Sun Oct 1^st : In Lawrence I found the K-U campus. A couple towns ago I received a contact to stay with in one of the scholarship halls. While walking around town I stumbled upon a soup kitchen where I was invited in to have lunch. Found a church and went to mass, and then slept at the scholarship hall. “The most powerful way to change the world is to change ourselves.”

 

Mon Oct 2^nd : Got on the news and in the paper. Went to Rotary and have been invited to speak to a college class tomorrow, pretty neat, it is a 200 – 300 student class, first time I will speak to a college class. At Rotary I met a man who was in Kenya at the opening of an AIDS home that I was also at the same day, how interconnected we all are! I spoke to Father and he is letting me stay in an empty house next to the church while I am in town.

 

Tue Oct 3^rd : Woke before sunrise and walked about two miles to get to the optimist club meeting. It is fun in the mornings to walk and watch the world waken. As I go thru towns I am quickly learning how to find my way around. Armed with a map I am good to go. When it is still dark I need to use my flashlight to reflect the street signs, or wait for a cars headlight to hit the sign for me. It is an enjoyable challenge as long as I am not too hungry or have to use the bathroom. It is convenient outside of town to go to the bathroom, not so easy to find a place in town if stores are closed. At optimists I met Suzy, she has invited me tomorrow night to speak to some students who are planning to go to Kenya . When I was walking back into town a lady pulled over, she had seen me on the news, and gave me a donation for the library. I have been having this happen more frequently as I take the time to get on TV or the paper and get the word out about my mission. Went to the K-U campus to speak to a class and really enjoyed the atmosphere, the students look so young though! I am looking forward to getting back to school after the hike and library are completed and immersing myself in studies. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” (William Yeats)  After class I met a man who was sitting peacefully under a tree selling books, we talked about an hour about our lives and living deliberately for God. A neat quote that reminds me of this man, how he trusts in God and how this relates to hiking. “ Often we want a map, when all we need is a compass to ask for guidance and trust.”

 

Wed Oct 4^th : Spoke to two more clubs today. My greatest challenge continues to be how I can most effectively convey my message to touch people’s hearts and impact them in a positive way.

 

Thur Oct 5^th : After speaking to a morning club I walked to the next town. From there I met up with a Kenyan lady who had contacted me and wanted to meet me. Isabelle brought me to her home, introduced me to her family and fed me a delicious Kenyan meal. As the hike is evolving I am walking thru less desolate areas into higher populated areas and I am finding myself having less quiet time for prayer. Out west it was wonderful to focus so intently on my relationship with Christ, now I am finding it harder as the hike seems more complicated. I find that I like to simplify things and when life feels overcomplicated I feel I distant myself, not purposely, from Christ. It is good to work on finding peace within whether I am in a desolate or busy atmosphere. “ Nothing hinders the Lord from being all mine, let nothing hinder me from being all His.”

 

Fri Oct 6^th : Isabelle will meet me in a couple of days to walk with me thru Kansas City . Had a lovely walk and found a great place to sleep next to a creek. The full moon woke me at 3AM , it was so bright I thought it was early morning.

 

Sat Oct 7^th : Walked without stopping till I got to the state line. For the last 7 miles had a man walk with me, he is from Central America, working to help his family back home and living on the streets. We are similar in that we walk to benefit others, he walked 5 days along the Rio Grande to get into the country. “ Joy is not in things; it is in us.” (Richard Wagner) A family that I grew up around lives out here so I will be staying with them as I walk thru the city.

 

Sun Oct 8^th : Fun at the pumpkin patch!

 

Mon Oct 9^th : Visited at CFCA and went home with a woman who sponsors one of the students I taught in Timau.

 

Tue Oct 10^th : Left CFCA with a couple people from there walking a ways with me. Then met Isabelle and we walked a couple of hours together.  It drizzled throughout the afternoon and into the night. I found a church with a sign that said, friendly people inside. There was no one there but I decided that they would not mind if I used their backyard to camp in.

 

Wed Oct 11^th : I stayed dry and warm thru the night, my clothes are still damp from yesterday and exude a funky smell, but it feels good to be walking. This afternoon I walked straight to friends house.

 

Thur Oct 12^th : Am sipping coffee and catching up on getting my journal typed before I continue walking today.   

Fri Oct 13^th : I’m becoming a lazybones now that it is getting chillier, I like to stay in my sleeping bag until the sun warms me. I walked to Wellington and stopped in a gas station/café. There was a sign on a case of cookies that made me chuckle, “One for 35 cents or two for a dollar. That’s a real deal! Walked to Lexington, it’s a beautiful day, a blue sky above and the crunching sound of my feet walking through the colorful leaves. Received a treat by getting to walk beside the Missouri river for the first time. Once in town I went straight to the library, the librarian called both of the local papers and I interviewed with them at the library. Then I went to the church to speak to the priest, but no one was home so I went and slept next to the battlefield of Lexington.

 

Sat Oct 14^th : I met Father Steve in the morning. What a caring priest, we spoke awhile about what I am doing and then he arranged a family for me to stay with. He even invited me to come to confession before mass, it is so encouraging to meet a priest who is enthusiastic and on fire for Christ! Walked around town, Lexington is having an apples, arts and antiques festival. I got to watch a parade and enjoyed the festive atmosphere and good food. After mass Father let me say what I am doing to the congregation and then I stayed afterwards and prayed the Rosary in Spanish with a Mexican family (I do not know Spanish but had a cheat-cheat list). The family I will be staying with for the next couple of days picked me up and brought me to their home.

