Tour Day 3 – Kings Way UMC to Faith Southern Baptist

The last few years of tour have felt a little off.  In one way or another they weren’t fully “tour”.  Don’t get me wrong, they were amazing and great in their own right, but they just were quite what they used to be. 

How is it possible that we could still be talking about Covid? Remember the alternate space-time that I mentioned that New G exists in? Everything that happens is either spread out or condensed, and it is a lot like that with Covid.  There has been a gradual softening of the impact of Covid on New G over the last few years.

2021 – just a ten-day test tour to see if it was still viable

2022 – we had such difficulty landing performances and hotels that we literally camped several nights – IN TENTS (it was really intense).

2023 – A little closer to normal, but still not 100%

2024 – We had three churches cancel on us and at least one citing covid concerns. The most strenuous part of the tour was the lack of performances

But this year there is something a little sweeter.  A sound that on a mission trip full of teenagers should be ringing by the third day.

Complaining.

Ahh… Complaining my old friend.  The sound of a tour where we’re really getting the reps in and getting stuff done.  Where we must work hard and push ourselves past the point where it’s comfortable.  Day 3 (besides being the day that our stomachs are really starting to push back against all the fast food) is really the day where we have put in a significant amount of work making this thing happen and the singers are feeling it.  On a pre-covid tour this is exactly what you should expect.

And it’s back!

Today was the longest drive of tour also, which adds to fatigue in only the way six hours on a bus can.  The sponsors are constantly reminding the singers that sleeping on the bus just doesn’t do what a good night’s sleep does.  I think they’re starting to get the hint.  When we landed in Clay City we were once again greeted warmly and with great food from a church where we have now sung three times.

The performance was just awesome, and all the singers pushed through the fatigue and gave that church something special. My friend Jaylen said that she feels like we just haven’t stopped moving – nothing like last year.  Yep, you’re right Jaylen, and if we do it right, we’re going to roll into Missouri Theater riding the adrenaline high of two weeks of work, work, work. And you’ll never forget it.  And years from now you’ll long for just another day on the bus, sponsors yelling at you to get set up faster, bad service at the local Wendy’s, and knowing that what you are doing really means something.