Brian Gervais:
CLASS OF 1970
Lasalle Secondary School Class of 1970
Sudbury, ON
Brian's Story
Hello dear Friends,
Forty years have come and past since we graduated and I've noticed some activity on my Classmate site, so I thought I might give a brief history of what Lynda and I have beene doing since we left Sudbury in 1970.
We got on a train in late August 1970 about 2 weeks after we married to go to Dalhousie University in Halifax, where I had received a football scholarship. I spent 5 years there playing hockey and football. I graduated with a degree in Physical Education. Lynda worked as a long distance operator to help with the bills. I worked partime in bars mostly as a bouncer and waiter and in summers. It was tight but we got by. A little adversity is always good thing. I went to the University of Western Ontario to play one more year of football and was able to get a BA in addition to my Phys Ed degree. My football coach there arranged a tryout with the Ottawa Roughriders as a free agent and I was fortuante to make the team in 1976. It was a big surprise for me and certainly a dream come true.
Something that was even better was becoming a Christian during training camp. I hadn't expected that, but was really seraching throughout my university days for the deeper things of life. Answers to the big questions we all ask. To my surprise there were Christians on the team who helped me with that. I played from 1976 to 1980 in the CFL finishing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Lynda also became a Christian a number of months afterwards as she observed the changes in me.
Shortly thereafter, we had our first son Jordan on Dec 4, 1977. Our second son Troy was born in Winnipeg on July 30, 1980. Neither are married yet. Lynda and I are dying for grandchildren, so we told them we will give them one more year and then after that it will be an arranged marriage. There are many nice girls at our church who need a husband and we would be more than glad to make the introductions :).
After football ended, we moved to Abbotsford, BC in 1980. It is an hour east of Vancouver right on ther US border. We worked with a Christian organization called Athletes in Action for 2 years and then did a couple of odd jobs before starting a 25 year career with a yearbook printing company. I was a graphic arts consultant and helped schools with the design and publication of their annual, teaching desktop publishing and so on. I sold that business a little over 2 years ago.
Lynda was mostly a stay at home Mom after our our sons were born....Expand for more
She worked part time occasionly teaching knitting classes out of our home. We also began to take in exchange students mostly from Japan or Korea about 20 years ago. So Lynda began to be paid for what she does best, be a Mom. She has blessed so many with her homemaking skills. She is such a good cook and always makes our home a comfortable place to be for us and all our guests. She certainly has the gift of hospitality and we love guests. If you are ever in our area, please contact us. There is almost always an extra bedroom available and the meals won't disappoint.
Ten years ago, Lynda's Mom (Myrtle) lost her husbannd to liver failure and decided to move here. We both sold our houses and put the money together to buy a bigger home that would accomodate an apartment for Myrtle. Her health has been very good throughout and it has allowed Lynda and her Mom to reconnect after almost 30 years of separation. We would see each other on family vacations, but had never lived in the same city since we were married. They knit and sew and make quilts together (and cook). They are 2 peas in a pod and keep each other engaged and busy in th best of ways. Myrtle and I get along great. I tell her she is my favourite mother-in-law. And that always goes over big :).
A couple of years ago I had a career change in that I became a pastor of a church. I minister with an Iranian pastor named Afshin Javid. He was born in Iran and joined the Hezbollah army and served with them as a devout Muslim for 3 years. He was on his way to North America as a Muslim missionary to help the 'poor misguided Christians' in 1989. Enroute, while in possession of 30 false passports, he was caught and put in prison in Malaysia. He jokingly says he was diagnosed with multiple nationality disorder. It was in prison that Jesus appeared to him in his cell and I don't think he has recovered from that yet. If you want to hear his story, go to our ministry website iamthirsty.ca. His picture is on our home page. Just click on that. You will be amazed.
So, it has been quite an adventure. We are so grateful for the many opoortunites we have had and the wonderful friends God has provided. In spite of that, we feel the best is yet to come.
Please contact us if you can. High school days hold so many precious memories for us and we would love to hear from you.
Our contact info is as follows:
Brian & Lynda Gervais
4370 Blauson Blvd
Abbotsford, BC
V3G 3C5
home ph 604-854-5150
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