Day 18 - HOME!

We have completed our tour and everybody has gone their separate ways.

These final two pictures were taken by Eric's mom and was the last thing we did together as a group.

We left a little late this morning because I forget my lunch! My billets brought it to me, which was so nice of them! It was fine, because all we had to do was drive back to Providence. We then took our last stop at Tim Horton's in Kenora and then headed for home. I showed a slideshow of the tour in the SUV. I put it together last night after organizing and compiling all the photos taken by Megan, Justin and Johnny.

We arrived back at Providence at around noon and then unloaded the U-Haul and the SUV. It was so great to be unloading for the last time.

We had one final group meeting, where we shared our highlights of the tour and prayed together one last time.

A fitting end to a fabulous tour!
Thanks be to God.


Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
-Psalm 103:1.

A few more pictures - Kenora!

Hey - Is that Bryce? (Megan's boyfriend!) He showed up at our last concert in Kenora! (Bryce is on the left)



Packing up and chatting after our last show.

Even more entertainment from The Oat Show!

Justin - Drinking through chips!

Day 17: Kenora, ON - May 8

(This picture is from Sudbury, ON - The Band during the show!)

So we are now in Kenora, Ontario. Just a few hours from home!
We performed the last show of the tour tonight.

It was a good show, and a fitting end to a fabulous tour. At one point during the performance Nate and Justin put their guitars to the side, picked up drum sticks and helped Johnny with a drum solo. It was really fun to watch.

I have found myself really enjoying the bands performance. I know most of the words and I have almost lost my voice singing into the music. The better they play, the better I run the powerpoint! It’s funny how that happens! But there are certain parts of their performance that I look forward to. I like it when: Nate and Justin jump in the air, Johnny performs a particularly good drum solo, Megan sings a piece in a particularly moving way and Eric finds a new way to describe where Megan is from. It’s hard for me to believe, but I am really going to miss my daily worship with Aslan’s Child.

Of course, it will be wonderful to be back home and sleeping in my own bed!

There was an extra special guest at our performance tonight – Bryce turned up, just before the end. The College Singers returned back from their tour a day before we did. So Bryce got in his car and drove out here to meet Megan and bring her home a day early. So we have already lost a member of the band, although she will be joining us at Providence when we are scheduled to be back – 11:30 tomorrow.

So there is not much more for me to say. We made it safely from Thunder Bay to Kenora. There was a bit of construction, but it wasn’t too bad. Nate drove today and was great, especially at backing the trailer up to the church in Kenora. Brad and I were sitting in the third row of seats today and played an “Oat Show” game. “Eric’s head is the backboard” but instead it turned into “Justin’s head is the backboard.” It was really fun and the whole SUV got involved by the end.

We are tired, but still getting along. I realized that in previous posts I never kept an update on Megan's voice. Megan's voice returned on Tuesday, so after taking Sunday off and no show in Monday in Ottawa, the band was back to normal. So the show in Sudbury and the one today in Kenora both highlighted the wonderful voice of Megan, once again.

It has been a great tour.

The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.
Amen

That’s it for now…

Day 16 - Thunder Bay, ON

So today was one of our longest driving days. Sudbury to Thunder Bay.

We started the drive this morning with the movie Juno. We hooked it into the speakers in the SUV. It was a good movie.

Eric drove this morning, and then at 2:30 switched with me and I drove the rest of the way.
We arrived in Thunder Bay at around 8pm. Then we went for supper at Boston Pizza. Justin ate an entire medium pizza - It was impressive.

It is really nice to be in a Hotel tonight. Lots of space, internet access and TV!

I don't feel like I have all that much to say except that we are safe and looking forward to being back home.

Highlights:
1 - Megan finishing her pizza before Justin (although Megan's was an individual size, while Justin's was a medium).
2 - Staying in a Hotel!

Quotes:
Megan ate an individual - Eric
Yeah, but I ate 3 people! - Justin

Here are a few more pictures from recent days:

More entertainment from The Oat Show!

This one is from our day off in Toronto - Day 8!





