14.2.11

How We Met Part 2

Looking back on when Tuan and I first met, I have very few episodic memories, but interesting snippets from that week of camp. I was kind of thrown into the fun with a group of folks who had worked together several weeks before I got there and I'm sure I was clueless about all that was going on, but I LOVED camp and was so thrilled to be there.

Tuan and I were paired up as "co-counselors" and led a small group of boys and girls. We named our team the ducks and Tuan would act like a mama duck, make a tail with his hands and all of our "little ducklings" would act like ducks and march around to our team cheer. I think it was, "but the one little duck with the feather in his back, he ruled the others with a quack, quack, quack!"

We taught Bible together. I have no idea what we taught and honestly, we were very Theologically different, so I'm not sure how we did that!

I remember sitting at a table with him in a small room trying to figure out who was getting which activity awards--for Riflery and Archery?

On the Thursday of Day camp, the kids went home at lunch-time and returned for the evening and an overnight. I still did not know Tuan very well, but had spent a lot of time laughing with his sister. All the other staff were leaving for the afternoon and I had no idea what to do with myself since I lived too far away to run home. Shauna (Tuan's sister), invited me to spend the afternoon with her and Tuan. So Shauna and I piled into my 1987 Nissan Stanza (swanky, yes) and followed Tuan (who, incidentally was driving his 1991 Nissan Stanza--so cool) into Columbia for the afternoon.

I laugh especially, at this, because I got my first taste of their family and family culture that day and had NO CLUE I would have the joy of being a part of it one day.

Tuan drove very fast up and down the country roads. I was not a fast driver (then) and was trying desperately to safely keep up with him. We went to their house where I met Mrs. Dorothy for the first time and Brownie (the family's beloved dacshund) escaped from the house and we all went chasing after him. After meeting my unbeknownst-to-me future-mother-in-law, they took me to this Chinese restaurant in downtown Columbia.

I remember really enjoying that afternoon, but in no way more than thinking, "hey, this brother and sister are fun and they like the same music I do!" I actually had more fun with his sister, Shauna that week than with Tuan.

I also have to point out that our camp cook that week was none other than Mrs. Beth Sanford, whose oldest daughter Julia was a counselor and whose next oldest daughter, Elizabeth was one of my campers---it is amazing how God weaves people into your lives. The Sanfords are one of our favorite families and we love them all so much!

I left that week of camp giving nary a thought to Tuan, excepting the letter that our camp director sent me after camp. It was a "thank you for working, hope you come back next year" kind of letter, but written in red ink at the bottom of the page was this:

"I thought you and Tuan worked especially well together."


Is that foreshadowing or what?

I left Harvest giving little thought to the cute half-Vietnamese guy with the bowl cut and airwalk sneakers who drove the same car as me. I was afflicted with the early stages of Young Calvinists Disease and Tuan's bumper stickers sort of explain why I NEVER considered him an option:

One said, "Yes, Lord, we will ride" and another warned that "in case of rapture this vehicle will be unmanned".

Ha! Totally not an option for me! I was about to put in my two years of service at JCJC and get onto Belhaven where the real marriage potentials were!

5 comments:

Virginia said...

I'm such a blog stalker ... I can't wait for the rest of the "How We Met" series. I remember when y'all came to Harvest one weekend when I was working there. I'm waiting for the "I was working at Twin Lakes and Tuan was at (was it Alpine??) and came to Harvest one weekend when Tuan was there..."

That was the summer I was at Harvest, working with John, having such a major crush on him (ha!). But seriously, I'm ready for the rest of this series!

- Virginia

Paula said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paula said...

So glad you like it! I'm always reading blogs but never commenting--I know the feeling. What are you doing now?

Virginia said...

I know, me too. Im gonna try to be better at commenting on the ones I do read, maybe I'll feel less like a stalker!

I am currently living in Belhaven, still dating Tim Jones (going on FIVE years), and I'm about to take the Bar Exam on Monday & Tuesday....scary!!!!

Caroline said...

Ha ha! This is so fun to read! I have a letter from you from this time that says in passing, "My co-counselor's name is Tuan. How Nickelodeonish."

:)