Class of 1985 30th Reunion

"peanut butter and jelly, feels so good in my belly!"

l-r FRONT: Anita, Andrea, Veronica, Karen, Joanne,
l-r BACK: Jeff, Cameron, Amanda, Mark, Alan, Ben, Steve

Graduating Class of 1985 at 30th Reunion  
(Hope I got everyone right?) Love Laura-Lee)

Poem by Me: "Fifteen"

Wednesday, ‎December ‎07, ‎2016

FIFTEEN

    ~ by Laura-Lee RAHN

‎

I see some wrinkles

And gray hairs a-plenty.

The desks where we sat

Are long gone and empty.

Walking the hallways

where Laughter once played,

I remember full rooms

 where we learned and prayed.

Down come old walls 

making room for the new.

But I still see the pole

where our proud flag once flew.

 Some mem'ries have passed.

 Some years left unseen.

Yet safe in my heart,

you're forever fifteen.

* Dedicated to the former Students from Vancouver Christian Secondary School.

LINK Vancouver Christian School (HOMEPAGE)

LINK to VCS (History)

" ...

By the 1970s and 80s, Vancouver Christian School had become a thriving community of a few hundred students, adding kindergarten and high school classes as the need arose. VCS' mission, to teach children about "all of life under God," continued to draw Vancouver families to the school.  And, it was during this era that VCS truly evolved into the multicultural, multidenominational community that it is today. ..."

30th Reunion for Graduating Class of 1985

VCSS Class of '85 30th Reunion!!

Sat. Sept. 12, 2015

6596 238 Street, Langley

Bring a potluck dish to share, and a sundae topping for

 dessert. (BYOB)

(I'm unable to travel anymore - so I won't be able to go out to the BC coast, but hopefully someone who attends will take photos for posting).

Hope you all have a good time counting the grey hairs and wrinkles and remembering the "good ol' days". So many of them truly were good, but when you're a teenager everything can seem like a crisis at the time.

Sincerely, Laura-Lee Rahn (Grad of 1985)

Grads of 1985 @ 25th Reunion
(Where ARE those grey hairs? This is a good lookin' bunch of people!)

Poem Written by Teen: What's WRONG with Schools; What's RIGHT with Schools

I usually get several inspirational and funny stories in my email Inbox each day, but only once or twice have I actually published/posted it somewhere. Well, this is the third time. It speaks for itself. Both tragic and heroic. 

(How do kids survive in the world we've created for them?!)

 

~~ Laura-Lee

BY A 15 yr. OLD SCHOOL KID who got an A+ for this entry (TOTALLY AWESOME)! Since the Pledge of Allegiance And The Lord's Prayer Are not allowed in most Public schools anymore Because the word 'God' is mentioned..... A kid in Arizona wrote the attached NEW School prayer: "New Pledge of Allegiance" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now I sit me down in school Where praying is against the rule For this great nation under God Finds mention of Him very odd. If scripture now the class recites, It violates the Bill of Rights. And anytime my head I bow Becomes a Federal matter now. Our hair can be purple, orange or green, That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.. The law is specific, the law is precise. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice. For praying in a public hall Might offend someone with no faith at all.. In silence alone we must meditate, God's name is prohibited by the state. We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks... They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. To quote the Good Book makes me liable. We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King. It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong, We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.. We can get our condoms and birth controls, Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles... But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, No word of God must reach this crowd. It's scary here I must confess, When chaos reigns the school's a mess. So, Lord, this silent plea I make: Should I be shot; My soul please take! Amen If you aren't ashamed to do this, Please pass this on.. Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'   WHAT IS WRONG AT HIGH SCHOOLS       Amanda Todd - bullied to death     High School Shootings:         

WHAT IS RIGHT AT HIGH SCHOOLS:

 

( even in most states they're breaking the law, students still meet to pray together and do the yearly praying at the flagpole)

 

This Era's Greatest Warriors for Jesus (are under 18)

 

 

　

　

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

" In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, ...

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

(Acts 2:17 and 21)

 

You young people are my heroes. Go forth and love and conquer in his name.

 (Romans 8:37)

 ~~ Love Laura-Lee

YOU Can Post Here Too

Since Mom died, I don't seem to have much heart for keeping up the same amount of posts as before. But I don't want to hinder YOU from posting to the VCSS ALUMNI Blog. This is YOUR blog too. I can add you to this blog so that you have the ability to add new posts to it as well.

