03. Sep 2026

Schengen - Siersburg

Photo 1: The only poppy in the field... rediating the glory of God given to its flower nature. One is a lonely number, but when you walk with Jesus, you are never alone. That spirit-life nature given to us through the God connection radiates the glory of God to anyone who might pass by.

Photo 2: Church steeple pointing the way to heaven. Paul wrote in his letters that the people of God are a temple for God's Spirit. May our life give orientation to those seeking the God connection.

Photo 3: Malbrouck Castle originally built in the 15th century, not far from the small town Manderen in France.

When I got up this moring after sleeping in the picnic shelter, I though how nice it would be to have a cup of hot tea. After I walked by the castle and entered Manderen, I saw two women walking and coming up the hill. They were interested in where I was coming from and going to. The one lady recognized the Camino logo on my hat and said that she would be leaving the next day to do six stages of the Camino in France. We continued walking up the hill together. The walk was part of her training for the Camino that would start the next day. The rwo women are neighbors. When we got to where they live, the Camino lady invited me to have a cup of tea with some cookies. There was that cup of tea I wanted to have this morning. The two women also put together a lunch packet for me for which I was very grateful. There had been no food stores along the way and the next one I would not see until the evening. God is good. I had a good talk with the Camino lady while I drank my tea and then prayed for her and blessed her for her next stage of the Way of St. James. She said that it was no coincidence that this encounter happened today. I thought that as well.

Photo 4: Along the French - German border were old border stones and sculptures which made the walk interesting. This depiction shows a border stone from 1830 with two massive stones resting and weighing over them. It was titled "Germany - Allemagne". To me it represented the two heavyweights in European history who were the cause of war and much suffering. France had their Napoleon and Germany their Hitler. Now the abide in peace side by side. May it stay that way...

Photo 5: The last stretch of the walking became very narrow and then along a river almost impassable. Several times I had to take my backpack off to maneuver around fallen trees and other obsticles. It was obvious that the path is no longer used much, but I made it. That's the main thing at the end of a day... I made it!

Sidenote: Today was day 80 on the Snail-Trail.