The Joy of Revelation III. Messages to the Churches

III Messages to the Churches

Many of us have never heard sermons on Revelation apart from discourses on the first four chapters, the letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor (now Turkey). The messages contained are then generally applied to our present-day situation, which is not inappropriate. The Church throughout history can learn from any part of The Bible. However, particularly given that some of us will be more familiar with that portion of the book than other sections because we have more likely herd or read expositions on those passages, I am not going to go into detail about them. There are though, also other portions of Revelation which contain specific messages to the churches, to believers, and I want to pick those out for you. Of course, one could argue that the whole book is for the churches; that goes without saying. However, these are specific sayings that have some commonalities as we will see.

I have selected seven passages: 13:9-10, 18, 14:12, 16:15, 19:10, 22:6-8 and 10-20b, which I believe have special merit in this regard. 

1. The first of these reads: “13:9 If anyone has an ear, he had better listen! 13:10 If anyone is meant for captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed by the sword, then by the sword he must be killed. This requires steadfast endurance and faith from the saints.” These verses follow the passage where we are told of 13:5: a “beast [who] was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies… permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months… 16 to blaspheme against God… 7 to go to war against the saints and conquer them. He was given ruling authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation, 13:8 and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed.” 

The admonition that follows, 13:9, brings to mind the number of times Jesus said this when he was teaching his disciples (e.g., Mk. 4:9), and even earlier in Revelation, when Jesus was delivering his message to the churches (2:7,11). It was often said in conjunction with the use of a parable, which was a strategy Jesus employed to hide the truth from those who did not really want to follow Jesus’ teachings anyway. Verse 10 simply states that, given the power of this beast, there will be those taken captive and even killed. It is a warning of what can be expected. Facing such possibilities will indeed require “steadfast endurance and faith from the saints.” The very fact that God has told us this beforehand can be somewhat reassuring, as it still tells us God knows what is happening. If these things do happen to us, it is not because God wasn’t paying attention. God is saying, “I am here. Have faith and endure. I am telling you what is coming and that it will not be easy. However, there is this book (v. 8) where those who do not submit to evil have their names written in it, “since the foundation of the world” in fact.” For the reader who knows neither they, nor their loved ones, nor their fellow believers have yielded to this beast, it will have been reassuring to know that their names are written in the Lamb's book of life. That can be a cause for rejoicing, even in the face of the persecution that is coming. 

2. The second, 13:18, reads: “13:18 This calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the beast’s number, for it is man’s number, and his number is 666.” This notice follows further words about another beast that will appear (13:11-17): “11…another beast…13:12 He exercised all the ruling authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast … 13:13 He performed momentous signs… 13:14 and, by the signs he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, he deceived those who live on the earth. He told those who live on the earth to make an image to the [first] beast… [and] 13:15… was empowered to give life to the image of the first beast so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 13:16 He also caused everyone (small and great, rich and poor, free and slave) to obtain a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 13:17Thus no one was allowed to buy or sell things unless he bore the mark of the beast – that is, his name or his number.” 

We know that when the Bible was written, numbers had great meaning. In apocalyptic writing this was even more so. There are various systems of working out the meaning of numbers. People get caught up in working them out and being on the lookout for the person they identify. However, we are told that understanding this calls for wisdom, not facility with mathematical formulas. We are also told that this number is that of a man, in other words, a fellow human, no supernatural being. The wisdom God gives should help us realize that this numbered man is just that, not a god, so we should not be deceived as many were (v. 14). We should not worship the image the beast had made. We should be reassured that God has our names written down in this book. Again, is that not cause for joy?

3. Then there is 14:12: "Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus." What might the saints be called to endure? If we look at the context, the preceding verses indicate the coming of judgment (v.7), the fall of Babylon (v.8) and the forced worship of the beast (v. 9). One might think the saints who are confident that they are "keeping the commandments of God and holding fast to the faith of Jesus" should not heave to worry about judgment. However, when we look at the larger picture of judgment spelled out in the whole book, there might be many scenarios that could be of concern and raise fear. Thee are plagues of famine and pestilence or disease, there is war; the list goes on. The Christian is warned about them, but called to endure them, to last it out. 

Babylon referred at the time to the Roman Empire. It was a code word, which Jews in particular, who many of the first Christians were, understood by comparing it with the historic Babylon of Chaldea in the Middle East. the mere mention of that name brought with it awful memories of destruction, exile, disruption and dislocation. On one hand, more so earlier in its existence, the church had somewhat enjoyed its acceptance by the state as an offshoot of Judaism. The Apostle Paul appealed to the state a number of times for justice and protection. Some might have been concerned that the fall of Rome would bring about chaos. They might have been concerned for their economic wellbeing, about the failure of such social order as there was. Indeed, in some ways, there was a peace in the empire that had not occurred before, known as the Pax Romana. There was a power in control. The possibilities of the breakdown of the stability and predictability of their lives could have led those early believers to fear what could happen if Rome fell. 

Things had changed though. Now the Empire was 'the beast,' it was 'Babylon.'  This altered perception occurred because now the Emperor was demanding allegiance and worship in a way the Christians could not comply with. He was being put forward as a god. The Christians' sole allegiance though, was to Jesus as Lord. They understood that they were citizens of his Kingdom, and that superseded all other powers. This change in the religious order of the day was what really began to turn the tide against the Christians. 

Given this, it would have understandably now been considered a positive by the Christians if this Babylon 'fell.'  It was obvious that there was going to be a lot of suffering and even martyrdom before that would happen though. Their lives were now in danger. This too, the Christians were called to endure. But it was not a hopeless call. They had already been told, given the assurance that their names were written in the Lamb's book of life.

4. The next passage, 16:15, states: “16:15 (Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.)” The first part of this verse again brings to mind the words of our Lord as recorded in the Gospels when he was warning his disciples about things to come (e.g., Matt. 24:42-44). The second part of this verse is really telling us that we should stay alert, but not to the extreme of losing our clothes. Those reading this might well have understood first the symbolic meaning of this phrase.  It refers to losing the white robes always described when the faithful are seen in heaven, before the throne.  They would lose these clothes if they were led astray, if they fell away from following the true gospel, maintaining their allegiance to Christ alone. The white robe was the sign of the one who had overcome, who was victorious.  

