Spain is hard, yet God is still at work here.

A new friend pointed brought this article about missions in Spain from Christianity Today to my attention. The only word I can think of to describe it is sobering. The article is a little dated in that it is from 2003, but the sentiment expressed is not new to missions in Spain, nor is there any hint of change at the moment. Almost all evangelical/protestant church growth in Spain right now is directly through immigrants. The reasons for this is complex and many-sided. But the reality remains that the vast majority of people here are living in a spiritual poverty.

On a more positive side - I'd like to leave you with an excerpt from a recent e-mail from this new friend. Faith blogged about Craig Wallace recently. He is a South African missionary living some hours south of us on a branch of the Camino, and he has a heart for pilgrims as well. He has plans to create a campsite/albergue for the peregrinos where he lives. When we met him a week ago, he had just completed one of his trips on the Camino where he seeks to share Christ with pilgrims.

After he returned home he sent out an e-mail that included these four short paragraphs telling of some of the pilgrims he met and the nature of their conversations. I thought it would be valuable to share these stories to highlight the interest, need, and hunger that some pilgrims on the Camino have for "something more."

"On the first day out I met a Belgiam called Jan and spent three to four hours sharing the gospel with him.After growing up in a communistic atheistic family, and dedicating many years to communism, he is now disillusioned and was most surprised to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.Many trips behind the iron curtain left him with a sad despair and he lost his faith in humanity.I put the Bible into his hands and showed him the gospel of John before I knew his name , and he wanted to know what the name John meant.Jehovah is gracious , I told him, so he wanted to know what grace is.Jan, or John the Belgian, was crying as I left him having heard about the grace of God for the first time in his life.

That night I met in the refugio a Chinese girl and a British woman, Lin and Christine.Lin is a research scientist in behavioral genetics at Oxford university and a lively discussion ensued. Her grandfather was one of the leaders of the Three Self Church in China , and this heritage caused her to ask me about Christ and his message.Chrsitine , a British Anglican , insisted that she was a Christian but does not believe in the resurrection….so I took out my Bible and showed them the scriptures.Seed was sown in their hearts.

Coming into Puebla Sanabria I met Keren, an American woman on a cycle who I continued to travel with for the next few days. Keren progressed from being suspicious to opening up her heart to my answers to deeply probing questions concerning the christian faith.We will continue to correspond through email.

Antonio from Seville, who grew up in Germany, a marathon runner who had been walking an average of 40 kms a day for a thousand kilometers, was challenged in our sharing and vowed to begin reading the Bible to strengthen the faith which he has come into through a series of life circumstances.I will be sending him literature."

Arrival

Arco do Pino to Santiago de Compostela

Saturday, September 27, 2008
Less than 20 kilometers (I must say I'm still confused by exactly how far apart some of the stops are - regardless, I walked somwhere between 10-12 miles on this last day).

Believe it or not, I have much less to say about this last leg. I walked for the first hour or so with two brothers from New Zealand. Very nice guys. We started in the dark, and none of us had a flashlight, so it might not be hard to imagine that we did manage to lose our way for a short bit in a forest during the nearly pitch-black pre-dawn. I used my cell phone as a flashlight with meager results. It all worked out alright, and we were back on the right path soon enough. After some good conversation, and sometime after daybreak, the two long-hikers from the South Pacific kicked into another gear I didn't have. They were trying to make it into Santiago by noon in order to catch the Pilgrim's mass at the cathedral. I saw them later, and they did in fact make it in time for the mass (I also learned, sadly, that they ran into Gilles, and his walking poles had been stolen at the cathedral). I walked another good portion of the day with my new temporary Spanish community. I had another good lengthy spiritual conversation, this time with Antonio and Jesús. We covered a lot of church history, as they had a lot of questions about Protestants and evangelicals. Most Spaniards don't know many people of faith from Protestant and evangelical traditions. I tried my best to explain what I knew were the differences between 'us' and the Catholic faith, as well as explaining the differences with groups like the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons.

