Google is amazing. Seriously. I think it’s incredible that you can find out the answer to pretty much ANYTHING just by googling it. If you’re Canadian, you probably remember the caramilk chocolate bar ads that asked us, “How do you get the caramel in the Caramilk bar?” Well … it was a great ad campaign, however … everybody knows that you can just google it to find the answer now!
A few months ago during our tour, we were driving through Montreal .. and came upon a tunnel. As soon as we saw it, Aimee asked me this question; “What’s the process behind building a tunnel that goes underwater?”. It was a great question .. and I didn’t really know the answer, but I DID know where you could find the answer. So my response was easy … “Just google it”. Well .. that was the end of our discussion. I didn’t know what else to say after that – but at least I pointed her in the right direction.
I started thinking about that “discussion” a few hours later. And I wondered .. what did we do before google? The truth is .. we were probably a lot more relational. We used to have to discuss stuff like that. You know .. if one person didn’t know the answer, then you could ask someone else .. and if they didn’t know, then you would ask another person. And even if you didn’t end up with the right answer in the end, at least you’ve interacted with another human being.
That doesn’t mean I don’t still use google – I think it’s a great resource. I just wonder if it’s taken some of the joy of being able to work through a process with other people. Instead we’re getting a quick answer .. but missing out on the gift of being relational.
I think we treat God like google sometimes. Many of us (if not all of us) have had tough seasons – I know I have. We ask God questions like, “Why am I going through this?”, “Why did this have to happen to me?”, “Why did You allow this to happen?”, etc. And I think for a lot of us .. we want (& sometimes expect) to get an answer right away. But the thing is .. with God, we don’t always get an answer right away. Sometimes we have to wait a REALLY long time. But the amazing thing about God is that I believe as we’re crying out to Him, He’s saying, “I may not give you the answers right now .. but let’s be relational. Let me walk through this trial with you. Let me be your shelter, your strength, your comforter, your refuge, during this time. Let me be your hiding place.”
God longs for His children to cry out to Him. And in a world where quick answers are easy to come by – He’s waiting to just BE with us .. answers or not.
The tour is officially done! Wow..it’s hard to really put into words everything that I’m feeling. On one hand, sad that it’s done .. but on the other hand, grateful for EVERY experience we had.
This tour has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. It surpassed our expectations in many ways. We’re filled with gratitude for all that God did .. and all that He allowed us to do.
It’s hard to know where to start. So here’s a little breakdown of some of the numbers:
16,000 kms
5,000 people
4 months
8 provinces
58 cities/towns
66 Churches
… and about 95 bowls of cereal (per person)
We started the tour in March – not really knowing what we were getting into. But one thing was true time and time again … that through all the ups and downs, God was faithful EVERY step of the way. When we got stuck in the pavement and had to get towed, God made a way. When our motorhome broke down (a few times) on the side of the road, God made a way. When Mackenzie had to go to the hospital with an ear infection, or when I had laryngitus on one of our busiest weekends, God made a way!
We were blessed by so many things on this tour; the people, the pastors, the churches, the unity, the diversity, the hospitality, the scenery, the mountains, the rural communities, the big cities, the campgrounds, the radio interviews, the volunteers, …. etc. etc. etc. … I think I could go on for a while!
I’m thankful for …
- my amazing parents who gave up 4 months to go on this crazy adventure. They are incredible people!
- every church who opened their doors to us. We don’t take that lightly! Thank you, pastors!
- every person we met, and every person we got to worship with (all 5000 of you)! You guys are amazing.
- the support of our home church. Aimee and I are so blessed!
- Christian radio. You guys are a HUGE part of this! Thanks for your support!
And last but certainly not least, thank YOU for being a part of this journey. Our heart is to serve and to see people connect with their Heavenly Father. I’m more passionate about that than I am about music. Music just happens to be the tool that God has given Aimee and I to use. We feel privileged to be able to serve in that way. And we’re excited to see what God has in store for this next season. Thank you again!