There can be a real meaning here too. We are not to give up everything and just sit around waiting for Christ’s return. We are to keep our clothes on and continue to live as our Master taught. We have work to do while we are on earth. We will be shamed if we neglect that.

NOTE: I have expanded on these 2 verses in The Joy of Revelation VI - The Beatitudes, the third one, posted January 26, 2020. 

5. The fifth message is found in 19:10. When the writer falls at an angel messenger’s feet in adoration, we read this: “19:10 So I threw myself down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “Do not do this! I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The obvious message here is not to get caught up in worship of any but God, not even those who come from God, such as angels, those who are on the right side, let alone those allied with Satan as discussed in the passages about the beasts and the image they made. We are also reminded here that “the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” In other words, the core of all the prophecies, the spirit or centre of them, going back through the whole Bible, is to point to Jesus. Indeed, this is what Jesus himself taught (Luke 24:25-27), and the Apostles after him in many of their messages of witness and in their preaching, as recorded frequently in The Acts of the Apostles (e.g., acts 2:16-31, 8:29-35).

6. Then, we come to the references from the book’s last chapter, beginning with 22:6-8: “22:6 Then the angel said to me, “These words are reliable and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.” 22:7 (“Look! I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy expressed in this book”). First, the angel reassures the writer, and us the readers, of the veracity, the truthfulness, of “these words,” of the revelation received by the writer. The angel goes on to link these words with all those given by God to the prophets of the past, already proven by their use over time, their fulfilment. All of this should reassure us that the writer knows what he is recording because it comes from God. God has, in his graciousness, given us these words so that we would be informed. God is not in the business of keeping us in the dark when it comes to what we need to know. That this “must happen soon” tells us that these messages had their application near the time of the writer too; they are not all or only about “end times,” those ‘times’ we understand are still in our future, or maybe even in the future of those who come after us. 

Then Jesus breaks in again with the warning of vs. 7. At that time, or whenever it is our time to meet our Lord, we will be blessed if we keep “the words of the prophecy expressed in this book.” In other words, all the admonitions of the first four chapters, plus the more concise messages scattered through the rest of the chapters, such as those we are examining in this chapter. We are to keep, to remember all of the pictures, the visions, the judgments foretold. However, remembering them like this is different, for a different reason(s), than expending time excessively in trying to see in these prophecies a calendar for the end times. There are other messages her we are to glean, not that. We can learn from them what the dangers of our age might be, what things we might  want to avoid or fear getting caught up in. Again, these are all things we have to attend to as we live out or lives of faith in our everyday world. We are to be watchful, alert, on our guard against the pressures and temptations of our times, but also wait expectantly for our Lord's return. Our ultimate earthly joy, our being blessed, lies in the hope we have that in our obedience to these words of our Lord for our lives today, we will overcome.

7. Finally, the comprehensive messages of the last chapter, 22:10-20b: “22:10 Then he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy contained in this book, because the time is near. 22:11 The evildoer must continue to do evil, and the one who is morally filthy must continue to be filthy. The one who is righteous must continue to act righteously, and the one who is holy must continue to be holy.” 22:12 (“Look! I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to pay each one according to what he has done! 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end!”). 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can have access to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates. 22:15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral, and the murderers, and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood! 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star!” 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say: “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge. 22:18 I testify to the one who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 22:19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book. 22:20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Verse 10 again reminds us that God want us to know these things. They are given us for our benefit. Verse 22, like 13:10 as discussed above, is again simply reiterating that those whose hearts are not turned towards God, as described further in vs. 15, will continue to do evil. They have made their choice and can do no other. However, we are to continue to act righteous and holy.  For that we will be rewarded (vs. 12).  Speaking of that, it is interesting to note how often our actions, our works, are referred to in Revelation as being important when it comes to the final judgment.  There is 14:13, but this theme is woven all through the seven messages to the churches. We need to begin with faith, but we need to follow through with works.

Again, we have these parenthetical remarks of Jesus interspersed with the angel’s words, telling us firsthand that he is coming again, and soon (vss. 12 & 20). He affirms that he has sent the angel to us with these messages, so we can believe them (vs. 16).  But it’s as if Jesus can’t keep back the message he wants us to hear and know, to be reassured that he is coming back for us. He wants us to rejoice in the certainty of this promise. He wants us to remember that he, as ‘alpha and omega (vs.13),’ has always been, is now, and will always be. Whatever he has done for us and can do for us now, he will always be there to do. He is indeed the promised one, the deliverer and redeemer, the Messiah, coming from the line of David as prophesied long ago (vs. 16).

Besides all this, Jesus calls us blessed who have been purified by his blood, baptized into his Church, “washed,” so we can “have access to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates” (vs. 14). In other words, we are guaranteed entry to heaven if we have complied with that description. Furthermore, we have legitimate access by having kept those commands – we get to go in by the gates, directly. We don’t have to work out how to get in. The way is prepared. 

There are also severe warnings here (vss. 18-19). Unfortunately, those who take things too literally have misused these passages to support things such as the use of only one version of the Bible, usually The Authorized or King James version, forgetting that this is not the original language, so what does that say about is reliability? These verses are also sometimes used to argue against deeper study and interpretation of the word. It is all there, clear and plain, we are told; “the Bible says,” we often hear. In other words, if God wanted us to know how it was read and understood in the past, what importance there might be to things like context, he would have told us. What Jesus is really saying is that if we actually add to – or take away from - what we put forward as scripture, then we are in trouble. 

But the most wonderful part of the message for us in this passage is the invitation (vs. 17): “the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say: “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.” It is of note that this invitation comes not only directly from Christ, but it is also the invitation of the bride, who is of course we believers, the Church. We have a duty to keep extending this invitation, as the introduction to the second “Come” makes clear, in case we missed the meaning in the first part. We are invited to partake of the water of life, of which the best part is, because of the work of the Son of Man, the Lamb, the finally victorious Messiah, is that it is free! Is that not cause for rejoicing? There is so much here that should give us joy!

