Courtenay teacher has faced danger in foreign lands

Thought I would forward our latest communication with my son (Eli Campbell) over in Cairo.

Dear editor,

Thought I would forward our latest communication with my son (Eli Campbell) over in Cairo.

Your printing of his article (Record, Feb. 25) warmed our hearts and seems to have given him a surge of pride and longing for home.

He teaches middle school (math, science and English) and has taught in many challenging and rewarding positions over the years. This one in Cairo was probably the worst for me. He has experienced many heart-wrenching moments that include being stabbed in the eye while working on one of two or three stretches in remote aboriginal reserves in northern Manitoba (up past Churchill).

He has been robbed at gunpoint twice (on the same day!) while on a teaching contract in Mexico City. He once spent close to three days and nights in the main air terminal in Seoul, South Korea, waiting for someone to come and get him and take him to his rural teaching location. He had about $50 US in his pocket and knew maybe five words of the language!

Over the years, the one thing that seems to be consistent in his stories of these scary experiences is the love of his job and the total commitment he has for the kids (and adults) he teaches.

He seems to fall in love with the people and their cultures no matter where he is. I am very proud of Eli and I thank you for printing his article for us.

Laverne Remigi,

Comox

 

Comox Valley Record