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  • International Christian School of Vienna is currently closed and our Distance Learning has started in all grade levels.
    We plan to reopen on Tuesday, April 14.
    If you have any questions and/or concerns please email office@icsv.at.

You Never Know Who is Watching

You Never Know Who is Watching

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You Never Know Who is Watching

ICSV is part of a neighborhood. It is unusual for me to be in a school that has such close neighbors. We have a business on both sides and then residential houses on the other. Now at the corner, we even have a crane sharing our space. Twice a day, ICSV disrupts the normally quiet street with 300+ students either arriving or leaving all at the same time. Parents line the sidewalk to wait for their little ones, and then the big ones squeeze by. It’s a sight to behold!

Even throughout the day, children are on the playground or shooting hoops with their friends. The sound of laughter and happy cries echo through the air. I love having my office window overlooking the basketball court. It’s fun to cheer them on and to watch the teachers playing friendly games with their students after school.

Well, I’m not the only one who is watching. Just recently, one of our long-term neighbors stopped one of our German-speaking teachers to tell them how much they love having ICSV on their street. The neighbor wanted us to know that she sees the difference between our school and the others that she knows. She mentioned that she has noticed the lack of drugs or alcohol here and that our students are polite when they need to retrieve a ball that has gone over the fence. She even noted that the school leaders stop to pick up trash! ☺ You just never know who is watching.

The fact that our kids are polite, that we care for our property, and that the students are happy just being with each other has made an impression on her. It is my hope and prayer that she will begin to understand why it is different here at ICSV. Why are our kids polite? Because we are striving to instill in them Christian character. Why does she see us enjoying each other in community? Because every student is valued and treated with respect. As we continue to grow and even to expand into our new building, may our neighbors see ICSV as a light that shines God’s love into the world!

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

A Light to My Path

A Light to My Path

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A Light to My Path

I know that I talk a lot about the U-Bahn in my articles. I guess that’s because it’s such a big part of everyday life. Last week, on our way to church, we hopped onto the escalator to head up to the train platform. I have gone up the escalator to the train for almost seven years, but for some reason, this time I noticed the light along the bottom. It started on the ground floor where I stepped on and continued up to the platform where I got off. It reminded me of the instructions that we receive when we fly. Should the lights go out in the plane, there will be illuminated strips in the aisle that lead us to the closest exit.

As we make our way through life, there are times that we are in the dark as to the path that we should take. Sometimes we stumble around with no sense of direction at all. Other times we think we know what we should do only to find out that we made a bad decision, so we need to change directions. As Christians, God promises us that He will guide us. There are so many verses that remind us of this promise. Two of the most well known are:

Psalm 119:105 – Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

For seven years, I’ve been running up the escalator without stopping to notice that there was a light to guide my path. Kind of like life, when we run full speed ahead without taking time to acknowledge that God will guide us. Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that “we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” 

At this time of the school year, my thoughts continually go to the graduating class. The next few years are so important, as the decisions that the students make will affect them for the rest of their lives. They need to decide where they will go to school, what they will major in, what job they will take, where they will live, whom they will marry, etc. These are some of the biggest decisions that we make in our lifetime. It is so important that our kids stay in God’s Word and look to Him for guidance. It’s so easy to stray from what God teaches us is the right way to go.

The next time you take the train, stop and notice the light that directs you to the platform. Let this be a reminder that God’s Word is a light to your path and that God will determine your steps throughout life. I find this reassuring. Please be praying for the Class of 2022, that they will stay close to Him during this time of transition and seek out God’s will for their lives.

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon C. Brobst, Director

“I am God, your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go.” Isaiah 48:17

Father’s Eyes

Father’s Eyes

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Father’s Eyes

This morning as I rode the U-Bahn to work, I noticed a mother and three girls run to get on before the door closed. I could tell that they were siblings because they looked so much alike. They all had long blonde hair in braids, and even with their masks on, what I noticed the most was that they all had the same eyes! 

I’ve heard that one thing that many adopted children feel is that they wish they knew someone who looked like them. I can understand that. It’s common to compare family members with each other. I’ve always been proud of taking after my father, as I adored him. Unfortunately, it was more his nose and feet that I got, and not his eyes. ☺ 

Back in the ‘80s, a Christian singer, Amy Grant, sang “Father’s Eyes.” In the song, she says that what she really hopes to be known for is resembling her Heavenly Father, and more specifically, having His eyes. By this she means that she wants to “find the good in things, find the source of help, be full of compassion seeing every pain, and knowing what others are going through and feeling it along with them.” 

As we mature as Christians, we should become more and more like Christ every day. In so doing, others will be able to see glimpses of what God is like when they look at us. They should see His love, His grace, His patience, His goodness, and all the other qualities of a Holy God. As I watched this family of beautiful girls with the same eyes, I prayed that others would see God in my eyes – in my life. I pray the same for all in our community.

