Sunday February 25th

Day 2 of our ABST adventure with L’Arche Ontario! It was Sunday, which was a low-key sort of day. We decided to go to a Protestant church nearby since we had heard that a woman named Mary wanted us to meet her there. We went and attended the service and afterwards looked for Mary. We did not find Mary. Instead, we met several dozen church members who were thrilled to see a group of young women (and one not-particularly-young guy) come join them. So we left feeling like celebrities and knowing we had made their day and made a lot of friends.

In the afternoon, we went sightseeing in Hamilton, first to the first Tim Hortons location for coffee and sweet treats, then out for a hike along the Escarpment to see a waterfall. The weather was clear, and it was a good hike, despite the muddy patches on the trail. There were other hikers on the trail and many of them had dogs with them, so seeing them was a nice bonus. The hike was also a good bonding experience, as we made our way together through the wilderness and made it out again.

The day was capped off by dinner at several of the houses in Hamilton. We split into three groups and went to three of the houses. This being our first dinner with many of the L’Arche core members, we weren’t sure what to expect, but it was a wonderful time. The members were friendly and welcoming. In the house where I went, we did some karaoke after dinner and had some coffee, then some traditional tea from Ukraine that one of the assistants made. We learned a lot about the core members and the assistants and got a new appreciation for them and their backgrounds. It felt like we did so much and that was only Day 2!

– David Stewart, L’Arche Ontario ABST accompanier