Finally Finals

Looking up definitions, late night study sessions, last minute reviews, there's so much stress around finals for students. It's pretty busy for teachers too.

We've only been back for a week now, and I'm getting ready to say goodbye to my Bible students and shuffle my freshmen for the second semester. I'll have my ninth graders in all different class periods, and I'll get a new group of upperclassmen in my Spiritual Formation class. I'm excited for the new semester, but I'm also a little reluctant to let my amazing group of Bible students go.

Even when they acted like zombies the weeks leading up to Christmas break, I was so excited to teach Bible class everyday. I'm equally excited to teach the amazing freshmen here. This week my ninth graders gave speeches, and I was blown away by their confidence and poise as they told the class about leaders in the scientific revolution, prophets, or philosophers which they had researched. The jolly ranchers may have been the right incentive for them to give their best.

The last student to volunteer to go today told me she'd never had a jolly rancher before, so she didn't really get the excitement of the American kids who missed them so much. One of my Swiss students told me it was the second jolly rancher she's ever had. It's strange to hear what the kids here crave so much - a different student brought back a huge stash of jolly ranchers from the States during her last visit along with candy corn for her friends.

I'm not immune to missing things from the States (Trader Joe's instant coffee, Trader Joe's kettle corn, Trader Joe's in general), but I was struck by the comments of my students who had never had access to jolly ranchers. Something about the simplicity of their acceptance of the treat without any emotional attachment to the past spoke to how they live in the present. I want to cultivate that kind of gratitude for the gifts I have without pining over the loss of Trader Joe's or Starbucks down the street.

I love the care packages with Trader Joe's (or Longbottom, Dapper & Wise, or Stumptown), so please don't stop sending them, but I also love the opportunity to be content with what's around me, thanking God for each day with my students and the German version of All Dressed Up Instant Coffee. I'm thankful for each student in my first semester Bible class, and I look forward to the new group coming up.

While the semester has in so many ways flown by, I'm eager to see what new things God will bring about now that it's finally finals and I'm starting my second semester at BFA.