You just simply send me your email address and I will plug it into this blog. You will get an invitation in your INBOX to ask if you want to post to this blog. Follow the link to answer "YES" and you can post here too.
It's that simple.

Even if you don't have something to say right now, you might want to set this up as a precaution. If it ends up you DO want to say something in the future that's important, you might not have the time to be waiting on me to get around to checking my email.

Just wanted you to know that this option was available to you and super simple.

And I suspect this Blog will be much improved the more people contribute. I'm happy to start these groups and blogs but, after all, there are MANY great people who attended this school and should be heard.

Love Laura-Lee RAHN (grad 1985)

Send your email to: irene.lauralee@gmail.com
SUBJECT: VCSS Alumni Blog

Laura-Lee's Mom: Irene Rahn (1941 - 2013)

(February, 1941 – March, 2013)



IRENE - 1980 (39 years old)

On the morning of Saturday, March 23, 2013, at the age of 72, my beloved mother, Irene (Martel) Rahn, left her broken and pain filled body to enter the Kingdom of her lifelong Lord, Saviour, Redeemer and King, Jesus.

Her body will be interred at:

"Northern Lights Cemetery” (Edmonton, AB, Canada)

No services will be held.


However, she had a deep heart of compassion for the homeless and one of her final requests was that, in lieu of flowers, you send a donation to:

Hope Mission

P.O. Box 953

Edmonton, AB

T5J 2L8

Phone: 780-453-3877

www.hopemission.com

She is well known to Hope Mission and they have set up a memorial fund in her name.

Simply write: “In Memory of Irene Rahn” on your cheque OR
mention her name when you give online:

www.hopemission.com

(But if you wish to give anonymously that’s fine too. The important thing is that you give).

I, her daughter Laura-Lee, am in complete sympathy with her wishes.

Jesus, in his infinite mercy, gave both Mom and myself all the strength and peace needed for her final journey. He has also allowed me to fulfill every promise I made to her in regard to her last wishes.

For those of us she leaves behind, her request is that we be comforted and remember her while reading

Psalm 16 (especially verses: 5-11)

and

Isaiah 26 in the Bible.

I refer you to my personal blog: www.LauraleeWasHere.blogspot.com

And direct you to the previous post there:

* "Love in a Neon Orange Lunch Box"

Which has consistently remained the most viewed entry worldwide since it was originally posted.

With deepest sincerity,

her daughter, Laura-Lee

Her Wedding - 1960

Vancouver Christian School History (3 schools in 1)

 

 

 

Vancouver Christian School (http://vancouverchristian.org)

The idea of a Christian school in Vancouver was first conceived by a group of Dutch immigrants, with Reformed religious roots, in the late 1930s. The school, first know as “Calvin Christian School” opened its doors in 1949 making it the first Christian school of its kind in B.C.
Enrolment quickly expanded as many Dutch immigrants arrived in the decade after World War II. Shortly after its opening, two new schools branched off into Burnaby (John Knox) and Richmond (Richmond Christian School).
In 1965, the school changed its name to Vancouver Christian School. Property was purchased on Killarney Street where it remained as a K‐7 school until the late 1980s. During the 1960s and ‘70s, the school population diversified as it developed into a truly interdenominational school representing many churches and cultures.
In 1978, Vancouver Christian expanded to include a regional high school by opening a grade 8‐12 program on a new site on Mons Avenue. In 1988, after 10 years of operation, the high school closed its doors with the promise that the dream of a high school would be developed again over time. The Killarney property was sold and the K‐7 school moved to the Mons site.
By 1991, Vancouver Christian had developed the first middle school in British Columbia (grades 6‐8) and had also begun to add a junior high program up to grade 10, in fulfillment of promises made when the high school had closed down in 1988. Although overall the school flourished during this decade, it remained difficult to sustain the junior high program due to the continuing exit of students from grades 7 and 8 into the public school system.
The first decade of the new millennium saw huge enrolment growth at Vancouver Christian and it implemented a full double‐track system.

