The Ballad of Michael, Eric and God...

Michael Treston and Eric Nelson are two guys whom I hold in pretty high regard. Big deal you might all say but I think they rock to the maximo and this is as public as I can get my thoughts soooo... dig it!


ERIC NELSON:

I met Eric on the way to Easter Camp 2002, those who went might remember the 'Jesus Guy' - he was American and looked like a stereotypical perception of Jesus. He had long hair down to his waist and a beard-also down to his waist, on his driver's liscence (International) he looked clean shaven and cut and also like Brad Pitt *sigh* anywho he was to be a leader for our group and we rocked on down in vans to Christchurch. At Burger King he came up and started talking to me and we continued talking through the camp. We talked about families and going to hell and he took me and another guy (Victor for those in the know) up to a water fall on some hill. we all got cut on thorns cause Eric and I, against Victor's better judgment thought it a brilliant idea to bush whack up through some thorns though Eric was in barefeet, shorts and a singlet. Nevermind. The waterfall was awesome when we got there and saw other campers who had taken the 'track'...punks. There was another point when our (Nelson) community tent had run out of milk and Eric and I were desperate to have milo in the afternoon. Eric with my support decided it was a fantastic idea to go to our neighbours the friendly Blenheim crew and borrow their milk-without asking. We took the bottle full of milk and many a milo was made. At tea time that night Eric returned the near empty milk bottle to a Blenheim leader and said thanks. The night of the storm was pretty cool we had to wash the kitchen's dishes and we sang lame pop songs with the other Nelson groups who were their. Later Eric and I decided to shower as we weren't wet enough, every tent in our group got flooded and destroyed except for the one yself and Dan and Mike were in, we were the only three with all our stuff still dry and intact the next day. Eric and I crashed in the community tent that night with most others simply for the novelty of it. After camp I didn't see Eric for ages but when things started getting sucko with me and my mum Istayed with him and flatmate Jolyon (an NZ Hippy Christian guy who at the time was a week from his 30th B day) in Golden Bay they helped me refocus on God and start to really get on track we had lots of late night talks and stuff and concluded that I really needed to follow God's calling for me (well duh but it took my 'me first brain' a while to click over) and the whole time was really fulfilling. I hitched back to Nelson afetrwards feeling that soon things would start to make sense. This was late July 2003 (kinda important later... if you're still reading). Jolyon moved to Auckland last January and Eric moved into his van and began training to be a paramedic we kept in touch over 2004 and still do now. He moved back to the US of A (being an American and all) to do the next two years of his training.
He helped me see through the crap I was wrapping myself up in and did it politely and subtley it was always pleasant when Eric made me confront things I needed to deal with but then...


MICHAEL TRESTON:

Old man Michael strutted into my life in late November 2003. We had a youth camp that I wasn't going to go to because I felt too old and thought that the guy who had been running the youth group (into the ground) was outof his ever loving mind. But my friend Chris was going so I went with him to Pelorus and met uo with the group there. I remember the moment Michael and I first acknowledged each other it was the second morning - a Saturday and I had made an 'innappropriate joke' that others went 'ooohh that's not cool AJ' (can't remember it) but Michael laughed quite blatantly and we got frowns from the 'christians.' Anywho that night after a laid back day of swimming, BBQ and campfire Chris and Istayed up and talked to Maureen, Michael's wife and made many 'innapropriate jokes' about how lame Christians can be, we became friends with the Treston's not youth members and have been treated as such ever since. Michael got me involved with Praxis a youth workers course and I got to lead properly for the first time at acamp in Feb 04 in Marahau. It was good. Ithen got to lead at Easter Camp 2004 with the Nelson Cathedral group, this camp had a lot of life sltering consequences for me, and Igot to hang with Michael a little bit and also with the other leaders Milo and Zack two Canadians, with big smiles. I met these two girls on security - they took their job very seriously and generally heard more from God that weekend than I ever had before, Iwent home and things fell apart - still are. I dropped out of the course and My Dad's cancer got worse. My friend Chris had a hard time with some stuff which culminated with the death of his gran in August, he had lost both his parents before his 20th birthday, then the week after Chris' gran died we found out our friend Richard who was only 22 had very well spred cancer. Through it all I was a mess and much of it was self inflicted aswell. Michael didn't let up on me though he kept pounding me and wouldn't stop. I got angry and sad and he often sat me down and told it like it was. I needed it. I got a job at a gas station and was able to lead at Spring Camp in Nelson last September. I spent the summer in rivers and at the beach in Nelson knowing I was leaving but kinda wishing I wasn't. I had to take the 'big next step' sometime and had put it off too long. Now I'm listening for God but not pushing him. I'm just wondering where I'll end up.