jill.musick

This week at All Staff Conference, Phil Peters (BFA’s interim director) talked about the time Jesus fed the 5,000 men that came out to hear him preach. He examined the story in such a way that gave us a new perspective.

He speculated that the disciples probably looked at the little kid’s lunch and imagined dividing it among the crowds. Just dividing it among the disciples might leave one with half a Brötchen (German word for roll) and a fish tail. That disciple would take it to his assigned crowd and begin to hand it out – “Now don’t take to much – you can get a breadcrumb . . . and maybe a strand from this fish tail.”

Without Jesus, that’s as much sustenance as the crowds could have gotten from that boy’s lunch. Jesus changes everything. Instead of getting a couple measly crumbs, the crowds ate until they were fully satisfied!

Phil left us with an easy way to remember that God is working even when things seem impossible. Here it is: M&M – Means and Might. We are the means, God is the might.

Last night I was praying for the orchestras and wondering what they would look like this year. I realized that when I stepped into BFA last fall, God handed me a small Brötchen and a piece of fish, my two lovely orchestra girls first semester. I looked at them and wondered how I could call them an orchestra, just as the disciples wondered how they could call that a meal for over 5000 people.

We had 5 kids second semester (plus 2 more who came when they could).  That was the beginning of growth.

This year we have 3 orchestras. Each one may be small, but it looks to me like Jesus is taking that little lunch and turning it into a feast for the crowds.

The crowds may have come to satisfy their own bellies, the REAL reason Jesus fed them was to show them that He is the Bread of Life. He alone can provide eternal food. It is my prayer that these orchestras will not merely be places of musical growth, but of spiritual growth.

Furthermore, as people see these orchestras grow, I pray that they will not think “Wow, look at what that music teacher did” but “Wow, look at how God did the impossible at BFA.” Feeding 5000 people is not a magic trick; it’s God’s might working through the means of the disciples and the boy’s lunch. Creating an orchestra is not something that I can do. I trust that if  God wants me to be His means, He will be my might.

I’m willing. Pass the Brötchen!

Teachers at BFA are required to get ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) training and certification. As part of the  certification process, we have to read 5 books and write a paper. Throughout last school year, I plugged through the books. This week I finally sat down to write the paper! The wonderfully vague prompt was as follows: “Write approximately six typed pages on your personal understanding of the crucial elements of a Christian philosophy of education.”

Here it is, should you care to read it. If you don’t want to read it, just celebrate with me that it is done!

ACSI philosophy paper

I’ve barely landed back in Germany, and I’m jumping right back into the swing of things!

Visit!

Abby (my friend from high school) and Chris (her boyfriend) came to visit, which was really exciting. I got to show them around town, and we hung out and did silly things.

We found this toilet sitting outside someone's house. It was Sperrmuell time!

Chris (evil masked bandit) tied Abby (helpless maiden) to the train tracks. Creepy!

Redecorating

Rachel and I decided we wanted to make our bedrooms more homey. We wanted them to feel like our own, and we didn’t exactly feel that way by using whatever linens we could gather from the various hiding places in the house. I for one never felt like my bed was quite my own when sleeping under a bright orange and red duvet cover. I prefer more subtle colors, like blue. I like blue. I had tried covering the orange with my blue fleece blanket, but it never quite worked.

So Rachel and I went to Lörrach with Andrea Field; she originally took us there to look in a fun little jewelry shop, but when she found out we were looking for new duvet covers she helped us find a place that sold some for a reasonable price. We found some that matched our rooms perfectly! And it’s hard to match my room perfectly because my walls are yellow and lavender. Strange, I know, but I kind of like the yellow. It reminds me of sunshine, which is good because we don’t see much of the real stuff in the winter.

I like my bed now! It even matches my map of Europe and the random giraffe poster from the elementary school!

The chair on the left was previously in the living room, but now it actually matches my room! This half of the room looks great - you just can't see the yellow wall from that side.