John Knox Christian School (http://johnknoxbc.org) In 1955, John Knox Christian School opened its doors as a new Christian elementary school serving the New Westminster and Burnaby areas. In the school’s first year of operation it had 65 students in 4 classrooms, with 2 teachers and a principal.
In the 1960s, a second wing with 5 classrooms was added to the school to accommodate more students. Physical Education classes were held in a church meeting hall across the street.
In 1964, a regional Christian high school known as Fraser Valley Christian High School was formed under a separate society, and initially operated on the John Knox campus. Fraser Valley Christian High School moved into a new building in Surrey in 1966.
As the John Knox School grew in the 1970s, and many new students came from the Surrey area, a decision was made to start a new elementary campus across the Fraser River. The Surrey campus opened in 1978 and was known as “John Knox Christian School – Surrey”. In 1986 the Surrey campus formed its own society and became known as “Surrey Christian School”.
Back in Burnaby, John Knox underwent another major expansion in 1995 adding a gym, library, two additional classrooms and administrative offices.
In 2004, under pressure from an expanding student population, John Knox moved its grades 5 to 7 to a new campus in Burnaby leased from Burnaby School District. The leased campus served to relieve the John Knox School of its immediate space issues, and also provided opportunity to revisit a proposal to start a new Christian high school in cooperation with the Vancouver Christian School.
In 2006, the Strategic Planning Committee of John Knox envisioned a new building for the school, and in 2008, a 3‐year capital campaign was launched, the old building was removed and students and staff were temporarily divided between a vacant elementary school in Coquitlam, and the leased Burnaby campus. Construction of the new school began in 2009 and was completed in February 2010, on time and on budget. On March 1, 2010 students and staff moved into the new building. In May 2010 the building was dedicated to God’s glory.

Carver Christian High School (http://carverchristian.org)Around the turn of the millennium, as other Christian schools were developing into K ‐ 12 schools, Vancouver Christian and John Knox began to consider again the idea of developing a regional high school in the Vancouver‐Burnaby area

In September 2005, the vision and hard work of its founders was rewarded when Carver Christian High School opened its doors to welcome 77 students from Grades 9 ‐ 11. A year later, as student enrolment increased, grade 12 was added.
In 2011, in the interest of retaining students who might otherwise go to public school and in the interest of attracting new students Carver expanded its program to include grade 8. John Knox moved its grade 8 students to Carver and Vancouver Christian continued to operate its grade 6 – 8 middle school program

Amalgamation of Three Vancouver Christian Schools

If you haven't heard by now, Vancouver Christian School, Carver High School, & John Knox School  are going to be joined into ONE school, although they will maintain separate campuses. 

This has been in the works for some time now and there has been a LOT of meetings and 'to-ing and fro-ing' and so I haven't mentioned it here at our alumni blog so far. But now it seems that the various people and schools are coming to more concrete decisions and it's time to bring you up to date (as much as I can).

Several of you who read this have children attending one or more of these schools, so this may be old information to you, but there are many of us who have been "set adrift" due to the fact that we have no children enrolled there nor do we give significant donations. (Quite frankly, no matter whom I write to, I don't even get my emails responded to).

However, being ignored has never stopped me before, so I will attempt to piece together here the most up to date and pertinent facts in this merger of the three schools.

Transition to amalgamation

Posted on March 5, 2013 by mbaelde

This Merger Matters site has kept you informed of developments as we have moved forward towards the vote on amalgamation.
At this time we are pleased to share with you the Transition Plan which we hope will lead to a decision by the respective society memberships to amalgamate under a new society, the Greater Vancouver Christian Education Society.

A Town Hall meeting has been scheduled for May 7, 2013 at the John Knox Christian School. Society memberships of both Vancouver and Burnaby, parents, teachers and staff are invited to attend for presentations on the developments and plans to form a new society and an amalgamated K – 12 school. In particular you can learn and ask questions about:

• the Constitution, Bylaws and Governance of the Greater Vancouver Christian Education Society,
• the Mission and Vision of the new Vancouver Christian School operating in 3 campus locations under the names Vancouver campus, John Knox campus and Carver campus
• campus programs, policies and administration,
• the proposed budget,
• the future location of the Carver campus and
• the “special resolutions” required to effect the amalgamation.

The purpose of this Town Hall meeting is to provide information only. We will anticipate questions and provide answers as further questions arise. There will be no vote taken at this meeting.


WHAT'S IN A NAME:

This amalgamated name is consistent with the practice in SCSBC schools to identify a name according to its location as done for Richmond Christian, Langley Christian, Surrey Christian and Abbotsford Christian. The name recognizes that Vancouver is a more widely recognized location than Burnaby and that selecting Vancouver Christian School as a name for the amalgamated school further protects the internet branding advantage that comes with the name. It also pays tribute to the long history established through John Knox Christian School by recognizing this through the campus name – John Knox campus, and acknowledges the history that has been developed at the Carver campus.