My Sweet Spot

I have never liked this phrase that much. It sounds a bit cloying. I like sweet when it refers to something to eat or to some element of romance. Nowadays this modifier is used in many ways.

However, the phrase is out there and it’s ingrained enough even in my mind that it came to me this morning as a description for a favourite spot of mine. I was reading our morning devotional about Jesus retreating to the shores of Galilee after hearing that his dear cousin John the Baptist had been imprisoned by King Herod. Jesus obviously wanted to put some distance between himself and the king down south in Judea. He went home.

I have recently had the fortune of being able to read diaries of both of my parents from the time I was a young child. This relates to the subject because it told me something of how my sweet spot came to be. Apparently, my parents, one or both, used to take us young children down to the river bank and sit and watch (We were living at the time on the Saskatchewan River, where it empties into Lake Winnipeg). If you have ever just sat by a body of water this might resonate. We also had many picnics with our family and friends, invariably next to a body of water. 

I wonder now if that riverside experience did not plant something in my mind. I have fond memories of a habit I had as a teenager living on Lake Winnipeg. I loved nothing better in the evening before turning back to bed than to go out to the point, as we called it, just down the path from the front of our house. I especially liked to do this in spring. Not in the winter when it was cold and everything was frozen and covered with snow!

I would stand alone in the quiet and gaze eastward over Loon Bay, looking across to the mouth of a river we loved to explore, or the beaches and rocks of the Canadian Shield north of it, or the distant marsh to the south. I might be favoured by the call of a loon from one of the small bays on the eastern shore, or the pumping sound of a bittern from the marsh. Some ducks or gulls might fly quietly by. I loved to watch the colours of the sky fade from blue to shades of grey, mauve and pink. As I reflect on it now, it was probably a centering or grounding practice, a moment of mindfulness, clearing my mind before retiring for the night. Those words were not in my consciousness then though. 

Thirty eight years later I first returned to that spot. I was so disappointed to see that the current owner of our former home had taken a line from the house due east and cut down all the trees to the right. Some four years later I had another occasion to return to the spot. I loaded a canoe and a tent; I was going to camp on that point. No one was in our former home at the time. Well, things did not turn out as hoped. There must have been more rain than usual as my car got stuck in the approach to the house, a spot where this had never happened before. So, as it was getting late, there was nothing to be done but carry the tent through the water and deep unmown grass past the house to the rocky shore of the point. On the plus side, it was one of those calm evening so that should have allowed me to re-live my teenage experience. On the negative, if you are familiar with standing water, deep grass and calm evenings in the north, you know what I stirred up! Hordes of mosquitoes. I had left my runners in the car so as not to walk through the water around the car and the pests were already fastening on to my ankles. There was nothing to it but to get the tent set up as fast as possible, close and zip the flap and try and get some sleep. 

As you can imagine, it was a night not to be forgotten. Not because of any calm beauty. The hungry swarms kept up their banshee buzzing around the tent all night. I don’t know how much sleep I got but when the sunrise was imminent I gave up. I got up, put the canoe in the water and paddled to a friend’s. It was lovely on the calm morning water, although the mosquitoes still tried to follow my canoe. After a lovely breakfast, my friend drove me back with his pickup and pulled my car out in no time. 

So much for revisiting my sweet spot. I have never been back. Well, it would be a 2500 km drive from where I am now. If I want to go to the water these days, I have the choice of three arms of the Fraser River, the Salish Sea or the shores of the beaches and inlets of Vancouver. Problem is, they are all too far to walk to first, before walking along those shores, and I like to keep my carbon footprint low. We still go though – once in a while – myself and my wife, or a friend. 

2025 5 30

I have something to add to this post. A few years back, I noted friends have a beautiful painting over their fireplace that captured as well as anything I'd seen my memories of the spot written about here. It turned out to be a painting by a Canadian artist Wayne Mondok (http://www.waynemondok.com/biography.htm). I wrote him and got permission to print an 8X10 of the image which has hung in my office for some years. While currently finding and sorting out old photos to share at a family gathering this summer, I came across a photo my father must have taken. I have it dated 1959, close enough. It's something of a 65 degree turn right from the straightforward view to Lake Winnipeg I preferred, but it does show part of what I would have seen looking that way, the right side of the picture, shall we say. The bay in back of the trees was where we swam and from which we boated; there was a dock there to tie up our boats. Indeed, you can see a red canoe there. We had cleared the underbrush with the help of an axe and a powerful home made lawnmower from an innovator in Plum Coulee in Southern Manitoba.

We siblings who so enjoyed our five years in that community plan to return this August. We'll see what awaits us where we once lived. I would like to have uploaded Mondor's painting and the photo I alluded to but Blogger doesn't seem to want me too. If you are my friend on Facebook I'll re-linkthis and post the pictures there.

The Joy of the Revelation of John II

II. A First Look – Visions of Jesus

When one begins to read this book carefully, it becomes evident that with respect to some of the content, you are reading about the same thing from different perspectives, or vantage points if you will. We must realize that this book is not written as something to be understood in linear or chronological fashion. Apocalyptic writers were not primarily concerned with that. We do well also to keep in mind, that these are visions given from God. God is beyond space and time, so what is told is not bound by those limitations. Remembering that, we can ate least begin our study by looking at these visions and group them according to subject.

The first vision is of Jesus. There are numerous references to Jesus in the book but they generally fall into three images. The first is right in chapter 1 verse 12 where he is described as one ‘like a Son of Man.’ Now, this was a title used in the writings of the intertestamental years and earlier to refer to The Messiah, whom all Israel longed for.  Indeed, it was then a title Jesus applied to himself (Matthew 8:20, 98:6 etc.).

The second vision we have of Jesus is of The Lamb (Rev. 5:6, and two dozen more references, ending in 22:3). He is the one who, because of his obedience to death, rewarded by resurrection to a seat at God’s right hand, is the one worthy of opening the seven seals on a scroll God gave an angel to open to reveal what must come hereafter (5:1-7). We can see the Lamb begin to be seen differently than just this meek and mild obedient sacrificial animal though. Beginning in 6:15-16 we read of “the kings of the earth and the magnates and the generals and the rich and powerful” being so afraid that they are “hiding in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,” crying for “the mountains and rocks [to] ‘fall on us and hide us from the face of the… wrath of the Lamb.” The Lamb is moving from the way Christ generally presented himself on earth to show another side of the Son of Man. 

