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Photo 1: Old city wall in Lubań

Photo 2: Tree trunk showing the two different Way of St. James waymarkers.

Photo 3: An old epithaph from 1684 in German on a church wall quoting Job 19:25-27 and 1. John 1:7b. For over three centuries these words have been a silent witness to anyone who would read them to the grace of the forgiveness of sins and the power of the resurrection from the dead. I think it was an old Lutheran Church.

Photo 4: The weather was great today for walking untill the last 10 - 15 minutes...

Photo 5: Pastor Chriss from the Pentecostal Church in Zgorzelec was to meet me at a bridge right on the border to Görlitz and to Germany. What we did not know, was that there would be an Old Town City Festival on that day. The road to the bridge was blocked off and Pastor Chriss could not get there. It started to rain right before I got to the meeting point. I did not bother to put my poncho on, because I thought a car would be waiting there to take me away. That was a big mistake. A heavy rain came quickly before I could find cover, just as hundreds of other people wanted to do so. My bag and I got really wet. Good that tomorrow is a day of rest and I can get everything clean and dry again. I will be staying the weekend with Pastor Chriss and his family.

Prayer Request: When I walk from the Czech Republic to Germany, I will cross through the mountains of the Bohemian and Bavarian Forests for three days on September 16 - 18. Since the tread on my shoes is wearing thin, it would be good if it did not rain these days to avoid slippery slopes.

Photo 1: The City Hall in Bolesławiec...

Photo 2: The first sign of Germany...

On Monday, September 1, I will be crossing over the border from Poland to Germany at the divided city Zgorzelec-Görlitz. I will then have three stretches in Germany before I cross the border near Zittau where the three nations of Germany, Poland and Czech Republic come together.

Photo 3: It rained all morning and sometimes very hard. My shoes are no long waterproof through the wear and tear of 2000+ kilometers of walking. There are actually some advantages to walking in the rain:

* It is cooler and you do not sweat as much.
* Since you do not sweat as much, you need less water.
* The ground can be softer to walk on which is easier on your feet and joints.
* You do not need to smear sun lotion on your skin.
* There may be less traffic on the roads because of the weather.
*The air becomes cleaner.
* You finally get to wear your rain gear that you have been carrying with you.

The disadvantage of walking in the rain: You get wet!

With so many positive aspects to walking in the rain, why do we not want to do it si much? Maybe we do not like getting wet. This may help explain the evolutional theory why we wanted to get out of the water, go on dry land and become mammals. Or is it that we have a collective memory etched into our DNA of sitting in a very large boat while it rained for forty days and forty nights???

Photo 4: Curious turkeys calling out to those passing by...

Photo 5: Approaching the city of Lubań... The sun came out in the late afternoon, but my socks were completely wet.

Milestone: 2000 kolometers

Photo 1: This once was a nice castle owned by Germans in the town of Chocianów. I have seen many former estates that were neglected by the communist regime and left to slowly decay.

Photo 2: Today was mostly a walk and pray day...

Photo 3: A wooden sculpture in front of a church depicting the ultimate victory of good over evil...

Photo 4: A long stretch through a desolate place...

Photo 1: As I approached the church in Grodowiec yesterday evening, I could hear by way of the outdoor loudspreakers the service taking place. I decided to wait outside in the evening sun for about an hour before I went in. Shortly thereafter people were being called forward and took a certificate with them which the priests would sign. I went up at the end with my pilgrim passport to identity myself as the American pilgrim that they were expecting for the night.