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure my emotions were different from many pilgrims who arrive in Santiago. Living so close by, we go to Santiago relatively often. I've seen the cathedral many times now. It's not yet home, but it is certainly a familiar place. I definitely was excited to get to Santiago, and I enjoyed the satisfaction of completing a (relatively) long and difficult walk. I enjoyed getting to know our anticipated future home in a new way as well. But it was not all that emotional of an arrival. I was excited to get home to my family, a long hot shower, and my own comfortable bed. I didn't even have much time to spend in Santiago as my train back to Coruña was leaving in a few short hours. I rested briefly in the square in front of the Cathedral before heading over to the pilgrim's office to precent my credencial and receive my Compostela - an official document confirming my completion of the Camino. I then returned to the cathedral to say some quick goodbyes to my Spanish companions as they explored the interior. I didn't even have time for a 'proper' meal after arriving. I had to settle for wolfing down a quick Burger King meal as I scurried down to the train station to catch my train. But it really was great to step down from the train in Coruña to a warm welcome from my family. I received heartfelt little leg-hugs from each of the boys. It was good to see Faith and the kids, be somewhere even more familiar, climb into the car, and head home.

I had the chance to visit Santiago again 3 short days later as we introduced some friends visiting from the States to Santiago. I took this picture that day of a group of pilgrims capturing their arrival at the Cathedral on film. It definitely brought back memories of my arrival just a few days prior.

Food and Fellowship

Ribadiso do Baixo to Arco do Pino

Friday, September 26, 2008
approximately 20 kilometers (12 1/2 miles)

Another day of rising early for the day's walk. Today's walk was the shortest and easiest of the bunch. For the first and only time I arrived at an albergue before it opened for the afternoon. There was a crowd of at least 50 other pilgrims who had arrived before me waiting on the front porch and lawn of the albergue. The walk itself was good - I walked a good portion of the day with David - we saw Jesús and Antonio less than on other days. I spent the last hour or two with a remarkable Canadian - you can read more about him in the Pilgrim of the Day section below.

One of the highlights of the day was sharing lunch with about 12 Spaniards. I left for lunch with my three most regular companions - we ran into some other friends we'd made on the camino over the last several days. But rather than head for a restaurant right away, we stopped first at a cafe for a round of drinks. We hung out and talked and waited for some others to join us. We then sauntered on down the road to a restaurant that someone in town had recommended. I certainly never would have found or picked out this restaurant on my own, because through the front door it looked like just about any other bar or cafe in Spain. There was, however, out of sight behind a door, a dining area that looked much more like a nice restaurant. By the time our food arrived our party of 4 had ballooned to something like 12 people.

The waiter started off with the standard baskets of bread and a wide variety of drinks (soda, wine, beer, water, etc). The group then ordered a few starter plates of Pulpo. Pulpo is a local Gallego delicacy - The legs of the octopus are cut up into circles (think like a carrot) and boiled (or perhaps sauteed?). It's only the second time I've had it. And I must say that it does have a good flavor, and the meat is good. I'm still not real fond of the skin or the attached suckers. The rest of the menu was standard in that the options were normal: various choices for 2 plates (or courses), and a dessert. Only it was not standard in that the food was absolutely fantastic!! I know I walked 20 kilometers that morning, and that might have played some part in my enjoyment - I was far more tired and hungry the day before, and was far less impressed with that meal.

At any rate, as good as the food was, the best part of the meal was not the food, but was being welcomed into a community of festive Spaniards as they shared a meal. It was a different cultural experience than I have had in the year I've been here. Not that I havn't shared meals with Spaniards, but in this experience I felt more immersed, and more welcomed as part of the group. While I still felt my 'otherness', that welcome into this group was rich and satisfying. I still could hardly keep up with the multi-layered and high-speed conversations, but I was much less exhausted, and far more appreciative of the opportunity. The entire process took probably 2 1/2 or 3 hours and felt so incredibly Spanish. The restaurant turned off the lights signaling to us it was time to leave. As we left, believe it or not, most of the group decided to stop off at yet another cafe for another round of drinks, and more conversation. I opted at this point to return to the albergue for some time alone.