The third vision is then one of Jesus whom I call The Victor. Indeed, the first victorious battle was won with Jesus’ death, wherein Jesus defeated death and the power of evil. However, in common parlance, we could say there was still considerable “mopping up” to do. The first reference to some of this is in 17:12-14, where it states the ten kings there described will unite with “the beast” to make war on the Lamb [but] the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings. The most vivid description of Jesus seen in this light is in 19:1-16, where he appears in heaven, riding a white steed, armed with a sword, “with which to strike down the nations, and… rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’” 

Now, we can immediately say two things about this. First, whatever else might catch our attention, and too many are distracted by the details, this is a book about Jesus Christ, who is at once the Son of Man, the Lamb and Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the beginning and the end of the book, let alone of all existence, as he says of himself right at the start: “I am the alpha and the omega.” Those are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, in which Revelation is written, and simply mean the beginning and the end, and everything in between. As we say nowadays, “From A to Z.”

Second, there is a wonderful and meaningful progression in these images of our Lord and Saviour. He is first of all The Messiah (Hebrew), the Christ (Greek), the ‘anointed one.’ He is the one Israel, and indeed all mankind, were waiting for. He is the one written about all through the Old Testament from Genesis, the first book, to Malachi, the last. He is the embodiment and fulfilment of the covenant first spoken of with Adam and Eve. He is the one who had come to earth as the Son of Man, fully human, but still fully God, mere decades before Revelation was written, and who had given new life to many. 

This brings us to the second image. Jesus accomplished his initial purposes as The Messiah by dying for us. In some mysterious way, his death erased the consequences of man’s straying from his Maker and God’s purposes for us. He was the ultimate sacrificial Lamb. No more need daily and yearly sacrifices be made for sins, for atonement. No more do we need human and imperfect prophets and priests to mediate between us and God. Jesus is now our fully effective divine mediator prophet and priest. In the ensuing resurrection, he completed the defeat of the forces of evil that had been unleashed by mankind’s self-centred choices. However, as we know, we still live in an era where evil is present and active. As Jesus himself taught, The Kingdom of Heaven is ‘at hand,’ but it is not yet totally here, we are not yet entirely within it. We live in what sometimes is called the age of grace, but in apocalyptic terms can also be called the end times. This is because, in apocalyptic understanding, this entire period of time between Jesus’ ascension to heaven and his promised return, was understood by The Early Church as simply a period of time which must pass before Christ returns. The focus was Christ’s return, not this present age. 

In the third image then, Jesus is seen as making his defeat of Satan, the forces of evil, final. In apocalyptic terms, he defeats Satan and casts him and those who, by their failure to chose Life, into ‘hell’ forever. Here the Messiah, come to earth as a mere human Son of Man, to die as a weak Lamb, becomes The Victor his followers, all those who have put their hope in him, have been waiting for. Here we can see emerging the picture that gives Jesus' suffering followers, those under persecution and restraint, living in hard times, hope; a hope that can lead to joy in the confidence that our Lord is indeed Lord of lords and King of kings and all those persecuting powers' day is doomed.

I THE JOY of The REVELATION of JOHN - Introduction

Introduction

This is a study of the last book in The Bible. Its writing was prompted by the impression I have that too many who read and study this book, or teach from it, focus on the negative aspects of the writing. They pay attention to those passages that they understand predict many dire events to come in the time leading up to Christ’s return. For some, this seems to turn into a preoccupation and what they write and speak about becomes a cause for apprehension and even fear. 

I believe this direction misses the real message of Revelation. It occurs because the real place of literature such as Revelation in a faith community today is misunderstood.  This is due to its being an example of apocalyptic writing, which is not something we are familiar with. Therefore, we can miss what its purpose is and how it was originally received by its first readers. Indeed, Revelation is also known by the name Apocalypse. It is part of a larger body of literature known as apocalyptic scripture. Some of this has made it into the Christian canon of The Bible, some into the Jewish canon, some into neither.

Apocalypse comes from the Greek, meaning “an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known and which could not be known apart from the unveiling.” As a genre, apocalyptic literature details the authors' visions of the end times…”(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalyptic_literature). Thus, by its very nature, these writings hint at secrecy, at mystery. What the writer is saying is not clearly spelled out in a generally understandable fashion. All of this is what fuels the endless round of prophetic writings and conferences which base much of their content on these scriptures.

Apocalyptic literature was developed during times of hardship for those who counted themselves as the people of God. The original writings of this nature surfaced during the period when the nation of Israel fell on hard times. This began during the 8^th century BCE (BC), the era of the Assyrian assaults on the two Israelite kingdoms. The language of apocalypse developed further as these difficulties were followed by suffering at the hands of the Babylonians, then the Greeks, and finally the Romans. These writings thus continued to appear until at least the first century CE (AD), spanning a period of some 800 years. The Revelation at the end of the New Testament is really the last major example of this literary genre.  

These books describe in abstruse symbolic language great calamities that will befall mankind in the future. They speak of judgment, wars between the forces of good and evil. There are visions of heaven, of angels and strange beasts. However, importantly, in the end, God triumphs and sandwiched between those other terrifying images are also visions of the saints, safely esconced in heaven with their victorious God.

The message of apocalyptic literature was thus really meant to reassure its readers. It was to strengthen hope, regardless of the trying times the readers were facing, be it invading forces in Israel’s day or persecuting Roman Emperors in the Christina era. If it accomplished those purposes, in the face of what the readers were experiencing, it was to renew their joy in the path they were on. We too need to rediscover the potential for finding this joy in Revelation. 

Now, this is not a new concept. If one ‘googles’ ‘joy’ and ‘Revelation,’ millions of hits are returned. However, many focus only on a specific passage, often one of the hymns found here. We need to see how the book as a whole can lead to joy.

LIFE STORY OF EDWIN K BRANDT Selections for "Garden Hill Visitors" Facebook page

NOTE: Whenever you see ‘Edit by son Lorne:’ or (italic content) it is an addition made by Lorne to clarify or help explain things better.

