I met her in August 2009 when we were both about to start as freshman at Houghton College. Houghton has a two week wilderness adventure program that freshman can choose to participate in before starting the actual first semester. We both chose to participate.
Although we were in separate groups, one evening our leaders took everyone to the Houghton pool to have an evening splashing around and relaxing...and getting a bit cleaner since we were going without showers. Bonnie and I hadn't ever talked before but we saw each other, and I guess we each sized the other up as a friendly person worth conversing with.
We spent the rest of the time in the pool holding on to the side in the deep end and talking. We talked about Africa - she had grown up there as an MK - and our excitement and trepidation about starting college.
At the very beginning of college you meet a lot of people. You have no idea which of those people you'll actually keep hanging out with. Who will still be your friend at the end of four years of drama?
Bonnie and I were still friends.
It helped that she lived with her parents right there in Houghton, just up the hill from the campus. And her parents hosted a college student Bible study at their house that I started attending. I kept attending that Bible study as I was able throughout my time at Houghton - I even led it one semester - as long as I wasn't running off on semesters studying abroad.
During my senior year I lived in a basement apartment with 6 other girls, and Bonnie and her parents lived right across the street. She loved old movies so - among others - she made sure that I watched the epicly long comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World before I graduated.
Death makes me really sad. Although I am so happy that Bonnie is now with Jesus and fully healed - forever - of the cancer that slowly took her life over the past year, her parents and her friends are left here - without her. And that's not cool at all.
Thank you, Bonnie, for your friendship. Thanks for your cheerful hellos and happy hugs. Thanks for your honesty and your generosity.
Here's a picture that Bonnie drew of me after I spent a semester in Tanzania (she did the same semester the year after I did). It's a cross between Tangled and Tanzania. Looking at it makes me feel ready to go out and take on the world - or at least the bit of it that God is asking me to tackle.
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| Bethany Stobbe Expert Tanzanian and Exceptional frying pan wielder From: Bonnie |
