Have you been missing the pre-Covid ICSV? I sure have! What do I mean by that? We used to be able to just hang out together. We enjoyed cramming students, staff, parents, alumni, and anyone else into the MPR to enjoy a talent show or a lip sync contest. Without distancing and without masks! We used to go on field trips to all kinds of locations, taking advantage of all the cultural and historical opportunities close to Vienna. We’d rehearse for hours and hours to perform in musicals and concerts. We would hug each other. We were just being together, and we loved it. I’ve missed all of this during the last two years.

Well, I’m excited that little by little we have been able to return to the “days of old.” Our basketball teams have finally been competing. Our kids are practicing for spring concerts. We will enjoy CoffeeHaus this evening with the high school kids, and our elementary students had fun during the Book Character Costume Parade. True life is returning to ICSV. Community is what we do best, and we are starting to be able to enjoy that again.

Last week we held one of our first all-staff meetings together in the MPR. After going over some announcements and a time of encouragement, we joined together to sing “Goodness of God.” You should have heard us! With Mr. Dossett playing just his guitar, we belted out the words to this song, many with tears in our eyes. Here are some of the words:

I love you, Lord, for your mercy never fails me.
All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands.
From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head,
I will sing of the goodness of God.

All my life You have been faithful,
All my life You have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God.

On our staff, you will find parents of children with some pretty severe disabilities. You will see Christians who have walked with the Lord for 50 to 60 years. You will recognize teachers who have dedicated their entire lives to serving God by serving children. Here we stood, praising God for how He has carried us through all kinds of things. Pandemics, wars, loss of loved ones, illness, and the list goes on. Through it all, our love for God has grown. He has kept His promise to us that He would never leave us alone, but He would be a faithful and good God.

When I think about the Ukrainian refugees coming to ICSV, it brings me joy. Did you realize that the school was founded by missionaries who were crossing the iron curtain to smuggle Bibles into the Soviet block countries? Now people from the same areas that the missionaries reached are coming to us! This opportunity to serve may be just what the ICSV community needs to bring us joy again. It may shake us awake from thinking about all that we have lost with Covid and provide us with a real sense of purpose. I reach out to you again this week with a plea for help with the Ukrainian refugees who have begun to come to ICSV seeking admission. We are looking for people willing to sponsor some children by covering educational costs. We are looking for people who could volunteer some time to help them with schoolwork or just to give them some extra attention. Please email office@icsv.at if you are able to help in any way. If you’d like to give, you may contact advancement@icsv.at, and they will be able to help you.

Truly, all our days we will sing of the goodness of God!

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

We Can Pray Even When We Cannot Speak
I came across a Facebook post by a friend from my dad’s old church back in New York. The post told the story of a church in Tennessee whose founding pastor had come out of retirement to fill in while they looked for a new pastor. He had stepped aside to take care of his wife, who was suffering from dementia. One Sunday morning, they sang an old hymn that talked about how our sins have been forgiven and taken care of long ago. The normally silent pastor’s wife began singing out with a sweet smile on her face. She knew all the words by heart and had the melody memorized, as well. She may not have even been aware of what she was doing. From her innermost spirit sprang forth praises to her Lord and Savior. (Story shared by Jim McComas)

This story brought tears to my eyes, as I remembered a dear saint who died years ago from Parkinson’s disease. He had pretty much lost his ability to speak, and often he didn’t even know who we were. One weekend we visited him and his wife, and as we got ready to leave, he motioned for us to come together to pray. With the clearest voice he prayed over us. Here was a man that could not speak but was able to talk with God with no problem at all. You would never have known that he struggled with speech. When talking with God, his thoughts were fluid and his voice was strong. 

At the end of my mother’s life, she was in a coma-like state for several weeks. I wasn’t sure if she could hear me or if she even knew that I was there. My final gift to her was to spend several hours simply playing through the old hymnbook on my electric keyboard. I went from one old hymn to another, sometimes singing the words, and sometimes just playing as the tears streamed down my cheeks. Even though she was not able to talk with me, I know that she was able to worship during that time. She may have even been singing along with me, although I could not hear the words. I am convinced that there is a different part of our brain that communicates with God. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit intervenes on our behalf when we don’t know how to pray (Romans 8:26). 

Somehow, even when we aren’t able to communicate with others, the verses that we memorize as children, the Christian songs that we sing over and over, and the words that we desire to express to God flow from us as a sweet gift to God. I encourage you, that even if you don’t know how to pray for the situation in Ukraine right now, God knows your heart and your desires. The Holy Spirit will take your jumbled thoughts and emotions and turn them into sincere pleas to God, the Almighty for the innocent, for the church, for the leaders, for peace. Even when you don’t know how to pray, just keep talking to Him.

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

Image by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” Mr. Fred Rogers

Who would have thought that a war right here on European soil would break out, taking the place of Covid in the headlines this week? I know that there had been hints that this might happen, but I never thought that it actually would. I’m sure I’m not alone when I sit dumbfounded by the news of missiles hitting apartment buildings, families trying to evacuate their homes, and babies being born in subway stations. How do I process this? How do I pray?