I made two separate stops at the Pharmacy to find some material to care for my small but growing blisters. I made my last visit to a local supermarket to purchase some fruit and other snacks for the next day's walk. In the end I was finally able to get out and explore the city of Arco do Pino a little bit. I probably walked more than I would have liked to, but enjoyed exploring another corner of this unique planet. Later in the day I had another good conversation with a long-hiker from Poland. He spoke excellent English, and had been hiking the camino alone. It's unfortunate I did not have more time to get to know him, as our conversation was easy and pleasant. All of the long-hikers I met definitely left me with the impression that I was missing out on something special and with the desire to make the whole journey someday. It seems to be a rich and challenging experience that does impact people deeply in different ways. This was the day that I felt like I was just starting to get a glimpse of the unique relational potential that the camino offers. It really is a great way to get to know someone quickly - it's a place where you are able to move into deeper levels of conversation than you normally would with friends, neighbors, and co-workers that you see on a regular basis.

Pilgrim of the Day:

Gilles is truly an inspirational person. I met this French (and English)-speaking Canadian from northern Ontario (not Quebec) near the end of his 40 day camino. It's a remarkable journey for anyone, but I was especially impressed given that Gilles is 74 years old. In addition to his remarkable adventuresome spirit, he was also one of the kindest and gentlest people I have met in a while. This soon-to-be-retired Catholic priest definitely exuded an unassuming love that had the air of Jesus to those that he met. I met Gilles briefly Thursday nite in the albergue, and walked and talked with him for more than an hour when I caught up with him on Friday. It was rewarding to meet him and talk with him. I only hope I can be as vibrant both physically, socially, and spiritually when I reach that stage of life.

Strength in Communty and Solitude

Palas de Rei to Ribadiso do Baixo

Thursday, September 25, 2008
approximately 25 kilometers (15 1/2 miles)
(click anywhere on the slideshow to go to Picasa for larger pics and comments)

I discovered today the power of community for someone walking the camino alone. I walked almost the entire day with three Spaniard guys who had more or less adopted me into their group. David, Jesús, and Antonio are three friends from Valencia who were walking for various reasons. I was tempted to name the three of them my Pilgrims of the Day, but they were a big part of nearly my entire journey - Pilgrims of the week would be a more appropriate title. Walking and talking made the 25 kilometers pass so much quicker. I found I needed fewer breaks, and felt like I was flying along the trail. It was still tiring, but much less so.

David, Antonio, and I discussed spiritual matters for a significant portion of our walk. Converstaion ranged over a variety of topics, but kicked off when they asked me if I was religious. Not being fond of that term, it took me some time to explain (mostly in Spanish) that I take my faith in Jesus very seriously, but that to me it is different from being 'religious.' I really worked hard to communicate that my faith is centered on the person of Jesus and my relationship with him. Over time, the conversation wandered over several other topics, but in the end I pray (and prayed!) that I was able to communicate this very important point and give them pause to consider Jesus a bit more as they journeyed.

When I first met Jesús in Portomarin, he asked me to sign his walking stick, and I noticed that he had writeen "Jesús es mi guia" (Jesus is my guide) on it. I asked him about it, and probably gave him a puzzled look when he said, "Soy Jesús." (I am Jesus), because I thought he was making some vague spiritual allegory about his camino and comparing himself with Jesus the son of God. It made a lot more sense to me when I finally realized the simple truth that his name actually was Jesús.

