ON THE WAY!
FROM MY HOME NEAR MUNICH, GERMANY TO ATHENS, GREECE – 2250 KM
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Following Jesus...
I got to know Jesus by reading his biography, the first four books of the New Testament. I was 16. I often wondered how it would have been to actually walk with Jesus, hear his words and be part of his encounters with people. Certainly life changing. A bit of that I was able to experience on Snail-Trail 1 as I walked from my home in southern Germany to the west coast of Spain. It was an amazing experience. Even though I could not see Jesus, I sensed his presence, leading and enabling. I got to be a part of his encounters with people through conversations and prayers that I had with them.
Snail-Trail 2.0...
Following Jesus does not end by reaching a certain destination, completing a certain task or reaching a certain age. The call continues. The path leads on. My steps on Snail-Trail 2 will take me from my home near Munich, Germany, through Austria and the Balkan countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and Greece. I hope to arrive in Athens by the third week in October. I invite you to join me on this journey of walking with Jesus by way of the photos, thoughts and film clips on the blog.
Balkans...
This region of Europe has great needs. Seven of the ten poorest nations in Europe are in the Balkans. The past Balkan wars have left scars in the soul of the people and landmines in the ground in numerous areas. The recent mass movement of refugees through many of these nations, the financial crisis in the region and the aftermath of corona have taken their toll on the people and their welfare. Churches struggle with the exodus of the younger generation to the west in pursuit of a more secure future. Our prayer is that God’s kingdom will come and his will be done in the Balkans. Please join me in this prayer journey. You can find more information about each of the Balkan countries by way of this webpage put together by my colleague Kurt Plagenhoef in Albania. (Click on the different countries on the map “Target Countries”): www.balkanreach.org
Together...
Prayer: I would greatly appreciate your prayers as well… I will be needing it! This is not a marked pilgrim path like the St. James Way. There are not pilgrim hostels waiting at the end of each trek. Pray for God appointments, protection from wild animals and drivers, for strength for the journey, for hearts to be touched by God’s heart.
Project: If you would like to be a part of what the Assemblies of God is doing in the Balkans (church planting, children’s camps, student ministries, Bible School…), please click on this link to make an online donation: https://giving.ag.org/donate/600001-226052?class=88
You can make a one-time contribution or wait to see how far I go for a per kilometer pledge. Please click on the option “88 Snail Trail”. Many thanks!
Blog
Pause
Photos: Impressions from Kastoria
Kapshticë - Kastoria
Photo 1: There was a real nice foot path leading from the border from Albania that I followed for about two hours.
Photo 2: I met the shepherd of these sheep along the way. He was an older man, seasoned by life and the weather. He could only speak Greek. I said two words to him in Greek: "Theos" (God) and "agype" (love). He gave me a real big toothless smile...
Photo 3: Towards the end if the day I walked by this older woman with a walking stick. She tried to ask me something. I think she wanted to know where I was going. I motioned with my hands and said: "Germania - Athena". I then said: "Theos... agype!" She smiled and answered: "Bravo!" How can you help, but love these people like the toothless shepherd and the widowed grandma?
Photo 4: Kastoria... where I will be staying the next two nights.
Photo 5: I was real happy to make it to this point... an Import milestone for me. I thought if I could make it through Albania, then I could make it through Greece... God helping me.
Progër - Kapshticë
Photo: The one town I passed through today.
Pogradec - Progër
Photo 1: Yestetday evening Mentor posted a picture of him and me together on Facebook and mentioned that I was walking from my home in Germany to Athens, Greece. A friend of his by the name of Artin read it. Artin is a journalist and CNN representative for Albania. He called right away to ask if he could go an interview with me the next morning before I left town. This photo shows our filming session with Artin, me and Mentor who translated.
Photo 2: A screen shot from the news clip. (It rained this morning.) If you want to take a look, here are the links to the two instagram postings. I hope they work:
euro news:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_3tSx-NYxt/?igsh=MXBpY2Z3YXM1dDUxag==
Artin' personal instagram report:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_2O6zkJvzB/?igsh=MjR4dnFtNzV0ejdy
Photo 3: Finn is one of two young German men who are at CFN volunteering for one year. 49 years ago I also did a short term missions outreach to Venezuela. That was my start in overseas life and ministry. My message to young people: There is a whole world out there waiting for you to discover. Why not check out a corner or two while considering what purpose God might have for your life?
Photo 4: Small village I walked and prayed through towards the end of today's hike. (The rain stopped after about an hour.)
Photo 5: After the village I walked on this desolate sheep path. I loved it. When I saw three wild dogs, I sang out my pilgrim song. They left for higher ground. I did not think my singing was that bad!
Ohridsee - Pogradec
Photo 2: The whole stretch today, though, followed along the coast of Lake Ohrid. The weather was great and the view of the lake and mountains constant and beautiful. Along the way I had short talks with an older couple from Germany, a young couple from Hungary and a young Albanien waiter. It is always interesting the people you meet on a trip like this. Particularly the couple from Hungary was interested in my experiences on the pilgrim path The Way of St. James.
Photo 3: North Macedonia on the other side of the lake. I will not be going through North Macedonia, but used this opportunity to pray for God's work and will to be done and for the people living there.
Photo 4: A reminder of another time in history. Can you find the butterfly on this World War II bunker?
Photo 5: I stayed the evening at CFN (Christ for the Nations). Pastor Mentor Rama is the director for this center for discipleship, Bible training and Christian conferences.
Librazhd - Ohridsee
It was another long hike today, 43 kilometers and 1087 altitude meters. About 95% of the hiking was on highway SH 3 and most of the climb was at the end. Hikers just love that! What a way to celebrate reaching the 2/3 milestone. But at the end of the stretch, there was glory. More about that later.
