Happy Thanksgiving 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!! I will say that serving at an International school (Black Forest Academy) these past 8 years has changed how we look at Thanksgiving. Most of the dorms have already celebrated Thanksgiving and since we will have school on the actual Thanksgiving day (US) we will celebrate our Thanksgiving a day late (Friday, Nov. 26). Let me take a few minutes and update you on our lives here in Germany.

We are back from our trip to Rome! Last month both Jen and I had a unique privilege to travel with the seniors on their senior trip. We bused down to Rome and spent a week on the Mediterranean. It is a fun week, but one filled with ministry and relationships. Jen’s small group are seniors this year, so she was able to spend some of that time with them.

I (Sam) had a great and unique privilege of baptizing one of the senior guys. Though he had grown up with Christianity all around him, it wasn’t until one of the evenings of this trip that he decided to give his life to Christ. Well like the Ethiopian Eunuch who said to Philip, “there’s a body of water why shouldn't I be baptized?”, the senior said to me, what better place to be baptized than in the place of my conversion and in the Mediterranean Sea. I couldn’t agree more, so we had our own Baptismal service right there and then. God is Awesome!

One of my main responsibilities as Chaplain at BFA is to organize our Spring Break Mission Trips. I was able to announce last week what those trips were. This year we are offering trips to Moldova; Slovenia; Bahrain; Burkina Faso; Uganda; and China. The students have another week to sign up for one of these trips and then I will be responsible to put the teams together.

Our family continues to do well. Jordan made the Basketball team, so that was exciting. He will play on the JV team. He is doing well and loving High School. Ellie got a part in the Middle School play, so she is busy memorizing lines and getting ready for that. Matthew is in second grade and in his second year of bi-lingual so he is really doing well learning German, as well as English. Katie is in a German Kindergarten and is still trying to figure out life there. She has days when she is excited, and then has days where she begs to stay home. Pray for her integration into life there – it has to be hard for a 5 year old who doesn’t speak the language. She is learning, but still has a long way to go. Jen and I are doing well, but still need wisdom in balancing ministry with family and with each other. We do look forward to the Christmas Break which is fast approaching.

Thanks for lifting us up in prayer – continue to do so,
The Stemples: Sam; Jen; Jordan; Ellie; Matthew; and Katie

Ready ... Set ... Go!

The race is announced over the loud speaker... you must report in... stretch... prepare mentally for the marathon ahead...And then you're off- ready or not. Through the sweat and the tears, you're determined to cross the finish line.... And it will happen, even though the race itself holds some unknown.

Well, we're off to the start of a new school year after a great summer in the US seeing many friends and family. Our year is before us and even though we're only 2 weeks into school, much has already happened- in the school and for us personally.

What has already happened...

**We welcomed new staff and students to BFA.

**Opening ceremony was on August 24, where 45+ countries were represented and a senior class of 60 students walked into the auditorium carrying the flags of their countries- Breathtaking!!

**We've hosted parents, RA's, and students in our home, providing a refuge for them in the busyness of school life.

**Sam has already been to the Swiss Alps with the chapel band worship team. They had a refreshing weekend as they had time bonding as a team and with their Father.

**All our 4 kids are in school- including Katie (5years) in her first year of German kindergarten.


What's happening in the next leg of the race...

**Next week (September 13-17) is a big week here for students. Spiritual Emphasis Week is a great time, with chapel each day led by a team from the US. Pray for connection with students, softened hearts to respond to the Holy Spirit, and deeper walks with the Lord.

**Small groups are starting up. Pray for both of us as we lead small groups- for wisdom, direction and complete dependence on the Lord.

**September 30-October 8, both Sam and Jen will be going to Rome with the senior class. Pray for strength, safety, and great interactions as we live, sleep, and eat with these amazing teens!

Thank you for praying!

