September 2006

Dear Friends & Family,

“Soccer rules here in Germany … and last Tuesday night the streets of Kandern were filled with silence instead of the wild cheering and horn honking that followed the previous games of the World Cup when Germany had emerged victorious. The next game is on Saturday night and we will be right there beside the Germans cheering with them again. (YEA, Germany took the Bronze medal.)”

I obviously wrote the above paragraph in June.

All of us have our favorite things to cheer about and we seem to cheer loudest when they are doing well. Enthusiasm is contagious. Nancy and I have been enthusiastic about caring for the children of missionaries ever since we first visited Black Forest Academy in 1989. We arrived in Germany to serve children of missionaries in September of 1992 and the Lord blessed our work with many things to cheer about as Nancy and I each have had various teaching and administrative roles at BFA.

As Director of Personnel I became so aware of the fragile balance of our staffing each year and worked with diligence and awe while witnessing the Lord providing enough new staff for each new school year.

This fall, Janz Team Ministries have asked Nancy and me to return to the U.S. to live in North Carolina and continue the task of recruiting new staff for BFA—yes, on American soil.

We have consented because we know that each year BFA loses 35-50 staff members—write me to learn why. It takes the hard work and diligence of a “farmer” to plant new seeds and till the ground to discover uniquely qualified people so that BFA can be replenished each year with quality teachers and dorm parents to care for the 365 students attending BFA.

Nancy will participate in this effort but she will also be back in the classroom as she pursues professional development by taking coursework at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Serving in Germany for 13 years has made this impossible so she is very excited to continue her interest in creative writing and literature in a more formal way. Also, Nancy’s mom is aging and, at 86, needs the additional care Nancy can provide for her.

Many of you have been partners with us in this ministry at BFA to MKs since we departed from Apple Valley, Minnesota with our four children in tow—and now we return to America to continue in full time ministry. It’s a funny feeling for us but we’re certain it is the Lord’s will for us at this time.

We ask you for your continued support, both in prayer and financially. Our budget requires $36,000 per year and last year we received a total of $24,000.

In May and June we had the opportunity to connect with many BFA alumni who traveled back to Kandern for graduation. We listened to their stories of growth, which were filled with both joy and pain.

Many stayed overnight in our home as we hosted them and provided meals for them and a place for them to gather. We also hope to be able to provide some care for them in America as their parents continue to live overseas—MKs continue college sort of like global nomads. Without a doubt, many of them are the future leaders of the church in North America and around the world.

We are always excited to hear from you. Please stay in touch. We hope to write again soon.

God bless as you seek to serve the Lord today. Thank you again for your partnership in ministry with us, and for your prayers for our transition.

In His Service,

Jay & Nancy Adams

Here is our new contact information:
1311 Northfield Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
336-681-8852
Email: Jay and Nancy Adams

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 178