New School Year, New Challenges, New Joys!

Opening Ceremony!

Here our High School students prepare to enter into the auditorium carrying flags from the countries where their parents are working. Our students this year represent over 60 countries around the world. This makes BFA a unique and exciting place.

Tim Shuman, our director, interviews the class of 2021 - our "first graders" - during the opening ceremony! This school year the elementary school of BFA embarked on a new challenge by becoming a "Bi-lingual Christian School". What this means is that local Germans may send their children to our elementary school. For this school year however bi-lingual education will take place only in the first grade. It is a new venture for BFA and it is the first bi-lingual Christian school in Germany. We look forward to what God will do in our German community over the coming years through this venture.

Back to the Books!

Meet some of our Middle School kids. These are the students that Bob has in his Physical Education classes:

Bob at work... as PE teacher!!

College Girls

We are so thankful for the safe travels Sue had on her trip out to the mid-west with the girls to deliver them to their college destinations. Thank you for praying for them!


Their first stop was at Taylor University in Indiana to help Alison move back into her room.

Then on to Grand Rapids, Michigan to move Hannah into her dorm room for her first year of College at Cornerstone University.

Marshall and I were not able to be a part of this big family event. We had to return to Germany and the Black Forest Academy for Marshall to begin school and for me to begin my new job as Middle School P.E. teacher.

September Reflections

It was really great to come home to the USA this summer to visit with family and to spend time sharing face to face with our friends who have been praying for us and supporting us financially in our ministry. We were also able to share the ministry of the Black Forest Academy with many others along the way. As a result, the Lord added to our ministry some new ministry partners including Bethel Baptist Church in Galesburg, Illinois. After eight weeks in the States Marshall and I returned to Germany. Sue remained for another three weeks to return Alison to Taylor University and then to Cornerstone U. to get Hannah moved into her dorm to begin her first year of college. Here are only a handful of pictures and comments from our travels:

Our first stop was Pennsylvania where Hannah and Alison began their summer jobs.

Hannah worked at Camp Sankanac in the kitchen and as a camp counselor.

Alison worked doing secretarial work and helping out with VBS at our home

church in PA, Community Evangelical Free Church.

Marshall enjoyed spending times with his PA buddies while Sue and I visited with our church family.

We were also able to cross paths with Cristiano & Colette who are our friends from Italy. They were in the States with their boys visiting with Colette's family. We used to attend Cristiano's church in Rimini Italy. He was in the group of young people that met in our home. He and his brother also attended camps and served as camp counselors at Camp Maranatha. Cristiano was one of the young people who we encouraged to serve at Camp Sankanac one summer. It was there that he met Colette. Marshall and I were in their wedding. They have been living in Italy, raising their family, and serving in their local church.

We spent Father's Day weekend with some of Bob's family in NJ. Here's Alison with Grandpa Kummer.

From PA and NJ we traveled to Virginia to visit Sue's dad and sister Lois.

And then on to Indiana where two of Lois's sons live. Their oldest son Garette and his wife Katie had a baby boy this Spring, "Scout" and it was our first time seeing him.

From Indiana we traveled to the Kimbells Home in Galesburg, Illinois. It was in their home that Sue and I were engaged 25 years ago! We also shared our ministry at BFA with their church, Bethel Baptist Church.

From Illinois we flew to Colorado where we visited with Sue's sister Judy and family in Colorado Springs. We were able to share our ministry in their church, "Rocky Mountain Calvary" and visit with some other dear friends who have supported us in our ministry for years.

Here is Marshall and two of his cousins at a nearby county fair and rodeo!

And our friends Wayne & Kristy Little and their son, Hadden.

After CO we caught a flight to Washington State where we stayed with Sue's sister

Wendy & family.

In Washington we had the privilege of visiting several other families who have been dear friends of ours over the years. The Johnsons (below) attended Moody Bible Institute with Sue and I in 1986 (B.C., "Before Children").

Jon & Lora and their son Brian.

And just 20 minutes north of the Washington border in Canada live our friends Rich and Lynn Peachy and their two daughters. They served at BFA for a number of years and were in our home Bible study adult group in Germany.

From Washington State we returned to New Jersey. We were priviledged to share

our ministry at the 1st Reformed Church in Little Falls, the church which Sue grew up attending with her family. Sue's dad drove up from VA for the occasion. Sue's aunt & uncle and cousin's family joined us that Saturday morning as well.

Sue's dad and cousin Brian's boy Andrew.

Sue and some of the ladies of 1st Reformed. One of them, Mrs. Watson, was one of Sue's

Sunday School teachers when Sue was a little girl.

Graduation Ceremony 2009

Hannah and the graduating class of 2009!

We are very proud of Hannah for how she has matured and all she has achieved these past four years at BFA. She has done well academically, taken a stand as a believer in Jesus Christ, gained some lifelong friends, and has discovered and developed her musical abilities as well. She has received much more than an education here at BFA and is now ready to begin her college career and impact the world as a young Christian woman. Marshall, Sue, and I are really going to miss her and the love she brings to our home.

As class sponsors Sue and I were very involved with the extra curricular activities of Hannah's class. Sue also was a small group Bible study leader with a group of girls from this class since their freshman year. We feel very close to many of them and its hard to imagine them not being

here next school year.

Below are some snapshots of the graduation ceremony, the luncheon which followed, and the dinner cruise on the Rhein River.