There are multiple ways to Santiago originating from France, Portugal, and Spain. The Camino Portugués Costa is just one of the four Portuguese routes. When we first started hearing about spending month 11 walking the Camino in Portugal, I knew right away I wanted to hike along the coast. I’ve always had a thing for the ocean, and the idea of walking along the beach and through small fishing towns got me excited. I didn’t have a plan or a hiking buddy until the end of month 9 in Ethiopia when Kelly and I decided to partner up for this final journey on the World Race. She was also leaning toward walking the coastal route and wanted to do the Camino on a mission- reaching out to those we meet along the way to show them THE WAY. Most of the others on our squad chose the central route because of the beautiful old cities they would pass through. We also heard some concerns that because the coastal route is less popular, there is less infrastructure for pilgrims. That means not as many options for places to stay, restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. Kelly and I are have our own unique personalities but we’ve come to the same conclusion on the following… It’s always best to take the road less traveled. Having less means relying on God more. His presence is felt more intensely when spending time surrounded by His creation. It’s for these reasons we decided to stick primarily to the coastal route with a three day detour into the mountains once we reach Spain.
We set out on Thursday with optimism in our hearts and sunshine in the sky. We walked out of the city and followed the river to the ocean. Seeing those waves crash against the sand made my heart flutter with excitement. This was exactly what I had been hoping for. The first few days of walking were hard. Our bodies took a beating, but our minds were strong. We made some friends along the way and we’re able to share about Jesus and pray for some of them. As I said before, we knew we may have less resources on this route, but I didn’t realize how much we’d have to rely on the Lord to provide for us. Prayer has been so so vital on this race and especially on the Camino. We start each day with prayer as we begin to walk and frequently ask for anything and everything throughout the day. We lose momentum and stop for a quick break- say a prayer. Somebody’s joints are aching- say a prayer. My head hurts because I haven’t had my coffee- say a prayer. Haven’t talked to any other humans yet today but want to be a LIGHT- say a prayer. We’ve run out of water and need to fill our bottles- say a prayer. Now after that water we need to find a bathroom in the city or a tree in the woods- say a prayer. No grocery stores for miles and we’re out of food- say a prayer. Nothings open on Sunday but we need something to make for dinner- say a prayer. We’re concerned the Alburgue won’t have any beds available- say a prayer. Afraid we won’t make it there before dark- say a prayer. Guess what! He’s come through time and time again. Literally everything we’ve ask for has been made available to us. We’ve never been turned away. We’ve only received kindness and hospitality from complete strangers. There was even a man who pulled his car over on the other side of the road to yell across to us in Portugués that we were going the long way to get across the river. After a few minutes of trying to figure out what he was saying, we discovered that there was an alternative and better route to the bridge. Another time we had to use the bathroom and were walking cobblestone streets of a small village. We stopped at a hair salon- the only place we’d seen open for a while- and the owner gladly offered us her “water closet”. We’ve filled our water bottles at countless restaurants where we haven’t purchased a thing.
One of my favorite stories is from day 3. The night before we were not able to find a grocery store and didn’t have access to a kitchen. We started out day 3 finishing off our snack supply and saying a prayer that we’d find a grocery store open in a nearby town. The first few hours we were unsuccessful, but as we approached the village of Fão, we prayed again with hearts full of hope and bellies grumbling. As we got close to the town center, we discovered the cutest little farmer’s market with fruit and veggies galore. We stocked up on apples and oranges. I even bought some locally made sausage from a kind lady who threw in an extra link with a wink and a smile. We also wanted bananas, but the ones they had to offer were all green. The next stop was a mini market down the street where we found a perfect bunch of bananas to supply all of our potassium needs.
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 4:6-7 TPT
Guys, the Lord has been so good and faithful to provide for us. Experiencing His love and creation has been an absolute joy. Please pray for Kelly and I as we continue on the Camino. We will be in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the end of the Camino, on November 14th. We then have our final debrief before flying out November 22nd. Keep following along! I’ll see y’all soon!!
