100 Mile House, BC

Hi there. Yes, I am safe and sound. Apart from losing my jacket in Calgary airport I had a pretty good day on the 24th as I flew to Abbotsford, BC. It was the first time so many people were waiting for me at the airport. Well, I guess, four people is a lot to me.

We spent the first two days in Chilliwack which is close to the coast then we drove to my sister’s place, 100 Mile House. I thought that Riviere-Beaudette was a nowhere village, well 100 Mile House is truly a nowhere town in a real hole. Hmmm, well, valley sounds better maybe. 100 Mile House is just so far away from other towns it feels like I’m in a far west movie. Well, maybe not that bad.

Anyways, I’ve been enjoying my trip a lot. It’s really nice to see the West of my country again and realize how different Quebec is from the other provinces. It reminds me of my two years spent in Saskatchewan so much. Safeway, Seven Eleven, Husky and co. It’s good to rest and do little to nothing. I desperately needed that.

Corinne and I are planning on climbing a hill. Well, it’s kinda big. It should take a few hours to climb up and we’ll see how the snow slows us down. Hey, I’m wanting to shave my head.

British Columbia

I am leaving for BC tomorrow morning (24th) and should be in Abbotsford around supper time (Québec time). I am not looking forward to traveling by myself again … hmmm I never actually flew or bused with anybody! But I guess that’s okay. I’m looking forward to do something different, be in the West again, see my sister, be silly and be away from Montréal.

I wish you all a merry Christmas time.

“Rejoice, rejoice, Immanuel has come to thee…”

“Heureux, levez, les yeux au ciel, voici venir Emmanuel…”

Vive l’enseignement II

On Friday I had a meeting at university an my fellow students had warned me about a snowstorm threatening the schools on Monday. Then at home, my roommates told me the same, so I checked the weather forecast only to find out that there was indeed a lot of snow coming our way. We had a youth meeting on Friday night and a man from my church who had brought his son told me that our church would be closed because of the snowstorm Sunday. So I started believing in the possibility of having the schools closed on Monday.

I was talking about pepper nuts with my roommates who were baking Christmas stuff when the phone rang. First thing I heard was “Cé qui qui’appelle à stheure là!” (Who calls at such a time? - this is a very Québécois version) it was 9:30, Sunday night. The phone was for me.

My cooperating teacher. “Your hope came true, the school will be closed tomorrow.”

Needless to say, I am quite excited! Don’t take me wrong, it is not that I dislike teaching, I dislike teaching when I’m being watched by my cooperating teacher, when the rest of my class are done their internship, this is the last week before Christmas and I’m going to BC in 8 days!

Enjoy the snow if you’re around Montréal!

Encouragement

If you want to know how busy Gabrielle is, just check the dates of her posts in this blog.

It’s been a week now that I had a little bit of time to write here. I do not have more time than usual, but my day is not the usual internship Friday I’m used to have. I spent the morning in school and we have a meeting at university in an hour - so I’m waiting for my endless posts to be printed.

Today is the last day of our internship - but I’m spending one more week there because I need to make up some time. Today was my supervisor’s visit from university. He came to evaluate me teaching. This could have been a stressful time, but since I knew the type of person my supervisor is and the fact that I was so busy last night, I just did not worry at all and never felt nervous about him evaluating me this morning.

Today was the most encouraging day of my internship so far. My cooperating teacher has been good at setting high standards for me and guiding me, but she seldom had good comments about anything I did and always made me feel inadequate. My university supervisor spent a 45-minute class watching me and he almost only had praises for me. It was good to hear encouragement. I know that he doesn’t have the knowledge my cooperating teacher has of me, but my supervisor at least knows what the university expects from me at this time. Anyways, it was good to be encouraged and to be told not to mind my cooperating teacher’s perfectionism too much, that I was doing a good job.

Please pray for this last week, I have still a lot of planning to do.

Academic Stretching

It’s now been four weeks that I’ve been in my internship and there is still two weeks to go (hey and I’m going to BC in a little more than two weeks too!) and the best word to describe my time is “stretching”.

