Marcel from Quebec, Canada. I spent the first two nights with Marcel. His daughter gave him her old iphone so he could e-mail and send pictures to his family but he had no idea how to use the phone. We spent some time going over the basics, just like people have done for me!
Marcel and another pilgrim ended up hiking 20km extra on day 3 because they went off the trail. He was in good spirits afterwards but 35 km is a lot in the beginning, with no training!
Peter from Germany hiked 4 years ago and knew he would come back in 4 years – called to more but doesn’t know what more is – I feel he is open to hearing more about Jesus along the way.
Dave and Sue from Baltimore (Canton,) they are avid hikers and have been out in Montana enjoying day and week long hikes all summer.
Tracy from the UK, joined me for the last bit of my break yesterday and then we hiked together for a few hours. Her dad had spent a week on El Camino two weeks ago and went home and told her he thought she would love it. Tracy has a little boy, 3 year old Thomas. Tracy and Thomas’ father are no longer together. Tracy said “Tina, if there are 99 great guys, I always seem to pick the 1 bad one.” I asked her why she thought that was and she said she is trying to figure that out. Her Dad was a great father and fantastic grandfather. Her Dad is a devout Catholic. Tracy is not a religious person. Please be praying that this week out on El Camino, Tracy will encounter Jesus in a new and special way, also that she will have better discernment with men.
John and Mary from Fairfax, VA. I had just descended a steep mountain for 30 minutes and saw a fallen log that was the perfect place to stop. I sat down and started to eat some French bread – which I knew I would be eating a lot of but I don’t particularly enjoy- and as I was eating the bread I was asking Jesus to help me enjoy what I have. 2 minutes later, John and Mary came and asked if they could share some of the log. They are slack packing, (what it was called along the Appalachian Trail) they pay a service to transport their bags from town to town and they carry a small bag or fanny pack with supplies for the day. Mary pulled out a big bag of trail mix and asked me if I wanted some. I started laughing and told her I had to eat the bread but then I would love some trail mix. I told them they were an answer to the prayer I had just prayed! I was thankful for the French bread – actually that was free because someone was going to throw it away at breakfast and I asked them if I could have it for lunch. But after just having thanked Jesus for it and asking Him to help me like it, He also gave me a sweet treat!
Soonha from Korea, needs prayer for her knees and her job situation. She was a computer game designer but became restless with the work she was doing. She is 34 and wanted to change careers but in Korea because she is not just out of University, it has been hard to change. Her father has wanted to hike El Camino for years but still has a few years until retirement, so her mother told Soonha she should come and figure things out here.
Owen and Charles Owen, from Ireland. It was Charles Owen’s 66th birthday and he his 16th grandchild was born, a boy yesterday! Owen and Charles Owen came with two friends to celebrate life. They have been talking about doing El Camino for 3 years. 10 years ago, Charles Owen had a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney and 10 months later was diagnosed with carcinoma and given 12 months to live.
Jessica, from Washington State. After a near fatal bicycle accident, Jessica began planning to hike El Camino. Her goal of being strong enough to hike was incredibly motivating during her rehabilitation. She is not the fastest hiker and does not want to be! She is enjoying the views, the steps, the people, etc. We talked a bit about our families and we have similar histories of dysfunction and brokenness. Her parents have recently passed on and she and some of her cousins have been connecting.
I have some pictures but the internet is not strong enough to post them on this blog. Please check out my facebook for photos.
Love reading your updates Tina! Yes! Thanks for taking us along for the hike! Continue praying God’s hand on those you encounter along the way!
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I have been reading your blogs, praying your requests, and am blessed to “travel” with you and Jesus. Thank you for sharing with us all! What a special trip!
Praying for conversations! And our God has provided many. I am amazed and thankful that so far away from home you encounter folks from USA! PTL GOD is good all the time!
Thanks for the post, really makes me feel a part of your journey.
Thank you for all these wonderful posts, Tina. Chuck and I just returned from hiking Tuscany and the Cinque Terre trail. I know what you mean by elevation! It is hard hiking straight up, but feels so great when you reach the top! We too met people in our travels and we were blessed by them and hope we blessed them in return. Praising God with you for all the ways He is providing for you and using you to share The Way. BTW, have you read Pilgrim’s Progress?