Providence @ MindSay 
through history it has been teamed and
linked with philosophy and themes
of life or death, dirty or clean.
In one dear dream,
I checked my forgotten phone,
just to find a few messages flown
and carved with black stone.
I realised immediately I was in a dream.
The messages found in the residence,
read it too late. It was reminiscence,
the messages was from One who is like Providence.
So shortly after my last post (my letter to Isa), I did exactly as I said I might: I carried my little awareness campaign to a couple of French Immersion schools, volunteered for a day in one of them (even got a part time offer from one, which I declined), and then, lo and behold, it was the Edmonton School Board that called ME (instead of the other way around) and asked me to come in to get processed as a substitute. Such is bureaucracy. No accountability to fill the needs of their clientele unless someone with some clout (ie a principal) calls and says "Um, we need French subs, and this guy is available, why haven't you hired him?" (which is what I suspect happened).
Edmonton's alright, the bus drivers are actually nice and will stop if you're running after them, or let you off if they're stopped at a red (yes, I'm implicitly making a statement about Vancouver's transit system). Plus I can use all the library services at the University for free, even though I'm not an alumnus (yes, here's another implicit statement about Vancouver, and UBC which charges through the nose even for alumni). It's also way less congested than Vancouver, although it is starting to get there. Unless the Lord calls me to be a city-dweller, I have my eyes set on the outlying area (speaking of which, I've got on as a sub in St. Albert, Black Gold and Battle River as well as Edmonton).
It's cool living near Sandy and Sheila, and attending their church once in a while. I've also been attending the "breaking-of-bread" service, before Sandy's church begins, at a nearby Brethren assembly on a regular basis (as I'm used to from going to SLEF in Vancouver). But I've been going to Sandy's church mostly just to be of support to him. The teaching there is not very biblically sound (well, it's not that great anywhere else either, with just about every major evangelical church trying to copy the Willowcreek model of being "seeker sensitive", "community based", program driv...ooops I mean "purpose driven"). As for "breaking bread", this appears to be the most authentic outward expression of remembering and identifying with Jesus, at least in term of how Jesus directed us in the scriptures to do so. But by and large, I get my teaching via internet MP3 from George Tabert (about the only thing in Vancouver that I like) at South Langley Evangelical Fellowship (www.slef.ca).
So the pilgrimage continues.... Here are some photos of my victory getting signed up with EPSB (the one of me holding the flower I included in a flyer to all the French & Christian schools advertising "Finally!... A French/Christian sub!!!!" Just for good measure, I also sent one with a rose to two people in the personnel dept. who were particularly putting me off, saying "Just a note to say I'm glad to be in the neighbourhood, and please don't neglect the needs of the alternative programs.")
Whew!!!
Even so, I'll update you by copying here an email I sent to Isabel (from my UBC education class), when she asked what I was doing now...
Hey Isa,
Thanks for the note. Yeah, North Van. was pretty providential (no I didn't see Kristin at all, except grad)... considering I couldn't even get work as a substitute anywhere in the Lower Mainland/Fras. Valley (how's that for "you're ALL guaranteed jobs as soon as you graduate!"?). So I ended getting full time for 6 months instead! All in all, it just contributed to my long-time notions of wanting to finally get out of the Vancouver sardine can (yeah I know, I think I was the only one among all the Vancouver lemmings who didn't care to bust my rear for the rest of my life to keep a small cage in Vancouver).
So I moved to Edmonton, where I feel I can finally breathe again. Mind you, the school board's personnel department here seems to have as much of a pulse as Vancouver at filling the "oh so great a need for French teachers". I've been waiting to be put on the substitute list, even though I got interviewed (and retained) almost a year ago (and told I would be put on the sub list if I moved to Edm.), AND let them know at the beginning of this past August that I was moving to Edmonton. Meanwhile, everyone's telling me that there's a crying need for French subs (as well as ones that can teach the Board's Christian schools -- yes, the board here gives every Tom-Dick-Harry their own school... arts, ukranians, muslim, jews... unlike the BC boards that are fiercely defensive of their gestapo our-way-or-the-highway-mention-god-and-you're-dead system. If you think I'm kidding ask Chris Kempling or Trinity Western U. But I digress). Even so, I'm getting the "well, we're still putting our sub roster together, it'll take about 2 weeks".
