Limited internets and no pictures means this post isn´t for the faint of heart (also! European keyboards with different places for keys!) But! I did want to update.
We are well. Quite well. The group is a joyful mix of awesome, awesome people. I love hanging out with them. I love walking the super steep hills (sometimes). I love the quaint, stone towns of Spain. I commented to Matt, ¨Doesn´t Spain feel familiar?”
I thank you for all of your prayers. We definitly hit a few roadblocks: delayed flights, missed buses, a trip to the hospital and several lost things (but the most important are recovered). These things go with traveling.
We´ve also had many graces, though, as is wont to happen on pilgrimage. Bob is a lay Benedictan and we started our first group prayer on the Feast of St. Benedict. Two nights ago five of our party got lost late, late at night on the trail. They came across a town that was abondoned years ago. That town´s patron was Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Well, people who used to live there all came back to celebrate the feast that day (the group was lost on the Feast day) and provided food and drinks and shelter to my pilgrims. Crazy stuff, huh?
Today I took a day of mostly silence. God and I chatted. I´ll post pics later, I promise.
I guess I´ll share one of my most touching memories. Yesterday´s hike was supposed to be a doozy. The guidebook warned that the last eight km would take three hours because of the steep hill at the end. I was ready for this. We actually slept closer to the hill, off of the road, to make it there earlier.
The path was relatively flat until that point. And then, right where promised, the mountain started and the tight trek towards the sky started. I shouldered my pack, braced my blisters and took off. I prayed a little bit, ¨Jesus, Jesus.¨
We began reflecting on Calvary, Jesus and I. He said, “I´d do it again. I would.”
And God isn´t bound by time like we are, guys. So the trek up Calvary is an ever-present moment. And He would choose it again.
That´s it.
It was beautiful, though. We serve a beautiful Lord.
(And the mountain views up here are unbelieveable. What an experience!!)
Anyway! Bedtime for me.
I pray for you all day everyday.
XO,
Nell