This is an older one, from day 2 or 3! I think Megan won this one!

Day 15 - Sudbury, ON - May 6

Even Megan’s bear needs to wear a seatbelt!



An average driving day today, but we left late. Nate and Johnny’s hosts kept us waiting because their two vehicles wouldn’t start. So while we waited for them the rest of us played Frisbee.

We left Westport at around 10. The drive was pretty uneventful. Nate pretty much read an entire book, we all listened to some Vinyl Café podcasts and some comedy.

We arrived in Sudbury at around 4 and we set up for the show.

The show went well, but we are all tired.

We have a big driving day tomorrow. So please pray for us. We will be driving from Sudbury to Thunder Bay.

Highlights:
1 – Getting closer to home.
2 – Listening to the Vinyl Café.

Quotes:
I eat it some of it, most of it, but not all of it. - Justin

That's it for now...

Day 14 - Day Off in Ottawa, ON

It was a much needed and wonderful day off!

We began the day at the usual-ish time. We met at approximately 9:30 and headed for Ottawa minus the u-haul! We were able to leave the trailer in the parking lot of the church where we played on May 4th.

I drove today, which meant that I was not able to do my usual morning prayer myself, so I asked whether the others would be up for doing it out loud. Everyone was okay with this and so Nate took us through the office. I quite enjoyed this. There is something nice about hearing the office read aloud and Nate did a great job.

Once in Ottawa, I met my former cello professor (who now teaches at the UofOttawa) for lunch, while Johnny met up with his sister and the rest of the band went for lunch and then a tour of the Parliament buildings.

At around 3:00 Eric, Nate and I went to the war museum, while Megan, Justin and Brad went shopping (Johnny was still with his sister). We had a great supper at a small restaurant called “The Rotten Tomato” or something like that. It was really, really good.
And then we found our way back to our SUV and headed back to Westport.

Ottawa was the farthest east that we will be going on this tour, and so we have now officially begun heading back home! The next few days will be long driving days with two more shows squeezed in!

We all had a great time together today and I am looking forward to being back in my own bed. But I am also feeling sad that the tour is coming to a close. For the first few days of the tour I kept asking myself “What I am doing here?” Now I have a much better sense of my place with the group and the ways we interact, and I have surprised myself with how much I have enjoyed the trip. It is a good group and it will be good to end the trip, it shouldn’t be any longer, but a trip exactly like this will never happen again. There will be other trips and other tours, but this has been a unique experience. Thanks be to God.

Highlights:
1 – Rest and relaxations.
2 – No packing of the U-Haul – YEAH!
3 – A great Supper together.
4 – The War Museum and Parliament Buildings

Quotes:
She wasn’t gonna go, then I told her she’s gotta go, now she’s gonna go. – Johnny

That's it for now...

Pictures from Day 10 mini Golf!

I have been promising these pictures for awhile, so here are some highlights in picture format:

Day 13 - Westport, ON - May 4th

Today was our last two-gig day of the tour - Phew.

We all arrived at the first show very early. We were playing for a Baptist Church during their regular Sunday morning service. This was probably the most challenging show because there were very specific instructions and places for the band to play, including parts of communion.

I haven’t been to many communion services at non-Anglican services and this was an interesting experience for me. I am looking forward to being back in an Anglican service, but it was really nice to take communion.

I felt that the band adjusted quite well to the demands placed on them, although it was difficult for them to communicate with each other in the middle of the pieces.

We packed up fairly quickly and then went for lunch at a local pizza place. After this we headed out to Westport for an evening show. This marks the first time we are heading back west and are finally pointed towards home!

The drive went very quickly. Justin and I sat in the third row of seats and chatted about his family and life at Providence. It was a great conversation and I just keep learning more and more about the institution I have recently joined as a faculty member. This is all really helpful for me and gives me a great sense of the needs and opinions of the students.