Photo 2: This morning I had breakfast with two of the four priests who share the responsibilities at the parish. They explained to me that yesterday was the day in Poland where people were encouraged to dedicate themselves to Mary. The special service yesterday evening was the conclusion of a month long prozess to prepare people for this dedication which was verified with the signed certificates. I then asked if there was also a special day for the people of Poland to dedicate themselves to Jesus. There was a moment of akward silence. I then said, "Every day!", to which they agreed. With the help of a translator app, I was able to share my story of coming to faith and being filled with the Holy Spirit. We had a good time together. After breakfast I offered to sing my pilgrim song of blessing in the Holy Spirit. I concluded with a prayer for their life and ministry and for Poland. The one priest had been there only three days. He responed: "That was powerful!" This morning was not the moment to debate theological differences, but hopefully to demostrate that the life in the Spirit can always grow deeper.

Photo 3: A flock of cranes in flight, perhaps slowly making their way towards the south like me...

Photo 4: At the grocery store this afternoon I could only find beer and sugar drinks in the coolers. I was looking for mineral water and left disappointed. Shortly thereafter this man in the photo stopped his car and asked if I was walking the Way of St. James. He then led me to his home a few blocks away, driving to a corner and waiting there for me before going to the next corner. He had walked a Camino twice to Santiago de Compostela and was happy to do something for a fellow pilgrim. He and his wife offered me a meal, but I had just bought a half of a chicken for lunch and wanted to eat it and get the weight out of my backpack. I did, though, except their offer to drink cold mineral water mixed with juice. I probably drank close to a liter. What a blessing. Thier blind grandson was visiting. His name is Jacob/James. I prayed for the three of them before continuing on.

Photo 5: Half-timbered village church in Pogorzeliska...

I got to the recommended place for pilgrims to stay in the town of Chocianow. The door was locked and no one answered the doorbell. I called the telephone number taped to the door. A lady answered, but could not speak much English and my Slavic-Polish was not the greatest help. She said it was not possible for me to stay there. I asked if I could put pitch my tent in the garden. "Not possible", was the answer. What do I do? I turned around and saw a man sitting at a table in the garden who was about to leave. I asked him if he spoke German or English. With his translator app we communicated. He noticed my efforts to talk with the lady on the phone and asked what I needed. I explained to him my situation. He the called the lady himself. It turns out that he was the boss. Apparently the hostel/hotel was totally occupied that evening. He took me then to a second place that was closed for at the moment, a student dormitory, and opened it up for me. There was actually one bed still made. He then drove me to a restaurant near by that he owned for me to get something to eat. How grateful I was to have a meal, take a shower and sleep in a bed. I have no idea what I would have done had I arrived in Chocianow five minutes later...

Photo 1: I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought I would just take a picture of the church, maybe get my pilgrim stamp and continue on. It was just about 11.00 AM when I arrived at the Shrine of the Holy Apostel James in the village of Jakubów. They say that in the year 991 there was a wooden church at this site making it the oldest St. James Church in Poland. When I opened the door, I saw people sitting in the pews waiting for something to start. So I put my backpack down, sat in the last pew and decided to wait and see what would take place. I did not think it was a funeral, because there were no special flower arrangements and people where not dressed in dark colors. Otherwise I would have left without the pilgrim stamp. Shortly after 11.00, the parish priest walked in with a group of special guests. He stopped and looked to me, now standing as everyone else was doing, and said something to me in Polish. I thought he was asking where I was from, and so I answered, "America". He then announced to the whole congregation that they have an Anerican pilgrim attending this special service. The people looked to me, smiled with approval and nodded their heads. I knew then that I would have to stay for the whole service. Fortunately the hike today was under 30 kilometers. Representatives from the police and military where among the dignitaries present and a police woman did the misic by singing a cappella. At the end of his message, the priest mentioned that I was the first pilgrim from America that he knew of to visit their church verifing its international importance. Mass was celebrated. More songs. I thought the service was coming to an end, when a dignitary came forward and presented two small silver crosses and gave a speach. Two priests among the special guests received the crosses, kissed them and also gave speaches. More songs. I had no idea what was going on. At the end everyone present was invited to come forward and to recieve a special blessing from the priests who were holding these crosses. People motioned to me with their hands to come forward as well. Fortunately the one priest spoke very good English. He is the parish priest from the Cathedral in Głogów. I told him that I did not understand what was happening. He explained that the dignitary who presented the two crosses had been a personal friend of Pope John Paul II and was now the Ambassador General for Religious Affairs on All Continents of the International Commission on Human Rights, Zbigniew Gretka. The two crosses were reliquaries containing relics of the late Pope John Paul II. There was a drop of his blood in the one and a piece of cloth from one of his robes in the other which he was holding. People then said that the American pilgrim needs to be blessed. Before I knew it, I was being blessed left and right with the reliquaries containing the Pope's blood and cloth. The priest holding the reliquary containing the drop of blood held it up for me to kiss... a special honor. I was really being strechted beyond my comfort zone as a Protestant, Pentecostal Pastor. So I bumped it with my nose while making a kiss motion lond of like Melania Trump did with her hat while making a kiss motion towards President Trump during his inauguration... the crowd was happy, but there was no lip contact. Afterwards this group photo was taken. Next to me to the left is the alter server, then Father Andrew who translated for me, in the black suit is the Ambassador, next to him the singer Emilie Reguła, then the parish priest with the St. James shell and the other priest who I believe was the chaplain for the police and military.

