Jesus said, ”Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

BFA Celebrates Christmas:

Middle school and high school choir - Christmas concert.

 

Christmas cookies dormatory style.

 

Christmas Caroling - BFA elementary school kids in the town of Sitzenkirch!

 

Students enjoying being outside after the season’s first snow fall.

    

 

 

Home for Christmas Break!

At Christmas break all of the dorm students return home to their families in the four corners of the world.  We as a family went to the U.S.A. for Christmas break.  We attended the wedding of Bob’s niece and celebrated Christmas with Bob’s side of the family, who had come down to Florida for the wedding.  

 

The Bride and Groom: Spring & Sean!

 

At the wedding:  Bob’s brother-in-laws Jimmy and Danny, Marshall, Bob & his dad, Bob’s Brother Blair and his son Zachary. 

  

    Bob and his mom, “Miss New Jersey 2009″.

    

 

Alison, Sue, Grammy, and Hannah. 

 

Bob & the most beautiful woman in the universe!

 

Bob with Miss Indiana and Miss Germany!  (Hey it’s my blog site!)

Bob and his sister Janet, Dad, sister Kathy, and brother Blair at Kathy’s family beach house.

 

 

Hannah and Alison with cousin Zachary!

 

 

Marshall with his cousin Justin’s dog Rusty.

 

 

The weather was warm in Florida and the time we spent together there with family was precious.  We had not seen Alison since last Christmas when she came to visit us in Germany a whole year ago.  Being together, with her, as a family was our greatest Christmas gift.  She was able to be with us for three weeks before returning to Taylor University in Indiana, and then on to Paraguay for the month of January. (More about that next time!)  For New Year’s we travelled to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to visit with Sue’s sister Lois and family.  The weather there was drastically different from Florida.  The temperatures remained below freezing and there was some light snow.  Lois and Earl, and their son Justin blessed us with fires in the fire place and their own B&B version of southern hospitality.  We made lots of memories and are so thankful for the way that God provided for us and the safety He gave us in all of our travels.  It was so great to see family and spend the holidays with them.

Ya-Hoo! 

 

Now 2009, and Back to School!

 

Home girls and guys basketball games:

 

 

 

Wednesday evening Bible study groups (Sue and Carol and their girls!).

 

Senior High skate nite (at a local arena).

 

Hannah and some of her senior girl friends. 

 

Middle school chapel band practice.  Sue and another mom on staff got the middle school chapel band off and running this school year.  Right from the start there was a lot of enthusiasm and participation and they really sound great!  They practice twice per week and lead worship for chapel on Fridays.

 

 

 

 

Bob got back to working on the Palmgarten dormatory expansion project.  He and his coleague, Brad have been working side by side with the German contractors since November, installing lots of insulation and wall board.  The contractors will soon be finished with their work and the spackling and painting will be up to Bob and Brad, with the help of a couple of work teams that are scheduled to come from the USA. BFA hopes to move in a dorm full of boys in Aug 2009!