24. Aug 2023

Šćepan Polje - Plužine

Video: Very scenic road leading through the Piva River Canyon. I wanted to get an eary start today, because I knew it would be getting hot in the afternoon. I had a room with breakfast, but breakfast was not until 8.00. In reality it was not ready until twenty after. While I was waiting a lady from Germany sat down across from me. I met her and her family the evening before. She had some questions about what kind of a church I am a pastor of. I said that I am a pastor of a Pentecostal Church. In Germany Pentecost Sunday and Monday are a national holiday. In our area of Germany it is the start of a two week school vacation. But many people do not know what happened on the Day of Pentecost or why we celebrate it. I explained that on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit filled the first followers of Jesus with power to enamble them to live for Jesus and do the things he called them to do. It was the birth of the Christian Church. I then shared my story of how the Holy Spirit filled me fifty years ago, set me free from the fear of speaking and has enabled me to do what I do. Pentecost ist the root of Christianity. When we get back to the root, we will have the fruit.

Shortly before this bridge going over the Piva River Canyon, I met three Germans who had parked their car so they could walk to the bridge. We talked briefly and I was able to say a prayer of blessing for them.

Photo 1: Montenegro means "Black Mountains". There are many of them.

Photo 2: On the path today I needed to walk through 56 tunnels! Some were very short, others long and dark. I had my emergency reflecting vest on my backpack and wore a head flashlight. I actually looked forward to going through a tunnel, because it was cooler there.

Photo 3-4: The Piva River is dammed at one point to create this very beautiful water reservoir.

I still had a little more than a hour to walk and was almost out of water. I was trying to ration it the past two hours and was getting very thirsty. There had been one water spring after about 45 minutes at the beginning of the hike, but after that no water/drink resources along the way. I asked God if he could send me an angel with water. Shortly after that a car honked at me. That usually happens a number of times during the day. Some want to encourage me and give the thumbs up sign. This time I turned around and made a drinking motion. The car actually stopped. The driver handed me a plastic bag with two 500ml bottles of water, one energy drink and two Mars candy bars... all cold. I said it was too much, I just needed one bottle of water. He said it was from God and pushed the bag through the window and drove off. I did not know whether I should laugh or cry. I had never in my life drank an energy drink. I guess if God provided it, he knew what I needed!

Photo 5: End point for today - Plužine