Hiking

I hiked up to Hoch Blauen yesterday, because what would a weekend be without a hike up a mountain? There were some hang gliders up there; I think it must have been a Verein (club).

Hang gliders preparing to fly

This hang glider takes off. Free as a bird!

After watching 3 men launch their gliders, I sat down to read a book while roasting my arms and legs in the sun. There were clusters of them floating around in the air – every time I looked up from my book I saw another!

They floated around for a couple hours. Must be a great view up there.

Reading

My relaxing reading started on the plane with All Quiet on the Western Front. I finished that up on the mountain. Yesterday I went to the local bookstore and ordered the German version of the same book (it was originally written in German). It’s called Im Westen Nichts Neues (Nothing new in the West). They didn’t have that in stock, but they did have a kids’ book I wanted! I had grown up reading the Three Investigators series, and there’s a German version – Die Drei ??? (The Three Question Marks).

Die Drei Fragezeichen (The 3 Question Marks): Feuer in Rocky Beach (Fire in Rocky Beach)

It’s a kids’ version – 8 years old and up! I can understand everything, though I have to look up a few words in each paragraph. I’m making significant headway – I’m already on page 55!

Church

In some churches, you go away and come back and nobody notices you’re gone. I didn’t feel that way today when I stepped into the FeG Kandern. They noticed I was back, although I think part of the reason was that I was interviewed for the church newsletter, “Pinnwand.” Just before leaving Germany, the pastor’s wife had sent me a questionnaire, which I filled out in German and sent back to her that week. She proofread it, and the edition of Pinnwand was published last week. Several people came up to me today to comment on it or to thank me for playing violin in the service.

Here's my interview. If you can read German, click on the picture to make it bigger. If not, read the translation below.

Here’s a rough translation of my interview:

My name is Jill Musick and I play music! I was born on October 29 near Chicago. After my graduation from Wheaton College in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music Education, I came to Kandern. I direct the orchestra and give violin, viola, and cello lessons at Black Forest Academy. I’ve been coming to FeG Kandern since August 2009. I am happy to come to church and feel comfortable here.

1. What have you laughed about recently?

I laugh every day! Sometimes I laugh at the jokes of other teachers, my students, and Brian Regen, but I mostly laugh at myself. For example: Last week I painted while climbing, did oil changes, and played Tuba. Funny, isn’t it?

2. With whom and why would you change places for a week – just for fun?

I would like to change places with a Gelber Sack factory worker. I am curious what happens with the yellow sacks each month! [Note: Gelber Sacks are the recycling bags here]

3. Can you remember how you came to Christ?

I became a Christian as a child. Every evening my parents read the Bible to my brothers and me. We discussed the Bible and I understood the Gospel from an early age.

4. What is your pet peeve?

I can’t stand it when people chew with their mouths open.

5. What book, besides the Bible, has especially helped you grow as a person?

“One Thing you Can’t Do in Heaven” by Mark Cahill, and “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis

6. Where is your favorite place to sit in the church service?

I like to sit in the middle – near enough to see everything.

7. What would you do if you had an unexpected free evening?

I would go for a hike, play violin, and read a good book.

8. Who is a role model in the faith for you and why?

My parents. They have shown me how to live their whole lives for Christ, not for themselves.

9. What do only a few people know about you?

I’m planning to run a marathon in September. [I think lots of people in the US already knew that, but I hadn’t really told anyone in the church. The subject just didn’t come up.]

10. What is your greatest dream for the future?

To follow God with my whole heart, wherever He leads.

11. Do you have any tips on how to make prayer and Bible reading more interesting?

Pray in a group. Listen to God. Wait on God, don’t be hasty. Memorize Bible verses so you can always reflect on God’s Word. If you don’t feel God, know that He is there, whether or not you feel Him.

12. What would you do with a million Euros?

I would set up a scholarship for MKs so they could study at American colleges & universities.

