Best Billets

So a big part of the tour experience is the billets - the people who graciously take us into their homes for a night. Most of them are pretty wonderful simply because of the fact that they host us. Of course, there are some less than ideal experiences (like when my pajamas still smelled like their dank musty basement the next day, or the offer of macaroni-and-cheese-ham and frozen juice concetrate), but there were also some outstanding ones. Here are the people who topped the charts for me:

Danielle and John in Fergus, ON We spent our day off in this area and so we stayed with them for two nights, which automatically gives us more of a chance to get to know them and makes them all the more amazing for hosting us. They were a young couple around my age, with one cute baby and another on the way. It was neat to see how their family worked, and we had some really good conversations with them. On the first night we sat outside talking for a couple of hours in front of a bonfire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. Danielle was kind of quiet, but sweet and practical. John was a big teaser, but also such a good listener. They asked us really good get-to-know-you questions, and I was really impressed with how they responded to some of the the things that my billet-mate shared (she was braver than I was). They weren't scared by the mention of depression, and they weren't afraid to ask more about it. They gave advice where appropriate and made listening noises where appropriate. And if I hadn't said anything for a while, they pointedly asked what I thought to make sure I was included in the converation, and I really appreciated that. It would be really neat to live nearer to them and remain part of their lives.

Sherilyn and Steve in St. Croix Falls, WI I was chosen to stay with this couple, the aunt and uncle of a choir friend, and that esteem was already a blessing. We got to their house late and we were really tired but we just couldn't stop talking with them to go to bed. They were so gracious. Steve had been disabled by an accident a few years before, and though I didn't ask the details I could imagine the difficult path they have had to walk. They've been part of tours like ours before and so they understood what the experience was like and I appreciated our conversation about that. I really loved the way they provided for my billet-mate. She was allergic to yeast, and not only were they able to give her a wrap instead of a sandwich for lunch, but they also gave her the whole package of tortillas for future days because she had run out of her stock. They stayed up late to do our laundry for us. And then in the morning they cooked us super scrambled eggs for breakfast, even though it was really early. They were so wonderful, and I felt so blessed.