The Great Camino
Current Update:
Over the last 7 days I have been in Spain, I have walked over 90+ miles on foot. My team and I have joined the pilgrimage- eat, sleep, and WALK.
To be honest, my body hurts. I feel like I have run a marathon day after day and I’m not recovering that fast. I remember starting this journey and having a little conversation with God asking him, “What do I take on this trip?” I heard him respond, “nothing..” Was it true? Was that really from God? Doubts started filling my head.
I ended up taking a day pack with me with my bible, a change of cloths and my laptop (in order to update you who are currently reading this). It is a simple life, but it has been difficult. Turns out this is all I need to survive. I decided to take this 24 day challenge to live uncomfortably and let God change me through the process. My hope is to be able to live thankful, joyful, and comfortable with only little. Let me say, I do miss my sleeping bag, memory foam pillow, and sleeping pad especially nights sleeping outside. However, God has provided tremendously already through it.
We were given a budget to stay within 200 euros ($240 USD) for the next 24 days. This money includes food, lodging, and transportation…tight budget right? Thats the way we do it here on the World Race! I accepted the challenge and realize how difficult it is, but it really is changing me. Even when I feel like I have nothing to give God continues to speak, “But I have more to give. Just rely on me.”
After the first day, I asked myself, “Why would anyone take nothing?” God showed me how I made that sacrifice not only to grow, but to help my team and others around me. On Day #3, Melanie (My teammate) was struggling with a hurt foot. I offered to take her pack and walk with her on the 12 mile trek that day. We ended up taking just under 6 hours, but we made it. I realized that with extra pressure on her foot from her pack, she may have been even more hurt than she was. Unfortunately, her foot is still hurting where she and Lila (Team leader) decided to bus forward on the Camino to meet us at a later spot. She got an X-Ray and the doctor said it was not broken, however, there is still pain and it may be a stress fracture. Please be praying for healing for Melanie’s foot and body along with all of us as we continue to hike the next 117 miles over the next 14 days.
On day #6 which it technically only day #5 of hiking because we had one travel day. We met a group of three girls on the road (Who I will talk more about later) They started walking with us, yet right at the beginning one of the girls Anna was struggling with her knee. It was hurting every step. I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me, “Take her pack.” I decided to take her pack and ended up carrying it all 20 miles along with my own. We arrived that day at 2:30pm. Let’s just say we had a full day of walking! I kept praying, “God please don’t lighten my load, but give me a stronger back to carry it.” I remembered this being shared with me years ago as it was a missionary who originally said this prayer. God showed up today and was very strong when I was weak. Please be praying specifically for Anna’s knee and body that she may be able to walk pain free.
Stories:
God has been at work through me personally in many peoples’ lives this trip! I’m so thankful to be used, especially because I was going into this month unexcited because I didn’t see the purpose God had for me. I pictured me walking by myself and feeling loneliness and like I’m waisting time.
The LORD blew up that perception on the train ride to Saint Jean, Spain- where we started the Camino (Day #0). I met a woman named Wendy who came all the way from Australia. She came to the Camino in search of answers of the purpose of life and what she is supposed to do. I started hearing what she believed and she started talking about the universe and how it was all working together. We ended up talking more about truth, and got to point her to Jesus. God totally took over the conversation and everything she said I pointed it to a verse in the Bible! She began to understand and started agreeing with me. She was attentive and listened to what I had to say- I got to share the simple Gospel with her. I told her how much she is loved and that God has had some big plans for her. I also told her, “I believe God wants to reveal himself to you on this Camino through the person of Jesus Christ.” God was at work. She continued to complement me and said, “You remind me of my nephew Drew.” I told her right then and there, “My name is Andrew, and that is God at work right there.” She was amazed! She got off the train and I am praying God will continue to interact with Wendy during this time that she is on the Camino. Would you pray with me for Wendy.
On day #1, starting the Camino at 6:00am. Starting our hike toward the Pyrenees Mountains, I remember asking God, “What do you have for me today? Would you use me on this Camino?” He showed me the purpose when I started walking with my friend Shay from Hong Kong. We started talking and ended up walking together for about 3 hours. We walked through the sunshine, the clouds, the rain, past the sheep cattle, and we just talked. I begin to ask him if he believed in God. He said “No”, like I would expect, however, he was open to hear more of my story on how God changed my life! I know God is taking Shay through his own journey so I’m praying that God will continue to bring people in Shay’s life to encourage and reveal more of Jesus to him. Please be praying with me for Shay. Later down the road we got separated. A couple days later I found him again at the same hostel! He was so excited and so was I. We invited him to have dinner with our team and to cook together. He made us Chinese chicken bites to try, and Tamara and I made spaghetti. We God to pray together for the food and for God to give us energy and strength for the rest of the Camino. That was probably the first time Shay has ever encountered a community who knows and loves the Lord. When we talked he said he wanted to come to see me in the United States one day, and I told him we would be in China in June. I have a feeling we will end up staying connected and meeting down the road!
