Well we´re moving on up...

So after the horrible accomodations in Hospital de la Condesa, we have had two wondeful albergues!! Night before last we stayed in Casa Olga - it was like staying at your grandma´s house. We had real towels, sheets, a comforter, only three to a room, a clean bathroom, hot water, and did our laundry for us. It doesn´t get better than that huh? She was wonderful. We also met an amazing woman from Colorado and shared the room with her. We laughed like we haven´t laughed since we have been on the trip. It is funny how English humor doesn´t carry over into other languages. Toni is always trying to be funny and no one even cracks a smile. However, this American girl did and she is FUNNY!! What a treat!!

Our albergue last night was great and the one tonight is as well. We have decided the bad one was to remind us of how great they all are and that we are blessed wherever we are.

We saw the French couple that has been SO helpful from day one and we found out we will finish the same day as them. We have arranged to take a picture with them in front of the Cathedral in Santiago. We almost cried at the dinner table tonight when we found out we would start and finish with them. They have been such a blessing. Ironically, we only learned their names because of the American girl two days ago.

Although we are tired of walking and ready to be there, we are sad that this journey is coming to an end and are curious as to how we will acclimate back into the stress and chaos that we live in. It will definitely be interesting.

As you know, I have talked alot about how we have to go up a long way only to come back down twice as far to go up three times as far. I tell Toni all the time, ¨we go to the depths of Hell only to go back up in one hour.¨ however, today she found an application of this process so I can´t complain anymore. The application: our lives have many ups and downs. While walking on the flat ground, we don´t use as many muscles. In the same way, as our lives test us and we go up and down, if we only stay on the easy, flat ground we don´t stretch our physical, spiritual, or mental muscles. Therefore, we need the ups and downs to keep our muscles strong and our bodies ready of anything.

We only have four more days of walking and we can hardly believe it. Continue to pray for strength, endurance, and peace. Toni is still sending her backpack as her ankle is still sore. It is an act of faith daily to trust that the bag will be there. Today we sent it with a couple that was taking a taxi because the man fell in the shower and hurt his ribs. He took this trip 29 years ago and is taking it now with his wife. They speak Flemish and a Spanish girl spoke German to them so that we could find out how they were getting to Portomarin. They took Toni´s bag in the taxi with them and left it here where we are staying. It is amazing how many people come at just the right time and most of the time we never know their names. The Lord works for the good of those who love Him.

Story: several days ago we were walking between villages and come upon a village where we heard a little girl voice singing, Ë I E I O¨ with her grandfather. We were not walking together really, I was in front a bit and both of us were brought to tears. The innocence in the voice of a familiar song was SO swet. Ironically, I had just finished reading in Matthew about how Jesus told his disicples to have the faith of a child. We all need that childlike faith that is hard to find once you have lived in the synical world. May you all and we find the faith of a child, of a mustard seed.

FYI: A bird pooped on me again today. Man am I lucky or what? That is only the second time in my WHOLE life that that has happened. How funny that on this trip it would happen twice. Unbelievable.

We are going from mountain village to mountain village and sharing the road with many cows. Yes, this means cow poop and it appears that most of them are sick if you know what I mean. However, today we had the privilege of watching a woman herd her cattle on the road. We waited for 20 minutes for her to get them where they belonged. She had such a great command of them. What if we allowed the Lord to lead us so easily? We are too stubborn and don´t listen to His voice. We are sheep, not cows.

We love you all,