August 4, 1974

August 4, 1974

July 17, 1973

After finishing highschool and working for a year at Nithview Home for the Aged, I wanted a little more adventure. So I applied for Voluntary Service with Mennonite Central Committee.

I must admit I was disappointed when my assignment was in Toronto — I’d been hoping for something a little more exotic. But the job seemed interesting and I was willing to do it for the next two years.

At that time a classmate from school, Bob Cheeseman, would sometime come to talk to my mother. When I told him about my upcoming move to Toronto he exclaimed, “My friend just finished an assignment in that unit. He could tell you all about it.” So I gave permission for his friend to call me.

Shortly thereafter, while I was babysitting for neighbours, I got a call from Volker. He talked about the unit house on Coldstream Ave in Toronto and suggested that he take me (by bus — he didn’t have a car at that time) to visit before I officially started my assignment. I agreed to meet him at the Greyhound bus depot in Kitchener.

“How will I know you?” I asked. He answered, “I’m 5’11,” blue eyes with glasses, brown hair and beard.” I told him I was 5’2″ with long brown hair and brown eyes. 

So on a Saturday morning my Papa dropped me off at the bus depot. It wasn’t hard to pick out the man I was meeting. We rode to Toronto, talking all the way. We visited the house on Coldstream, spent the night there, toured the neighbourhood and returned home on Sunday.

Volker used a bus transfer from our day to give me his name, address and phone number. And I kept it, a reminder of a wonderful day.