Megan and Justin discovered an interesting connection today. Megan had been speaking with her dad the previous night. Her dad had been traveling in BC and decided to go to a Provience College Singers concert in Abbotsford, BC. The Singers are currently on a Tour in western Canada. Megan’s dad arrived at the show a little early and began talking to a lady who was sitting near him. She then asked him if the band that Megan was in also had a member whose last name was “Neufeld.” Turns out, this lady was Justin’s Grandma! So Megan’s Dad, who lives in rural Manitoba and Justin’s Grandmother, who lives in Abbotsford, BC met at a Providence College Singers concert in BC! The Mennonite and Providence College world can be so small at times!

The other interesting connection is that we are meeting people who know Tim Perry, another faculty member at Providence. There is a family living in Westport who used to live in the same place tat Tim used to live. So Tim, if you are reading this, they say “Hi”. (I’ll give you their names when I return to Prov!)



By the evening voices and people were pretty tired. The band decided to do the lighter pieces mostly for Eric’s voice. Megan still isn’t able to sing. The show went well and the audience asked the band to play longer. They played two more pieces and then everyone was completely exhausted. All in all it was an exhausting day and everyone is happy for the day off tomorrow!

We are all being billeted at wonderful homes, where we will all be for two nights!

Highlights:
1 – Lunch at the pizza place
2 – Wonderful relaxing places to stay

That’s it for now…

Day 12 - Ottawa, ON

Today we are in Ottawa. This is pretty much as far East as we will be going.

We only have a week left to go, and only four more shows. Two tomorrow, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday.
And around those shows there is a whole lot of driving!

I don't have a lot to say about today. We had a wonderful brunch at the Church in Scarbourough, where we were hosted. And then we got into the SUV a drove. During the drive today those of us in the back two rows of seats watched Spinal Tap. I had never seen it before and it was fitting mockumetory for the tour (because it is about an English band "Spinal Tap" on tour in the USA). Justin and Johnny have been quoting parts of it all the time, and I decided that I should just watch it! It was funny and it sure made the time fly.

We arrived two hours early and so the guys played frisbee in the park, next to the church, while Megan chatted on her cell phone and I walked around and then returned to the SUV and read for a bit.

The church gave us a nice supper of chicken, potato wedges and salad with ice cream for dessert - yum!
We had some great conversations around the supper table today. We talked about gender roles and relationship issues. It was really interesting and funny at times. But it was also honest and I think we all learnt a lot from the conversation.

After Supper, we set up our stuff in the church and then were brought to our hosts houses.

It was a fairly relaxing day and I was happy to have a nice and relaxing evening.

Highlights:
1 - A Great Brunch
2 - Watching Spinal Tap
3 - Having a slow and relaxing evening

That's it for now...

Day 11 – Scarbourough, Ontario – May 2

Rain, rain and more rain.

Today, I think the rain just about sums it all up. After the high from the concert yesterday and the beautiful (although slightly chilly) weather that we have been having, we were all it a bit of a giddy slump. There was tons of laughter today, but also times of exhaustion.

We took our time today driving from Roblin back to Toronto. We sat at a Tim Horton’s for an hour or so before we started driving.

We’ve been taking quiet times in the SUV these days. We normally take about 30 minutes. I have enjoyed this space, even though we are seven in a small space, it gives us all some breathing room.

I have taken advantage of this time to do an Anglican Morning Prayer office. I often look forward to the three readings (Old Testament, New Testament and Gospel) and the familiarity of the Anglican Liturgy. We have not yet played at an Anglican church, and I know that we won’t be! Yet even without the Anglican liturgy, I have still been blessed by the worship that Aslan’s Child has led. There are so many different angles and sides of the Christian tradition and I am reminded of this daily.

For some reason I have had the following part of the Anglican Eucharistic Liturgy in my head all day:

Glory to God,
whose power working in us
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to Him from generation to generation,
in the church, and in Christ Jesus,
forevermore,
Amen.

I have always loved the line “whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.” The idea that we cannot even conceive of the power of Christ, or the result of Christ within us, blows my mind. It is awesome, scary, exciting, mind boggling and comforting, all mixed together! Thanks be to God!