Running the race together,
Sam and Jen Stemple

SEW at BFA

So - just a quick update on our life. We just finished Spiritual Emphasis Week here at BFA. I am always thankful for a week the school gives us to go deeper with these students. BFA holds its SEW at the beginning of the school year, which is a great way to kick off the school year and to help focus the students. Bill Finnemore was our speaker (a missionary from Poland) and challenged the kids in their Love for God and their Love for Others. Geoff and Pearl Dresser brought a team with them from Calgary to lead us in worship and did a great job leading us music. All –in-all it was a great week. For our SEW we combine the Middle School and the High School together, but Wed night is a special service just for the Middle Schoolers and we had so much fun together. Friday night is a special service for the High School, and I was so encouraged by the numbers that showed up and the Spirit of the night. Thanks for your prayers

In our lives, I (Sam) will be leaving today, as I am going along on the Senior Trip. The senior spend a week in Rome, Italy, so I am really looking forward to that time with them. We also spend a day in Florence and one day in Venice (that’s the nice part of living were we live). I will have to endure a 14 hour bus ride both ways, but it is not quite as far as the bus rides to Mexico I did from Wisconsin, so it shouldn’t be that bad. Do pray for Jen, though, as I will be gone for a week.

Thanks for praying for us, continue to keep us in your prayers, as well as the students of BFA (and the staff). We are doing well, but value your continued prayers.

Sam - for the Fam (Jen; Jordan; Ellie; Matthew; and Katie)

The New School Year

Hey All,

Just checked this blog and realized that I haven’t updated since Christmas, which means it has been a while since most of you have heard from us … and for that we are sorry! We have a couple of things happening here at Black Forest Academy in the next few weeks that we need and value your prayers for, so this will be more of a prayer needs update rather than a blog of our life.

1) On Monday (Sept 14) we start our Spiritual Emphasis Week (SEW). As chaplain at BFA, this is one of my main responsibilities, so it will be a busy week. We have a speaker here from Poland and a band here from Canada to lead worship. The students will meet everyday for a chapel service and will have a special evening, as well. Pray for open hearts and that this week will be a great way to help students refocus their lives as they start this new school year.

2) In a couple of weeks I (Sam) will be traveling with the senior class on their senior trip. While I look forward to the bonding time I will have with the seniors, I will be gone for a week. Pray for the family as I am gone, and pray that I would have some good interaction with our seniors during this time.

3) Jen continues to meet with a small group of junior girls, as well as a group of young adult women (RA’s). Both groups kicked off again this past week, so would you pray for Jen that she would have the wisdom in leading and be encouraged by her relationships that are built in those groups.

Our family is doing well. Jordan is in 8^th grade and president of the Middle School. Ellie is in 7^th grade and has a great group of friends (I remember when she was in 1^st grade, that was one of our prayers for her – that God would bring her some good friends). Matthew started first grade this year. He will actually be going to a Bi-Lingual school where he will learn both German and English. He is doing well in his German language after spending a year in a German Kindergarten. Katie is loving being the only one at home all day long, though she does miss her brothers and sister.

We continue to value your prayers, and want to commit to keeping you more updated than we have in the past. I will try and blog (and e-mail) my thoughts when SEW is over, but remember to keep that week in your prayers

Thanks for Praying … Continue to Pray!!

Sam (for the Stemple Fam)

Chaplain, Black Forest Academy – Kandern, Germany

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !!

Hope this Christmas season was good for you. We have had family here (Jen's sister's family - the Glancys) and the other night the kids (our 4 plus the Glancy 2) put on a Christmas Pageant for us. I have tried to include a video of their performance. I hope it works. Have a great New Year.

The Stemples

It's a Hard Life We Live

So often we look at missionaries and are challenged and encouraged by all they have to “Give Up” to serve God. Having grown up a missionary kid, I understand that as well as anyone. There are times, however, that Missionaries, because of location or circumstances, get to experience some amazing things. It is in those times, one would almost feel guilty writing home and reporting on what is happening on this side of the ocean. This, my dear prayer warriors, is one of those times.

