(*here you’ll find day-to-day updates of our adventures on the Camino! I hope you enjoy reading about these experiences as much as I did experiencing them!*)
DAY 9 & 10 – Belorado to San Juan / San Juan to Burgos
We made it to Burgos! I (for sure) believe I wouldn’t have made it here if I tried to do the Camino on my own. Anyway, tonight is our last night as official, Camino “pilgrims” & in a couple days we head back to Barcelona. Wifi was SO bad at our hostel last night, so here’s a quick update on the past 2 days & a reflection on the Camino in general:
– it was so misty & foggy yesterday, the trail was incredibly eerie & really empty. A couple of our teammates took a bus & when we met up with them later they said that the bus was packed with a lot of people we knew – THATS where everyone was!! Either way, I got quality time with one of my squad leaders & it was AMAZING!
– I’ve realized my knees can walk 21km and then they start throwing a fit. Here’s to knowing my limits & learning that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes
– I’m really going to miss these people. Seeing familiar faces as we walk up to a hostel has become a favorite part of my day. I know that I am going to remember them & our conversations for a really long time, and then the Lord whispered, “hey; they’re also going to remember you.” They’re a part of my journey, & I’m honored to be a small part of theirs. Wow.
– my blisters don’t hurt anymore. Yay for quick & full recovery, thanks only to the millions of bandages and all your prayers! Haha 🙂
DAY 8 – Santo Domingo to Belorado
We’re getting closer to our final destination of Burgos, which is a little bittersweet! The closer we get, the better my body feels & the more I realize that we’re going to have to say goodbye to the people we’ve encountered so far.
I want to share with you guys something a sweet friend of mine emailed me as encouragement:
“BLESSED are the feet of those who bring good news” – Isaiah 52:7. […] “Our feet were the transportation we needed to get to the people God needed us to meet. And while they hurt, and they bled, and they blistered, they were blessed. And I think each step we take towards the broken, especially when we feel broken ourselves, gets us closer to the Lord. It wouldn’t require as much sacrifice, and as much determination, if we were healthy and whole. Plus, its a reminder that we need Jesus just as much as the people we are ministering to. So humbling.” – I needed to hear this today, & just wanted to share!!
DAY 7 – Najera to Santo Domingo
Y’all, lift up a shout of praise bc I think we’re done with 30k hiking days
Guys, the community we’ve built has been AMAZING. I don’t know how to truly emphasize my love for the human race & my passion for unity among the nations – but my Camino experience so far has been a great visual of it! We’ve met people from so many places: Australia, Germany, Brazil, Netherlands, Canada, Italy, France, more Americans, Switzerland, Czech Republic, South Korea… & tonight, we’ve been invited by a huge Italian group for dinner – they’re cooking, we’re eating, I can’t wait!
Just keep on praying, everyone. Doors are open, the Lord is working, and I’m just standing here not knowing what to do with my hands lol it’s great.
DAY 6 – Logroño to Najera
It was a 31k day, y’all. Thanks for the prayers because without you, I could possibly be dead. (Okay, I’m exaggerating a ton. But it was difficult!) We didn’t see ANYONE on the trail today, it was so weird. There were long stretches of time where we hadn’t seen a single person in front of us or coming behind us. BUT THEN, when we got to our stopping points for breakfast & lunch – we saw a bunch of new people! Seriously, the people we encountered in those rest times were people we had never seen before but all said came from the same town we did. AND a lot of them are staying at the same donativo we’re at tonight. So, today was full of alone time & new friends – which sounds so opposite but seems to actually work.
What my team has been learning: the power of perspective. Not only personal perspective on our individual circumstances (like having to walk on our blisters & keep a good attitude), but also our different perspectives on a same event. My team is growing a lot stronger & more unified – even if it is through struggles, we always come out laughing in the end.
Prayers: we’re halfway done with our time on the Camino!! Endurance to get through the end, lasting conversations with those around us, and heck…let’s pray for salvations because why not?! The people on the Camino are rad af & I would LOVE to see them in heaven one day!
