It's Just Another...Or Is It?

I'm not sure "manic" describes this Monday, but it was a little crazy.

This the church. And this is where KIBA {KInder Bibel Aktion} is.

The church meets in a private school {I don't even know the name of it}, but the school doesn't want to be associated with the church so FeG Pankow can't list it's actual location in any of its materials.

Instead it lists the Tabakspeicher {tobacco store} as its location. This tobacco factory, once owned by a Jewish family, has been renovated and is now full of luxury apartments.

It also shares a commons area with the school so it's a great alternative for helping people find the church. {Just listing the address is a little obscure}. It's just a little strange at first when people hear you go to church at the tobacco store.

Here is another look at the commons area. The basketball court and beach volleyball make outside play a great energy release after lunch.

So does this fun playground behind the school building.

After many meetings with the KIBA team in Berlin, both over Skype and in-person, the day finally arrived when KIBA would begin. The kids are grouped based on age and, upon registering, they were to gather in their assigned groups. We were supposed to be at the table to greet "our" kids. Sean is helping with the youngest grades during the morning session. Jack is in this group and I think he feels more comfortable knowing Sean is there with him. Sean is great at engaging with the kids despite the language barrier. Most of these kids haven't been in school long enough to be able to speak English and Sean doesn't sprechen much Deutsch so the communication gets very creative.

During registration this day, I met a girl I'll call V {Europeans have very strict privacy standards so I won't be using the names of the KIBA kids and I won't be posting pictures of their faces}. She's 10 and was invited by one of the other KIBA families. She speaks very good English so, thanks to her, we're able to communicate easily. We hung out during the song time until she got comfortable with the other kids.

Once all the kids were registered, we began the song time. At home we listened to KIBA songs almost nonstop before our trip so we're very excited when the songs start playing - it's one of the few things that feels familiar.

When song time is over, the kids head upstairs for the lesson on Esther. Sarah and I and the babies help with the middle grades. Sam and Caleb are in this group; so are about 17 other kids! It's the biggest group by far.

Manu teaches this group and does a great job engaging the children. After the main lesson, the kids break up into small groups to go a little deeper, work in their workbooks and play games.

Some time during the morning, the küche helpers bring up snacks. The kids and teachers enjoyed fruit kabobs on the first day.

After the lessons are over, the kids head down to the cafeteria for lunch. This is the main meal during the day so it's hearty. I'm not sure if it's the cooking or the activity that gives the kids such a big appetite, but they EAT A LOT. After lunch and an hour or so of free time outside, the kids come back to hear about the workshops {one active, one creative} for the afternoon. Our team was asked to run some of the workshops so throughout the week Sean and Brian will be teaching baseball and American football. On the first day, Jack and Caleb had to decide between learning baseball or how to make cosmetics. Needless to say, they chose the baseball.

For the kids that aren't interested in either option there are a few other creative outlets. When Manu pulled out a box of yarn, I knew I'd found my niche! Plus, V chose the "knifty knitters" and I was anxious to get to know her a little more. As I got started on the hat I was making for Jack {grey and maroon for ERA}, I looked up and found myself sitting around a table of women ranging in age from 70s to 10 and knew that this is where I would feel at home. In God's great wisdom, He designed learning to be passed on from the older to the younger generations {Titus 2:3-5}.

The highlight of my day happened while sitting around this table. V walked over to ask me a question and put her hand, familiarly, on my shoulder as she did. One of the German KIBA helpers, Marlis {a woman full to bursting with love for the Lord and His people} asked me a question about "my daughter," assuming that V belonged to me. When I told her she wasn't my daughter, Marlis asked the other women around the table in German why V could speak English so well. I quickly answered her {in English, of course} because I knew exactly what she was asking. God used this to demonstrate that language isn't a barrier when people are connected by the Holy Spirit.



When the workshops ended, the kids got their final snack of the day {ice cream, or eis} and headed back home with their parents or whatever adult was picking them up. When all of our responsibilities were done at the school, we meandered home for a short break and then headed to Evelyn's flat for her dinner. Even though her husband, Daniel, couldn't join us for long, he lovingly {and deliciously} prepared the meal for us. It was definitely some of the best pizza I've had.

The adults sat together in the dining room



while the kids enjoyed their time in the kitchen.



After a great meal and wonderful conversation, we rounded up our crew and headed home with day one of KIBA checked off.

The first day was full of great lessons:
1. Language doesn't have to be a barrier to getting to know someone and it's never a barrier to being able to show them God's love
2. Lots of German children speak English
3. Evie really benefits from her morning nap
4. I know sehr ein bisschen Deutsch, but would really like to learn more
5. Service is an act of the heart, not the body

Gute nacht