For us, the names are important and what they represent is equally importance. We’re heading for establishing an amalgamated Christian K – 12 school in Vancouver with campus names that speak to a deep history. This is exciting. Praise the Lord!
Ed Vanderboom



VCS webpage for Merger Information
 

Mrs. Funnell Celebrated Life (Every Day)

Mary Isobel (Prizeman) Funnell

(Teacher at Vancouver Christian School)

Fondly Remembered

Mary Isobel (Prizeman) Funnell January 17, 1923 - February 24, 2013 Predeceased by her husband Roy in 1998. Survived by her 3 children Bryon (Judy), John, Jayne Hozar (Nasser) and 4 grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held in her honour on Saturday, March 9 at 11:00 am at Calvary Christian Church, 16293 104 Ave., Surrey.

Guest Book Signatures (as of Mar 11, 2013)

March 7, 2013

Remembering how she took Daughter Angela under her wings at the Vancouver Christian School-My sincere condolences to her children and grandchildren-she was a very fine teacher and a lovely lady.The Lord comfort each and every one of you.

~

Cathy Winkel,

Tsawwassen, British Columbia

 

 

 

Found on Geneology Website:

Descendants of Alexander Rintowall

Generation No. 9
298. MARY ISABEL⁹ PRIZEMAN (RUBY SOPHIA⁸ RINTOUL, JAMES⁷, WILLIAM⁶, CHARLES⁵, WILLIAM⁴, ALEXANDER³, ALEXANDER², ALEXANDER¹ RINTOWALL) was born January 17, 1923 in Simpson, Saskatchewan. She married ROY STANLEY FUNNELL October 21, 1944. He was born October 27, 1920 in Lethbridge, Alberta, and died May 11, 1998 in Surrey, British Columbia.

Children of MARY PRIZEMAN and ROY FUNNELL are:

	i.		BYRON DAVID ROY10 FUNNELL, b. January 16, 1952.
	ii.		JOHN GARDNER FUNNELL, b. March 11, 1956.
	iii.		RUBY JAYNE MARGARET FUNNELL, b. June 05, 1958 LINK to where I found MRS. FUNNELL's Family Tree page

Laura-Lee's First Day at VCSS

Since I’ve been going down memory lane about my terrible Fears for the first 42 years of my life, a lot MORE stuff has come up from the dusty corners of my brain.

I started grade 8, for the first time, at a Catholic High School. It was brand new and really big. My family had moved into that neighbourhood and since I was a Catholic, I attended it.

The previous year, Grade 7 at Miller Park Elementary School (which was a public school) was a great year for me. Mostly due to my best friend, Sacha Barrie. We had a total riot! Plus, I also attended Miller Park Elementary with a couple of my younger cousins. It was wonderful. But, my family moved and I had to said “Good-bye” to my best friend, Sacha, and start Mailllardville Secondary School, in Coquitlam at the beginning of grade 8. That was not a great time!

I interrupted drug deals in the bathrooms, got the ‘crap’ kicked out of me several times (which makes it difficult to make friends) and finally got thrown down a flight of 30 cement stairs. Three stories straight down. After the fall, as I looked up into the faces of the girls who had pushed me, their only comment was “The B**** will die next time”.
Needless to say, if I was usually a scared person, being at that school didn’t exactly motivate me to embrace life. My Fears became Terrors.

My Mom and I went to see the vice-Principal AND school counsellor, who both claimed I was a liar and that all their students were nice, Catholic girls and would NEVER behave like that.

I couldn’t stand the constant fear and beatings anymore, so in May of that year, I quit Maillardville Secondary School just 6 weeks short of the end of the year.

The next year I tried the public school. I had to take some grade 8 classes, but then I was going to be bumped into grade 9 classes because I had gotten such high grades for the first 3 semesters at the Catholic school.

But I had my eye on a little, Christian School I had read about in a TV Guide. Yup. The local edition of the TV Guide. I had become a Born-Again Christian a couple years earlier, and when I heard that there was such a thing as a “Christian School” (that wasn’t particularly a Catholic School), I wanted so desperately to go there.

