Trekking 'Cross the Country

Well, Friday was day five of walking, and I can honestly say that the past week (or so) has been one of the best times of my life. I am so blessed to be traveling with these 9 other incredible Catholics.

This week, I walked with Josh, Stephanie, and Zechariah. Amanda was on our shift as well, but she's been feeling under the weather and hasn't been able to walk.

This truly is a spiritual journey as well as a physical journey.  We're going to mass everyday, which truly a blessing.  It's the first thing we do in the morning as soon as the night shift returns and day shift wakes up.  We're praying morning and evening prayer together as a group (and we're praying for intentions- you all are in my prayers!).  We also pray at least one rosary every 5 miles (which is a typical shift).

I'm not going to lie, this whole Crossroads journey is hard! We're all in pain at this point- blisters are in abundance, two of us have knees that have given out, my ankle is hurting, our muscles are sore and we're ready for a break. Sleep happens, but we're on the floor, two to a bed, in the back of the van, etc.

I was so grateful for this weekend- we stayed at a retreat house on the property of some sisters right outside of Spokane.  I slept in a real bed tonight *happy sigh*!!

One of the most amazing things about this trip is the people we meet.  Two of the parishes have had literally 4-5 people at mass besides us.  It's such a wonderful sense of community and faith.  People are welcoming and invited us to coffee with them, whether that was at a local coffee shop or the basement of the Church.  It's soooo encouraging to meet people who are supporting what we are doing.

I've been pleasantly surprised at the positive responses that we've gotten over the past week.  Many people honk as they drive past, and we've had a good number who have stopped to see if we need a ride. There are really people out there who care about others, and that's really great to see.

Yesterday (Sunday), my parents and godparents picked me up from the retreat house and took me to my godparents' lake house outside of Spokane.  It was nice to spend some time with them- it had been 2 years since I'd seen my godparents and over 10 years since I'd seen their kids!!  I had a nice day to rest, but I missed my team.  In one short week, they've become my second family, and I'm truly grateful for that.

I'm hoping to get some pictures up next time I have internet!  This west coast is something beautiful!
xoxo,