A & S meet story

The May long weekend of 2003 was cold and the weather forcasters predicting snow. Despite the rather obnoxious weather a URC youth reatreat was still a go. Registrants from across Canada and the Northern States arrived at a staggered rate after 6pm on Friday. Ice breakers and talks began the weekend, then people scattered around the camp to find friends, flashlights and sweaters in preperation for the campfire on the beach as a cool evening dampness seemed to drop and settle in around Lake Nakamun while the sun slowly dropped behind the lakeside trees, casting long, chilly shadows across the lake and camps around it.

The fire pit was located in a cluster of spindly trees just off the beach. Benches akin to risers encircled the pile of wood and paper awaiting flames. A figure slouched on the top bench silently watched a man attempt to start the campfire. Only a few hours earlier had the crowds arrived for the youth retreat, and most were still settling into their cabins before campfire started. The ice-breaker games that had just finished had been profitable for most, yet a chore for some who would have preferred staying home on the Victoria Day long weekend. The figure at the smoldering start of a campfire was one of those whose thoughts were of things he could have been doing if he had not come.

Steven Hofstede would have been happy to be back home in Grande Prairie, finishing up a nice physical day of work, likely then settling into a relaxing time of reading or tinkering around on the computer. A voice at his elbow broke into his bubble of self-pity.
A rather tall girl dressed in blue jeans and a bulky old Nike sweatshirt smiled up at him and glanced around the nearly vacant benches encircling the fire pit and inquired if his friends had abandoned him. When he grunted his reply, she chuckled and said hers had lost her too, or rather, she had lost them. They were obviously not at the fire, but everyone would soon be gathering there for evening devotions and campfire songs, so this was bound to be a good place to catch up with them.

The girl was Alison Doige, who had sauntered down to the campfire early, in hopes of finding her friend Amanda and sister Fiona, both of whom had disapeared from view after the ice-breaker games as they were not in the same cabin. When Alison had seen Steven sitting alone, she felt sorry for him, knowing what is like to be alone when everyone else is having fun. She remembered meeting him in the first ice-breaker game, when the people in charge of the youth retreat randomly created groups by having everyone match up different pieces of paper.
Knowing everyone else in the "chronicles of narnia" group, she had talked to the quiet guy, and found out he was Steven Hofstede from Grande Prairie and he liked Tim Horton's coffee. A nice-looking girl had suantered up to him and hugged him, then sat in the chair next to him, smiling and pulling her feet up to the chair, hugging her knees. Alison assumed it was his girlfriend until his face turned pink and he introduced the girl as his sister, Emily. It was a pleasent but vague meeting before the mixers continued and people dispersed.

A cold gust of wind reminded them of the ominous weather threatening to make the weekend miserable. Shivering, Alison remarked that she hoped the weather would be better for her grad. Steve inquired what school she was graduating from, and Alison chuckled. She told him she was home-schooled, or rather, home-educated.
Steven looked less grumpy and said, "really, me too." Alison was suprised, yet perplexed. This guy certainly didn't look like he was high-school aged. She asked, hesitatingly, if he was in grade 12, too. He looked at her sharply. "No." he said, his voice flat yet emphatic.
"How old are you then?" Alison laughed and told him she was confused because he had said "me too". A look of embarrasment washed his face and he corrected himself, saying he was 22 and he HAD been home-educated previously, before he went to work.

By this time, several others had gathered for campfire, and there was little seating left. Emily came to sit with her brother, and invited Alison to sit with them. Their sister Laura also sauntered over and joined her siblings, thus recieving a brief introduction to Alison. The singing was exuberant, and several of the people sitting with emily and steve knew 4 part harmony, which pleasently rang out across the lake.

The two days that followed were filled with various activities, most of which had to be tailored according to the fickle weather, as rain and bitter winds swept through the camp and the outdoor games became physically painful, thereby deeming the day an indoor one. Swimming, and various indoor games were impromtively arranged, though some people preferred to sit around talking and playing cards games.

Sunday, of course, included a worship service in the gymnasium and many people from the Neerlandia church joined, which made for wonderfuly sized congregation. :-) Coffee following the service provided a much more mature level of mixing and visiting. Emily introduced her mother and younger sisters to Alison and her sister, Fiona. Fiona and Emily had been in the same cabin and team for the weekend, and as a result the girls had spent a fair amount of time together with Alison and hoped to keep in touch post-retreat.

Sunday night saw the permission granted to those who wished to pull an all-nighter and movies such as Veggie Tales, The Emperor's New Groove and Ice Age were projected onto a large screen in the basement of the lodge. Sleep-deprived people have a tendancy to find humourous films all the more hilarious in the wee small hours of the morning, and otherwise sane human beings begin to engage in uproarious laughter as "Silly Songs With Larry" suddenly seems the ideal entertainment for a group of teenagers and young adults! When duct-taping the weaker people, who gave in to their natural desire to sleep, to the floor became the most entertaining pastime of the weekend, and caffine and sugar highs ran rampant, the morning sun was already beginning to creep into the building. For those who remained awake the entire night, it was very amusing to watch others fall asleep only to be abruptly awakened but duct tape ripping noises.

Monday morning was an interesting clash of zombie-like sleepyheads and excited people running about catching people before they all left, exchanging email addresses and phone numbers and taking last minute photos. During the pre-breakfast hubbub, Steve handed a slip of paper (remains on Sunday's bulletin) to Alison with his email address on it. Following common courtesy, she wrote down her family's addy for him, not really expecting anything of it all, but looking forward to the promise of a link to the website Steve's friend Alex was setting up for the youth retreat photos.

Monday night, when the Doige family's email was checked, a message containing a link to the youth retreat's website was sent from one Steven Hofstede for Alison. The thank you she sent in reply was the start of a electronic dialougue that continued on and developed into a great friendship.