Just came back yesterday from my brother's wedding (congratulations, Mark and Amy) up in the town of Petawawa, Ontario. Got to add another 600-plus mile trip to my August driving total. Had a nice weekend, acquired a sister-in-law, and enjoyed a good amount of beer, which went down very nicely with some rather warm weather. Petawawa was not at all what I expected. I thought it was a tiny little hick town up in the middle of nowhere, but combined with the town just next to it, Pembroke, there was a combined population of 30,000 people.

I also did not expect the scenery. It was just beautiful. There is a lot of hills up in that area of Ontario, and lots of little lakes. Some of the views on the drive up as well as where the wedding reception was held were incredible. The photo here is taken from CFB Petawawa, where the reception was held. This is looking out over the Ottawa River to the L'Isle-aux-Allumettes and the mainland of Québec beyond that. That being said, this is still pretty far north, and not a place I'd want to be from November to April.

Weddings are an interesting time, especially when it comes to meeting new people. My grandfather, who was born in the Netherlands, had the opportunity to meet a Canadian soldier who was part of the group that liberated the Netherlands at the end of the second World War. They talked extensively about that, and because they also were both cabinetmakers by trade. I thought that was neat.

Being up north there and also looking across at Québec, made me realize the spiritual wasteland that so much of Canada is. Most notably in rural towns and cities, churches are in rapid decline and close down one by one as the older people who make up the vast majority of the congregations die off (a bit crass, I know, but true). There's so much potential for evangelical Christians to do work in these areas, either in church revitalization or in church planting. One positive factor to note for missional churches in these communities is how close-knit they are already. If you are looking for a place to further God's Kingdom, don't look past Canada, please! Our country needs so much help. It's a great place to live, there are so many good things about this place. But spiritually it is not healthy at all. That's my sales pitch, take it as you wish.

Being my brother's best man meant I got to make a great speech, and it was recorded so you can watch it below. Also above, a family photo with my brother and new sister-in-law. Enjoy.