Well, As I was typing just a few minutes ago, the web filtering went online and I lost everything, so here we go again....
I don't want the title to sound like I'm not looking forward to the next ten months. I'm very excited for the year ahead of me. This first week has been mostly orientation. We have been in meetings learning about how the school runs, what to expect, how to react, etc. The teachers here are really fun, they seem to have a real sense of what students at the school need. Let me explain to you a little about what I've been told the last few days.
I'll start with how different an Adventist school is in Denmark compared to the US. Completely different. Keep in mind this is a school with boarders from 8th-13th grade, yes 13th. Students are allowed to visit each other during certain visiting hours. Guys and girls are allowed to go into each others rooms and shut the door behind them. As long as its not locked, they are playing by the rules. There is a game here which translated into English is "Clothes Rope." I'll let you just imagine how this game is played……………ok now I'll explain it. Students are in two teams and the team that can make the longest rope out of their clothes wins. Average for an Adventist campus right? Occasionally if the competition is at a high, students will take it all off to win, and this is completely acceptable. As are more tame activities such as skinny dipping in the fjord. Scandinavia just slapped my culture in the face.
However, none of these things trouble me. I can't come here as a missionary and impose my culture's idea of modesty on them, I'm here to witness and show the students that God is not some lame, ancient excuse for not having fun. I believe my mission here is to the younger boarders, also called Efterskole. The majority of the 8th grade students here at Vejlefjord are from extremely broken homes. In fact, it is very rare to have 8th grade boarders in Denmark. It has been described to us as their last chance. They have been given numerous opportunities in other schools, and have failed. Vejlefjordskolen is their last hope. If they can't make it here, they won't make it.
So the next 10 months will certainly have it challenges, but I'm ready.
Here we go…
3 comments:
It sounds like you are going to have some eye-opening experiences in the next 10 months! Looking forward to hearing all about it. :)
Hi Jeff...From your American mother...what a cultural adjustment. I guess you didn't have to take as many clothes, and you will have new activities to take back to WWU! We are praying for you everyday, for your safety (I guess that doesn't include bees), and for your influence and guidance to these kids. Love, m
Well this should be a very interesting year for sure. Be carful where you take your camera. One question I have is... What do they do with the rope when they finish making it. oh and do they ask student deans to participate??
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