Days 8 & 9: Performance at Barriere and drive to Hinton
We all woke up at Eagle Bay Bible Camp recharged and ready to go. The staff graciously served us breakfast and then the kids had a little bit of time to play. We left just after lunch, which were noodles and vegetables prepared by Thawin. We then hopped on the bus where we kept the kids occupied by watching A Bug's Life and Shrek. We then arrived at Christian Life Assembly in Barriere, where we got to unpacking.
The set-up for our performance was a little more challenging, as the auditorium layout was much different than the other churches we went to. Our initial setup had to be taken down when re realized our displays were completely blocking the video screens. We also had the added challenge of finding places to store all of our stuff, as we would be spending the night at the church. We managed to clear these hurdles, and then the church staff served us cheeseburgers and hot dogs.
Before the performance started, I realized that the tablet and Square device needed for debit/credit payments was nowhere to be found. We looked through all the boxes and did a sweep through the bus, but could not find them, meaning that our marketplace would be cash only for the night. The tablet and Square device were found the next day on the bus, inside one of the upper compartments, buried under random items.
The performance was our smallest so far, which is not a bad thing: a small audience can give just as, if not more, generously than a large one. The stage was not used for the dances, meaning the kids were on level with the seated audience. This led to several moments where people needed to stand to get a better look, which added to the performance.
Once the attendees departed, we brought out our sleeping bags and pillows. The church did us a huge favour by providing foam mattresses and blow-up mats, adding a better level of comfort for the team. I slept on a couch, but before I did so, one of the kids hijacked my sleeping bag and pillow for themself. I laughed it off and grabbed another set. By 10:00, the entire church was quiet as the team slept. The next morning, two of the church staff arrived to serve us breakfast: pancakes, sausage and bacon. We then bid them farewell with our usual song, plus a new one Thawin spontaneously led.
This would be our longest travel day so far, as we would be on the road for the majority of the day. After watching The Incredibles, we stopped for lunch at a rest area. We had a picnic where we ate many of the snacks from the bus, including gummy-bears, which I was unaware was a favourite for the kids. The kids quickly became sleepy after eating, so we rushed them back onto the bus.
After finishing The Incredibles, we put on its sequel. After playing on my Switch 2 for a few minutes, I quickly attracted an audience of kids. I decided to, for the first time on this tour, let the kids play. Just like the last tours, the kids piled around me while holding the controllers, eager to play. In a funny enforcement of gender stereotypes, the boys played much better than the girls. Nobody was a sore loser and everyone enjoyed themselves, making me happy that I could provide enjoyment for the kids.
We then stopped by Athabasca falls, where we went for a walk around the waters. When we arrived at an area that was across a cliff side, we were surprised to see a group of men dangerously close to the edge. It turned out it was a group of daredevil influencers, who were filming their newest stunt. Sure enough, three of the men did backflips off the cliff into the water far below. I did not video this, for at the time I was nervous that someone was seriously going to get hurt. The rest of the walk was peaceful (by comparison), with the adults taking many photos for memories.
We then took the team to the Jasper leisure center where we would go swimming. For this tour, we have decided to not take any chances as we had all the kids wear life jackets, regardless of their swimming ability. All of the kids rotated between the slide, the kiddie pool, the diving board, the hanging monkey bars, and the hot tub, with nobody staying at one location for long. The diving board provided the most humorous moments, as both the kids and adults tried various maneuvers to varying degrees of success.
After our time at the pool, we made the drive to Hinton Alliance Church. By the time of our arrival, it was well past 9:00 and the kids were very tired. We had a late snack of noodles before the boys stayed to sleep at the church while the girls went to sleep at a house.
The next blog post will cover our time at Hinton. See you there!
God bless,
Adam Sylvester
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