02. Nov 2025

San Roque - Cape Finisterre

Video: Thanks so much for being part of the journey! When you make a video like this where you mention thanks to different people and groups, you are bound to forget someone. Astrid and I have been so grateful to our many friends, family and the churches from several different ministry networks who have prayed for us and supported us through all the years. In mentioning the states where churches have been partners with us, I for instance forgot to mention Michigan. My expenses from walking the Snail-Trail these past four months were covered by our ministry account through AGWM and that was possible because of your financial support to that account. You truely have been part of our life and ministry in Germany and the Snail-Trail walk, and we want to say thanks!

Photo 1: Today was another mix of sun, rain and wind. It was my hope that at least on the cape we could enjoy the experience and the views... and that is how it was. Today was the last day on the trail with Peter.

Photo 2: Kilometer 0.0 marking the end of the Camino to Cape Finisterre. According to the legend of St. James, the Apostel James had traveled to what was thought to be the end of the world to proclaim the message of Christ. If any part of the legend is true, it is that the people in Spain were not interested in hearing what the apostel had to say. Allegedly after St. James was beheaded, his physical remains were first laid to rest in Finisterre and then hundreds if years later buried in the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Because of this connection between Santiago and Finisterre in the legend of St. James, many pilgrims will continue on to the coast after visiting Santiago and some will also include a walk to another coastal town called Muxia. This is what I plan to do.

Photo 3: Pilgrims in the middle ages would often bring back a shell from Finisterre to prove that they had made it all the way there AND back. There were no buses, trains or airplanes back then. I so much had hope to find my own "St. James" shell on the beach of Finisterre and was very happy when I did.

Photo 4: Memorial to the pilgrim hiker's shoe. The gluing and taping of the tips of my shoes seemed to help. I made it through the whole pilgrimage up to today with the same pair of shoes! I am sure they will last for the last two hikes to Muxia.

Photo 5: The cross on Cape Finisterre. Even though it is very unlikely that St. James ever made it to Spain, the legend and history of the pilgrimage has drawn thousands and millions of poeple through the ages to walk the St. James Path. Many who do will have a God experience somewhere along the way... or at the end. That is how it was for Philipp, a Frenchman just a few years younger than me, whom I met at the hostel where I stayed in Finisterre. The deep lines edged in his face showed that life had not always been so easy for him. We ate dinner together. I shared my story and listened to his. Philipp wanted to know more about what it means to walk with Jesus. I took time to explain God's grace and plan of salvation from Adam in the garden to Jesus on the cross. Philipp was looking for orientation. I told him that it was the work of the Holy Spirit at creation to give a godly order to chaos to enable life to emerge. The Holy Spirit does the same in our lives. He breaths in God's order, God's kingdom in our soul, so that new spiritual life can come forth. The light in the soul is turned on which sin had turned off. Philipp prayed that Jesus would come and turn the light on in his soul. What a great way to end the Camino on the "end of the earth"!

Milestone: Kilometer 0.0 to Cape Finisterre
Milestone: 9× Mt. Everest