 

Sun Oct 15^th :  After speaking at mass I spent the day at the Millers, they invited Father Steve and we all sat around sharing stories and discussing Amendment two, which is very deceiving about cloning. It is scary to see how laws can be created to purposely be confusing to voters. Went to the “dead theologans society” meeting, what a neat idea. Some of the youth met up in the dimly candlelit bell tower and after pulling the rope to gong the bell, started the meeting with prayer, song and then told a story about a particular saint. I didn’t want to leave, it was very lovely.

 

Mon Oct 16^th : How amazing it is the generosity I receive from people, I have been given keys to the house, keys to the car and even one of the daughters cell phones so I can get a hold of them if I need to.

 

Tue Oct 17^th : Spoke all day to classes at the high school and also to the Lions club. I am so inspired by the incredible family I am staying with, they pray the Rosary together every night.

 

Wed Oct 18^th : Spoke at the middle school, and then back at the house the girls drew a pumpkin face on my bright orange shirt so I am ready for Halloween. J  I helped the girls make some dinner and then drove back to Wellington to speak to the Lions club. They voted at the meeting to give me $100, then decided to make it instead $200…I like that! When I got back to the Millers they presented me with a generous donation for the library and presented me with a beautiful Benedictine cross.

 

Thur Oct 19^th : After mass Father blessed my cross, explained about my scapular, gave me holy water and some Miraculous medals as well as literature to give out about amendment two, oh, and a bumper sticker on my pack about the amendment. I feel very Catholic! I love the Catholic faith, it is really as simple as saying it is the greatest love story that ever existed and that God wants us all to desire to be with Him for eternity. It is chilly so I walked quickly and effortlessly to Waverly where I stayed with a family who happens to know my Aunt and Uncle. We didn’t realize that connection until over an hour into our conversation!

“If you approach each new person in a spirit of adventure, you will find yourself endlessly fascinated by the new channels of thought and experience and personality that you encounter.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Fri Oct 20^th : I was invited to speak to a school this morning, as I walked up the students came outside and welcomed me with a big, “hello Debbie”. That was a neat surprise J  I walked towards Marshall, it is a beautiful warm day so I slowed down, looking at insects and taking pictures. I saw half a dozen snakes, lots of raccoons and some neat millipedes. A large friendly dog followed me about a mile, then as soon as it disappeared two small dogs walked with me. They are fun to watch and even scared off a skunk that came out onto the road, without even getting sprayed. At dusk the one dog turned around but the other dog stayed by my side the rest of the night. After I put up the tent I heard him barking and growling at everything that made a noise for the first hour. I am sure he must saved me from something ferocious! Because I dawdled while I walked today I need to wake up at 3:30 to walk 7 miles to get to the optimist club meeting by 7 AM.

 

Sat oct 21^st : The dog was still by my tent this morning so I fed it and then walked in the dark for 3 hours. Enjoyed the stars and lots of shooting stars, it is so easy to thank God with all the beauty that is surrounding me. I got to the meeting with 3 minutes to spare, the waitress is going to take the dog back to where I described it started following me from. After the meeting a nice couple was going to take me to the library, but it was closed for another hour so they drove me around on a tour of their town. I got to see the grave of Jim the wonder dog, I remember having read a story a long time ago about this incredible dog. After checking email at the library I walked in the rain to church. Father is going to let me speak after the masses and then I will stay with Ann and Paul.

 

Sun Oct 22^nd : Ate lunch with a family from church and learned more about the town.

 

Mon Oct 23^rd : Once again people teach me so much by the level of generosity they show me. Ann and Paul are letting me use their car while I am in town to get around to speak  to the service clubs and school and are feeding me so that I need to get walking again or I will be rolling.

 

Tue Oct 24^th : I helped Ann cut up and grind her load of peppers from the garden.

 

Wed Oct 25^th : Spoke all morning to the grade school.

 

Thur Oct 26^th : I went to the garage sale Ann and her friends are putting on. As I am in town the limit of my wardrobe is very obvious, it makes planning what I want to wear easy and the carrying of my pack light. Ann has extended my sparse outfit choices by  letting me wear some of her sweatshirts.

“The widest thing in the universe is not space, it is the potential capacity of the human heart. Being made in the image of God; it is capable of almost unlimited extension in all directions. And one of the worlds greatest tragedies is that we allow our hearts to shrink until there is room in them for little besides ourselves.” –A.W. Tozer

 

Fri Oct 27^th : After speaking at the senior center I continued walking. Ann wanted to walk with me but her knee is bad. Has been cloudy all day, but right before evening the massive blanket of a cloud moved on to a clear sky. I slept out and stayed warm enough, but the mornings are hard to get going! Have seen 5 deer.

 

Sat Oct 28^th : Made it to Boonville in time to speak to Father and receive permission to speak at mass. After mass a newly married couple invited me to stay with them in their home for the night.

“ To fall in love with God is the greatest of romances! To seek Him is the greatest of all adventures! To find Him is the greatest of all human achievements.” – Raphael Simon

 

Sun Oct 29^th : Maureen, a parishioner,  invited me for breakfast after mass. I will stay with her to speak to service clubs until I leave town Thur morning.

 

Tues Oct 31^st : Happy Halloween, I went up to watch the parade. Children followed the high school marching band all in costume before they continued trick or treating. Sat with Maureen on her porch and handed out candy. Since it is the eve of All Saints day here is a neat quote.

“When death, the great reconciler, has come, it is never our tenderness that we regret, but our severity.” – George Eliot