Photo: The St. James Church in Jakubów

After the service the parish priest invited me to come for tea and cake with the other guest. Time was ticking quickly. I was not sure whether I would be able to stay at a pilgrim house at my place of destination. I thought it was a monastery, but it was actually a prominent church dedicated to the honor of Mary. I had no way of making contact and wanted to get there by late afternoon. That was now no longer possible. Father Andrew sat across from me. I told him my concern. He knew the church and made a phone call: No, I was not registeted, yes, I could have a place to stay, there was a special service taking place that evening until 8.00 PM and I should just show up at the service. OK, I said. I was now more relaxed. There was another round of speaches. I then asked if Father Andrew could translate for me, and at the end of the meeting I was given the opportunity to say a few words. I spoke about my thoughts from St. Aldabert, how he preached to the pagan Prussians even though they did not want him to come there. He went anyway. I shared the story of St. James that it is said that he went to what was then known to be the end of the world to preach the message of Jesus. The Iberians there did not want to listen to him, but he preached anyway. I said that this is the Spirit of Jesus wanting all to know God's love for them, whether they will receive it or not... and this is my prayer for Poland that God would raise up a generation who would follow the heartbeat of Jesus to proclaim his message as Aldabert and James did, even in the face of opposition and resistance. In conclusion I said that I must now continue my journey and will speak to people I meet along the way... and that I will pray for Poland. They applauded, and I got my pilgrim stamp and was able to leave... three hours later than I had expected.

Photo 3: Emilie is the police officer who sang during the church service. She has a wonderful voice. I told her that God gives us the breath that we breath, and we give that breath back to him with our praise and worship. She wanted me to know that the few words that I said at tea/coffee time touched her heart in a special way. May she be one of those who will proclaim God's grace in Jesus to her generation and country.

Photo 4: Wall painting of the Last Supper at another church along the way...

Photo 5: I like this perspective showing the prophetic message of the Last Supper and its fulfillment on Good Friday.

Photo 1: Walking through Polish fields can also be a very beautiful experience.

Photo 2: Village church and old barn...

Not far from this spot was a pilgrim resting spot with a box that contained a stamp for the pilgrim pass. As I was sitting there looking at my hiking app to get my bearings, a car pulled up to the house next to the resting spot. Three older people got out. One lady called out to me whether I would like a cup of tea. I said yes and followed her invitation to go in the house. She made tea, then put two sausages on the table, then sandwiches, then tomatoes and pickles, then cake. It was much more than I could eat, and the other two did not help much. With help from the Googles translator, I thanked the lady for her kindness and the offered to sing my pilgrim song as a blessing. She consented. As I sang and then prayed, she began to cry. What I understood was that her husband had died on that day a number of years ago. The song of the Spirit touched her heart. It wad a special moment in the village of Zamysłów.

