her already reading her Bible. I will miss watching the joy she plays with, and the energy she brings. She has challenged me by her questions, recently she asked me, “Do you think of God when you play soccer?” and “What does it look like to worship God on the soccer field?” These questions started a few great conversations I am extremely thankful for.
#6
She is a friend to everyone, and somebody you want by your side. She works hard, is dedicated, and has such a pure heart. She has shared with me her desire to become a medical missionary, and we have already talked about me bringing a group of youth to come down and help her out when she is on the mission field. The questions she asks reveal her maturity. I know she has made those around her better people, simply because of who she is.
#12
Though a bit of an odd ball at times, she is such a joy and happy person to be around. She will always force you to be on your toes, and will always leave you laughing and smiling. I don’t claim to understand everything she does, but that is part of who she is. I have often thought, “can you change someone’s day by making them smile and laugh?” After interacting with her, I know the answer is a resounding YES, because she has done that for me time and time again.

Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout the season. It was a GREAT season full of many memories and fun times. I am very proud of what the girls were able to accomplish on the field, but am even more impressed by who they are, and what they do off the field.
Below are some pictures from tournament. I hope you enjoy the pictures and have been able to get a small glimpse of what I do here, and who I get to interact with.

Blessings from Germany.
Tommy

A few of the girls on the sideline getting ready for our
first game.

The final warm up sprints before the game begins. We ended up winning this game 2-0.

One night we were blessed by being treated to a Mexican restaurant. It was a
a great time to go out as a team and have fun at the restaurant.

I think the girls had bigger eyes than their stomachs could handle! I was asked to finish off quite a few plates, but couldn't do it. Here I am hanging out with one of our seniors at the restaurant.

After dinner we had a competition to see who could hop on one leg the longest. I was winning, so a few girls decided to poke me and try and distract me. Pretty cheap tactics on their part, but when one of them accidentally slapped me in the face, while the other poked me in the eye, I caved and was defeated.

Hannah is one of our seniors on the team, and was also one of our captains. She and I went to Kenya together last year and have been good friends since then. This year she played sweeper and was a solid anchor on defense.

Steph and Jess are two of our captains as well. These two were selected to the all-tournament team which is quite an accomplishment.

JSB

2010-05-14T04:05:00.008-04:00

Last Friday BFA held its' annual Junior-Senior Banquet (JSB). Essentially this is our version of the high school prom. Even though the event takes place in a single night the preparations for JSB start weeks in advance. You see, the guys here do not simply walk up to a girl and ask her if she would like to go to JSB with him, they go ALL OUT. We had one guy bake a cake, and using the frosting he decorated the top to resemble the Ethiopian flag (her 'home' country). We had two guys leave a scavenger hunt for their dates to follow, and the guys were at the final spot with hot chocolate, roses, and a blanket for a picnic. Perhaps my favorite of this season was one I got to help out with. I along with a student inflated over 250 balloons (all by hand) and filled a girl's room waist high with balloons. When she got home from school he was hiding under the balloons, with roses, ready to pop out and ask her to JSB.

The actual event is put on by the Juniors, for the Senior class. The Junior class is responsible for coming up with a theme, preparing the decorations, and hosting the night. The Juniors of each dorm are also responsible for putting together a 'senior tribute.' I helped our Juniors put together a video for our seniors that hopefully had a healthy balance of humor and appreciation. Each dorm's tribute was unique in its own way, which is cool to witness the different personalities each dorm has.
All in all it was a great evening, and a lot of fun. It is always hilarious watching the guys get ready as they are swapping shirts, ties, belts, scrambling for dress socks and dress shoes. Perhaps the most entertaining part of the night is watching the guys anxiously wait for their dates to arrive. The guys all stood in a semi-circle and waited for their date's dorm to arrive, hoping she was in the van. If she was, the butterflies went ecstatic. If she wasn't, they calmed down until the next van pulled in and it started all over again!
Here are some pictures from the night...

Here are a few of the guys standing and waiting for their dates to arrive. Unfortunately the picture doesn't completely capture the scene, but I tried.

This is Ben, Stacey, Becca and Josh. Ben and Josh are in my dorm, and Stacey and Becca are across the street at Blauen.

Daniel, John, Me, Trevor.
I call these guys my "three stooges" they are commonly in my room hanging
out and talking. The four of us have enjoyed watching the TV show NCIS together this year. As each episode ends, we all stand and wait for the credits, once they start rolling and the music plays, we all start dancing. Completely pointless, yet absolutely hilarious.

These are three of our captains for the soccer team this year.