A few weeks and a few miracles later and I had an interview to apply to go to "Vancouver Christian Secondary School" (V.C.S.S). This meeting was with some ‘big-wig’ people, that I had No idea who they were. Even though my family was “officially” still Catholic, AND my parents were Divorced, they let me in.

(*NOTE: Even though VCSS was interdenominational, it was mostly Baptists and Christian Reformed, who adhere to strict Christian codes. So my still being a Catholic and my parents being Divorced were big obstacles to my acceptance)

There was another big problem, since VCSS was such a small school, they didn’t have semesters. If I attended, it would mean taking ALL of grade 8 over again. But even though it meant an extra year of school, I knew God wanted me there, so off I went to my first day at Vancouver Christian Secondary School.

At the other high schools I had been given identification numbers and was told to “NEVER forget your number or the computer wouldn’t know who you are”. But nobody from VCSS had given me my number. They just told me to start on a certain day and go directly to the school office upon arriving at the school.

The three days leading up to that my thoughts untamed:

“That’s it! Go to the office? No more information? Who do I talk to? I had never been in that school before, what if I can’t find the office? Maybe I could ask another student where the office is? What if another student isn’t around? What if the student I ask decides to hate me? What if on the way to the office I get beat up? Will they think I started the fight? They don’t know much about me. Will I have to leave this school too? I’m starting this school weeks late and it’s not the first day of school and I won’t know what classes to go to. Nobody gave me a class schedule. How will I know what class to go to? Who do I talk to about getting a class schedule? How will I explain that I’m a new student? What if they kick me out before I can explain I’m new? What if they find out I’m not a Protestant? I’ll just explain that I love Jesus and maybe they’ll still let me stay. What if they want to talk to my dad and I have to admit that my mom is divorced? How will I prove I was accepted into this school? I don’t have a receipt or acceptance sticker or anything. I don’t have one piece of paper saying I was accepted. I don’t even remember the name of the man who phoned and said I was accepted. I can’t even remember the name of anyone who was at my interview. Maybe Mom remembers the name of someone who was there. I could call her at work, but I’d have to go to the office to use the phone (*NOTE: before cell phones invented). But if I have to ask to use the phone in the office, I’m back to square one again and trying to find my way to the office.”

And on and on my mind rolled. The same thing it’s been saying and the way it’s been behaving for 42 years. The manic fear and worry that never gives me a break or a rest. Never a day off, never a holiday for 42 years!

I did arrive for my first day of school and I did find the school office. I went in the door and a pleasant lady said, “You must be Laura-Lee. We’ve been watching out for you.”

I blurted out, “I’m terribly sorry. Am I late? Nobody told me exactly when to be here. They just told me school started at 8:45am. I hope I haven’t caused any problems.”

She responded, “Oh. No, no, no. It’s only 5 minutes after 8:00. There’s lots of time. I just meant I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I thought, “Oh no. She’s probably heard that I’m a trouble maker that gets involved in fights in bathrooms.”

The lady continued, “My name is Mrs. DeVries. I’m the secretary. Mr. Van der Kamp is in his office waiting for you.” Then she pointed at a shut door.

I had to walk around a counter, past her desk and then thought, “I hope I’m allowed to be behind this counter.”

I paused outside this Mr. Vander Something’s door, but didn’t know what to do next because it was shut.

“What should I do? Should I just go in? Should I knock and then go in? Should I knock and wait to be asked in?”

As I was debating all these options, Mrs. DeVries said, “you don’t have to knock. Just go right on in. He said to send you in when you came.”

Well, that problem was solved. On to the next …

I opened the door a crack and peeked inside. A dark haired man with a strange beard/gotee type of thing, looked up and saw me. He got up from his chair, came from behind his desk, shook my hand and motioned me to a chair. Then I remembered him from the night of the interview.

At that interview he had barely said two words the entire time. He had sat 2 chairs to my right and just watched me with his dark eyes. He looked like he was trying to analyse me or maybe read my mind. It had made me feel very queer. Now here I was stuck in a room with him and, apparently, he was the Principal of Vancouver Christian Secondary School.

He said a few words of greetings and small-talk and I figured he was probably trying to put me at my ease. Even without massive Fears, anyone’s first day at school can be a bit nerve-racking.

Then he sat up in his chair, laced his hands on his desk and looked straight into my eyes and said quite seriously, “Something of a mistake has been made!”