Photo 3: Late afternoon foot resting break...

Photo 4: Tower in the city of Głogów...

Photo 5: View of the castle and cathedral in Głogów. The Collegiate Church was originally built as an impressive basilica in the first half of the 13th century, built on the site of an earlier Romanesque stone church. Today it is still undergoing repairs and reconstruction due to damaged caused during World War II.

Photo 1: Franciscan Monastery in the city of Wscowa.

I was not sure if the monastery had pilgrim beds, so I booked a room in the Old City. Also I wanted to make sure I had a good internet connection to get my blog work updated. In some of the monasteries where I have stayed, that was not the case... thick stone walls.

I was the first one this morning at breakfast. A mystical sounding music was playing and a softly pleding voice was singing: "Don't go, don't go, don't go forever and ever. This is where you belong..." I invisioned in that moment how it must have been for heaven to watch as Adam and Eve took the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil and bit into the poison of disobediance. The clock of human history as we know it began to tick to the beat of death and sin. I can imagine that a wave of sad silence swelled over the angles in heaven.

Photo 2: I was fascinated by the stations of the cross at the monastery with the German title testifing to the German heritage to this area of Poland. This one says: "Jesus dies on the cross." What a shock this must have been as well for the angelic world before the throne of God. The cry from the dying Messiah on the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", was left unanswered. How could God become man, live a life without sin and then die the death of a condemned criminal? The Bible dies not say so, but I believe that there was again sad silence in heaven.

The last book of the Bible gives us a prophetic glimpse of the climactic fulfillment of time. A moment of silence is mentioned where God receives the prayers of his people before the last judgments are unleashed on earth. The very end is the new beginning. It commences with a shout from heaven... strong enough to raise the dead. He who sits on the throne will say: "It is done!" He will be able to say this, because the dying Messiah on the cross cried out with his last breath: "It is finished!" The painful clock of human history will be turned back to a new heaven and a new earth. God and mankind will once again be together, there where he belongs, forever and ever.

Photo 3: The Old City of Wscowa...

Photo 4: Umbrellas hanging over a city street...

Photo 5: Remembering the German march into Poland in 1939...

Photo 1: Early this morning I went into the St. Antonio Church in Leszno. I saw a lady there and asked her where I might get a pilgrim stamp. She montioned to go in one of the rooms at the front of the chuch. There I met two young alter servers, Carl and Amadeus. Carl spoke very good English. I told them about the Snail-Trail and Way of St. James and shared with them my story about following Jesus since I was their age. I offered to pray for them and their journey through life. While I was doing this, the priest, Brother Paul, walked in. He wanted to know if I was a priest and I told him that I was a pastor walking the camino through Poland. He stamped my pilgrim passport with the church’s seal. I then felt prompted to ask if I could sing my pilgrim song in the sanctuary. I said that it was a song sung out of the spirit, a form of worship and intercessory prayer. He agrreed and the four of us went into the sanctuary. After I sang, I prayed for the church, the priest, the city of Leszno and people of Poland. I believe God touched their hearts. It was another one of those special moments.

Photo 2: Street signs in Leszno

Photo 3: I saw a number of straw figures today, whether cows, sheep, minions or straw people, but I liked these of the chickens the best.

Photo 4: I had some rain today, but fortunately it was mostly a light rain.

Photo 5: My arrival in Wshowa where I would stay this evening and Sunday, my day of rest.

Photo 1: Today was quite uneventful. Probably the nicest thing I saw was this row of flowers blocking the walkway... much better than stinging nettle which I had earlier in the day on a stretch along the fields.

Photo 2: Changing of the weather... tomorrow there will be rain.

Photo 3: Village church

Photo 4: Walking and praying...

Photo 5: The last part of the hike was a nice stretch through the woods.