Here is a group shot of all the Sonne Juniors and Seniors. We actually clean up pretty well!

Simply adorable.

Next week I will be traveling with the soccer team for our year end tournament! We are all excited about the tournament and feel as though we have a good chance at winning the whole tournament. It is hard to believe the season is almost over, it will be sad when it ends, but I am thankful and blessed for every day of the season.

Thank you for checking out my blog. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

Tommy

Lyon...the adventure

2010-05-06T14:26:00.015-04:00

Some of the best memories I have from my childhood center around the times in which my dad took me to a professional sports game. Everything from going to the Bradley Center to watch Vin Baker, Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson and the Milwaukee Bucks. Or going to Milwaukee County Stadium back to back nights to see Robin Yount get his 2,998 and 2,999 career hits (Philip and I stayed home the third night, when Robin got number 3,000). These events of course, barely compare to the thrill of going to Lambeau Field to watch Reggie White and Brett Favre.
Knowing how special these memories are to me, and how much they stick out in my mind - I came to BFA hoping to allow a few of my students to experience something similar. Of course, over here there are not many sports other than soccer. As a soccer fanatic, I really cannot complain. With this in mind, a little over a month ago I purchased four tickets to a soccer game to be played in Lyon, France.

Following the purchase of the tickets I invited three students to go along with me. I asked Josh, one of the seniors here at Sonne, an avid soccer fan, Stephanie, an excellent soccer player and one of our captains this year, and I took Jessica, another great soccer player who is planning on playing in college next year, and another one of our team's captains.
Naturally, like any good adventure we worked the system and left school around 2pm (they missed their final two classes, which they weren't too bummed about), and we set off for a great time. It took us close to four hours to get to the city of Lyon, and then we began the grand task of trying to find a place to park. Apparently Europeans do not believe in massive parking lots like many stadiums in the States. Therefore we drove around the town for a good half hour until we found a place to park. We almost parked on the sidewalk like many other people were doing, but I felt a little uneasy about this - so we drove until we found a stop light that had a nice grass patch on one of the corners. The little grassy nook proved to be a great place to park the car!
The game itself was very intense and exciting. Lyon went down 1-0 early, but got a penalty kick right before halftime to tie the score 1-1. To the delight of the home crowd Lyon dominated in the second half, but couldn't seem to get the go ahead goal. In fact, twice in the second half alone, Lyon hit the post! As the game progressed the tension thickened. At the start of the game Lyon were in 5th place, hoping to move into 3rd in order to solidify a spot in the Champions League next year. AJ Auxerre were in 2nd, hoping to win and have a shot at winning the league, but definitely wanting to finish in the top three. Finally with about 9 minutes left in the game Lyon scored a goal, to put them up 2-1. This made the final minutes of the game extra exciting as AJ Auxerre were pushing forward hoping to net the equalizer. However, they came up short, and Lyon won 2-1.

Going to the game was definitely amazing and a great time, it is my hope that I was able to produce for them a memory similar to what my dad provided me with. As we all know sometimes the best memory is not the event itself, but all the subplots that go along with it...
Following the game we exited the stadium and quickly realized we couldn't remember where we parked. At this point the drizzling rain had increased to a steady fall, leaving us lost, wet, and cold. We walked around the city of Lyon for close to 90 minutes before we finally arrived back at the car. I was pretty stressed, annoyed at myself, and frustrated. Even though we were in a dismal situation I was blessed to hear their laughter, and to listen to them talk and sing as we tried to look for familiar buildings.
By the time we reached the car it was close to 11.00 and we were finally ready to get on the road and head back to Germany. I had done my research and printed off directions, but also brought along a GPS system "just in case." Well... never underestimate the worth of a GPS system, but at the same time don't underestimate the ability of a GPS system to throw you on some random roads.
After about an hour of driving we started to see signs for Geneva, Milan, and Zurich. Soon enough we found ourselves crossing into Switzerland, and wandering through downtown Geneva. Again, I was a little frustrated, but extremely blessed as I heard all three people saying, "Woah, this is a cool city!" "I've never been here before, we should come back sometime!"
After we got back on the autobahn and had a solid 45 minutes of driving under our belt I heard the quote of the night, we were still a little uncertain as to where we were and I heard someone say, "What country are we in? Are we still in Switzerland or did we get back into France?"

Overall it was a phenomenal trip, with a few more twists and turns, and exciting stories I won't mention. While it is fun to tell the stories from the adventure, the best aspect of the trip for me was the time I had to connect with each student. We were together for a little over 13 hours, and throughout that time I had the ability to talk one-on-one with each person for at least an hour, some much more. Conversations varied from soccer tips/strategy, mission trips, thoughts about college, family, and more.
While driving back I made one person sit up front with me and keep me awake, but I made them take shifts so that I could have the opportunity to talk to all of them.