13. What makes you happy?

I’m content with the small things: Spending time with friends, hiking with friends, books, music, smiling, laughing, animals, etc.

14. Whom would you like to say a special “thank you” in this space?

My parents, but they don’t understand German and aren’t here! [although now they can read this] I think God for my parents. I think God that He brought me here.

15. Which of these questions was the hardest for you to answer and why was this so?

No. 2 because I’m already happy. I want to stay in my own life. Also No. 1 because I always laugh, but I don’t know why!

To my family and friends: I just want to express my appreciation for all the time and prayers you have invested in me. I feel unworthy of all the amazingly supportive friends I have! God has truly blessed me with lasting relationships. Thank you for sharing my summer and making it rich.

The summer was full of conversations; you all touched me and helped me process my thoughts and emotions as I spent my first summer “visiting” my “home.” Whether it was a 5 minute conversation in which you asked me “How’s Germany?” or a 10-hour talk about major decisions, I appreciated your time and I wish we could have had more! Each person allowed me to view my experiences in a different light, so I am grateful for each and every one of you.

Mom, Dad, David, Erich, Ellen, Buddy (!), the Kunzeman family, Katie R., Dan S., Summer H., Shannon & Eddie E., Kristin K., Carol K., Jenny,  Lauren C.,  Rachel R., Debbie R.,  Dr. & Linda  J., Julia L., Betty & Grant T., Lana G., Kristi S., Viki P., Suzanne & Isaac M., Abigail R., Josh H., Jodi H., Kristin D., Katie H., Peggy & Mike M., Christina & Drew H., Mert & Byron T., Carly & Matt F., Mike B., Leah B., Dave M., JJ B., Ryan R., Andrea & Renee & Elise R., Jeff C., Heather E., Nick W., Tim S.,  Lily, Bethany E., Jordan H., Dan & Jen B., Sarah & Drew B., Dan & Jane M., Aaron B., Nick & Angel C., Stacia G., Nicole W.,  Trevor W., Mark R. Lisa V., Rayanna M., Davidsmeiers, John H., Mike H., Scott A., Shelley A., Jim R., The rest of my Grace Church family, Rich E. & the other Tuesday night runners.

Thank you for asking, and thank you for listening. Thank you also for bringing me up to speed on events in your life; in some ways I feel like I never left (except I just experienced a whole year in 5 weeks). If I had a conversation with you and nothing coherent came out of my mouth, it is probably because I had already used my quota of words for the day. This summer was exhausting, yet incredibly rewarding.

I’m thankful for all the places I’ve been this summer:

• West Chicago (Home sweet home!!)
• Decatur, IL
• Warren Dunes in Michigan
• Friendship, WI (college retreat)
• Rockford, IL
• Wichita, KS
• Evanston, IL
• Milwaukee, WI

Family - it was good to be home.

David jumps off the dune in Michigan

Sunrise at the lake in Wisconsin (college group retreat)

Suzanne & Isaac - wedding in Wichita

German fest in Milwaukee

Connection, relaxation, and some play time. That was my summer.

People say that reverse culture shock (the cultural differences you experience when you return to your home culture) is often worse than your initial culture shock. Travelers come home expecting everything to be comfortable and natural, just the way they remember it. Instead, they find that they notice things they never noticed before.

Here are a few of the things about life in the USA that I notice with annoyance or appreciate more than I did before:

• Free water at restaurants
• Free public toilets
• Spicy food, especially Mexican
• Louder restaurants
• The ability to be loud in public without feeling weird
• Wearing athletic clothing and PJs while doing anything other than working out (like grocery shopping) is considered normal
• Cashiers actually bag your groceries for you… in plastic grocery bags! (unless you go to Aldi and shop German-style)
• Thrift stores have really cheap clothes and lots of fun junk (German resale shops are more expensive)
• Garage sales (I think I did see a yard sale once in Kandern, but maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. The closest thing would normally be the flea markets)
• Quarters, nickels, dimes, pennies…. but no $1 or $2 coins (Silver dollars do exist, but I almost never see them)
• Wide open blue skies (Flat Illinois vs. cloudy Kandern tucked away in the foothills of the Alps)
• Wider roads
• Slower speed limits
• Bad traffic (why haven’t we figured out how to use roundabouts yet?)
• Bad drivers (ok, so there are some scary drivers in Germany too, but they all paid 2000 Euros to get training for their licenses, so I trust them a little more even when they zoom past me on a country road)
• No castles or 20-minute excursions to another country
• I can understand (almost) everything I hear and read, including snippets of Spanish
• It’s ok to walk on people’s grass and climb trees in the park
• There are fewer beautiful gardens but more expansive lawns
• Less complicated garbage/recycling system (I had a piece of plastic food packaging and I automatically started looking for a Gelber Sack
• US Letter size paper looks short and fat compared to A4 paper
• Handshakes occur less frequently here – primarily when you’re meeting someone for the first time

Last week’s Summer Work Week adventures were full of movement and labor. This week, however, my challenges are more of a mental nature. The challenges range from mental overload to unbearable boredom.

That's where I'm working this week!

Mental overload example: While I’m sorting mail, a person stops by the front office to pick something up. While helping that person, the phone rings. I speak in German with the person on the phone while trying to remember where the packages in my hand are going and what the person is doing standing in the office.

On the left is the window where people come and ask me questions. On the counter below the window is lots of useful information, such as staff contact info. To the right of center is the computer on which I answer random emails. In the bottom right corner is the phone from which I connect callers to people throughout the whole building.

This is the view a visitor has. Picture me sitting in that chair with a welcoming smile on my face. In the background is the counter on which I sort packages and mail for staff, students, and random people who are somehow connected with the school.

Boredom example: I already sorted the mail for the day, cleaned everything twice, made coffee, answered all the emails, opened and closed the blinds just for fun, and no one has called for half an hour. I have another hour to kill. Good thing I have a spinny chair!

Yes, I do spin in this chair. (By the way, you can see the handy garbage and recycling bins on the left).

My first summer work week was an eclectic hodge-podge of odd jobs. BFA’s unique way of providing affordable Christian international education means that staff members become Jack-of-all-trades, or in my case, Jill-of-all-trades!

Last Monday, I started off the work week in the Maintenance department. Kurt Strietzel was in charge of a group of 4 of us. He trained us to help him with oil changes. He’s leaving for 6 months, so he wanted to change the oil (and the filters) and check over every singe school vehicle before leaving… that means he tackled 28 oil changes in 2 weeks, along with several other miscellaneous repairs.

To make the process move along more quickly, the 4 of us filled oil containers, dumped dirty oil into the barrel in the garage, set up the ramps, found the correct filter for each vehicle, checked all the lights in the cars, checked the tire pressure, labeled the # of km till next oil change, poured in more windshield washer fluid, checked the brake fluid level, and drove cars in and out of the garage.

Monday, we worked with Kurt and did about 3-4 cars (I forget now). Tuesday, the team at Sitzenkirch (elementary school) needed more painters, so Alyssa (art teacher) and I painted the gym white. Wednesday, we were back at Maintenance. We did 7 oil changes! Thursday, Alyssa and I went back to Sitz and did another coat of paint in the gym. We also helped move bookshelves from the old library into the new library. On Friday, we moved a bunch of books onto the newly placed bookshelves.

Kurt gave Alyssa this paint suit to keep her clothes clean. Trendy, isn't it?

Alyssa paints the first coat on the gym wall.

I could have used the ladder, but then where would I have put the paint brush and tray? Ok, I admit it, I really just wanted an excuse to climb the wall.

We filled the library shelves with many armloads of books.

We moved this large pressboard desk down a flight of stairs. We had to be careful because it is heavy and fragile. Fortunately, the desk retained its proper shape, and so did those carrying it!