If you’ve been following our blog at all, then you probably already know that we’ve partnered with an organization called “Food For The Hungry“. Aimee and I LOVE what they’re doing .. and we felt an immediate connection with their heart and vision to serve the needy. We’re involved in a program called “Poverty Revolution“. It’s an online community with a mission to make a HUGE difference in the world. People can interact specifically with the community (or communities) that they’re focusing on.
Last week, while we were in Saskatoon, we got to see FH Canada’s IMED (International Medical Equipment Distribution) warehouse. It was amazing to see! And overwhelming just looking at all the equipment getting ready to be sent somewhere in the world. It’s always eye opening going to a place like this .. and to see the work that’s involved in running a program like this. It’s not easy work .. but lives are being changed! It was inspiring. Thanks, Jody, for the tour – and for all you and your team are doing!
The community we’ve partnered with is Nebaj, Guatemala. There are tonnes of ways you can get involved. If you’re interested in joining our team, we’d LOVE that! Go to www.fhcanada.org/seandayton for more information.
Check out some pics from our time at the IMED warehouse:
A few weeks ago we had the privilege of hanging out with Ryan Dahl from PraiseCharts and his awesome family (and a really cool friend of the family!). Ryan is doing some amazing things over at www.praisecharts.com – stay tuned for some incredible updates/resources.
We met Ryan and his family for the first time that night – but connected right away! Mackenzie had a blast with their kids too. While we were there, Ryan got us to play “Hear The Sound”. He captured it on his iPhone. It was especially cool for me cause it was the first (full) song I played with my new Duncan Africa guitar.
“Hear The Sound” is our latest single on Christian radio (in Canada). Feel free to call your local station to request it – that would really help!!
We’re officially down to our final 10 events. We had our last concert in British Columbia last night – and now we’re hanging in and around Calgary over the next few days. I can’t believe our time in British Columbia is done! Just like the rest of our trip, the time flew by for us. Our last concert is in exactly two weeks .. in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. We’ve got a busy couple of weeks – but I’m grateful that God has given us the strength/endurance to finish well.
One of the many highlights for us is getting to see this beautiful country! I’ll leave you with a Top 10 List (according to Destination Canada) of places you should try to visit at some point. We’ve had the opportunity of seeing many of these places, and I would have to agree with a lot of these (I would also add some to this list)!!
1. The Canadian Rockies
2. Niagara Falls
3. Pacific Rim National Park
4. Cabot Trail (Nova Scotia)
5. Baffin Island (Oikiqtaaluk)
6. Vancouver/Victoria
7. The Prairies
8. The Rocky Mountaineer
9. Old Québec City
10. Bay of Fundy
There you have it! We live in a magnificient country! Check out www.destinationcanada.info … and start planning your cross Canada tour!
Well .. we’ve officially driven the length of the country!!
It’s hard to believe, actually. It’s crazy to think that we’re starting to make our way home. This whole trip has been way more amazing than we could’ve imagined. And we’re so thankful for each opportunity we’ve been given to do this. We’ve got a few weeks left, and we’re excited to finish strong.
We’re in Chilliwack, BC right now – and making our way to Creston for our next concert. We had a really great time on Vancouver Island. Met some amazing people and saw some beautiful places. If you ever get a chance, go to Butchart Gardens in Victoria. It’s remarkable – really! .. it’s just amazing – and I’m not a big flower guy! It felt like we were in the garden of Eden. Seriously!
Well .. my time’s running out at Starbucks (free wifi!). So I’ll leave you with a few pics of the island -including Butchart Gardens. Thanks for following along and being a part of this journey. Enjoy the pics!
Last Friday, while we were in Langley, I had a chance to try some Duncan Africa guitars. I’d been looking for a guitar for awhile – and had heard about Duncan Africa through my friends at Food For The Hungry. As soon as I heard about these guitars, I knew that’s what I wanted. It’s more than just a guitar. Here’s a bit of background behind them (I copied it from their website) .. check it out:
If there’s one thing we’re passionate about, it’s the eradication of poverty.