I, Edwin Kornelius Brandt, was born on August 21, 1921 to my parents, John K. and Anna (nee Thiessen) Brandt in Altona, Manitoba. Dad had taken up the public school teaching profession. He was at this time taking special courses given by the Department of Education in Altona. Dad had taught in Saskatchewan in the Herbert area. This is where he met up with my mother, during the time he was boarding in the Thiessen home, my mother's parents. 

My mother’s home district, Greenfarm, Saskatchewan, gave Dad a call to come back to teach in their school. This was a country school, so they now provided a small house for the teacher and his family. This is where I spent my younger years. Where I began school along with a number of my cousins, even an aunt and two uncles. 

We were a mile from the only small country church in the area, with my Grandfather, Johann Thiessen, being the lay leader. No ordained ministers at that time. The group was mostly the Mennonite Brethren Conference. At my age of nine, a missionary from China, a Mr. Wiens, held special evening services. Special meetings were held for young people and children. It was during these meetings that I, with my brother Peter and others, accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. With en­couragements from my Mother and others, I was protected from many pitfalls of a person's younger years.

I am thankful to my Lord, this step of faith in Jesus Christ has kept me from ever taking a cigarette between my lips and never a glass of beer. Our parents, especially my Dad, believed in clean living and a clean tongue. Swearing was not permitted in school or on the school yard. How differ­ent it is today. 

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Living in the country with poor roads etc., it was not easy to earn any money. So, each year I would send for cards, at Christmas time, Valentine, Easter, and walk, or drive a bike if it was possible, to many farm homes and sell the cards. I know that a number of the farm people bought the cards, not because they needed them, but to help me. About a mile and a half away lived a widow and her son and daughter who were part native. Her husband had fought in the Riel Rebellion. She often told me stories about those times; she was an old lady of about ninety (she did not really know how old she was). She never used the cards, she even showed the cards to me she had bought the last time I had been there, laughed about it and bought some more.

Edit by son Lorne: Father completed some High School and three years of Bible School in Alberta (Prairie Bible Institute). He was baptized before leaving that school. Then, he spent a summer working for Canadian Sunday School Mission in the Giroux/Stuartburn/Vita area of southeastern Manitoba.

While in south-eastern Manitoba I had learned that they were looking for teachers to go north on Indian Reserves. This would be an alternative service to joining the forces (war was still on) [Edit by son Lorne: My father was a Mennonite by upbringing and belief. One of the central features of the Mennonite Christians is that they do not believe in the use of violence. Therefore, it was against my father’s faith to go to war. In fact, there was an agreement between the Mennonites and the Government of Canada under religious freedom that allowed Mennonites not to go and fight but to do some other form of service for the couontry instead, called ‘Alternative Service.’ The reason they were allowed to do this was because of their conscience because of their faith. Thus, they were called ‘Conscientious Objectors’ or ‘COs’.] I had a temporary postponement from army duty due to illness. But this could be revoked any time. I was concerned, for I had made a commitment to serve the Lord in full time service. So, when I took the Model A Ford (that I had been using for the Canadian Sunday School Mission work in southeastern Manitoba) back to Winnipeg, I checked this out regards going north. I was given the assurance that very likely I would be able to go north. The only hitch in all this was, if I would get my call for the army, I would have to come back at my own expense. But I was told there was a way around that: from the Selective Service Department I was told to make an appointment at the Provincial Court House for a hearing for a 'conscientious objector' (CO) status. As soon as I would have my CO. standing, they would have all the necessary papers ready for me to sign, and I would be on my way north. 

I made the appointment and had to come back to Winnipeg the next week. When I was called before three judges, I saw that they had a secretary taking notes of everything. So, I said to myself, I will say no more than asked for. Seeing that all I really wanted was my CO standing, one of the judges got rather angry; one of the others told him to keep his cool. It almost seemed a laughing matter the way those three carried on. Finally, one said, "What do you plan on doing when you get your C0? We have the authority to do as we see fit." That's when I told them that I was planning on flying north to teach in a school under the sponsorship of the United Church. Then one of the judges said, "Guess that's where I withdraw my membership.” “How are you so sure of going north,” they asked. I than told them that the Selective Service had all my papers ready, all they needed was my CO standing. This angered the judges, and one said, "That's not the first time Mr. Brown (he was the chief officer) had put one over on them." So, the one who seemed more at ease in the whole thing, took a sheet of 8 by 11 paper and wrote a big ‘CO’ on it, gave it to me and said to go to see Mr. Brown. I was relieved and glad to leave the court room. A few others that were there in the court room said that they had never experienced such a case. They marveled that I had gotten my CO paper. I knew God had ways of doing things and He answered my prayer. So, I went to see Mr. Brown, who signed the papers, congratulated me and I left. 

I went home to get ready, good winter clothes, my own bedding etc. Mom did a lot of sewing for me. Two days later we got the mail: what do you think I got, my call to enlist in the army, bus ticket, meal tickets and the works. What now? Dad said, “You have to go back to Winnipeg and see Mr. Brown; another trip to Winnipeg.  I came into Mr. Brown’s office, he was not in, but his secretary said she would look at my papers. She took the whole works and tossed them into the waste basket, said I should go home and go north, with all her good wishes. 

On September 2nd, 1943, my parents took me to Winnipeg where I was put up in a rooming house for the night. On September 3^rd(my Dad's birthday) early, I was taken with others on a small bus to Pine Falls, on the Winni­peg River. Here we all boarded a large single engine seaplane, a Bellanca. We were fifteen passengers, all our personal goods, some freight, with two crew members. That was the beginning of my experiences for the next number of years. 

We landed on Favorable Lake, Ont., near a Gold Mine. We here dis­embarked. Myself and a 12-year-old boy were put on another seaplane for the rest of the trip. We now travelled on a Fairchild single engine plane. After a lengthy trip, we landed on Island Lake at the dock of the Hudson's Bay Company. They handled the freight and mail. This was the end of my trip – no, not quite. A canoe came alongside of the dock, and after a few words between the Hudson's Bay man and the two natives, my things were put on their canoe and we took off across the lake to a small Island. The men used

their paddles, motors were hardly known. We landed at the small dock of the United Church Mission, which was the end of my journey. I had arrived and this is what would be my home for the next two years. 

