Pilgrim's Prayer

O God, who brought your servant Abraham out of the land of the Chaldeans, protecting him in his wanderings, who guided the Hebrew people across the desert, we ask that you watch over us, your servants, as we walk in the love of your name to Santiago de Compostela.

Be for us our companion on the walk,
Our guide at the crossroads,
Our breath in our weariness,
Our protection in danger,
Our albergue on the Camino,
Our shade in the heat,
Our light in the darkness,
Our consolation in our discouragements,
And our strength in our intentions.

So that with your guidance we may arrive safe and sound at the end of the Road and enriched with grace and virtue we return safely to our homes filled with joy.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Apostle Santiago, pray for us.
Santa Maria, pray for us.

Tomorrow

We will arrive in Santiago tomorrow morning. It sounds so surreal to say that and even more so to write it. It's funny how we've known the destination of our journey all along but the idea of actually arriving is so overwhelming. We've always known that we would somehow end up in Santiago de Compostela at the Cathedral where St. James is buried. We knew we would obtain our Compostelas that signify our accomplishment, we knew we would attend the Pilgrim Mass held at noon, and we knew there would be many graces given to us. But we never could have known how we would be so changed. How thirty days of walking and living a simple life and appreciating the smallest things would affect who we are. I think I can speak for all of us in that this journey has affected us profoundly and it will continue to do so. I hope I never forget the beauty of this place, but most of all the real friendships that have sprung up so unexpectedly, the true caring and sacrifice and vulnerability that we have shown one another. We are all suffering and struggling and so much is unclear, but we are never alone.  God speaks to us in so many ways, and sometimes He has shouted at us, but mostly He speaks in a small whispering sound. He changes our hearts and our minds and puts people in our paths and without us even noticing, something beautiful has happened. Thank you for all of your prayers. We have carried you in our hearts and minds and we will be laying all these intentions down in Ssntiago tomorrow. I can't believe I will be there in twelve hours. Praise God.

Almost there!

Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates! We are doing great! We are now in the province of Galicia and we're loving the mountains, the mist, and the cooler temperatures. A week ago we were in the beautiful city of Leon, finally out of the Meseta, and it's hard to believe that we are 5 (or 6) days from Santiago. In the past week, we visited the cathedral of Leon, enjoyed the chocolate of Astorga, but most importantly we made new friends. We stopped at a parochial albergue in a small town called Foncebadon at the suggestion of our friend Michelle, a man from Italy walking the Camino for his young son who needs a kidney transplant. Michelle prepared a delicious Italian dinner for the pilgrims staying at the albergue, and we met Kennet from Denmark (previously known as Hat Guy for his tendency to wear his hat at all times- even in the albergue & bar) and Nicholas from London. Now, several days later, we feel like we've known our Camino family forever. Yesterday we climbed the second most intense mountain of the Camino into Galicia. We couldn't believe how beautiful it was. Spain has so many different regions that every day holds something new and special. I'm so grateful for the ways that God has worked in our lives and we know that the next week will be intense but so beautiful. We couldn't have imagined the things that we've seen & experienced and we are so grateful but please pray for us to be open to everything in these last days!

Salve Regina

Yesterday was one of my favorite Camino days so far. We left Boadilla at 5:30am and walked under the stars. We stumbled upon cafes at the perfect times, the weather was surprisingly cool, and for some reason we just flew as we walked the 26km to Carrion de Los Condes. I wanted to stay in the first albergue because it was attached to a convent where St Francis of Assisi stayed when he walked the Camino. We made it to the albergue before it filled up & everything was perfect. Free wifi at the bar down the street didn't hurt either! Carrion is a bigger town & we were thrilled to find more than one decently sized super mercado to stock up at and after wandering around, napping, and eating a simple dinner we went to Mass. First, we went to explore the convent's chapel and amazingly they were having adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. After some time in prayer we went to the church for Mass where they were also having adoration. It was do beautiful and I really experienced God's loving presence and His desire for us to continue the Camino. It was exactly what we needed and so much more. Deacon Joe was able to serve at Mass as deacon, even reading the Gospel! Pictures to come. A community of sisters provided the music and after a really touching mass attended by many pilgrims the sisters sang a song they wrote while the priest individually blessed each pilgrim. There were over 60 pilgrims present, some Catholic, some not, but it was incredibly beautiful to watch the faces of the pilgrims and see the peace & joy on their faces. God is so good & so loving and He just wants us to let Him love us. After the blessing, the priest & sisters lead us in singing the Salve Regina before a statue of the Blessed Mother from the 13th century. This was the third or fourth time we've sung the Salve on the Camino and it is so wonderful to be able to join in singing a hymn to Mary in Latin with people from all over the world. She is really with us, guiding and protecting us and we are so grateful. Today we walked to Terradillos de Los Templarios and we're happily enjoying the garden (there are kittens!) and waiting for dinner. Today is the halfway point for miles/kilometers and hopefully the rest of this journey will be as fruitful & interesting as the first.

