What we're up to...

Buying: fabric paint

Considering: ideas to gain additional monthly donations or substantial one-time gifts
Cooking: ramen noodles
Eating: grilled cheese sandwiches
Googleing : the Olympic medal count
Learning: that it never gets easier on your heart when student moves away suddenly
Listening: Mark Schultz and Super Chick
Loving: my parents so much!
Planning: a wax museum project for my class
Reading: Exodus and a book called Blue Like  Jazz
Watching: House
Wearing: comfy flannel pajamas

Wishing: I could see my parents, siblings, and friends in the states

Thankful: for an anonymous donor who has allowed Carrie and me to attend a retreat at church

Writing:  to do lists

A creative way to answer a test question....

I think I am still giggling about it!  :)

Buying: Pink Lady Apples

Considering: Taking a German course but not sure if I can afford it!
Cooking: taco bake
Eating: honigwaffeln
Googleing : Mars Hill Bible Church and ideas for my character costume for book month
Learning: that it takes me a while to help my 15 students get their ice skates on
Listening: podcast sermons and the sewing machine
Loving: encouraging notes
Planning: a potential field trip to the House of Music
Reading: and translating grocery ads
Watching: Man's Favorite Sport - a movie
Wearing: green striped knee highs

Wishing: that I could speak German better and could afford to take a German language class

Thankful: that I am following the Lord where He leads me

Writing:  lesson plans, a birthday card, and post cards


Ways to Pray

·           - for one time gifts to come in to help with the cost of a German course.

-f        - Amanda’s sister-in-law who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer

·         - for our time in the Word to stay consistent

·          - for fellowship and close friendship s to strengthen

·         - for the rest of our support to come in QUICKLY

·         - for our students and their parents' ministries/jobs

Lately We've been

Buying: groceries

Considering: getting my  haircut
Cooking: chicken noodle soup
Eating: salad with the Yum-o salad dressing (thanks Liz!)
Googleing : the olympic schedule and Slovenia
Learning: that my students love me and are ever so cute!
Listening: Selah
Loving: the monkey house shoes that the Quaker Chicks sent me
Planning: creative ways to review division with remainders
Reading: Exodus and a book called Private Justice by Terri Blackstock
Watching: my entire class play dodge ball with one ball!
Wearing: the color purple today (as well as many of the other elementary staff, weird and not planned)

Wishing: that it would be just a tad bit warmer

Thankful: that the sun is actually shining today (not providing a lot of warmth but shining none the less)

Writing:  our newsletter

Encouragement...

I received three notes from one student today in a cute little handmade envelope!  They were such an encouragement and so cute that I have to share them with you:

Note 1: "Dear Miss Brunker, You are funny and so cute and beautiful."

Note 2: "Dear Miss Brunker,  I love you and you are very nice and kind.  You are cute and your house shoes are so cute and funny."

Note 3: "Dear Miss Brunker, I love you and you are my best teacher in the whole world."

Don't those notes make you smile?!  It is amazing the lives we touch when we allow the Lord to have complete control of our lives!  Have a wonderful day!

Update

Lately We’ve Been

Buying: fabric for a quilt
Considering: visiting a new church in Vienna
Cooking: homemade calzones
Eating: fruit salad
Googleing : the Iditarod dogsled race
Learning: German (well trying at least!) and trying to figure out if saxophone lessons are something Amanda can do! 
Listening: The David Crowder Band
Loving: our students will all of our hearts and petting a few cute kitties!
Planning: Fun lesson ideas for Stone Fox and the Physics of Sound Unit
Reading: Genesis, Job, and Stone Fox
Watching: The Closer
Wearing: slacks and other warm clothing due to these rather cold days!

Wishing: that Amanda’s camera would magically heal itself!

Ways to Pray

·         - for Amanda’s sister-in-law who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer

·         - for our time in the Word to stay consistent

·         - for the details of our Energy Break plans to come together with many moments of rest

·         - for fellowship and close friendship s to strengthen

·         - for the rest of our support to come in QUICKLY

·         - for our students and their parents' ministries/jobs

Adventures in the kitchen

Carrie and I recently had a friend visit from Black Forest Academy in Germany.  We had a lot of fun.  One day we introduced Rachel to drinking chocolate.  Please enjoy Rachel's blog video by clicking on this sentence.

Merry Christmas

Hello dear friends, prayer partners, and supporters!