In the 211 (bus) this morning I was listening to Timothy Keller on my ipod (thanks to my family for this wonderful birthday present!) and he was speaking on how to change. At one point he talked about the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and how sometimes, it is easy for people to think they’re growing and becoming more like Jesus because they do so much in the church. For some people who are stronger in the faith, to help and teach the weaker ones, makes them feel as if they themselves are fine and growing because the weaker ones are transformed by the stronger ones’ input in their lives: the weaker ones are becoming more loving, more patient, etc. through the stronger ones’ ministry.

Keller continues by saying that when people grow through your ministry, it does not necessarily mean that you are growing yourself. The fact that people become more like Jesus through your input is not one of the fruit of the Spirit.

Here end Keller’s thoughts, those are mine:

I think it’s very good that people can help weaker ones to grow and become more like Jesus. But let’s not confuse service and growth. Growth can and should be accomplish through service, but sometimes it does not work that way, depending on our heart’s conditions.

I have found myself going through tough times -not spiritually, but academically. I feel like I have the best cooperating teacher in my internship, but she has very high standards, so high that I wouldn’t be surprised that she would fail me. I don’t worry, that’s for sure. It is interesting how I’ve been feeling in spite of the stretch, frustration and concerns I’ve had about my planning for this internship. I often feel inadequate and I am everyday humbled by my cooperating teacher. She stretches and humbles me so much. Yes it is tough to go through this internship and I never feel like talking about my planning to my CT because I know that again my pride will be crushed and I’ll be reminded I can’t do anything that doesn’t need my CT’s input and changes. But, even though it is tough, I find myself rejoicing and embracing this time in my life. No, I don’t like it. But man, I’m learning! It’s like purposely holding a rose tight in my hand, feeling the thorns getting into my skin. But I still hold on to it.

All of this just to write a long post. No. Listening to Keller this morning helped me realize how important it is to have people who will stretch us spiritually. I’m stretched academically right now and I see how valuable it is. Being stretched spiritually, that is what will help us truly grow and become true disciples of Jesus Christ. It is not enough to think that because we’re serving and people are growing through us, we’re doing good. We need mentors and people that will stretch us. I would like to rejoice in spiritual stretching just as much as academic stretching.

Pray for me.

Psalm 127:1-2

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat

for He grants sleep to those He loves.”

 

So it is right to labor and stand guard, to rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - when the Lord is building and working for us. It is also right to rest because the Lord grants sleep to those He loves - He takes care of those He loves while they sleep, they need not to worry about toiling for their food. Sounds a lot like the sabbath to me. I believe it is important to sit back every once in a while and reflect on this verse and our lives: Is God building the house or am I toiling with my own efforts without Him?

Vive l’enseignement!

It is currently 6:25am and ten minutes ago I got a phone call. As every day of the week since I’m doing my internship I got up at 5:02 and started my morning routine. I was drinking some orange juice when the phone rang. I figured it was my cooperating teacher with whom I am doing my internship -she’s had bronchitis and was supposed to be back at school today. I thought that she was calling me to tell me she was not feeling well enough to come (so I was sort of glad to be able to teach all by myself another full day) - Oh the many things we can think in half a second! Indeed it was my CT but she had something else to tell me: THE SCHOOL IS CLOSED. She told me to go back to bed.

The weather is pretty bad this morning. It seems that there was a snowstorm (still quietly raging) during the night. You know, I love the idea of being a teacher for many reasons. I really enjoy sharing my knowledge, seeing people learning and growing, I find teaching to children/teens to be a good, healthy thing to do for my society (I didn’t feel that way when I worked in stores), teachers get two months of summer vacation and at least two weeks for Christmas… and on top of that, schools close because of snowstorms! I know that some of the reasons I gave are quite extrinsic and I would still want to become a teacher even though I wouldn’t get those vacations and etc. (there are a lot of tougher sides to teaching too…), but this morning I’m really happy to be off!

I feel sleepy now. This little event this morning reminds me that God can do anything. I’m not saying that God called a snowstorm so I wouldn’t have to teach today. I was ready for my day and was going to leave in ten minutes when I got the phone call. But it reminds me that when things are tough and I need an intervention from God, He can and will do it. I don’t think I’m making sense for you right now, but anyways. I’ll enjoy this day!