This perhaps would be a good place to explain what a typical day on the Camino is like, because this was the first day I truly followed a standard schedule that carries most pilgrims the entire length of their journey. An albergue usually sleeps many pilgrims in one room - I shared rooms with as few as 5 other pilgrims, and as many as 109 others. You wake up about 6:30 and pack up your gear in the dark as quietly as possible, in an effort not to wake the few fellow pilgrims in the room who choose not to get an early start. You may eat a small breakfast right away, or simply start walking without food. Either way, you are on the path by 7:30, give or take 15 minutes or more. About 2-3 hours into your walk you stop for coffee/breakfast/snack. Usually at a cafe or bar located right on the camino. 4 to 5 hours of walking may still be ahead, and depending on your company, your energy, and pace, you may take other breaks along the way (with a minimum of 1), including one for lunch around 1 or 2 in the afternoon if you've not arrived at your final destination in time.

The goal is generally to arrive at your final destination for the day before 2, as many albergues fill up quickly around that time. In most cases, you arrive before 2, check in, shower, wash your clothes (you travel with 2, maybe 3 sets of walking clothes), and hang them out to dry. THEN you often go looking for food. You have two choices, first, to find a market and buy food to eat on your own. This is much cheaper, but much harder to do when traveling solo. Many albergues even have a kitchen you can cook a meal in. The second choice is to find a bar/restaurant that offers a menu of the day. The menu includes a drink, two courses, each of which gives you several different options to choose from, and a dessert. All this for a relatively reasonable price. Once the meal is done, you have what's left of the evening to relax, check out the area around the albergue, meet people, read, journal, etc, etc. The day winds down sometime between 10 and 11 as you lay your tired body to rest in bed and try to get some good sleep before tomorrow's early start. Earplugs are a must!!

The albergue in Ribadiso do Baixo was situated in a peaceful and bucolic location, nestled in the hills of the Galician countryside next to a creek and an ancient roman bridge. Pilgrims have been staying in this spot since at least the 1500's, and perhaps longer. It was here in Ribadiso that I was reminded also of the power of solitude. Physically and mentally exhausted after a long day of walking and struggling through complex discussions in Spanish, I chose to share dinner with a group of 9 or so festive Spaniards that formed a large part of my temporary community as I walked. I made the decision partly out of a desire to be around others, but I quickly realized that I did not have the mental energy to keep up with a multi-layered and fast moving conversation. After a while, I simply gave up trying to keep up, and just ate. I realized that more than my need for community at that point, what I really needed was some time alone to recharge. I took the rest of the afternoon to do just that. It was a beautiful spot to take a few (very short!) exploratory walks and enjoy the country-side and the albergue. And as usual, meet a few other pilgrims. It did feel wonderful to dip my tired feet into the freezing cold water of the creek. I found genuine refreshment in having time alone for the rest of the day.

Better days, and even better evenings

Portomarin to Palas de Rei

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
approximately 25 kilometers (15 1/2 miles)
(click on the slideshow to be taken to the Picasa website where you can see larger photos and more comments).

"The Camino is a place where many, perhaps most, walk with limp that manages to be humble and proud at the same time. Humble because the world can see your weakness, but proud too, that you soldier on in the face of pain and hardship. I have a limp - mine has several causes... In the end, I keep going because I have no other option." I wrote this at the end of my second day of walking. I had recovered enough to complete the walk. It was still difficult, but it went much better than that first difficult day.

The first 5 hours or so felt quite good (or as good as can be on the Camino), but the last hour or two was difficult again. At this point I faced loneliness again as I saw no other pilgrims for more than two kilometers towards the end of my day. The biggest disappointment was arriving at my targeted destination to find all the albergue beds full (albergues are the housing specifically for pilgrims). Rather than walk 3 kilometers ahead (0r 1 backwards), I chose instead to get a room at a pension - a private room. Certainly a disappointment considering my goal was to meet other pilgrims and experience as much of the pilgrim life as possible. Not even considering that the 20 euro cost was nearly 7 times the 3 euro charge for the government run albergues.

