Yesterday ended up being an unexpected adventure!
Christian Campus Fellowship(the campus ministry that I was involved in while I attended
Vincennes University a few years ago) was having their last worship service in the location that they've been at for almost 15 years. Alumni was encouraged to come reunite to say goodbye to the building that we'd all spent so much time in during our college years at VU.
I had wanted to attend but knew alot of my usual babysitters (family) were busy so I gave up on the idea. Well, at the last minute my friend (and old "roomie") came in town from northern Indiana and she figured out that my lovely sister was available and willing to watch my boys so I could go with her! Yeah!
ROAD TRIP!! We haven't mad that couple hour drive together in a long time. It was good to have some time away from the my "normal" day and visit with a good friend. We talked and laughed, caught up on whats been going on in eachother's life, and reminisced about the good ol' days.
It was bittersweet to see the campus house. Portland Avenue used to be lined with homes. But the street is bare now, parking lots covering most of it. Over the last few years the university has bought everyone out - the last being CCF. I'm glad that we got to see it one last time but it was sad to see a building that was once so full of life and hope, now being disassembled for demolition (though the newer part of the building will be moved across campus to their new location).
Scott (our awesome campus minister) and Nick (his right hand man) were auctioning off some things that had been in the house. Everything from old signs with theme verses on them (from the years that I was there), to a shower head, to the big letters on the front of the house, to this big sombrero that Mike bought on our first mission trip to Mexico and hung on the wall in the third floor bedroom ever since. I bid on almost everything and won nothing. Oh, well... its the memories that are important and I still have plenty of those.
It was so great to see old friends (above is me with two former roomates and one former house-mate!). Some people we hadn't seen for years. Some had new babies, others' babies aren't babies anymore! What a blessing to catch up with the ones that we lived with, ate with, studied with, cried with, stayed up late watching movies with, prayed with, fellowshipped and worshiped with.
It was great to be reminded what an important part this ministry and others like it play in the lives of college students. I may have grown up in church but I don't believe that Christ has ever been as active in my life as He was while I was a part of CCF. I feel so blessed to have been a part of that ministry and to have been a part of those people's lives. I met some of my best friends through CCF... and even though the building that we all knew and loved is going to be gone... the ministry that made us feel at home there will live on in the body of believers that carry out God's work through Christian Campus Fellowship in Vincennes.
I had wanted to attend but knew alot of my usual babysitters (family) were busy so I gave up on the idea. Well, at the last minute my friend (and old "roomie") came in town from northern Indiana and she figured out that my lovely sister was available and willing to watch my boys so I could go with her! Yeah!
ROAD TRIP!! We haven't mad that couple hour drive together in a long time. It was good to have some time away from the my "normal" day and visit with a good friend. We talked and laughed, caught up on whats been going on in eachother's life, and reminisced about the good ol' days.
It was bittersweet to see the campus house. Portland Avenue used to be lined with homes. But the street is bare now, parking lots covering most of it. Over the last few years the university has bought everyone out - the last being CCF. I'm glad that we got to see it one last time but it was sad to see a building that was once so full of life and hope, now being disassembled for demolition (though the newer part of the building will be moved across campus to their new location).
Scott (our awesome campus minister) and Nick (his right hand man) were auctioning off some things that had been in the house. Everything from old signs with theme verses on them (from the years that I was there), to a shower head, to the big letters on the front of the house, to this big sombrero that Mike bought on our first mission trip to Mexico and hung on the wall in the third floor bedroom ever since. I bid on almost everything and won nothing. Oh, well... its the memories that are important and I still have plenty of those.
It was so great to see old friends (above is me with two former roomates and one former house-mate!). Some people we hadn't seen for years. Some had new babies, others' babies aren't babies anymore! What a blessing to catch up with the ones that we lived with, ate with, studied with, cried with, stayed up late watching movies with, prayed with, fellowshipped and worshiped with.
It was great to be reminded what an important part this ministry and others like it play in the lives of college students. I may have grown up in church but I don't believe that Christ has ever been as active in my life as He was while I was a part of CCF. I feel so blessed to have been a part of that ministry and to have been a part of those people's lives. I met some of my best friends through CCF... and even though the building that we all knew and loved is going to be gone... the ministry that made us feel at home there will live on in the body of believers that carry out God's work through Christian Campus Fellowship in Vincennes.
5 comments:
How fun! I'm so glad you were able to have some "girl time" and get away from your normal routine. Days like that are so refreshing, eh?
The older I get, the more "bittersweet" most things in life become....
Wani, this post was soooo fun to read. I'm a sucker for nostalgia and connecting with old friends, reminiscing about old times.
So glad you got to see the house one more time. You know, my mom grew up in a tiny house in a tiny coal mining town in PA. About 3 years before my grandfather died, he sold it and moved my grandma into another house over the hill.
When my grandmother died another 7 years after that, my mom was saying, "How I wish I could see the inside of my childhood home one more time." Welcome to Toni's World, where idealism reigns.
"Mom, just knock on the door and ask."
"Whaa??? No. NooOOo. Toni, you can't just do that."
"Says who? Mom, what's the worst that could happen? They'll think you're a freak and say no. Big deal."
She gave me the look she always gives when I come up with my ideas. And some time after that? She was inside. Touring. Reminiscing. Crying. Thanking the homeowner profoundly. Yep, it worked (and it worked for my older brother with our childhood home as well, lol).
So you see, I can sooo relate to this post. LOVED it.
Blessings,
~toni~
Cute post from Toni! :o)
I am soooooooooooooo glad you got to do this, God gave this day to you as a special gift!! Yippeeeeeee! God gave you those times at college to build you up in to who you are today, awesome!
luv,
Lehi
I agree with Lehi. I'm so glad you had such a wonderful day and got to relive such wonderful memories with your old, great friends!
TTYS - Sniz
It's nice to see people like you that grow up in the church and then go off to college only to get more excited about their life in Christ...and then come back home to live it out. It's always been fun to watch you grow up.
Post a Comment