Buckle up and grab a hot cup of coffee or a glass of cold lemonade, as this update has a lot of info regarding our past few months at BFA and our future plans…

Third Annual BFA Ceramics Student Show - Heimat und Keramik Museum Kandern Connection

This year marked the third annual BFA student art show hosted at the Heimat und Keramik Museum here in Kandern. Months of preparations went into the information / idea generating part of the class work and then making the artworks that were put up in the show. It was apparent that the students were proud of their art work and were happy to be able to share their art in the museum for the community to see. Kristen put together an amazing spread for the food table to provide hospitality to the guests that came to see the work during the opening. Many individuals from the community volunteered to help run the show and arrange the music performed by BFA students. We have been so grateful to the museum and the city of Kandern as they continue to support the connection with BFA. As we transition out of working at BFA, this connection will continue with the new ceramics teacher (a good friend and coworker who has been teaching the drawing and painting classes the past two years).

Above are some photographs from the opening on April 27th. The art show will remain open through June 5th.

Heimat und Keramik Museum Kandern has been posting individual phots of each of the artworks along with the artist statements. Check out the instagram page for more posts about the student art show and also the other exhibit that is currently showing at the museum.

This year, the art show was featured in a local newspaper as well. You can click this link to see the article (it can be translated on your web browser once you open it up).

Ceramics Room Updates

We are nearing the end of the school year! This semester I’ve been teaching two sections of ceramics 1, ceramics 2, ceramics 3, and 5th grade art. As we come closer to the end, these are the projects we are currently working on.

Ceramics 1 - The final project is a combination of two things; an inspiration from a visual artist and the student’s own theme. We begin making our final projects this week and will use 8 work days to complete them. It has been a great semester for both classes and the students have been making some amazing projects!

Ceramics 2 - Students are wrapping up their mugs and object replica projects, then we’ll move on to making their final projects. Students are to make a project based on their influences in life. This section has been the largest I’ve had of ceramics 2 since teaching at BFA, so we run a rotation schedule where half are working on the pottery wheels and the other half are hand-building with clay at the tables.

Ceramics 3 - This week students are finishing their tea pots. We’ll be using these on the last day of class for a tea party critique on their final projects. For this final level of ceramics, I have an open studio approach where students will be deciding how they want to demonstrate what they have learned and how they have developed as an artist through the three levels of ceramics they have taken. They have written and sketched out proposals for what they will make and will use the remaining part of the school year to create their projects.

5th Grade Art - Our last project has been a relief sculpture where students have been drawing and carving onto a flat piece of clay about the size of a paper. These can be hung on a wall like a painting! (It’s been fun having Joelle and her classmates as my students this year!)

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Recent student artwork completed by the various ceramics students at BFA.

Health Office Update

In order to help our family with the transition to the States, I’ve switched from my role as part-time nurse to being a health office nurse volunteer this spring. This has allowed for more support and stability on the “home-team” as we have started to organize, pack, and manage some of the details that come with a moving a family overseas.

I’ve been able to continue to serve some students, whom I have been a case manager for, and will finish out the year with them. In the spring, our office provided on-site medical support during the home soccer games and the track and field event.

BFA students are on homestretch for the school year now- to offer some encouragement, our health office provided some refreshments; lemonade & cookies for the high schoolers and popsicles for the middle schoolers… along with some “prescriptions of encouragement” cards for students and staff. :)

Small Group Update

It has been such a joy going to various sports events, concerts, the art-show and to cheer on my senior small group girls during these events. They will be launching off to college in a few weeks (to the States and in Europe). We only have two small groups left before the end of their school year.

What an honor and joy it has been for Emily (my co-leader) and I to walk with these girls, encourage & grow with them, study the Bible, do meals, build relationship, and cheer them on while they are figuring out some of their interests and giftings. Recently, two of my small group girls were guest speakers at the Middle School Chapel. They spoke about joy (lasting joy) and John 16:33, where Jesus says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. How neat to see them share these truths with others (including our middle-school daughter, Joelle!)

Emily and I have prayed for and wanted our small group space to be one where they can feel comfortable to bring up questions, conversations and know that they are loved…and to remember that they are loved beyond BFA. Some of our students here have dealt with so much change in cultures, meeting new friends and leaving old friends, moving to new homes, and have felt a lot of loss. How encouraging it is to know that our constant is Jesus, amidst all of the change and seasons of life.

Family Update

Out on our traditional Sunday afternoon walk. (Kandern as seen from one of the hills nearby in the background.)

Big news! We are moving to Duluth, Minnesota this summer! Jameson recently accepted a full-time position at Lake Superior College and will be teaching ceramics and photography. Thank you for praying for a job! He is thrilled about this opportunity of teaching higher education in these subjects!

On July 18th, we will be flying to Minnesota and will land in the Twin Cities, which will be our base for a while. We are looking into housing options in the Duluth area, as Jameson’s job begins mid-August.

We are looking forward to connecting with our friends and partners in the Twin Cities and surrounding area! Our turn-around time of landing and getting our family settled will be a little crunched, so it may be a while before we can connect with our supporting churches and partners in ministry in person, but we are excited to see you and thank you in person for being a part of the ministry here in Kandern.

Nathan’s last day of Kindergarten will be on July 4th. He has loved his preschool experience at the Holzen Storchennest and will be starting Kindergarten in Minnesota this fall. Recently, a high-light for him has been having goats and chickens at the preschool. In a week, or so, the kids should be seeing some little chicks hatch out of their eggs. Now, he would love for us to move to a farm with goats and chickens in Minnesota…

Kara has had a great first year of elementary school and has made some new sweet friendships. She (and Amber ) will also finish the school year at CSK on July 4th. Some highlights for her this year has been learning how to read, write and all of the creative arts classes including singing, dance, and marble track building. If she finds something around the house, or out on the street that has been thrown out, she desperately wants to include it in her creative marble courses.

Amber is finishing up third grade and has also built some deep friendships with some of the girls in her class. A highlight for Amber this year has been playdates and celebrating birthdays with her friends. Amber also loves to cook, bake and will often join me in the kitchen making meals or coming up with her own unique creations. When she asks to make lunch at home or when we attend potlucks, Amber generally adds her famous candy-salad to the mix…which includes mixing a variety of candy in a bowl, turning it into “candy salad”-it’s a big hit. :)

Joelle’s school year wraps up in just four weeks. She has loved being a part of intramural sports, playing violin & piano, also being in the middle school play and all things art- and cat- related. Most of her power-point presentations included pictures of cats hidden into the slides or appearing with animated special effects. Her class has become very close this year- as one of her friends said. “We are all very different but fit together like a puzzle”.

Supporter Update Letter from ReachGlobal - End of Service

Below is a letter many of you should have received. It was sent out to anyone that has given financially over the past year. This gives some particulars regarding giving and our ministry account as we end our service at BFA and with EFCA ReachGlobal. You can read a PDF of the letter by clicking this link. Thank you to all of you for your prayers and financial support over these three years!

Prayer Requests

Finishing out the school year well- for our family, all staff, and students.
Jameson and I are juggling a lot on both sides of the world right now, which need our attention. Please pray for wisdom, patience, and endurance.
For our kids, to be able to soak up the special moments with their friends and also as they process all of the emotions that come along with this transition.
Please pray for the Ceramic Museum Art Show to have a lasting impact on people in the community; to be a light, and to inspire some great conversations.
Please pray for Jameson’s dad, Jim, and his health.
Praise God for Jameson’s job offer in Duluth! Please continue to pray for housing and other details to come together in God’s timing. He has provided for us in more ways than we could have imagined.