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon C. Brobst, Director

Listen to Father’s Eyes

The Easter Message

The Easter Message

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The Easter Message

We are about to head into our Easter Break, during which time we will celebrate Palm Sunday and Easter. This is a very special time in the Christian calendar, for it is when we remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Did you know that that there is consensus among secular/non-Christian historians that the broad outline of Jesus’ life is true beyond a reasonable doubt? Dr. John Dickson, an expert on the historical evidence for the truth of the Bible, confirms that the early eyewitnesses of Jesus had formally passed down the text from I Corinthians 15:3 to 8, where the Apostle Paul says: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” A portion of this passage is actually a creed that the early Christians had memorized so that they knew what they believed and the key components of the new Christian faith.

I encourage you to take some time this week to really think about what God, the Creator of the Universe, did because He so loved the world. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to die in our place – to take on Himself the penalty of our sins – so that we could be reunited with our Heavenly Father. But Jesus did not remain dead – He rose again on the third day, just as He had told them He would! In Elementary Chapel this week, when the speaker said that Jesus was no longer dead, one of our youngest students spontaneously shouted out, “Yeah!” Oh, that we would have that same excitement at the good news of Easter! We serve a Risen Savior!

Hallelujah!

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon C. Brobst, Director

He Lives!
I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today
I know that He is living, whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him He’s always near

In all the world around me I see His loving care
And though my heart grows weary I never will despair
I know that He is leading, through all the stormy blast
The day of His appearing will come at last

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ, the King
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find
None other is so loving, so good and kind

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today
He walks with me and talks with me
Along life’s narrow way
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart

Songwriters: Alfred H. Ackley

 

Image by Alicia Quan on Unsplash

I Love Testing Days!

I Love Testing Days!

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I Love Testing Days!

Today was a testing day. No, not standardized achievement tests or even IB exams. Today was a double Covid test day. Every Monday, our kids head over to the old Lucky Car building and take two tests – an antigen test and a PCR gargle test. We have a whole team of staff members who get here early to set up and then spend about an hour helping the kids to take their tests. My job is to man the door to the school and to collect these little entrance tickets that have the date and “negative” typed on them. 

What’s so great about that? I have the privilege of greeting every student as they enter the school, and we have awesome kids! They have been such troopers wearing their masks every day and submitting to these tests just to come to school. When they come to my door, the older kids hold the door for the little ones. They patiently wait for them, even when they get their backpack stuck in the door. They wish me a good day, and if they forget to pick up a “negative” ticket, they don’t argue with me when I tell them they have to go all the way back to the testing site to get me one. 

To be honest, I’m not sure that I would have been as compliant and flexible as our students have been. As I think back on my growing up years, I questioned a lot, and I made it known if I thought something didn’t make sense. I probably would have been the one to write to the Vienna Department of Education to make suggestions for how to handle the Covid crisis. ☺ Today, those same analytical skills that probably drove my teachers and parents crazy come in handy. I like to joke that “I don’t follow the rules; I make them.” But, in reality, it’s probably true. 

But as I also look back, I remember being chosen to represent the school at a leadership conference when I was in eighth grade. I am amazed that my teachers were able to see that even though I was rough around the edges and didn’t always use my gift of leadership in the most positive way, they acknowledged it, and gave me opportunities to try it out.

I want to encourage you today. We have good kids. You may be frustrated when they try to argue with you or they want to question something. But did you know that in the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul gives advice to both parents and children? First, he writes, “Children, obey your parents; this is the right thing to do because God has placed them in authority over you.” But then he says, “And now a word to you parents. Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice.” (Ephesians 6:1, 4, Living Bible)

So, once again, I thank you for sending your children to ICSV. We love them and value them. Thanks for the great job you are doing as parents. Let’s continue to work together as a community to support each other for the sake of our children. 

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

Our Sister Schools in Ukraine and Russia

Our Sister Schools in Ukraine and Russia

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Our Sister Schools in Ukraine and Russia

The last couple of weeks I’ve been praying about the situation in Ukraine and how we can help. As a school, we have been in discussions about the best way to meet the educational needs of the students while also providing them with stability and community. 

This week the donations that you brought to school were delivered to the Poland-Ukraine border. Anything that comes in from now on will be used locally to help those who fled to Vienna. Thank you so much for your support to help provide for these physical needs.

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to gather with our sister schools in Europe and some of the ACSI leaders for a time of sharing and prayer online. Three of the schools that participated are located in Kyiv, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. Each of the school directors had evacuated and were located in various parts of the world. As they shared how they safely got their staff and students out of harm’s way, they cried. Emotions were raw, as they talked of getting stopped at the borders or struggling to find a flight to safety. The schools are trying to continue with online schooling. Everything that we have learned about virtual education during Covid is now being used to provide classes during this time of war. God knew they’d need this knowledge.

During our meeting, we reflected on Psalm 46, which says:

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Please continue to pray for this ongoing situation that the ICSV can bless those in need. God has blessed us far above anything we could ask or think. We now have the privilege to share what we have with others.

Because of His Faithfulness,
Dr. Sharon Brobst, Director

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