Hall of Fame: Ken, Amy & Todd

Among the unique things about the Floridays 1990 trip was it was the only one of our major trips- Myrtle Beach, Walt Disney World, Atlanta, Youthquake and New York- in which Ken Hill, Amy Simmons and Todd Farlow were all able to participate.  Todd had missed the first Disney trip and Ken the first Myrtle Beach excursion.  But Floridays 1990 brought these three (pictured above at Walt Disney World), in many ways the foundation of our early years at Springfield Friends Meeting, together for part of a big trip.  And now they are together again- in my youth group Hall of Fame!

You have read much about Ken already on this blog.  A senior when I arrived at Springfield, his dedication and leadership helped us start over with some new ideas and new excitement.  He was part of the original Disney trip, and by 1990 was one of our adult leaders.  Most of the adventures I shared with Ken came after his "official" youth group days, but he still is most deserving of a place in the Hall.  Most memorably, he asked Marilyn and I to be at the Appalachian State basketball game at which he (a cheerleader) proposed to Gilly (also a cheerleader!) and the celebration that followed.  I was also part of their wedding and the very entertaining golf tournament which preceded it.  His mom Patsy, and his Aunt Jane and Uncle Wayne were great friends to us and great supporters of our ministry.  We miss them all.

Amy was always there when I needed her.  If I needed someone to help with decorations, or to call people, or to help get things organized, Amy was who I called.  She was among the first to start bringing friends to TNT, eventually involving half of the Trinity HS baseball team.  She went on most every trip and was always a leader.  One of my favorite things was being
together with both Ken and Amy, because they often fought like siblings.  They never agreed on anything!  I always thought there was a little romantic tension under all of the bickering...NOT!  But that is why the picture that accompanies this post has always been among my favorites.  It says so much about th love we all had for each other- even on the roughest od days!  Amy is married with a lovely family now, still in the High Point area.  Her mom, Millie, was the church secretary most of the time I was at Springfield, and will get her own post here someday soon.

The first time I was ever at Todd Farlow's house I got in trouble.  His mom, Brenda, thought his room was too messy and wanted me to back her up.  I thought it looked pretty good and I said so.  Oops!  Over the years Brenda and Louis became very dear to us- and so did Todd.  Basketball dominated his life during his time at Ragsdale HS, so he missed many of our big trips.  For Floridays 1990, he was working at Quaker Lake for the summer, but I got special permission for him to take a couple of days off and join us in Orlando.  I took him to the airport so he could fly back.  As with Ken, our adventures continued well beyond his graduation, through several trips to visit us in Kissimmee and up to his marriage to Meleah, his lovely wife.  They have two children and also still live in the High Point area.

Floridays 1990 and the student ministry at Springfield Friends Meeting would have never been the same without the contributions of these three amazing people.  There is absolutely no question they belong in my Hall of Fame.  If only we could all just blot out the memory of the Ridgecrest Conference Center and the Go For It weekend of 1987....right guys?

Because of Jesus,