As I was reading the news articles and Facebook posts that have been written over the last few days, I came across this quote by Mister Rogers. Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister, was the host of a children’s program called Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood for about 35 years. He very calmly would encourage his young listeners by focusing on their social and emotional needs. He helped them to process the loss of a loved one, moving and enrolling in a new school, and fear brought about by world events. His famous quote reminds us all that during times like these, “look for the helpers.” People all over the world are reaching out to families that they don’t even know to provide a place to stay, needed supplies, or transportation to safety, etc. I read about one lady who helped two young children reunite with their mother when their father had to stay back to fight. He had to trust a stranger with his most beloved family members. 

It is at times like these that Christians can share the love of Christ with those who need the message the most. We can be His hands and feet to help those in need. If you would like to provide support to the displaced families, please refer to the article below about a special opportunity that ICSV families can participate in. 

Finally, pray for those in danger. Pray for our world leaders. Pray that God’s will be done in this situation. Pray for peace.

Because of His Faithfulness,

Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

As we come to the end of two weeks of Olympic competitions, a couple of human interest stories stand out to me. The first is about two women’s speed skaters from the US. Close friends, Brittany Bowe and Erin Jackson, tried out for the US Olympic team together. Erin was considered the favorite, but she slipped during the trial and finished third. Only the top two skaters could go to China. Her friend, Brittany, had placed first, but she gave up her spot, telling NBC Sports, “It’s the right thing to do. There’s not a doubt in my mind that she wouldn’t do the same thing for me. She has earned her spot; she deserves it.” Well, it turns out that the US was given a third spot, so Brittany got to go in the end. And then Erin went on to win gold! What an amazing story of friendship and sacrifice.

A second story of good sportsmanship surfaced this past weekend when Finland’s skier, Iivo Niskanen, won gold in the men’s cross-country 15km classic. Instead of immediately celebrating his victory, he waited at the finish line so that the rest of the 94 competitors behind him could finish the race. Twenty minutes after his big win, the last contestant finally reached the end. Iivo hugged Columbia’s Carlos Andres Quintana and congratulated him on finishing the tough race. When Iivo was asked why he did this, he replied, “All athletes must respect each other; everyone has worked hard to be here.”

I sure hope that our students watched these gifted individuals that made decisions that demonstrate the very character traits that we desire to teach here at ICSV: excellence, integrity, respect, and service.

When we return to school on Monday, February 28, we may see a relaxing of some of the Covid rules that have been in place during this safety phase. We should receive the official communication from the Department of Education while we are on break. We anticipate the potential to return to some of our extracurricular events and a loosening of the mask requirement for students while seated in the classroom. When we return from break, we will let you know what their decision means for ICSV. Wouldn’t this be a wonderful blessing for our kids?

I wish you all a most restful Energy Break.

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

“We are called to proclaim His great Salvation and rescue the captives…. But we are busy spending 33 billion a year in diet products for ourselves or for our overweight cats. We are busy redecorating our temporal housing. We are spending every evening for our own pleasure, and every spare dollar for our own retirement. And somehow the unreached in their life and death eternal struggle slip our minds and concern… we never get around to being serious about Jesus and his command to take the good news to them.”
― John Willis Zumwalt, Passion for the Heart of God

I know that over the years I’ve shared with you my love of the Olympics. Granted, I was not gifted with any athletic prowess, but I marvel at what these young people put themselves through to become the absolute best in the world! The events are actually quite emotional. So often, someone who completes the best race of their life will crumble at the finish line, overcome with emotion – tears of joy and tears of exhaustion.

Then there are those who have basically put their entire lives on hold for four years in order to have the chance of redeeming themselves from past failure. Some fall again. And once again at the finish line is a talented athlete collapsed in tears – this time in devastation.

I recently came across an article about a famous athlete who has struggled with depression ever since her Olympic career was over. She had put so much time and energy into training so that she could win an Olympic gold that when this was no longer her goal in life, she struggled to even find a reason for living. Why is it that one is willing to devote the best years of their lives to such a fleeting glory?

This all got me pondering why I spend so much of my time focusing on things “of this earth” and not on “eternal things.” If I really believe (and I do) that a Christian is on this earth to share the good news of salvation with the world, then why are so many of my waking hours invested in thinking about things that really don’t matter? The quote by John Willis Zumwalt nailed it for me.

I want to live my life with a focus on spiritual things that is just as intense as the Olympic focus of these athletes – not a focus to bring glory to myself, but a focus that will bring glory to God. A focus on sharing the hope that Jesus Christ has given to us. I pray for these athletes who return home in glory or in failure, that they will find everlasting joy. Their worth does not depend on how well they did at the games. They have been forgiven. They can have a personal relationship with God, the Creator of the universe! They have a reason for living – a reason far greater than an Olympic medal. They can have an eternal reward waiting for them in Heaven!

Because of His Faithfulness,

Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

Image by Steven-Lelham on Unsplash

• Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
• Nehemiah 8:10 – The joy of the Lord is my strength.
• Psalm 118:24 – This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
• Psalm 16:11 – You will make known to me the way of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand there are pleasures forever.
• Psalm 35:9 – And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in His salvation

Photo by Joe Caione