But this is the crazy thing. Brace yourself: even though ESB won't put their sub list together.... can you believe that they just offered me a permanent contract??? AND... teaching a regular English 5 class, with resp. to teach 4,5 and 6 FSL in the school. Dream job! I turned it down. I know you think I'm nuts. But, after much reflection, I really really want to do what I wasn't allowed to do last year. BE A SUB!!!! How ironic is that? All the sub's want full time jobs, and can't get them for about 5 years -- meanwhile, I'm probably the only one who has taught full time, and has full time offers (AND prob. the only one being offered an FT-eng. position after only a year after grad) who wants so badly JUST TO BE A SUB!!! And..... who can't even do that! Irony, irony, irony.
(In case you're wondering why I'm so heaven-bent on being a sub... I guess you can say that I feel like I learned very little at UBC. At least I know what to do, and what not to do, in an Indian Smudging ceremony! Seriously, I feel that it would be the best thing for my practice to have practice teaching in different settings, and observe how different teachers do things, maybe for a year or so.)
So while the ESB has been fumbling about, not getting their sub list together and offering contracts to new grads, I've been pounding the pavement, flashing my smile and resume to just about every private school and Christian school not belonging to the ESB, in hopes that someone, somewhere, might just perhaps want a sub... who is just a male with FSL and 1/2 yr. FI experience at the elementary level. Well, tonight after a week of this, I might have found my first one! A Christian school 40 min. drive out of Edmonton called and told me that one of their teachers might be sick, and they'll call me by 7 tomorrow morning to let me know. My rental car is standing by.
Sorry for writing such an epistle, but recent events have inspired me to answer your simple question as such. I really hope you're doing well on your prolonged romantic island retreat, and that I might see you again making a visit to the land of bilk and funny (which will be milk and honey once I finally get a sub position).
Warmly,
Renny
Insight of our immersion
Missionary life is always part of a human person who follows Christ. I was deeply moved during the entire immersion. The barangays where I was assigned allowed me to experience God’s loving providence. I realized that in spite of difficult life experienced during the immersion, God remained with us. He provided the necessary things that I needed. I remember the words of the Lord Jesus, “Courage… Do not be afraid!” God’s providence was greatly and concretely made visible through the people I met. I see Jesus in each one of them.
With the immersion, I experienced an inspiring journey in which my trust and love with the Lord became strong. To love God, therefore, is to trust Him unceasingly.
Quite apart from facing people who reacted as though I was drooling down my beard, I had amazing experiences and insights into God's created order of things. For one, I did things I never dreamed of doing, alongside people I would never normally encounter. Plus I really came to see how down and out people, if they came to be reconciled to God's created purposes through Jesus, could find deep fulfilment. Namely, they could see how the most looked down upon tasks in our age can in fact be glorious expressions of ruling the earth. In the image of God.
So, while many scratched their head and wondered if I was being lazy, or if I wasn't trying hard enough to apply or prepare for interviews, I merrily sang John Bunyan's "To Be a Pilgrim" theme to and from different jobs in fish plants, warehouses, construction sites, etc. -- in addition to the Labour Ready waiting room.
As I continued to walk away from my worldly title as a professional teacher, a call came. I was working as an election day registration officer, and the principal at Ross Road elementary in North Vancouver wanted to interview me right away for a Grade 5/6 French Immersion Class. He had to wait until the next day. And so I was interviewed. And offered the job the same day. And reported to work the next. Just like that. Even in spite of my alleged "laziness" or "not trying hard enough". Yes, even without serving as a substitute teacher for one single day in the public school system.
According to God's word, I know better. It was all providential. The closed AND open doors. And the resulting strengthening in my orientation and character. Like Peter and his boat, I'm holding onto my "boat" all the more loosely, ready at any moment to let go for the sake of following Jesus, wherever he leads. Joyfully and gladly! What freedom, what peace, what fruit of righteousness comes from the Lord's discipline and leading (Hebrews 12). Hallelujah!
"Then fancies fly away! He'll care not what men say.
He'll labour night and day. To be a pilgrim."
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