I thought, “Oh oh. Here it comes! He’s going to give me the boot. They had probably gotten my application mixed up with some good kid’s application and the mistake has just been discovered. Now they’re leaving it to Mr. Van der KAMP to tell me I have to leave”.

I felt so bad that I wouldn’t be allowed to go to this school that it almost physically knocked the wind out of me. But I can’t say I was totally surprised. That’s the way Life is: You think you’re up and then, BAM, you’re down.

Did I really think they would let ME go to this school: Homicidal father, Divorced parents, 'Sort-of' a Catholic, Born Again while watching a Religious TV Show, Not even Baptised yet, Couldn’t get past grade 8? It would have been a miracle just to have been allowed on the property. Of course they wouldn't accept me.

I decided I would make it easy on Mr. Van der Kamp and just quietly leave. After all, it wasn’t his fault they had made this mistake. He was just the guy who had to do the ‘dirty work’ because he had the misfortune of me sitting in front of him in his office.

Before I could get up to leave he said, “Apparently I forgot that your class is going on a field trip today. So there won’t be regular classes. Did you bring a lunch with you? Well. No matter. I’m sure someone will share with you.”

I sat there for a minute just blinking my eyes. I couldn’t get my brain to process what he was saying. “No classes? Field trip? Lunch? A walk in the woods? University of British Columbia? A car full of girls?” The man was making no sense at all. What did that have to do with me being kicked out?

He looked at me and could tell something was wrong. He said, “Don’t you want to go on the field trip, Laura-Lee?”

Now, to my credit. I did recognize my name. But when my mind shuts down I do a very strange thing. I blurt out the truth. He wanted to know if I wanted to go on a field trip at that moment so I answered, “No! I want to go home.” And believe me, at that moment it was the ABSOLUTE TRUTH! One minute I thought I was being kicked out and the next I’m going on a field trip.

Mr. Van der Kamp looked very concerned and leaned over his desk even closer towards me. He paused for a moment and did that “analysing/mind reading thingy” again and said, “What’s wrong? Why don’t you want to go on a field trip? I thought that’s what all students live for. You can tell me what’s wrong.”

To put it quite frankly, I was not used to anyone being that nice or straight forward. Especially not a stranger. I figured that if I didn’t get out of there soon I would make a bigger fool of myself by bursting into tears. And also, the sudden knowledge of going on a field trip with a bunch of kids I didn’t know and to a place I didn’t know sent my fear level right off the Scared Scale. I really, really did just want to go home. To be somewhere peaceful and quiet and try to get my Fears under some sort of control, because they were bursting out all over the place!

But instead, I gently replied to Mr. van der Kamp, “Oh, there’s nothing wrong. I just said that because I was nervous. Of course I want to go on a field trip. Sounds like a wonderful way to start at a new school.” (so much for blurting out the truth)

I stayed at Vancouver Christian Secondary School for 5 years of my life. Those teachers and kids that were so scary became like family to me, including Mr. Van der Kamp.

Five years later, only weeks away from graduation, my class startled me with a little Birthday surprise at the beginning of May. (with presents too!!) We sat around for a few minutes talking and the topic turned to my first day of school. My classmates had remembered it because I came a few weeks after the first of the year AND it was the Field Trip to the UBC Endowment Lands.

Ben (Kocsar) said he thought I was a new teacher. We all laughed at that. I asked him, “Why did you think I was a ‘teacher’?!”
He responded,“Well. You were wearing that blazer. I’d never seen a kid wear a blazer before.”

Karen (Ydenberg) said after seeing me that first day she started bugging her Dad to allow her to wear make-up, because I was wearing make-up.

There were still many people in my class who had been there on my very first day and to hear their first opinions of me was both funny and enlightening. It made me wonder if people really know what others are thinking about them. I don’t think any of my classmates knew how terrified I was on that first day with them. Or even that at the moment while we were remembering it, I was still living with all my massive fears.

Five years of your life is a lot to share with people, and we had shared it all with each other. Somehow we had gone from being fellow students to friends to family members to eternal family members. That only happens while travelling down a long road with many twists and turns, together.

The miracle, at that time, was not that the walls of Fear had fallen (because they hadn't), but that I had been able to love and be loved in spite of them.