The settlement here was known as Garden Hill Settlement. Arriving in such a northern settlement was a strange experience. It was getting dark, but there was no electricity, no gas or oil and no running water. You cooked your meals in a wood stove, you heated your house with wood. For light, you used a kerosene lamp or candle. You made sure your chimney on the lamp was clean, so you could get all the light possible. There were no roads and no cars, transportation was totally dependent on water travel, the canoe. When winter would come and the lakes and rivers would freeze over, you depended on dogs to pull your loads. This was the north beyond what we like to call civilization.

There were a hundred and one adjustments to make. The couple that were my hosts in this Mission House were the Bill Neufelds, from North Kildonan, Winnipeg. They had come there in spring, so they could tell me many things about that part of our 'now' world.

That first morning I needed to get my bearings. It was early September, but the weather was turning cool. I was living on an Island; this meant I would have need of a boat or canoe to go anywhere. In some way, the school had become owner of an old skiff, a local built flat bottom boat. It needed to be put in the water, so the wood could expend and the cracks closed up. I used a borrowed canoe the first few days, while I was trying to get that old boat waterproof. 

It was a short distance across from the island to the main land, but the channel was deep and it depended on the wind; the water could flow one way or the other. The school as well as the Mission Church were across the channel on the Reserve. When I arrived at the school and opened the door to look inside, it was a dismal sight; the school had not been used for a year-and-a-half. Not only was it dusty and musty, but infested with mice. It seemed every drawer I pulled out or every cupboard door I opened, there were mice nests. I couldn't remember having ever had to do with so many mice and their nests. In all this I found a fair amount of school supplies, but much of it was chewed up. The mice seemed to have had a real hunger for wax crayons. Those crayons were in a real mess. It took a lot of sorting out, but there was a goodly share of useable stuff left. 

Finally, I found enough in paper, scribblers, some pencils and crayons to get me started. The various 'Dick and Jane' sets of readers were in boxes; they had not been damaged too badly. There were enough for the first 4 or 5 grades; I was able to salvage some arithmetic spellers and language study books. I was   amazed at how many books and other supplies they must have had. All this had been shipped in by Indian Affairs Ottawa, and I was sure they had no idea what had become of it. So, after cleaning house, sweeping and dusting, it didn't look too bad. There was a round-bellied stove in the middle of the classroom. I found a fairly good pail and a dipper, the water fountain I assumed. I found no drinking cups. I wondered whether they all drank out of the dipper from the pail? What should I do for cups? I gathered tin cans, soldered handles on them, there!

In all, there were desks and seats for 32 pupils, some single and some double. During this time, when I wasn’t cleaning up, some children came to look. I felt they had come to 'look over' the new teacher. I tried to have a conversation with them, but they either would not or could not speak English. I of course could not understand a word of their Cree. Finally, a girl of about 12 years old let on that she could understand a fair bit. I told her who I was and she was quick to tell the other kids what I had said in Cree. I told them that as soon as the school was cleaned up and as soon as we would have some cordwood for the heater we would have school. 

Well, news travels fast, the next day it seemed everyone on the reserve knew about me and what I was up to. So, some men and some women came to look. Again, I tried to impress on them, that they must supply the wood for the stove. Whether they understood, I wasn't sure, but the next day when I came across the channel to the school, there was a small pile of wood. But it was green, and how do you heat a school room with green wood? 

So, I began to look around for some dry wood. The woods began about some 200 feet away. A couple of boys, ages 10 to 12, soon came to help. I visited a few homes near the school and encouraged them to bring wood to school. The excuse for the men was, they were getting ready to leave for their winter traplines, they were busy. The hunters and trappers would leave each fall to their winter trapping places, some 30 to 30 miles away. They took with them food rations obtained from the fur traders. Some took their families with them; a number of them left them on the reserve. This meant the women and their children had to fend for themselves, cutting wood to keep their fires going, trap some small local animals or snare rabbits for food. 

Often one would not see these men till Christmas time. They would then come back with their catch of furs, to help pay their accounts at the fur traders and restock their supplies for their return trip. If their families were on the reserve, they would spend Christmas with them, and leave after New Years’. This was all part of their life.

To begin school was a scary preposition. I was sure that every move I made was noticed by all the little eyes that looked at me. Discipline was not a problem, they all were afraid of the teacher.

School opening was announced and on that first day, 19 children came. It was quite a day. We spent some time in trying to get the names, at least their first given name. The surnames were slow in coming. In spite of the fact that adultery was not an acceptable way of life, many of the children thought it rather funny for me to try and get their family names straight. Though some of the children came from the same household, same family, they did not have the same fathers. It seemed best to simply register them with their first names and leave it for now. Next was to try and get their ages, and I soon found that we had children from about 6 years to 13 years of age. Once that was settled, came the task of figuring out just where to put them as to grades or classes. Only two or three could make out some of the words in the simplest readers. Arithmetic was a little differ­ent; they had learned to count. The 1,2,3 figures were understandable for them, but what to do with those figures could become a problem. To get them to understand addition, subtraction etc., was another story. 

I very soon could see that using the Dick and Jane series for readers was out of the question. A car, a bus, a train meant nothing to them. They knew the water transportation and winter dog team sledding. I was stuck - but I felt that God gave me wisdom to do something completely off the record. I got a scribbler, used stick figures and tried to show words like, 'sit', 'stand', 'run', 'jump', 'catch', etc. Then I cut out pictures of 'dog', 'sleigh', 'canoe' etc. But what were they? Because a couple of the kids had a bit of English, I tried to get them to tell me what those words or pictures were in Cree. That really got them going, and soon we had a fairly extensive list of words which they know knew what they were and tried to pronounce them in English. Whether six years old or thirteen years old, they were all in the game, learning. A stranger walking into the classroom at such a time would have wondered what was going on. Everybody talked. 