At lunch we met up with some past Providence students and went for lunch with them at Cora’s. It was fun and the food was excellent! After that we sat in SUV with our laptops trying to take advantage of a wireless signal that was not very reliable. We then stopped at a Long and McQuades where we all tried out different amps and instruments. I even tried an “electric cello” with Justin helping me to work the bass amp. It was fun.

This evening the band played during the opening evening of a weekend workshop. There was a local worship band that opened for them, and then they played before and after a speaker who spoke for approximately thirty minutes. The band (our band – Aslan’s child) finished the evening off with the song “Jesus Paid it All”. It was really appropriate and quite moving.

It really was a great evening and I really enjoyed the speaker. He spoke about Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the things we can learn from her and try to emulate. It is a weekend for youth, but people of all ages were there.

The band played well tonight, even though they felt a little off. Their performances are really quite polished and even when things go slightly wrong they are calm and able to cover so smoothly. Both Eric and Megan are feeling the toll on their voices after 12 shows in 11 days! But they are both handling it well, with the support of the band. Thankfully, tomorrow we only have to drive (there is no show…phew).

Highlights:
1 – A nice leisurely morning
2 – Stopping at Long and McQuades
3 – The speaker tonight and his message
4 – Good, hearty laughter

That’s it for now…

The Oat Show - Video from the "Road"

As I mentioned in a previous post, Johnny and Justin have been creating episodes of a show they call "ESPN 8, The Oat Show." These are quite funny. I have a really good internet connection and a bit of time at the moment, so I have decided to post a few more of these for your enjoyment!

That's it for now...

Day 10 - Roblin, ON - MAY 1

We had a wonderful day today even though, or maybe because we had a late and complicated start.
It all started with me, because my hosts needed to leave early and so I was dropped off at 8:30am at the house where Nate, Johnny, Justin and Eric were staying. I had already eaten and so I knit while the guys ate pancakes and sausages. It looked really good and so I snuck a few sausages!

Once the guys were well-fed we loaded our suitcases and headed for the church to pack the U-Haul. Once the U-Haul was packed we drove to where Megan was staying and picked her up. Finally, we got lost on our way to Brad’s house in Stouffville, but we were only a few blocks away and finally found our way to his home!

After this we had a few hours to kill and so we played 37 holes of mini-golf. It was really fun with MANY holes-in-one. It took a long time, we played from 11:30 to 3:00. I will post pictures, once I get them from Johnny and Justin.

The show went really, really well today. It was probably the best one yet. There were approximately 120 youth there. The band didn't want to stop playing and so they jammed a bit at the end. There was great energy all around.

Highlights:
1 - Mini-golf in Stouffville
2 - The show tonight.

Pictures from the show:



That's it for now...

Day 9 - Bradford, ON - April 30

So, today has been another two-gig day. Phew.

We are all getting pretty tired, but way more efficient. The U-haul gets loaded very quickly these days.

The first gig in the morning was at a school in Lindsay. It was a bit of a rush to get set up partly because I think we were slow after our day off.

At around 11:30 the band began playing for the kids who were from kindergarten to grade 8. Eric did a great job getting the students to clap and stamp the beat, and they really seemed to enjoy it!

We had a nice lunch provided by the school and then after loading up the van we made our way back to Bradford. (We are staying in Bradford for two nights! All except Brad, who stayed at home with his parents!)

In the afternoon we had some free time at Bradford Baptist Church before we started setting up. So I spent a lot of time loading pictures to this blog and checking my email, while the guys played a form of hockey with the tiny hockey sticks they got from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The church provided a wonderful supper of tacos and banana bread and tarts for dessert! It was really good and it really was no surprise that Justin, or Chief, went back for fourths!

The worship service this evening was very good. A good number of youth were there and they band was able to rock!

Highlights:
1 – Watching the students in kindergarten swinging their legs and stamping to the beat!
2 – The guys really enjoyed playing miniature hockey.
3 – Tacos and Banana Bread.

Quotes:
I have a practical question, are we playing Stonehenge tomorrow? – Justin, in an English Accent (Quoting from Spinal tap)

That's it for now...