There was just one small encounter I had with someone today. In the afternoon I stopped at a fruitstand to buy a few pieces of fruit and vegetables. After I paid, the salesperson asked where I was heading. He was amazed when I said I was walking from Munich to Athens. I then pointed to heaven, made the sign of a heart, tapped my chest and said "Isa" (Jesus) and pumped my bicept muscle. I am not sure what he understood, but he then grabed a large handful of plumbs and insisted that I take them... which I did. They were good.
Photo 1: I do not know what this building originally was. It stands vacant and lady bugs were painted all over the walls. It has become kind of a landmark for the town Prrenjas just before starting the climb over the mountain.
Photo 2: This is it. It would be about 7 kilometers from the base to the top.
Photo 3: On the way up I went by a vacant gas station that had a great view of the valley below and surrounding villages. I stopped to sign my pilgrim song of blessing. Shortly thereafter I went by this shepherd. We could not communicate, just shook hands, looked each other in the eyes and smiled... two pilgrims from two completely different worlds meeting on the side of a mountain.
Photo 4: I said it before: "If you want to see the glory of God, you have to be willing to climb the mountain."
Photo 5: View towards Lake Ohrid on the other side of the mountain.
Elbasan - Librazhd
It rained all night and through the early hours of morning. I was glad that it stopped before I started today's hike. I had seen so many dried up waterways the past days. Now they are filling back up with water. Parts of the mountain paths that I have taken are actually run offs for water. I decided not to take the mountain path today, but to stay on the road. It was not so nice for walking, but saved me about 17 kilometers and 650 altitude meters of hiking. That was probably good for me, though, after the long stretch yesterday.
Photo 1: There are many pomegranate trees in Albania
Photo 2: I enjoyed walking through the center of Elbasan.
Photo 3: Right at lunchtime I was able to take a side road through a small village. All of a sudden I was surrounded by a group of children. They wanted to know where I was going. I asked if I could take their picture. They said yes, made a pose, but half ran away when I took my camera out. Communication was very limited. I made the sign of a heart, tapped on my chest and said "Isa" (Jesus). One girl seemed to understand and explained to the others what I wanted to say. May God reach the hearts of the children in Albania...
Photo 4: For well over an hour I walked through a major road contruction site. It look like they were wanting to contain a river and make an expressway out of the highway. A young man at one construction point called out to me. He also wanted to know where I was going and then how I liked Albania. I said that his country is very beautiful and that I see a lot of contruction taking place here and there. I then added: "There is hope for Albania to have a better future, but it needs its young people to stay to build it." He responded: "We all want to leave." This is Albania. I then explained that I am a pilgrim and am walking with Jesus, whether he knows Jesus as well. "I am a Muslim," was his answer. I told him that the Koran speaks of Jesus being the Messiah and explained how that is different than just being a prophet. I prayed for the young man that he might know this blessing of Abraham given to us in Jesus. May God reach the hearts of the younger generation in Albania...
Photo 5: I was glad to make it to Librazhd before it rained.
Tirana - Elbasan
Walking through Tirana, my green line led me again to a guarded residencial area. Once more I called my colleague Kurt Plagenhof to explain to the watchman what was doing. This time the guard let me through. He had no idea how I could get to Greece by walking that way, and I was sure whether there would be an exit where I needed it. Much of the gated community was still under contruction, and perhaps the back gate was not built yet, but I got through and continued on my way towards Greece.
Photo 2: Artistic graffiti on the wall of an underpass.
Photo 3: Once I left the city limits of Tirana, the traffic was not so bad, and eventually I got on a nice trail that led me through the mountains.
Photo 4: The mountain path took me along the ridge to the left of the expressway. I really enjoyed being off the road and away from the traffic.
Photo 5: This curios donkey was probably wondering what kind of a donkey I was carrying a load like that on my back...
I booked a room at a place just before the city of Elbasan. The house belongs to a Muslim family. The 17 year old daughter speaks good English. She asked me how I was doing. I told her that I was quite tired from the long hike, and the asked how her day was. She said it was her first day back at school, new class, new people, and mentioned that she has trouble speaking with people and making friends. I shared with her my story of not being able to speak correctly and the fear I had of relating to people I did not know, and how Jesus helped me speak correctly and set me free from the fear of people. I asked her if she knew Jesus. To my surprise she said yes. Even though her parents are Muslims, she and her sister said yes to Jesus a number of yes ago. I was then able to encouage her in her faith and prayed for her journey in life and that God would help her in relating to people as he did me.
Pause/Godi
Photo 1: Pastor Berry Ogden, to my right, has been involved in ministry outreach in Albania for thirty years and the pastor of this church for about twenty years. It is one of the strongest evangelical churches in the whole country. Little did I know, but Pastor Berry also comes from my home city in the USA, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was sent out from Montgomery Assembly of God, now called Summit City Church. I know the church well. Pastor Rodney Dukes back then was the first pastor to sign a monthly pledge form towards my ministry support when I first went to Germany in 1981 as an unmarried Missionary in Training. It was great connecting with Pastor Berry... a touch of home. If only the Cincinnati Begals had won their season opener today!
To my left is Çimi. He took me out for lunch after the service to have an authenic Albanian meal. While we ate, Çimi shared his story with me. He grew up under the influence of an athiestic communistic regime. His family had a Muslim background. With the political changes that took place in Albania, Çimi began to question whether there might truly be a God. He first searched in the Koran and the Islamic traditions and faith of his forefathers for answers, but felt that something was missing. He then turned to the Bible and found what he was looking for, real spiritual life and the God connection through Jesus. Çimi then sought out some Christians to learn from them, later went to a Bible School where he met his wife, and had been a pastor for a number of years. Now he assists in the ministry of the International Church in Tirana.
Video/photo 2: Church service on Sunday