After handing out a scribbler to each child, I worked on the fact that each one should print his or her name on the cover. That was not an easy task. They all seemed to have their own names, which we would call nicknames, that which was used in their homes. Those were not their real given names, but you try and sort it all out if you can't speak their language nor they yours. Then, as they pronounced their names, I tried to write them on the blackboard so they could copy them. You can be sure, some of those names on their scribblers did not look like what I had written. But they will learn is what I thought, even though slowly. Like the boy they all called, Johndennie, but what I found out later was that his name was John Henry. We had a Mary, Sarah, Clara, John, James, Peter etc. It showed that most of the names these children had were names from the Bible. The Church was an important part of the peoples’ life. It was the church missionaries that brought religion, church, schools and helped to get them the medical. So, the Bible was not an unknown book.

James Evans, a Methodist missionary from England had come to these areas years before and studied the language enough to be able to talk it. He is the one that invented the Cree syllable system and put the Cree language into writing. The language system consisted of small figures, little triangles, little curves, dots and lines. Evans found that there was a system to the total sound structure, and made a simple set of these figures so that anyone could rather easily learn them and thus be able to read Cree. 

To the Cree people themselves, the reading of the Cree Syllabic system was an art they were fast losing. The children learned some of the Cree words with the regular alphabet (I will attach a complete syllabic system of the Cree language on the next page). 

Back to happenings at school. The Indian Affairs Department sent in a number of large boxes of 'Eskimo Biscuits' for the children. These were vitimin-enriched biscuits. I gave each child one of these each lunch period. But when the weather got cold, I felt this was not enough for them; they got no lunch at home. So, I requested from the Indian Affairs Agent permission to use some of the relief goods for lunches. From those relief goods, I was able to glean 'rolled oats', 'strips of bacon', 'white beans,’ rice and some 'powdered milk'. So, each cold day while the class was in session, a pot of 'mush' was cooking. The children had to bring their own dishes and spoons. Lunch time became a great feast for them. This did not only help their physical make-up but it sure helped in attendance. Nobody wanted to miss the meal. 

Progress was very slow. Some of the older children did catch on to the English and could read fairly well, but some really did not understand what they were reading. They memorized a lot of the words. I also tried to teach them to be clean, take care of their books etc. I got a good supply of covers, so each hard-covered book was covered and on it the name of the book and their own name.

Jackets and big boots had to be carefully put in order. They loved singing, so a number of good songs were taught. I tried to teach them two-part harmony, but that was not an easy task. They could not read music, and the music scales were another hard item to teach.

To make Christmas cards or prepare for it was not too bad. They knew all about Christmas and Santa. When it came to Valentine’s Day, they were not too sure as to what to do with cards I helped them to create. For a boy to give a Valentine to one of the girls became a real joke. So, some of those things were best just left alone.

You can be surest that the first year was an eventful year. Who learned more, myself or the children, is hard to tell. In those years, the T. Eaton Company did a lot for needy people. I made a list of all the boys and girls and their ages and sent it to Eaton's. They would make up gifts wrapped in Christmas paper with writing on them whether boy or girl and approximate ages. They were small items, but this way each child got a pretty wrapped gift at Christmas. Everyone seemed to enjoy and be happy.

A task that I got involved with, and did not enjoy was to try and get rid of 'lice¹ most of the children had. I inquired about it and the Medical Department of Indian Affairs sent in a lotion I should use. This meant, if their hair were rather long, it had to be cut, then washed and the lotion applied. Then their heads had to be covered with a 'cheese cloth' to keep the lotion content to do its thing. I was thankful that I never contracted lice during those tasks. The children took all this in good faith, though I never did hear what or how the parents felt.  Being 'wards of the Government', they were used to this kind of treatment.

The Indians were wards under the Government according to the treaties they had made years ago. But why should they complain? They got every­thing given to them, schooling, with all the supplies, all medical help, whether medicines locally or be flown out to Hospitals, rations in vouchers to the local trading posts when they were sick and could not go out fishing or hunting. They got their nets which they used for fishing the lakes. The parents were given enough cod-liver oil to do them daily. Those that went to school got it daily, administered by the teacher. In my 20 years among the natives, I have signed, not only hundreds of dollars of vouchers for food, clothing, plane rides to hospitals etc., but thousands of dollars. The people paid no taxes, whatever we handed out came from tax dollars through the Indian Affairs. When they built a house (of logs) they got the windows, and roofing supplied from Indian Affairs. They would get permission to build a certain number of houses per summer. Supplies were then shipped in to finish the structures.

In spring, everyone would go out 'rat' (muskrat) trapping. So, school would shut down. Good trappers would come in to the Trading Posts with hundreds of muskrats. Since school was closed, the teacher could do other things. So, during these two months, I got an invitation to come down the Lake some 25 miles to help Austin and Gladys Huchkinsons. They operated a small Fur Trading outlet, associated with Canadian Fish Company. So, on a beautiful sunny day, they had sent out a young native man with a dog team to pick me up. This would be a new adventure for me. The Trading Post was situated at the Island Lake Gold Mines, which had just that year closed down. Austin and Gladys had three little girls, ages from three to seven years old. They also had a native girl working for them as a house maid. The ride for those 25 miles seemed long, since I ran about half the way.

The young man was not very obliging; he was not in favour of me coming there. The maid that was working as house maid was his girlfriend, and he thought he would lose her to me, so he was not very nice on the trip. When I told this to Gladys upon arriving there, she sure gave the young native a calling down. Upon arriving there, I also found out that the Hutchkinson's had another couple working for them, the Harts, who were part native. They had a small boy about age 7.

My number one task was to have regular school classes with the three children, two girls and one boy. It was not easy since it was in their home. We got along fairly well, since they were well-behaved children. I mainly worked on the three R's, so they would know numbers and able to grasp some reading. Besides that, in the afternoons I helped in the Trading Post. This gave me an opportunity to meet people and learn some of the ins and outs of the Fur Trade. The majority of furs of course were muskrats. The larger furs like fox, mink, wolves etc. had been caught during the winter months. We did get in some beaver, squirrels and rabbits. Shortly after arriving here, the warmer weather came and the ice soon was unsafe for travel. Austin had obtained a machine on skis and driven with a large propeller driven by a large motor.