We are going into the village of Mpigi, Uganda for eight years. We’ll teach guitar-making and a host of other subjects. Fifty young people will graduate, form their own company and export to developed nations.
They will become agents of change in their village. Foreign aid will no longer be needed because their hard work, diligence and dedication to serving others will transform the community.
We are simply a spark to ignite the process.
J.A. Duncan
Founder & Luthier
I can’t even begin to express how excited I was to hear about this. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the heart/vision behind what they’re doing. And not only is it an amazing vision .. I tried their guitars, and I was blown away by every aspect of it; the tone, feel, playability, look, action. It’s a top quality guitar, made with pride and hard work. I bought one the same day I tried it .. and it’s officially my #1 guitar now.
If you’re a guitar player – I would highly recommend Duncan Africa to you. (Disclaimer: I’m gonna get technical for a second – sorry non-guitarists out there) I bought a Jubilee (dreadnought shape) with Mugavu back & sides. Mugavu is a wood that comes right from Africa .. and has a really warm tone (similar to mahogany). The electronics, which were already installed in this guitar, came with an LR Baggs iMix. The guitar truly sang when I plugged it in – and I loved the option of mixing the mic and bridge pickups.
The next day, Aimee and I had a chance to hang out with Brian and Joyce Doerksen for a bit. And I found out that Brian purchased a Duncan Africa guitar that same day. He’s been playing these guitars for a while – and also has great things to say about them. Here’s a pic of us and our new Duncans (Brian bought the Selah model).
I can’t say enough about these guitars (and I’m not getting paid to say this – I’m just that excited!). If you wanna know more, check out www.duncanafrica.com
Wow .. June 1st. It’s hard to believe we’ve been touring for 3 months. It feels like we just started .. and yet, so much has happened in that time! We’re in Langley, British Columbia right now – and getting ready to head over to Vancouver Island tomorrow morning.
The concerts out here have been going really well so far. We’ve met some great people and also connected with some old and new friends since we’ve been out here. Not only are the people great, but the scenery is too. I was amazed at how green it was when we got here .. but then I quickly understood why (I think we’re going on 5 days straight of rain!).
Last week was amazing. We had the chance to hang out in Jasper for a few days (we were on our way from Edmonton to Summerland, BC). I can’t even begin to describe it’s beauty. We were surrounded by mountains. Pictures don’t really do it justice – however, I had to at least give you a little taste.
It’s hard not to be in awe when you see something like this. It really is breathtaking. I remember waking up in the morning – almost forgetting where we were, and then getting blown away by the beauty all around us.
One of the things we’ve been talking about in our concerts is that worship shouldn’t feel like work. It should be a natural response. A natural response to who God is – His character, His love for us, His incredible mercy, His forgiveness, His holiness, His righteousness. His friendship, …. (and the list goes on!). As He reveals Himself to us (and as we seek Him – Jer. 29:13), we can’t help but respond to all that He is.
Even though we won’t always wake up in the Rocky Mountains, I wanna wake up every morning getting blown away by God’s beauty and His amazing love for me. It’s a great place to be!
My parents are celebrating 38 years today! Wow! They are amazing. God has done so much in their lives .. and they are such a great example to Aimee and I (and to so many other people). Not only that, they are awesome parents .. and their selflessness blows me away. Most of you know that they’ve been on the road with us. I joke sometimes that my parents took time away from retirement to travel with us. But honestly, we wouldn’t be able to do this without them. They have been incredible! Thank you, mom and dad, for your love for each other and your love for your kids. I pray that God gives you many more years of awesomeness together!!
Google is amazing. Seriously. I think it’s incredible that you can find out the answer to pretty much ANYTHING just by googling it. If you’re Canadian, you probably remember the caramilk chocolate bar ads that asked us, “How do you get the caramel in the Caramilk bar?” Well … it was a great ad campaign, however … everybody knows that you can just google it to find the answer now!
