Springtime.

Spring is here. Praise the Lord. It's sunny, warm, fragrant, and oh so green.

As much as I love spring and the hope it brings of sunnier days and time with friends and family who have been far away, it is crazy busy here at BFA. I want to count the days and hours I have with my girls and make the most of every moment but sometimes it feels like all I can do is hold on.

We had our spring break here one month ago. Every year BFA offers missions trips for the first week of spring break to the students and staff who want to lead. 4 of my girls participated in these trips this year traveling to Uganda, China, Slovenia, and Burkina Faso. I've heard wonderful reports from all the trips even though there were difficulties, rainy weather, delayed and cancelled flights, and lots of bugs. I love hearing about how God works through these times to strengthen the students and grow in their lives.

I would have loved to go on one of these trips but this year, I had different plans. For the first week my dear friend Val came to visit me here. We traveled around the area where I live, ate delicious food, drank too much Highlander Grogg coffee (thanks Mom and Dad), and just enjoyed being together.

We took a day trip to the Alps also. It was beautiful.

Janae, another friend from Moody who is now a missionary with OM and works just a couple hours from me, also came down for a couple nights. The three of us drove over to France and spent a day touring a castle and driving through vineyards with our dear friend Mercedes.

For the second week of break I traveled with another RA and a senior at Sonne to the Canary Islands, volcanic islands that belong to Spain a little off the coast of Morocco. Caroline, one of the seniors in my dorm, lives here with her family. It was wonderful to visit them, see the island, and just relax in the sun. Caroline's mom is also a wonderful cook and I thoroughly enjoyed eating some non-dorm meals that I wasn't in charge of cooking. We also enjoyed the beautiful sunsets over the ocean.

And now we're all back and life is crazy. There at four weeks until grad and countless events to partake in. This weekend we had one of the big ones for our juniors and seniors, JSB or Junior Senior Banquet. It's a less formal prom with dinner and performances by the students. This was my first year to attend JSB here and I really enjoyed it. Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Life lesson: learning how to put on a boutonniere is an important skill to master. Beka's doing a great job with her date's. And, although you can't really see it, she made this one out of jean material and wire to match her dress. I was impressed.

Here is a little Bluffton reunion at JSB.

And a few of my girls, Caroline, Karis, Angela, and Hannah Jo, looking beautiful.

BFA also hosted its annual Staff Appreciation Dinner this past week. The girls love this night because all the staff are out of the dorm and the seniors are in charge. This usually means some combination of dance parties, sneaking ice cream, water fights, raiding the kitchen, bonfires, and maybe even a slip and slide. For the staff it means getting dressed up, eating a relaxed meal that we don't have to cook, serve, or clean up after, and enjoying time together. I haven't decided who has more fun. Here is a picture with the 2 other RAs that I went through orientation and began my time here with. We're all signed up for a 3rd year here too which I think is pretty exciting.

So, the weeks remaining in the school year are exciting, but also full of seemingly incongruent emotions. Graduation is wonderful. 4 years of hard work is paying off and it's time to pursue big dreams and gain independence. Watching the senior get ready to graduate, move out, and say their goodbyes, however, is hard. Knowing that I have to say goodbye to them is even harder. I've spent two years full of laughters, tears, and growth with these girls. Next year is a new year in the dorm with a new group of seniors and new students and that is healthy and natural for the dorm. Realizing that the atmosphere I have settled into and love dearly will change next year can be difficult to accept. Living in this place where there is constant turnover in students and staff can make life seem unstable and the possibility for long term relationships seem impossible. Then I remember that God's timing is always perfect. I've seen this over and over in my life. Now is the time to cling to what I know is truth even though I doesn't feel right. I may want more time with the girls that are leaving but I can't change that. What I can change is the quality of time that we have now. So, instead of trying to convince God that my plan is better, I just want to soak up every moment I have now. Now is not the time to worry about what is coming next, now is the time to embrace the here and now.

That being said, I appreciate your prayers during this time. Pray that everyone will be able to process and transition well. Pray for our seniors as they say goodbye to their community and spread out all over the world. Pray for the underclassmen as they say goodbye to fellow students that they love. Pray for many of the families that are leaving BFA for 1 year or forever. Also pray for positions at BFA that aren't filled yet. Particularly dorm parents for one of the girl dorms, this is a huge hole in our staffing for next year.

A month from now I'll be back in the States for the summer. I wouldn't have realized this if it weren't for my mom and little sister reminding me. Mark on your calenders Sunday, June 12th, and come to St. John's combined ABF hour to hear more about this year and what God's doing at BFA. Amy Cherry and I will both be sharing about life in the dorms and what missions looks like here.

I feel like I say thank you over and over again and I hope you know that this isn't just a habit or an obligation. I am so thankful for all of your prayers, and emotional and financial support. I'm only here because I have such a wonderful community supporting me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Peace.