I also met an amazing man named Spensor on Day #1 as well. We ended up checking into the same hostel at the same time and ended up having a conversation. He asked me if I had a budget and I told him, “yes, I’m trying to make it on 100 euros for the rest of the trip.” (This is because I spent a hundred on sending my pack forward and a train ticket.) He looked at me with shocked eyes! He said immediately, “Let me buy you a drink.” So we went together and sat down and talked. I got to hear more of his story and how he came form England and how some things happened to his family that were hard, yet if they didn’t happen he wouldn’t have been able to hike the Camino. He took such a positive outlook despite the challenges he faced and I got to encourage him saying something like, “God is going to use you to help others through difficult things.” I got to share why my team and I are here and the purpose of helping others and showing them more of Jesus! He was amazed and I got to show him the video I made of our month in Paris, France and instantly he said, “I want to follow you.” We ended up talking more and both felt so encouraged from each other.
Day #2 comes around. We ended up walking and we left at 6:00am like normal. I was walking slower, picking wild black berries on the way with Tamara and just enjoying the walk. Around 10:30am Spensor ended up catching up to us. Now this guy is a fast hiker! He left about an hour and 15 minutes after us and he still caught us with plenty of time left. Spensor came with a friend named Julia and Tamara and I decided to hike with them. We had some more great conversations and ended up finishing the hike together. Spensor generously bought us a cup of coffee and we I got to show him the passage of scripture in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 of how we can comfort those from the comfort we have received from God. We ended up praying over Julia and Spensor (and Spensor’s knee) before they continued to hike. The one thing that encouraged me the most was when we finished praying and Spensor said, “Wow, I feel blessed. Like I actually feel blessed.” I know that God is working in his heart and I’m blessed to have been able to meet him. When you have your coffee this morning, think of Spensor and Julia and pray for them as they are enduring the same hike, the same pain, and on the same journey to encounter the same God.
Day #3 we made it to Pamplona. We had been talking to some people we met along the ways (A guy named Nathan, two other girls who I can’t spell their names or I might horribly screw them up.) We talked for awhile and while we were on the road we came to a guy named Elliot. Elliot had a hurt knee and Tamara in her boldness and following the Holy Spirit went over and prayed for his knee. He looked up and said, “Wow that already feels better.” So cool to see this happen. We didn’t get to spend much time, but I saw Tamara give the glory to God and then he ended up continuing to walk. I remember Tamara saying, “I hope we see him again.” I remember responding, “You will. God’s hand is on him and he is bound to show up again.” Sure enough, the very next day, we find him and we start talking more about who Jesus is. I got to explain my story and encounters I have had with God. He said that he spent the night with another team the day before and they loved him so well and even paid for his meal. He was amazed and even said, “You guys are the most encouraging and positive people I have ever met.” He really wanted to stay with us and live with us. He ended up staying with the other team, and I know God is working in Elliot’s life! Pray with me for Elliot and for him to embrace the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE that is found in Jesus!
There was so much that happened each day, yet my days are starting to blend together. We ended up traveling from Pamplona to Leon by train on Day #4 and ended up sleeping on the pavement of the street that night. I’m definitely learning to embrace the uncomfortable because even without a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, a blanked, or my comfortable memory foam pillow I slept okay and had the strength to hike the next day with my team.
On day #5 when we started walking and right as the sun came out and started to get hot, we met three girls who were resting in the shade of a bush. Their names are Julie, Stephanie, and Anne and they are awesome! We started talking shortly after we started walking about why we were there and what we were doing. I explained how we were from America and here to love, serve, and encourage people around us. This went right into faith. Julie even said, “I just knew right away when you offered to carry that sleeping bag that you knew Jesus.” Julie spoke the best English and she ended up sharing her testimony with us of how she came to have a relationship with God. The conversation about faith deepened as I was asked questions like, “How do you bring up God to people who you do not know?” Or “How do you tell people about Jesus?” It was very encouraging for me because I see it as a open door for discipleship!
Long story short, these girls have been hiking with us for the past few days. They have become a part of our community, share in our meals, sing songs with us, and pray with us. We share the food and weight of our packs and bring encouragement in the midst of the long journey. Please be praying for these three (Julie, Stephanie, and Anna) as they grow strong in their faith and become able to make disciples wherever they go.
There are so many stories and things I could share, but thats enough for now. God continues to bring up conversations, and I am blessed to continue to develop and use the gifts I have given! Personally, I am doing well, but need prayer for strength and healing for my right shin because it has been hurting off and on as I walk.
What God is teaching me:
God is moving in my life and teaching and pushing me to grow in the following ways:
To embrace the uncomfortable
To not complain
To share what I have even if I feel like it is little
To serve others around me
To understand that the Holy Spirit is still giving even when I feel like I have nothing left to give
This month has only been one week long and it seems like forever. The days are long, the sun is hot, my body is tired, yet the LORD is on the move through it all!
So in the words of all the hikers around here. I will update you all later, thank you for your partnership, prayers, and encouragement along the way.
“BUEN CAMINO!”
