The Visit
by Sylvia Dickson
Today I happened to run into some visitors. I had seen this couple walking on campus earlier in the day, and when I went to lunch they were coming into the dining hall.
My husband and I welcomed them and guided them to the lunch line. It turned out that they were one of our student’s grandparents. They had flown from Pennsylvania to surprise him and see him play in one of his junior high football games.
When the young man walked into our dining room and saw them, his face lit up with such joyful astonishment that I thought he might drop his tray. He quickly put his tray down and grabbed his grandmother in a tight bear hug. He then buried his face in his grandfather’s shoulder, holding back tears (his classmates were all around) and hugged him even tighter.
You didn’t tell me you were coming! He exclaimed.
Now, this young man rarely shows any emotion, so to see this response to his grandparents was very touching. Smiles, tears (almost), laughter, and joy were all displayed because his grandparents came from Pennsylvania to French Camp, MS for two days to see their grandson.
What a great experience for each of us. To see that kind of love expressed was valuable to me, and I will treasure it for a long time.
After the young man returned to class, I learned that granddad had been a student at FCA in 1959-60. French Camp did a lot for me, he said. One thing FCA did, it taught me how to work. When I went to college and had to work full time, too, I knew how to manage.
We continued to talk and they shared their impressions of French Camp:
- Everyone is friendly and helpful: Yes, we try to live out the love of Christ.
- The staff seems to really love the young people: They are God’s gift to us for a season.
- You do a lot for them. There is so much to do here. He has much more to do here than he would with us: We want them to learn good wholesome activities they can
enjoy through their lives.
No matter how tonight’s ballgame turns out, it will be a winner for both grandson and grandparents.
Visit our website for information on admissions, employment, donating, volunteering, and activities.
French Camp Academy 