Part III

If you missed parts I & II, you can click here - just scroll to the bottom to start.

I made the drive North with a girl on the Freshman retreat team. When we got there, I felt very torn that I couldn't stay to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I helped my team set up and was there just long enough to welcome the Freshman bus before it was time to head South. I had a long drive ahead of me yet, and it was already dark. Fortunately, my friend Megan would be meeting me just outside of Orange City. That was certain to help the time pass quickly, and I was more than anxious to finally be at my destination in Omaha – for several reasons.


First, I was eager to get to know the rest of the team. I felt a bit intimidated by being one of only a few sophomores (similar to the campus ministries team), and I was hoping to feel a bit more at ease after this weekend. Secondly, I was very excited about my upcoming summer overseas. I had just decided before Christmas that I would be spending it in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and I was anxious/nervous/excited to learn more about what to expect and how to prepare.

Finally (although it didn't really seem like the last point in my mind), Dan Johnston would be there. All weekend. And he said he'd be waiting for me when I arrived. I mulled over that last thought as the miles past, looking at it from every angle, over-analyzing until I could hardly remember what the original conversation had been. And while my mind spun in a million different directions, I was leery to make anything of it in reality – as in, to acknowledge the thoughts out loud. Besides, wasn't this weekend suppose to be about, you know, GOD?? Lord, please keep me from distractions, I prayed silently as I pulled in to pick up my friend.


Megan kept me laughing the whole time she was with me, as she had a tendency to do. I appreciated the distraction and decided to keep my illogical thoughts to myself. After I dropped her off, I still had about an hour to go before I made it to my destination, so I decided it was a good time to call my leader and let her know where I was at.


“Hello?” a man's voice answered on the other end.


My heart raced a little as I was totally caught off guard. “Umm, is this Jill's phone? I'm trying to get in touch with her.”


“Yep – hey, is this Kali?” came the male voice again. I tried frantically to search my brain for who it belonged to. I thought I knew...but it couldn't be.


“Uhh....yeah,” It was all I could muster, my heart turning into a drum-line in my ears. He didn't have to tell me who it was at this point.


“Well hey! It's Dan. I just heard Jill's phone ring and thought it might be you checking in; where are you at?”


Don't read into that...just concentrate. He asked you a question! “Uhhh...just south of Sioux City. I should be there in about an hour.” My conversation skills were obviously brilliant.


“Great! Well I'll see you when you get here! Do you need directions?”


“No, I think I'm good. I guess I'll see you after bit,” I said, ending yet another conversation much too abruptly. Why did I suddenly feel like a mute?


The next hour past quickly as I had even more food for thought now. He said I'll be waiting, didn't he? And was he waiting for my call? Why did he have Jill's phone if he wasn't? He's just trying to be a helpful leader – he knows Jill has a lot going on with everything and he's just trying to make sure I'm not an added burden. That must be it. He knows this is just one more thing for her to deal with and he's trying to be helpful. After all, I am the ONLY team member that didn't ride with everyone else. Argh...why did I have to make things complicated?


Before I knew it, I had arrived at the church where we would be staying. I gathered my things quickly, trying to avoid the frigid temps as much as possible, and quietly let myself in. There was no one waiting at the doors. I felt a twinge of disappointment, but brushed it off quickly. After all – no one was expected to come rushing out at midnight. And that phone call had just been an older, responsible leader checking on the young college girl driving all alone at night in an unfamiliar place. It was a nice gesture – and that was all. I put the thoughts out of my mind and headed down the hallway to find out where to plop my stuff.


It didn't take long to settle in. People were still up hanging out and playing games, so I joined in. I interjected questions amidst a few frantic games of nerts and gathered some details of what I had missed that night. I learned some new names and began to figure out who was going where for the summer. I talked and laughed and was glad to feel welcomed by the group, and I tried to keep my thoughts focused on those things rather than the guy that just kept popping up. As I watched him easily move from one group to the next, I couldn't help but be drawn to his outgoing personality that seemed to make it so natural for him to visit with anyone in the room. Everyone seemed to know Dan – and everyone seemed to enjoy his company. I decided right then and there to put the thoughts out of my mind completely. This was just a really nice guy who treated everyone this way. I had absolutely no reason to believe otherwise.


The weekend passed more quickly than I had anticipated, being packed full of different “cross-cultural” experiences, particularly for a small-town girl who found the city to be a bit overwhelming. We dined at an Indian restaurant and ate with our hands (because apparently that's how they do it in India), took part in a market-place experience where we actually had to barter for our supper, and were dropped off in pairs at various locations of the city with a scavenger-hunt type list of tasks that we had to accomplish before we could meet back up with everyone for an evening worship service. I was rather unprepared for that last experience.


I was paired up with a fun-loving, sweet upperclassmen who had just about as much experience with public transportation as myself...nada. After being dropped off at a mall, we finally figured out the bus schedule and made our way on a city bus. We somehow managed to accomplish the things on our list, but as the gray gloom of the winter day began to turn dark, we quickly began to realize that we were not in the best part of town, and furthermore, that we had absolutely no idea how to get to where we needed to be. Decked out in my purple marshmallow coat (complete with complimenting purple gloves, scarf and ear band), I stuck out like a sore thumb. One lady even stopped us to tell us we had no business being where we were and needed to get out of there before it got dark. Gee, thanks lady...like I wasn't already completely freaked out!


By the grace of God, we finally managed to find the University campus where we were supposed to be meeting the group at the chapel. We snuck in the back, doing our best to be completely silent, only to find the building empty. My heart sank once again. What were we going to do?!? By this time it was dark, and the campus felt overwhelmingly huge. I was trying to be brave for this girl I had just met, but my courage was quickly failing. And that's when we saw him. Dan, walking straight towards us, with no one else in sight.


I watched relief wash over his face. We relayed the story of the day to him, trying to make it humorous, as he led us to the correct building where everyone was waiting. Apparently we had already missed the chapel service. As our trio walked and talked, I realized that my fear had completely subsided and somehow, in the matter of a few brief, confusing moments, I suddenly felt completely and unequivocally safe.