The Meseta

Different people, in different ways, say that the Camino is like life. Ups & downs, joys & sorrows, persevering & struggling- it's almost a cliche. Nevertheless, it is very true. Two days ago we were in Burgos, home to the second largest cathedral in Spain, and today we are two days into our walk in the Meseta; a desert that lasts for seven days. We've been nervous about the Meseta since the beginning and it really is hot and dry and difficult. But as the cliche goes, there are deserts & mesetas in our lives, just like the Camino. For me, the thing about the Camino is that it is actually pretty simple. You wake up, you eat/drink cafe if you can, you walk, you stop & rest/eat, you walk, you rest etc., find an albergue, shower & wash clothes, nap/find wifi, go to Mass if possible, eat again, sleep- repeat. Because the Camino is a simpler life and because there is a lot of quiet & time to think, as well as real physical suffering, it is impossible to live life as you did at home. In our normal lives, we can distract ourselves from our fears, insecurities, loneliness, inconsistencies, doubts, problems, etc. with so many different things. It is easy to be numb, to avoid the issue, to live a life on the surface. It's much harder to do that here. The distractions are gone, silence fills the space of noise, and you are faced with yourself. Your real self. I hope that as the Meseta continues & the Camino continues we'll continue to be faced with these questions, and be open to the answers and healing that God provides.

The perks to suffering

Suffering. We all talk about it, feel it, know it, and experience it. It's something we can all relate to. This trip is full of suffering and trials. From the lack of bathrooms to the sore feet and shoulders, we feel suffering. What we seem to miss out on sometimes are the amazing blessings and graces that are poured out for us. Sometimes people can be so preoccupied with their own pain that they look right over the beautiful gifts we receive. We wake up every morning before the sun. We put on our shoes usually in a dimly lit area and we head off down the road barely awake with mostly empty stomachs. Despite the pain Ive been stopping to notice the sunrise. A gift from God. Mid day we pray that Mary's mantle will shield us from the rays but in the morning, the very sight of it is comforting. This last few weeks have been a great test of patience, pride, humility, and all of our other virtues. Daily we remind each other of Gods gifts and love as we all grow in friendship with both each other and God. We pray for each other when we're weak and we offer the food we have even when we're hungry. We've been so blessed to experience the glory of God even through each painful step. We see the kindness of our Lord in strangers when they come up next to us on the trail. We feel comfort in a gentle smile from the peregrino limping a few feet away and we see the love of God in the smiles of the people we surround ourselves with, even if we can't speak the same language. This is how God created us to be. Even if we don't speak the same language or even share the same faith, we see in everyone we encounter that the foundation of our new friendships and conversations are based on faith. Some searching for it, some trying to deepen it and some trying to understand what faith even is. Either way each day it becomes clearer that we really are blessed as one body in Christ. Pray for us! We keep praying for you! Love, Maria

No, we're not sleeping in the wilderness yet

So we've been walking the Camino for 11 days and we've experienced a lot that the Way has to offer. One of the things that we experience everyday is the local albergue. Whenever we reach the town that we're going to stop at, the first thing that we do is check in at the albergue. Albergues are essentially youth hostels made specifically for pilgrims, and each one is unique. So far we've stayed at all three types of albergues and each kind has it's own advantages and disadvantages. The first and most common kind are the municipal albergues. These are run by the government and are usually bigger. There are usually pretty good facilities (good showers, kitchen), but they fit a lot of people in each room so you're probably going to be stuck with a couple people who snore. The municipal ones are cheaper and we've had some good nights at them. The next kind are the private albergues which are a little bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for. The facilities are better and they each have a unique flavor. One of our favorite albergues was a private albergue called Casa de Austria. We wanted to stay there at first because Jess had spent a semester in Austria, but we never expected how good the choice was. Jess already posted about our great time there, but let me just say, from my perspective, the evening jam session with Jess and our new friends from California was really, really cool. The final kind of albergue is parochial. These are run by the Church and connected to the local parish. They're run.by volunteers called hospitaleros who work for 2 week periods. These have been my favorite albergues so far. The facilities are not as good, we have to sleep on mats on the floor, and we're crammed in the rooms, but they make up for it with the atmosphere. The best part of parochial albergues is the communal meal. We get together and prepare the meal and then eat as a community. The meals have been great and the company is even better. Also, because it's connected to the Church, there's usually a priest and we always pray some sort of night prayer. These have been great nights and they really add a lot to the Camino. Tomorrow we'll move on to Ages and then we'll be in Burgos the day after. After that we move on to the dreaded Meseta, but for now, we're just going to take it day by day.