My Prison of Fear fell only in 2009, yet it didn’t stop me from experiencing good things in the years before. Maybe that’s what it means to be a Christian and to know Jesus and have him in your life.
In Heaven, we expect everything to be great, to be peaceful, to be joyous. But if you know Jesus while on earth, then you don’t have to wait. He doesn’t take away all our obstacles but simply slips past them to give you tastes of what’s waiting for you. And the Eternal things are worth waiting for … even if you have to wait while in prison. Some Prison walls will fall here, while on earth. But others might not fall until we are out of these earthly bodies (which can also be prisons) and in our Heavenly Homes, ... Forever.

^“ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^{”
John 8:36-38 (NIV Bible)}

God Let Me Down - YUMMY!

If the Lord is the Lord of them

I joined Vancouver Christian Secondary School  (VCSS) about 6 weeks into grade 8. Prior to that my family had been living in the Maillardville district of Coquitlam, British Columbia and it looked like there was no way that I would ever be able to go to a Christian school. During the summer we had seen an advertisement in the TV Guide for Christian Schools in the Lower Mainland. We were brand new Christians, but we put our faith in Jesus to the test and my family (me, my mother and my brother) started praying in earnest that God would find a way for me to go there.

Summer came and went and the new school year started. I had to start at my neighborhood high school and it was pretty obvious that God had completely let me down. But just when it looks like all hope is lost and there is no way that God is going to come through, He answers prayer in a way we would never guess.
In our case, our sleazy landlords rented the little house we were living in right out from under us. Mom was reading the newspaper and came across a Classified advertisement that seemed rather familiar. We all took a look and recognized the home up for rent was where we were currently living! The land lords were 'upping' the rent by $300 and the move-in date for the new tenants was only 2 weeks from that moment we saw the advertisement.
 
We desperately scrambled to find a new place to live,  but very few home owners want to rent to a single mother with TWO teenagers. PLUS a dog. It looked like my little Maltese Poodle, Sweetie, might have to leave our family in order for us to find a place to live.
 I had thought God let me down just because I couldn't go to a Christian School. Then, the rug got pulled completely out from under us and I was starting to question whether or not God even liked me.
But, within 1 more week, we had a new home (much, much nicer than the one we left) and my mother had been offered a new job with a promotion and pay raise.
 
The evening of  "Move-Day" we were tired, dusty, surrounded by boxes and munching on Big Macs.  Suddenly a thought hit me and I quickly got up from my dinner and went into my bedroom.
Mom discovered me about 5 minutes later with the top half of my body deeply submerged inside a very large box. When she asked, "What are you looking for?" I popped my red face out of the box and proclaimed, "I have it!"
In my hand was a map of the city and the little advertisement from the TV Guide listing the addresses of the Christian Schools. As my mother and brother joined me looking at the map, which was spread out on a kitchen counter I said, "I was just wondering if we are any nearer to a Christian School".
I discovered that we now lived only 1 mile away from Vancouver Christian Secondary School and since my mother had gotten a pay raise, we were able to afford the tuition.
That was the first of many times that I have eaten the words, " God let me down."

It says in the Bible, "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:31-32)

Even when I was angry and hurling accusations at Him, Jesus was working out a surprise for me. I spent all the remaining days of high school at "Vancouver Christian Secondary School" which I graduated from in 1985.

In grade 12, about 3 weeks before we graduated, my class started a discussion about the first day I came to school. All those who had been attending the school when I first arrived remembered it (maybe because it also happened to be the day of a field trip). It was very interesting to hear what every one's opinion of me was on that first day. What I remember most about it was how terrified I was. I don't think anyone even knew how scared I was or how much they intimidated me. But as I sat there in grade 12, preparing to  go out into the "real" world and hearing the views of what kind of person I had become, I knew it was greatly because of those who were surrounding me at that moment.

My Science teacher, Mr. Van Oosten, wrote in my last year book, "Blossom wherever you are planted". I've tried to do that, but I know I couldn't have even attempted it unless I had been accepted and loved throughout my high school years. The faith and strength of purpose I had was given to me by the other members of VCSS who had started as friends and somewhere through the years had became family.  
On this Thanksgiving, I remember them with gratitude.

Thanks to all of you for creating a 5 year oasis that allowed me to rest and grow into who I was mean to be. You did it without judgement and by demonstrating Jesus' love to me EVERY day.  You are the "Blessings" I count.

Love Always, Laura-Lee   (Thanksgiving, 2012, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

F.Y.I.: We didn't have to give up Sweetie, either. She lived with us to a ripe old age.

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