I arrived in Palas de Rei tired and a bit put-out by a number of things, but it turned out to be a stop that I think was divinely appointed. I connected with Psalm 24 and the idea that "the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, The world, and all who live in it." So many evangelical and protestant people give little thought to this place, and this event because it is 'Catholic', but in the end, all of these people, and all of these places are still God's. I often visit Catholic churches and cathedrals and walk away having really noticed and felt the differences from my own faith experience. However, today, I instead noticed and felt the familiar things of this small catholic church in town. In many ways it reminded me of a church from my youth. Sure, the artwork is different, but much else could have been in an evangelical or protestant church from any small town in the states.

Pilgrims of the Day: I wish I had a picture to share, but I saw the same father and teenage son several times over the course of the day. I suspect they were Japonese, but I'm no expert in these things. But there were clearly happy and content. Happy with the day's walk, happy with the weather, and content to be experiencing this together.

Pilgrim of the Day II: I had hoped to have a favorite for each day - but turns out I had 2 today, and one more on another day (stay tuned). Due to my late arrival, and discovery of a reasonably priced private room, I was able to assist another late arrival to town when I overheard her trying to work out in english where she'd be staying. Several hours later, she arrived at the restaurant I had chosen to eat dinner at. We shared a table and some conversation. Turns out she was on her 2nd full-length camino (for lack of a cooler term, I've been calling them 'long-hikers.') Up until this point, I had not yet met a long-hiker. We had a fascinating conversation as I was able to pepper her with questions about her experiences - why, what she's learned, etc, etc. And she was also very interested in our vision, and was very encouraging. I did not see her again after that meal (somewhat rare with 3 stages more), but I am convinced that our meeting had been another that was divinely appointed. I walked away with a sense that there are pilgrims out there that would really love to stay at a place like we have in mind.

Putzing around Portomarin

Tuesday, September 23, 2008.
Portomarin
0 Kilometers

Portomarin is a town of 2,000 residents found on the river Miño. In the 1960's the town moved from the banks of the river to the bluffs overlooking it before the arrival of a new dam. It is a beautiful town, and was a great place to spend a day of solitude. After a difficult first day, and an equally difficult first night on account of my fever I was seriously considering calling it quits, returning home, and delaying my first Camino trip until another time. After consulting with my advisory team (Faith) I decided to stay put for a day in Portomarin to rest before attempting to complete the journey. As a result, I had plenty of time to read, journal, listen to music, and take pictures.

I had this to say in my journal: "I think in my mind I imagined a trip of exploration, discovery, wonder, and relaxation. So far, 2 days in I'm already confronting lonliness. I'm reading a book (Gilead) that is grappling with mortality and purpose. I'm afraid I don't have what it takes to finish, and I've hardly begun - and a short journey at that (many pilgrims walk for 30-40 straight days). It is harder on many levels than I expected. Despite the free time, I'm finding it hard to focus time towards God. I'm having trouble "connecting" - whatever that means. I guess it means I am seeking some direct relating - no shock, I guess, considering my growing awareness of my own lonliness."

I did enjoy some down time, wandering around the ruins of the old town on the river, listening to music, and exploring the little town with my camera. But the best part of the day was seeing God provide once again in the form of new 'roommates.' Another group of outgoing Spaniards invited me into their newly formed community. We played Mafia in spanish - a game I have enjoyed very much in english. They adopted me into their midst despite my elementary communication skills. I ended up walking parts of the next 4 days with them.

You can click on the slideshow below for better quality pictures on the Picasa website. I've also added a few more details than normal in the comment sections.

Camino Fever

This is the start of several postings covering my first experience walking part of the Camino de Santiago this past week. Each post will cover one day of my journey.

