21. Jun 2025

Kivi-Virgala - Pärnu-Jaagupi

Knocked down, but not knocked out...

I was walking on a dirt road yesterday, enjoying the hike and the day when suddenly... it happened. I fell. I hat spotted a low stone wall and thought about taking a short break and sitting on it. In that moment my foot hit a pothole in the road or a rock or both. Down I went. My right hand took the brunt of the fall, then my nose hit the ground. Now I know why I carry a first aid kit! After cleaning the wound with my drink water mixed with orange juice and stopping the blood flow from my hand, a car drove by. I was sitting on the ground with blood on my face and surrounded by bloody toilet paper. The driver looked at me and continued on. I guess I did not look desperate enough. I called the Lutheran Minister from the hostel connected with the Lutheran Church in Kivi-Vigala where I had planned to stay the night. She was unfortunately out of town, but she contacted her co-worker from the next town where I was planning to stay Saturday night. Her name is Epp. She is active in the St. James Society in Estonia and manages the church office in Pärnu-Jaagupi. Together with her husband Alan from Scottland, they came to pick me up. I continued walking to the main road where they could easily find me. They took me to the emergency care in their town. Two women went to work on me and sowed three stitches in my right hand. They warned me that it would hurt when they pushed the needle through my skin. It did... felt like a bee sting three times in the same spot. I sang my pilgrim song softly as they pulled the threads together. Afterwards I asked Epp to translate for me. I thanked the two emergency care workers for stitching me up and said a prayer of blessing for them. God's presence touched all of our hearts in that moment. This time I said it: Epp, Alan and the ladies at the emergency care... "They made my day! By the way, such an emergency treatment is free in Estonia. My thanks go to the country's taxpayers!

Walking with Jesus does not mean that there will never be pain on the path. It means that the power of the resurrection will be there to help us get back up and continue on. Perhaps there is someone reading these words and you needed to hear this...

Photo 3: One of the ladies at the emergency care

Photo 4: I look like I lost a fight, but I am still standing. I felt a lot better after a good night's rest. Since I am already at what would have been my destination point for today, I decided to just stay here and take an extra day of rest to allow my wounds to stabelize. Snail-Trail 3.0 will now only be 85 stages instead of 86...

Photo 5: Epp and Alan, my rescuers in a time of need.