Deep and Wide -- our swollen rivers

            A friend recently gave me a copy of a May 17, 1950 Winnipeg Free Press Weekly. ‘Hmmm, let’s see what made the news way back then,’ I mused as I turned the yellowed, brittle pages. I soon learned some of the headlines could have been from today’s paper. “Big Red’s Disaster Toll Staggers Manitoba”. Then this article caught my eye: “Grain Auger Doubles as Water Pump” Apparently someone at a Winnipeg Massey-Harris warehouse invented a creative way to pump water. ‘Manitoba floods offer further proof of western ingenuity. Grain loaders of the auger type are being used to keep implement basement dry.’ Bill Cann, shop foreman ‘rigged up a system of pulleys on an auger and power take-off on a tractor’ which he figured ‘threw up 5,000 gallons of water per hour’.

            Today, thanks to Duffy’s Ditch and the Portage Spillway things don’t look quite as grim. Nevertheless, flood waters are causing stress in many areas, including some evacuations and road closures.

            A birds-eye view of the Souris River near Lauder, taken by Bruce Bumstead, Brandon Sun photographer. The buildings are Maple Grove Colony.

Making sandbags at Maple Grove Colony. Sandbagging efforts like this one were dubbed Operation Flooderite during the 1997 flood.
Photo by Cheryl Hofer

For flood footage in southern MB, from Jack Maendel’s vantage point visit Manitoba Flood 2011.

Touched by a Monarch

           Seeing spring bursting with new life, I am reminded of the life cycle of a butterfly. If you’ve ever watched a tiny white speck on a milkweed go through a series of changes to finally become a magnificent monarch, you’ve definately seen one of God’s wonders. 

 Last fall we brought three chrysalises to school to share this marvel with our children.  Watching their childlike wonder brought back the first time I saw this metamorphosis, especially when the first butterfly somersaulted out of its chrysalis. It really is a WOW! moment everytime you see it.

            In our eyes, all three monarchs were beautiful, even though one had a maimed wing. The children named them Prince, Princess and Lucky, "because he’s lucky to be alive". When the time came to release them to start their journey to Mexico, we had mixed feelings. Of course, we wanted them to join their friends in Mexico, but we were also sad to see them go. Prince and Princess took to the sky shortly after we placed them on flowers. As for Lucky, he only burrowed himself in the flowers, as if knowing he won’t be able to make the long trip. Not even the children’s encouraging chants, “You gotta go! You gotta go! You gotta go to Mexico!” could propel Lucky skyward. Enhancing the wonder of this monarch, our Lucky, were the melancholy feelings he evoked when we realized he will make it to Mexico only in our dreams!

            To watch the monarch migration visit Journey North.

           

“I Baptize You in the Name of the Father…”

 Since God in His grace has been merciful to you and through the death of Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, and the intercession of the Church has forgiven and remitted your sins, may He fill you with the powers from on High and write your name in the Book of Eternal Life. May He keep you as a true Brother/Sister in the Church to serve Jesus until the end. Amen.

            This has to be one of the most powerful benedictions I know. It’s given right after the pouring of the water for each person baptized in the Hutterian church. This water and all it symbolizes touches and unites the hearts of all in attendance in a very special way.

Upon confession of faith and vowing to remain faithful to God and the church, young people are baptized on Palm Sunday. Weeks before, those longing to take this all important step of faith, receive counselling. This includes instruction and/or discussions on what starting a new life in God means, and how this translates into being a faithful, contributing member of the church community.

            A few days leading up to baptism, special teachings from Romans 6 and Matthew 28 are observed; further instruction for the baptism candidates and also a time for reflection and thanksgiving for all baptised brothers and sisters in the Lord.

            And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. 1 Peter 3:21.



A Merry Heart…

 “Children are God’s greatest blessings,” Dawn Taylor once said. “In them we find joy, strength and often humour; mostly in the way they word things or as the Bible says ‘out of the mouth of babes’.”

As a teacher, I am privileged to enjoy first-hand many opportunities to hear wonderfully amusing words ‘from the mouths of babes’. Some of the best jokes happen in school, when children aren’t even trying to be funny! That childish humour has enriched and enlightened many difficult days for us, giving validity to the scientifically-proven fact that laughter is healthful for people, because it triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals.

I’d like to share a few of my cutest classroom chuckles, because ‘A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.’ Proverbs 17:22.

‘See, I have picked a little flower…’

                Coming home from school one day I was pleasantly surprised to see a little bundle of flowers beside our deck! With no green in sight, snow just a few feet away and the temperature still not what you would call balmy, they were smiling in all their splendour from the cold, hard soil, as if to say, “I’m here to tell you, warmer and more colourful days are ahead!”

                I stood in awe and couldn’t remember ever being so happy to see the first flowers of spring. I was reminded of another flower with a powerful message, from a poignant story in our history book:

Dream Catching

                “Linda, do it! We need stories about different cultures, because we learn from each other!”  These inspiring words from Myrelene Ranville, Anishnabay author and friend, were exactly what I needed to propel me from dreaming about my story to actually writing it. It’s important to have dreams, but it’s crucial to build a foundation under them at the right time!

                In late fall 2004, Ms. Ranville visited our school and brought her children’s book, Tex to our students. After she read us her story, we sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee and listen to many other stories about how her book has taken her to many interesting places, including Europe!  That’s when I shared my dream of one day publishing a German children’s book.  Ms. Ranville got very excited and encouraged me to do it.  In the winter of that school year I started the first draft for my story.

                Writing has been one of my favourite activities for years. In addition to the joy of being creative with language and the feeling of fulfillment a completed piece of work brings, I find it incredibly relaxing.

Unexpected E-Blessing

On a crisp January evening, my Night Writers group met, like every month to critique and celebrate each other’s work. That day, Margaret Lesperance, shared Patricia A. Williams’ book, ‘Once upon a Lifetime’. Full of questions to help record events in ones life, I saw this book as an excellent writer’s tool and decided on trying to obtain a copy. A page in the book provided the necessary information. I soon learned the phone number led to an answering service with an empty promise: “Please leave your name and number and we’ll call you as soon as possible.” The web address drew a blank and the email address was a virtual boomerang.

            At $19.95 the book was reasonable priced, if only I could find someone to take my money. But somebody clearly forgot to tell Amazon what this book is worth. They offered used copies for $181.31. As much as I want it, sacrificing a year’s worth of coffee and chocolate, wasn’t an option. Five places in Winnipeg informed me the book was out of print.