I was blessed to have had the ability to spend a night with these amazing students. These three are absolutely incredible and it was quite the adventure. I really hope that this night was a night they will remember fondly in the years to come. I hope this night is a memory they will cherish. My hope is that together we created a memory that will enable us to email each other in five years and say, "remember that time we couldn't find our car in Lyon!"

Stephanie, Tommy, Jess
They wouldn't let me take my camera into the stadium, so we took pictures after the game, outside the gate! Not only are these two great soccer players, they are incredible people. I love interacting with them and have immensely enjoyed coaching them this year.

Josh could never keep his eyes open during the pictures, so I had to give him a little help.

Wet, cold, tired, but relieved when we finally got back to the car.

Soccer

2010-04-29T06:01:00.005-04:00

In just a few minutes I am heading out for the next couple of days for away soccer games! It will be quite an exciting and eventful weekend. Here is what our schedule looks like:
Thursday:
2.30 - Leave campus and drive to Ansbach.
9.00 - Arrive at the school, eat dinner, set up in the gym, and get ready for bed.
11.30 - Lights out - it will be a busy and tiring weekend.
Friday:
7.00 - After sleeping on the floor for the night we need to wake up and vacate the gym because the school will need the gym for their classes.
8.00 - Out of the gym and eating breakfast.
10.00 - The Varsity guys play the first game of the day.
11.45 - The varsity girls follow the guys.
1.30 - The JV boys will play the final day of the game.
Unfortunately Ansbach does not have a girls JV team, so they are unable to play on Friday.
4.00 - We will load up the bus, grab a quick bite to eat, and drive down to Patch.
9.00 - Hopefully by this time we will arrive at Patch, set up in the gym, and get some sleep.
11.00 - Lights out. Sleep will be a welcomed friend.

Saturday:
8.00 - We get to sleep in a little! Though there won't be much sleep as we are once again on a gym floor.
9.00 - Breakfast, cereal, muffins, bananas. Nothing spectacular, but enough to fill the stomach for a little while.
10.00 - The girls JV start the day.
11.30 - The guys JV follow.
1.30 - The guys varsity play.
3.00 - The girls varsity finish off the games for the weekend.
5.15 - All the games are done, we are showered, and starting to make our way to the food court, and load up the bus.
10.30 - Arrive back at BFA.

Though hard to communicate via a blog, I am very excited about this weekend. It will be a lot of fun, a great experience and an opportunity for the students to be away from school and be with their teams. I have LOVED coaching the girls this year. They are simply phenomenal and it has been a joy to work with them. Our varsity team is 2-0 so far, and are hoping to be 4-0 after the weekend. Our game on Saturday could prove to be our toughest game of the regular season. We don't want to look past our game on Friday, but we are all itching to play on Saturday.
This morning I finally got around to getting pictures from our last game off my camera and onto my camera - so I will finish this post with a few pictures from our last game.
Enjoy!

Faithful

2010-04-22T17:03:00.003-04:00

I know I am a nerd at times. Small things that are somewhat dorky, really intrigue me. One of the examples I have of this; on my internet browser one of the tabs I regularly visit is dictionary.com. Why? Because every now and then I will come across a word that I typically use in everyday conversation, but I have the desire to figure out what the precise definition is. This morning I heard the word 'faithful' thrown around quite a bit and had to visit my trusty website to get a closer look, this is what I found:
- true to one's word, promises, vows, etc.
- steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant
- reliable, trusted, or believed

Why did I find the word faithful exciting this morning? Because in the third chapter of the second letter to the Thessalonians Paul writes, "And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."
Paul is stating that God is true to his word. He is constant, loyal, steady in his allegiance. We can rely on him, he can be trusted and believed.
What amazing characteristics! What amazing truth.

This verse was brought to my attention when I got to hear the report of what God did through one of the mission teams BFA sent out over spring break. It was a joy to sit back and hear about how our student's, and leader's, lives were changed when God proved himself faithful.

Even though I did not go on a mission trip this year, I wanted to post a few pictures I gathered from the trips that went out a few weeks ago. I am so proud of our students for the work they did, and have been so encouraged to hear about the growth that occurred as a result of these trips. Above all, I have been blessed to hear from many students, who went to varying countries, of God's faithfulness.

These kids are amazing, I love them so much, and am blessed to be here with them. Thank you for all you do.

Blessings from Germany.

Tommy