DAY 5 – Los Arcos to Logroño
I’m getting real tired of the doctor. During our rest day yesterday, I decided to overcome my disgust of feet & re-bandage some of my blisters myself (let’s celebrate *that* win). Well, the one on my pinky had actually turned into a blood blister within a blister, which I found out by having the foot doctor at our hostel look at it for me because I just didn’t know what to actually do with it. He totally took care of it (praise!), walked me through how to best care of the rest of them, annnnnnd told me I wasn’t allowed to walk or wear my tennis shoes for a day. Y’all, I was frustrated. In my stubborn & persistent mind, I HAD to walk…we HAD to go…there was NO other option than to keep going. There was absolutely no way my team was going to wait another day (especially because of me) & I was absolutely NOT taking a bus to the next town.
So, my team, squad leaders, & I prayed.
I was so irritated. My muscles didn’t hurt, the bottoms of my feet were fine, I was well rested & ready to go…but mainly for preventative measures (and for the Lord to keep doing some amazing work in me)(and because my leaders & a doctor said I had to) I took a bus (along with 2 other teammates). Good things came out of it, though!! We were able to stay at a donativo (free/donation only lodging) and have a community dinner with some of the other pilgrims that we met the day before & will walk with tomorrow. This means deeper conversations, better friendships, and more opportunities!! A couple of my teammates were even able to talk more with a guy who has vocalized he’s not a Christian, but continues to gravitate towards them. A lot of what he stands for really is biblical, he just. needs. Jesus!
Prayers: tomorrow has the potential to be a VERY long day – so good rest & happy hearts are a must! & keep praying for God ordained conversations, *your prayers are working* and I believe breakthrough for some of these people is coming!! The Lord can soften even the hardest of hearts
DAY 3 & 4 – Estella to Los Arcos
Upon reaching our destination yesterday, the entire team agreed that we were going to stay 2 nights because our bodies need a break. Over the course of the day, however, we connected with so many people that we had our own welcoming committee at the hostel when we arrived! It was such a blessing to see people who used to be strangers be so encouraging. There have been many great conversations: ranging from tough ones centered around religion to the fun ones in just hearing the travel stories of others.
We met an older Brazilian man named Gil – he’s from Rio de Janiero & we definitely connected in our love for the country & that city. I told him about the mission work I’ve done in Rio and how much I love Brazilian people and culture…he just agreed and then told us stories of all the countries he’s visited (he’s been to so many, it was so interesting!!) I found out he is Buddhist, but didn’t feel like it was the right time to ask more questions about that. I just know he’s been Buddhist for a long time. I’ve been continually praying for him. I’m hoping that my team & I not hiding the fact we’re Christians plants some sort of seed in Gil’s heart that will eventually reveal the Lord and how much Jesus loves him!!
The hardest part of staying in this town for an extra day is that these people have moved on & we honestly don’t know if we’ll see them again. BUT, it’s all about perspective…because by the end of today, we’ll have a brand new group of people to meet, connect, & witness to. That’s so totally a win!!
Things you could join us in prayer for: healing for sure..one of my teammates has so many blisters, she practically is one herself, and a few of us are really having issues with our knees that are from past injuries flaring up again. & please keep praying over our encounters with people along the way – Jesus has been in EVERYTHING & I want to keep seeing Him show up more!
DAY 2 – Uterga to Estella
I have blisters on the bottom of my feet, my knees are crap, and one of my squad leaders is walking around like an old lady – but we’re making it!! Jesus is (once again) walking me through the process of being the “broken one”. I have horrible knees, and by the end of mile 21 I finally started to cry because of the pain. I don’t like being the person everyone else is making sure is okay/checking in on, and I *definitely* don’t like to have anything physically wrong with me in general…but my team is amazing, they’re covering me in prayer and Jesus is getting me up every incline. BUT, we’ve also been seeing some of the same people as we walk! It’s been so great getting to let them know what we’re doing, what we believe, and getting to know them as well. Some of them are even staying in our same hostel, so please keep these relationships and conversations in your prayers – let’s see what the Lord does!! ((Also, if you want to pray some healing over our team – that would be greatly appreciated as well!)
DAY 1 – Pamplona to Uterga
I can’t feel the lower half of my body, but I think I’m going to make it.. Please pray for our encounters along the way. So many people are walking the Camino, looking for some sort of “spiritual enlightenment” and we have the answer: JESUS! Pray against any other spiritual force that’s not of the Holy Spirit, & that my team and I obey the Lord to walk through the doors of conversation that He opens. We have about 9 more days on this sucker…let’s. freaking. go