Monday, September 22, 2008.
From Sarria to Portomarin.
approximately 25 kilometers (15 1/2 miles)

Walked out of our piso at 8am, not quite daylight on an overcast morning. A little past 8:30 I boarded a train at a station across the ria from our neighborhood. Fortunately, the train to my starting point, Sarria, goes by the closest station to our house. The clouds splattered the train with bits of rain as we entered deeper into the Galician countryside. At times it seemed like the mist and the forest conspired to swallow the train whole - this sensation was puncutated when we actually entered into tunnels. After arriving a little late to Sarria I found my credential after three stops and was finally on my way shortly before noon. (If you walk more than 100km of the Camino you have a 'credencial del peregrino' - a sort of passport that you must get stamped twice a day to prove you walked the distance. When you arrive in Santiago, you present your credential and recieve a 'Compostela' - a certificate confirming the completion of your camino.)

The day was harder than I imagined. I was very tired and sore quite early in the walk. The going felt slow, and I felt off-schedule from how I planned things in my head. I found taking breaks and eating food to be difficult this first day. God provided for me anyhow, when some fellow pilgrims shared some of their home-made empanada with me, and then when I joined three young spaniards for a portion of the walk. They were university students, and were very friendly and out-going. This was the beginning of the trend that carried me through the rest of the week - most of my community on the camino was with Spaniards - which was also a blessing. It provided me with a precious opportunity for extended practice, it grew my confidence in my skills, and it allowed me to grow in my cultural knowledge as well.

The walk the first day really reminded me many times of northwest Illinois, where my Dad grew up on a milk farm. The landscape was lush and green, dotted with fields of corn, wheat, and cow pastures. Plenty of the familiar black and white mottled milking cows were around, as well as tractors and farming equipment. The main differences were found in the size of the fields, herds, farms, and the structure of the houses and farm buildings (stone here vs. wood).

Of my five days of walking, this first day had the steepest ascending and descending. It was a long day, and I finally arrived stumbling into Portomarin somewhere between 6 and seven in the evening. I felt like I had zero energy, and could hardly believe I actually made it after such a long and hard day. I hauled myself to the showers, and realized after I was freshly clean that I was really cold - really, really cold. I put on as many layers of clothes as I could and retreated into my bunk. I was able to conjure up a blanket from the staff, but spent more than two hours both shivering with the chills while feeling really really hot. I realized at this point that I had a fever and had been likely walking for most of the day with this growing illness. I had no energy, and could hardly get out of bed. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, with the help of some Ibuprofen I brought for muscle pain, I was able to crawl out of bed and make it over to a restaurant for a little food.

I wrote in my journal that it had already been nothing like I imagined. If I were to learn anything from this journey, my first day showed me that as a mirror to the journey of life, the camino showed me that things can be hard and difficult, and that above all, it takes hard work. It takes willpower to go on even when you feel like you have nothing left.

Regrettably, I did not take any photos on this first day. It was probably the most remote portion of the camino I walked, and was quite pretty. It did threaten rain all day (but never did rain), and that combined with my focus on finishing kept the camera in my bag. Stay tuned for photos from other days.

How is your sole?

Some pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago don't actually stop in Santiago, but continue their journey until they reach Cape Finisterre. Translated literally as 'the end of the earth.' Traditionally a pilgrim takes off their boots and leaves them there at the Atlantic coast. I havn't yet made it out to visit Cabo Finisterre, but when Faith and I were visiting a scenic spot here in Coruña on Valentines day, we discovered this old, worn pair of boots along the rocky coast. I can't say that currently my soul feels as worn down and beat up as those boots. But there are times when I wonder if that's where I'm heading. I hope that doesn't come across too dour. There is something warm and attractive about these boots despite their obviously hard life. I'm sure they were very comfortable and familiar to their owner. It looks like they were lovingly used, and lovingly left behind. I honestly have no idea if these shoes were left by a pilgrim at the end of their journey. But I like the thought. And I like to think that if my soul ever does feel like those shoes look, it won't be just a sad thought, but one to remind me of the miles I have covered over the course of my life.