For the past four or five years in a row, the Conference Grounds has held a dedication service after the evening church service during Memorial Day weekend. This year, instead of dedicating cottages (like the last several years), we dedicated the new deck and swings that overlook the beach. I thought at first that it would be exactly like the other ones: we all troop up to the site, the Director says a few things and thanks the donors, someone from the Board of Directors says a few things, we all sing a song, and then there are cookies and ice cream available.
This year was very different. First of all, we stayed in the Auditorium because it had been storming all day. Second, (and this is what I didn't realize), we were not only dedicating a structure, but we were dedicating the memories of people that have come to be very important to the life of the Conference Grounds. These people are...
Ade and Betty DeKorte: This couple was a pair of volunteers from many many years ago. Only a few of the current staff members actually worked with them, but they have still been involved in the legacy of the Grounds. Ade passed away last year (I think) and his memorial fund donated a lot of the money for the deck reconstruction.
George Dykstra: I don't know very much about George. From the way people talked about him, he camped at the Grounds and was very involved here for a long time, as are his children and grandchildren. He passed away while walking along the Lake Michigan shore. It was a very weird day. I was working in the store and I remember all of a sudden several staff members running in, saying that George had just been discovered on the beach, not breathing. They had to pull out the registry to figure out which sites his wife and family were on, and it was just a flurry of activity all day. Very emotional and confused.
Carol Kuipers: I worked with this woman for two summers and she was amazing. She and her husband Don were volunteers for the month of August and they always did more than they were asked. The one thing that stands out to me is that they always took the kitchen trash out for us. Normally, that's a job that the store girls do before mopping the kitchen. But Don and Carol always did it for us when they were here. I don't think I'll ever forget that.
Eileen Wiersma: "You just gotta come!" That's what I'll always remember about her. She devoted her entire self to promoting the Conference Grounds. But instead of waxing on and on about everything we have to offer, she'd pick one thing, say it, and then follow it up with "You just gotta come and see it. I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do." She passed away last summer after a long and storied fight with cancer. When the doctors told her that the treatment was no longer working and that she had 4 or 5 days left, a week at the most, she decided that she wanted to spend those days at the Conference Grounds. Seventeen days later, on the way to Hospice for permanent residence, Eileen passed away. I truly believe that the Conference Grounds kept her alive. It's not just a campground. It's a life-giving (and sustaining) community.
This year's theme song, "O Church Arise," seems to perfectly fit not only this year's theme, but the themes of the last several years. Verse 4 is my favorite and the most stirring to me.
So Spirit come, put strength in every stride
Give grace for every hurdle
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful
As saints of old still line the way
Retelling triumphs of His grace
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When with Christ we stand in glory
When I hear "As saints of old still line the way / Retelling triumphs of His grace," Eileen's face (as well as the faces of so many others) come to my mind. They ran with faith, and now they're cheering us on as we continue to run.
And one day, we'll be standing beside them, encouraging the saints that come behind us.
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