Life went right along. The days were mild, with a lot of sun. The snow was fast disappearing, and the ice o£ the lake was very poor. Something that was new to me, was that the ice 'candleized', as if the ice became thousands of long ice pieces, like candles. This of course was unsafe for travel. As the ice melted along the shore lines, the ice began to move

with the wind, pushing large ice pieces on shore. It was shortly before the ice gave way, that Austin wanted to make one more trip to a trapping camp. He took with him the native chief. Well, they did not make it over a weak spot and broke through the ice. Later the chief bragged that was a cold bath, the first for that winter. On early morning ice, the machine was pulled out and brought home. During this time of year, travel became almost impossible. No planes could come, since they landed with skis on ice. So, there was no mail or freight service either. Since we did not have telephones or two-way radios in those days, news from the outside was cut off.

As part payment for helping this family, they gave me a canvas covered canoe. This would make travel across the small channel for school much better. I enjoyed that canoe, and spent many hours paddling about. All to soon my time spent at the Hutckinsons was over and I was taken back to the little Island, known as Mission Island. The ride back was by canoe with a motor.

School was opened again and enrollment was a bit better than the year before. For me it was much easier, and the children knew me. There were a few new kids and a few others didn't show up; guess they stayed out with their dad trapping and spring fishing. Some had remembered a fair bit, but others had forgotten most of what they had learned. So, I had to begin all over again with them. I continued my own word lists and used the readers for extra reading. The days were longer and the weather was warmer.

School would carry on all summer. During the month of July was what was known as 'Treaty Time'. This is when all the natives of that reserve would gather on the open area near the school. They would pitch their tents, usually near to each other in extended families. Soon it looked like a 'tent city', especially at night, when they had some sort of light in their tents and an open fire nearby. No, there was no hydro, they used candles or oil lamps. There were people, children and dogs everywhere. The camp fires were used for their daily cooking.

On a set day, a plane would arrive; on it was the Indian Agent, his clerk, the Doctor and his helper, and of course the R.C.M.P. in. his bright red coat. They were there for three days. Everyone had to be registered and every man, woman and child received a crisp new five-dollar bill. The Indian agent would talk to the men (not women) about assistance they could get, health care and what they needed to do for the school. Also, that they would have to again haul the goods - like medicine, school supplies etc. from Norway House by canoe. If weather was in their favour, they could make a return trip in ten days. The second day of Treaty, a second plane came in with the X-ray crew. They brought in a portable X-ray and power plant to run it. By this time, the Doctor had most of the people lined up who should be first to have their X-rays taken. This was to check for tuberculosis (T.B.) among the natives. Many did not want to be x-rayed, for they feared that if they were found with T.B., they would be flown out and maybe never return. So, the red coated R.C.M.P. made his rounds to seek out those the Doctor had on his list to be X-rayed. At a later date, a plane would, come in and pick up those that were suspects for T.B. This also became part of our job, to help them to go. Overnight the 'treaty bag' with all the cash was stored in our house. The R.C.M.P. brought it to our house and picked it up the next morning.

During 'Treaty Time' there were all sorts of activities, such as running races, sack races, canoe races, tug-of-war and wheel-barrow races. They all seemed to have a gay time. There was no school during this week, which gave me a good chance to see what was going on.

School had to carry on. Just before treaty and after, since most of the people were near the school, many of them wanted to attend. Well, how much I was able to teach them or they learned is hard to say. I had as many as seventy-five kids in school at one time in 32 seats. Well, they came to see, and everyone got one of the Eskimo biscuits at noon and when they left after school. That was a great attraction. After a while most of the people left the 'treaty grounds' so school attend­ance laid off to the regulars.

My second year now, I did a lot of visiting. I also visited a fair bit with the Fur Traders, the Hutckinsons. They were always ready and willing to give me rides on their boat. Their store was about a mile east; on another Island. They had moved there in spring, from the mine site some 25 miles away. Now their 2 daughters and their cousin also attended school with me.

October 22, 1943, the Neufelds (with whom I had been staying) had a baby daughter. They did not arrive back at Island Lake till by plane December 18.

It was with mixed feelings when I made the decision to leave Island Lake, at least for a two-months holiday. The decision to leave early came when we got word that the last 'mail plane' before spring break­up would arrive March 21st,1945. All good-byes had to be said, things at school cleaned up and all reports and paper work done.

My plans were to fly to the railway at Ilford, Manitoba and go home the next day from there by train. The plane arrived at 2:30 p.m. After unloading and preparing for take off, with a final wave of the hand, we were off. 

We touched down at Oxford House and God's Lake and arrived at Ilford just as it was getting dark. It was a cold night, we were finally taken to the Hotel by a pick-up. When arriving there, I was told the train had passed through the day before and the next train would be one week from then. 

After spending a chilly night in that Hotel, the next morn­ing I walked the mile to the shack that was considered the airport. I watched the plane come in for more freight. I helped them load, nothing else to do. The plane made two trips that day and came back for the night. Since I had helped the pilots load when they came in, I had some of their lunch and they offered me to sleep on one of the bunks. The next morning, I walked back to the Hotel and picked up my suitcase after I had helped them reload the plane. When they came back, after a quick lunch, and loading the plane, they said I could go with them south. I was the only passenger.

When landing at Shamattawa, just over the line into Ontario, there were a fair number of boxes to be unloaded. Next, after taking off, we landed again in God's Lake to pick up some freight and the mail. We flew over Island Lake to Favorable Lake, Ontario. Here fifteen passengers with their things were loaded who were all left at Berens' River and we continued on to Lac Du Bonnet. After checking out things the pilots were asked how they could have a passenger from Island lake when they had not stopped there on their return trip. The head pilot just said "Don't ask too many questions" and the subject was dropped!

After sorting things out, now quite late, we were driven by special taxi to Winnipeg, where I still was able to catch a bus for home, which was the Burwalde School, north of Winkler (Winkler is about 75 miles southwest of Winnipeg. This school mentioned was at the time a country school where my grandfather was teaching.). This was a Saturday night, so I sure surprised my parents and family. Having come through Winnipeg with my northern clothes (beaded Indian parka) and all the traffic and people on the streets, was a scary entrance into civilization. But I got through it all and thank my God for helping me on the way.

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