The life of a missionary at Black Forest Academy took me into the deep dark jungles of Rome, Italy. Suffering for Jesus, I just came back from a week with the senior class on their senior trip. It is not every senior class that can say they went to Rome on their senior trip (Wait, how ironic that my senior skip DAY was in Rome … Rome, NY). Anyway – every year the seniors take a week in early Oct and bus down to Rome for their senior trip and I was asked to join them. On the way down (about 14 hours by bus) we stopped for a day in Florence and on the way home we had a day in Venice. Again – forgive me for shattering your view of the typical missionary life. We didn’t actually stay in Rome, but in a little village right on the ocean (The Mediterranean). We traveled into Rome each day and saw some incredible things. We spent a day at the Vatican (St Peter’s Basilica) a day at the Pantheon; Trevey Fountain; and other places in that area; and a day at the Coliseum and the ruins in the surrounding the area. We went to the Catacombs on our way home. One day was just free day on the beach and we had the most gorgeous day for it. Our final day was spent at a city ruins just outside Rome. I can’t put my whole experience into this report, as it was an incredible week. Venice was my favorite, though, and I wish we had more than the 6 hours to see it. To me it is such a magical city.

So all this is not just to gloat over such a unique trip I was able to be a part of (though I do want to do that a little), but it is to ask you to pray for our seniors. Being with them for the week reminded me that what lies ahead is exciting, but also very challenging. MK’s that are transitioning back to North America have some huge hurdles to jump as they leave family, friends, home, and culture, to travel back to a place that, for many of them, is a new experience (I was talking with one senior who is planning on going to college in the states that had never been to the US yet). These next months ahead many seniors will be making final plans on where they are headed. Will you commit to pray for them? So – next time you hear the name “Rome” stop a minute and remember that the seniors of BFA just went to Rome and take a few minutes to pray for our seniors and what God has in store for them these next months ahead.

In the slide show to the right, I have included pictures of Rome, as well as pictures of my family (no, Jen was not able to travel with me). If you click into the slide show you can see the captions for each picture

Anyway, thanks for praying … continue to pray!!

Sam for the Fam

Season's of Life

We have definitely moved out of Summer and into Fall, it is always beautiful to watch the season’s change in the Black Forest. As we anticipate the changing of seasons around us, I realized that we, as a family, have come through a busy season of life here, so let me give you a summary of some of our events that have just transpired.

Matthew Started Kindergarten (do you see the tear in the corner of my eye) - Matthew has started school at a German Kindergarten and loves it. Sure there are things that he hashad to adjust to (not knowing the language) but he loves going every day and is doing so well. I think this has been harder for Jen than Matthew, but we are thankful to God for this season in his life.

Spiritual Emphasis Week (SEW) – One of the seasons that we have here at Black Forest Academy is SEW. It is one of my main responsibilities and it is one of the ways we kick off the new school year. We had a speaker from St. Louis come and share his life with us. He was a Military “Brat” and an MK, so he related very well to these kids here. A groups of students and staff from a Bible College in Northern Germany (English Speaking) came and led the worship for us. It was a great week and I was thankful to God for helping us walk through this seasonal event we have here at BFA.

Start-Up: As I look at my calendar, Fall starts up on Monday. Well we have already started up here at school. Both Jordan and Ellie are in the Middle School now (that is weird to think about) and loving it. They are away at a Middle School Retreat today. I have started up with all my responsibilities, including a new group of seniors guys that I lead in a Leadership Team small group ministry. We have new students at the school (as we do every year) and we are trying to infuse them into regular life here. As we start up, I do it with Lee Evans who has come to serve as Middle School chaplain, so I am not trying to do both jobs this year, which I am thankful to God for. Jen has started back up with her small group of 10^th grade girls, and has even started up with a set of brand new RA women that she leads in Bible Study.

So as you look out at the changes of seasons (for those of you that have changing seasons), use that as a reminder to pray for us and all our seasons of life that we are going through right now.

Thanks for Praying … Continue to Pray!!

Sam (for the Fam)