Merry Christmas!  We love you all and miss those of you that are far away!  May you have a blessed Christmas day and know that you are thought of and prayed for so very often.  


Blessings always,
Amanda and Carrie

Snack for an international student...

An entire coconut with a straw to drink the coconut milk!  Break/snack time is only 10-15 minutes long!  She didn't finish her snack this day.

Fall in Vienna

1st picture: cute scarecrows

2nd picture: A leaf shipped from CO.  Thanks grandpa!

3rd picture: a Fall tree with our names on the leaves

4th picture: The beauty of Vienna near Schoenbrunn

Inside Break

My boys decided to get creative with colored pencils during inside break.  They were very proud of their colorful creation!  I was proud of their ability to work well together.

The faces of 2nd grade

Quote of the day...

This morning the weather turned from cloudy and rainy to snowy.  When my students arrived they all took off their Winter coats, hats, and even some gloves.  When all of the 3rd graders were settled, Lilly comes up to me and says, "Um,  Miss Brunker are we going to go outside for break today?"  I politely replied "I don't know yet, if it is raining/snowing we will not go out."  Lilly let out a sigh of relief and said, "Oh, good because I have a sneeze."

A few quotes from the weekend...

Comment 1:
"Coffee shouldn't make me happy, but it does." - stated with a sad but oddly happy tone

Comment 2:
"Excuse me but what type of meat is this made from?"
"It is Bambi." - When this was said we all said "ohhh" but we tried not to laugh (it didn't work so well for me!).

Comment 3:
"I am fore warning you all that I think I am going bald."
"Well, I guess when we see that you are bald we will know that it is okay because we were fore warned!"

Comment 4:
When the birthday girl was handed flowers from Carrie and me the friend sitting next to her said, "Here are some beautiful flowers I got you but the card is not from me."  After we all burst out laughing it was clarified who the flowers were from.

We have Visas!

Thank you for your prayers.

So, I live in a Jewish neighborhood...

This is a shofar not to be confused with an alarm clock!

For those of you who do not know Carrie and I live in a Jewish neighborhood.  Normally a person doesn't even notice this, but this morning I did.  Shortly after I woke up I heard a noise.  I initially thought it was extremely loud bicycle breaks squeaking but it simply didn't sound right.  I then looked out of the window and noticed a teenage-ish girl who was learning how to blow the shofar.  She looked horrified that she could not do it and I am sure it didn't help that she saw me shut the windows.  I felt badly but I simply couldn't handle the sound when my head was still cloudy from sleep.  In case you were wondering, it took her about an hour and she finally made the beautiful sound that a shofar is supposed to make!  Congratulations young lady it sounded wonderful.

The faces of 3rd grade

The reason we're here...

During the first week of school I had an interesting conversation with one of my second graders. I told the kids to get out their Bibles for our Bible lesson. This was quite exciting for all of my kiddos as it was the first time we had used our Bibles. (The first time they use any of their new school supplies is always very exciting for kids this age!)

Everyone reached in their desks and got out their Bibles. Then, I had many exclamations of what to do next. However, one of my students new to VCS (from Mongolia) raised his hand and said, "I don't have a Bible." I was a bit confused as I thought that he had bought one from the school office. So, I looked in his desk, and low and behold, there was his Bible. I told him, "Yes, you do have a Bible." He looked in his desk and said, "Where?" It was at that moment that I realized that he didn't know what a Bible was.

So, this is why we're here...to not only show our kids what a Bible is, but to share of God's love that is written inside.

A precious moment...

Here is a cute conversation between me and one of my students:

Grace: "Hey Miss Brunker! I have a surprise for you!"

Me: "Um, am I going to like the surprise?"

Grace: "Yeah"

Me: "Is it a good surprise?"

Grace: she paused and then answered (which made me wonder) "YES!"

Me: "Okay, what is the surprise?"

Grace then proceeds to give me the biggest hug I received all week! This was a wonderful surprise and I told her that she can give me that surprise anytime she wants! She said okay and happily skipped away! Isn't that cute? I thought so! I am blessed to teach these wonderful kids from all over the world. They brighten my day on an hourly basis!!

We're not quite sure

Neither Katie, Carrie, or I could figure out what this is. We found it at Merkur (a large grocery store here in Vienna). We have come to the conclusion that it is in the pumpkin/squash/gourd family. It is very interesting and huge! We think it was about three feet long and it kind of resembles a huge zucchini on the outside and a pumpkin on the inside.