Part Two

As I wandered around looking for someone to help me I began making backup plans in my head.  I looked all over, but I could find no one.  As I was walking back to the bus a vehicle drove by.  I couldn't see inside because it was dark, but they must have been wondering what I was doing walking around in the dark.  I though they were going to keep on driving down the road , but to my surprise they turned around.  The vehicle pulled up next to me and the window came down.  The man inside asked if I needed any help.  Do I need any help.  Of course I need help.  I didn't say that, but that is exactly what I was thinking.  I went on to tell him that my junior high group was here for camp.  Well, he looked about as surprised as I was worried.   

It just so happened that the passenger in the vehicle worked in the registration office and they were both Hume staff.  They told me to head over to the registration office and they help get things sorted out.  They had no sooner opened the office and they were on the phone calling people to get to the bottom of what was going on.  As they were calling I began scanning through the paper work I had in my packet.  I left the contract at home and hadn't even remembered looking at it at all.  

Soon the staff person in charge of registration came in and got to the bottom of everything.  She found the contract and showed it to me.  My heart fell to the floor.  We were not scheduled to show up until tomorrow afternoon.  Plain as day it was starring me right in the face.  My ego felt like it had been run over by a thousand junior students.  What was I going with now?

By now the kids had been sitting on the bus for about forty minutes, I'm sure also wondering what is going on.  

Here is where the Hume staff totally went above and beyond the call of duty.  They found our housing assignment, made sure the rooms were clean, and coordinated our meals until the regular programing was to begin the next afternoon.  

You know, I felt like a total goof.  All I could think to myself was, they probably think this guy is loser youth pastor who doesn't have his act together and they'd be right.  What a humbling experience.  

The days leading into this retreat I thought I it all together.  I thought everything was under control.  My control that is.  It became all to clear that this weekend was going to all about me and not about Him, God.  I had been so wrapped up in my own agenda I had over looked a key factor.  The focus needed to be on God and what He was going to do.  

The beginning to this weekend retreat was definitely an attention grabber, but that is what needed to happen and I am grateful for it.  There were some situations to come that weekend that would test both the leaders and myself.  If the focus was anywhere else things might have went from bad to worse.

(to be continued)