28. Jun 2025

Milngavie - Glasgow

Video: "Pastor David singing Psalm 103:1-2 in Gaelic"
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is an indigenous Celtic language with roughly 70,000 speakers. Predating the arrival of English, it is the historic language of the Highlands and Islands.

Photo 1: Invitation to "The Way", a Christian ecumenical service at the Church of Scotland St. Paul's in Milngavie...
It was a wonderful time of worship and Pastor David who sang the Gaelic song of praise, was also the guest speaker. There is an expectancy among the Scottish believers that God will awaken the sleeping giant, the church, to rise up to its destiny to be the voice of a loving God to a country that so much needs to hear it.

Photo 2: "Jenny and John Walley with their three children"
I had met Jenny at a Prayer Retreat in Portstewart, North Ireland the last week of March. She invited me then to be part of their weekend when I would be passing through the Glasgow area. The West Highland Way actually starts/ends in Milngavie where they live. Yesterday evening Jenny had invited a number of people from her church to come for dinner and listen to my pilgrim stories. It was a very special evening.

Photo 3: My hosts for the weekend were Fiona and Steve Parratt. It was worth every step it took to get there. After two weeks of walking, enduring rain, wind and midges, it was nice to have a place to be like home for the two days.

Photo 4: "Bearsden Baptist Church"
This is where the Walleys attend church. Jenny asked me to share with the teen group this morning, which I was very glad to do.

Photo 5: Sundays are a day where I reflect on the week. It started in Fort Williams at what is usually the end point of the West Highland Way. I would walk the 171 kilometers and 5564 altimeters in six days. These past two weeks I walked popular hiking routes in Scotland and had more talks and prayers with people than I can count and remember. Next week will be different...