Northern Walk - Ninth Week

This weekend the Walkers are tarrying in the Greater Metropolitan Cleveland, Oh. Area after a fast-feeling week of walking. They welcomed the presence of "Transient" Will from found-to-be-seasonal Niles, Mi. who walked three days with the Day shift. His presence and experience on Crossroads were welcome, and the Walk is better for having had him even for a few days.

It presently dawns on one and all that the Walkers are in the autumn of their year, so to speak. Nine weeks have passed and only three remain; while there is time enough to reach Washington D.C. on foot, there is also time enough to lose focus and orientation as the Walkers come closer to their goal. That said, continually high spirits, a Friday evening youth group gathering and an event-filled rally at the abortion clinics in Cleveland this Saturday morning ought to serve the Walkers well in the coming days and weeks.

As newlywed-"Transient" Erin told the Northern Walkers with her parting words after a two-week stint with the Northern Walk, "It's not how many miles you walk, it's how you walk the miles."

Pax,
Andrew
Sunburned and Recharging Leader, Northern Walk

Central Walk - 3 weeks to DC!

Hello and apologies for being tardy with posts ... now that I have a computer with internet I will try to update a little. We are spending this weekend in Indianapolis IN and will begin speaking tonight at our 6 assigned parishes. Walking-wise we well into Ohio and a bit ahead of schedule. Monday our group spent the day taking a retreat at Our Lady of Snows National Shrine in Illinois. It was a day of scripture, group bonding and rest. The rest of the week was spent walking through acres and acres of cornfields and soybean fields. The night shift had one night of very little walking since a huge storm blew in and there was a tornado watch - quite an experience for three people from states that don't have tornadoes! Since North Platte we have travelled through Lincoln/Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis. We hung around the arch in St. Louis at night and sat around the nearby water fountain. The past several saturdays have been very powerful as we have prayed and witnessed outside of several abortion clinics. This morning in Indianapolis at least two women changed their minds about having an abortion and may they persevere in the choice. Please keep us in your prayers!

Northern Walk - Eighth Week

The Walkers are walking through eastern Illinois along Highways 30 and 52, reaching as far as seasonal Joliet, Il. on foot before departing for the greater metropolitan Ann Arbor, Mi. area for the weekend missions.

A quiet and pleasant weekend in relative estrangement was had by one and most, being hosted in three separate houses. In any event, the Walkers were very well received, as was their message.

The Walkers anticipate getting back on the road again and sallying forth with another "Transient" for a William from possibly-seasonal Niles, Mi. Between that and picking up Northern Walker Liz, who was away for the weekend, the Walkers will be able to "turn it up to 11" this coming week.

Pax,
Andrew
Pensive and Sunburned Leader, Northern Walk

Northern Walk - Seventh Week (In Review)

Since our last update, the Walkers have made it on foot to seasonal De Witt, Iowa and are headed east through Illinois and onward. We drove forward to Chicago for the weekend and gave talks at some 22 Masses in six parishes.

We're going to Ann Arbor, Michigan this weekend and are looking forward to redoubling our efforts for the homestretch of our journey. The Walkers ask for your prayers that they remain focused on the true, supernatural end of the Walk.

Pax,
Andrew
Gentlemanly and Pensive Leader, Northern Walk

Southern walk in Big-D

Hi everyone!

We've had 2 weekend stops since we last wrote and we're about to have our third. We apologize for the long awaited blog...not all of us can be as on top of our game as the northern walk ;-)

Two weeks ago we stopped in Lubbock, Texas. There the face of our team changed a little as we lost Dave (*tear*) and gained Carrie (*cheer*). Carrie was only supposed to be with us 2 weeks but she's decided to stay the whole summer!!! And Dave is going to return to us in Jackson, Mississippi!!! This weekend we're gaining two more girls as well, and we are all confident that they will be as awesome an addition to our team as everyone before them has been.

In Lubbock we split up and stayed with 2 host families, the Wilkes and the Powells. It was such a fun weekend! Both the Wilkes and the Powells had beautiful homes, amazing children, and adorable pets. They welcomed us into their homes like we were their own family. The Wilkes had us constantly laughing and having fun. Then the Powells hosted a great night at their home where we ate food, talked and played volleyball. Carrie, Chelsea, and myself were so good at volleyball, the Southern Walk may lose us when the Olympics roll around. I believe that together we may have had a combined 6 completed serves. And with that kind of talent, we can't imagine that Team USA would let us pass by.

After Lubbock we had a great week of walking through areas like Roswell, New Mexico and...well, a lot of open fields. However, Roswell was very cool to walk through, we only wish we had had time to stop at the UFO museum. We had a new walk leader during this time as well! Jon joined us on Monday. He will be our walk leader for the rest of the summer which we are quite excited about! Thus far, Jon has been a great motivator. He encourages us to remember why we are here, that we are called to love each other and to serve each other as well as to serve the cause. Jon has also been encouraging us to walk as many miles as possible with goals and subsequent rewards. Not to mention he is a great source of laughter, crazy moments, and funny stories.

Last weekend we stopped in Abilene, Texas. There we stayed at Holy Family parish. Father Mike was so kind to us. He made sure we had everything we needed and he celebrated a holy hour with us. It was an amazing weekend of renewal.

Now we've finished another week of walking. And because we made it to Dallas in the time Jon set for us, we're going to celebrate! Tonight we're going to celebrate our nation's birth cowboy style with country music and line dancing! I can't think of a better way to enjoy Dallas, Texas. So I hope everyone else is having a great 4th of July! We miss you all and wish you well. Thanks for all your love and prayers sent our way.

God bless!
Molly and the rest of the Southern Walkers

Northern Walk - Sixth Week

The Walkers have made it as far as seasonal New Ulm, Minnesota on foot before heading down the I-35 for the weekend. Presently the Walkers are tarrying in seasonal Ames, Iowa to visit parishes, the stomping grounds of Erin Haakenson, a former Walker mentioned in a previous update who has joined us for a two-week stint before her wedding (congratulations!).

We should also mention that our walking route has changed from what is posted for the Northern Walk on the official Crossroads website (http://crossroadswalk.org/Schedule/NorthWalk.asp):

-Instead of walking down to Quinn, South Dakota for June 23rd, we turned onto Highway 34 after Sturgis, South Dakota, thus avoiding the I-90. Also, our last weekend (highlighted in bold) was spent in seasonal Sioux Falls and not Brookings - we walked through the latter but had no weekend mission there.

-Also, for this upcoming week, we will be walking through all of Minnesota and on to Wisconsin before later heading south to Chicagoland, only spending a weekend (aforementioned, natch) in Iowa.

The Walkers are resting up to visit five parishes on July 6 in Ames, Ankeny, and Des Moines, Iowa, a task made more difficult by the absence of Walkers Joe and Erin, who are visiting family, friends, and well-wishers (and the Central Walk!) in Nebraska for the July 4 weekend - they are missed, and we look forward to their return to the Northern Walk on Sunday afternoon...just in time to start Night Shift (for Joe, anyway).


Pax,
Andrew
Terrific and Gentlemanly Leader, Northern Walk

North Platte, Nebraska!

The Central walkers had an amazing time in North Platte, NE this past weekend. Thank you to Peggy Orr and her family and for all the amazing host famillies who welcomed the walkers into their homes this past weekend and for thier amazing kindness and generosity!!

Northern Walk - Fifth Week (In Review)

The Northern Walkers as featured in the Rapid City Journal, thanks to a line of contact established by our own Rosanne:

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2008/06/24/news/top/doc4861be85c6d1e027595635.txt

Greetings again from the Northern Walk; the Walkers passed the weekend in seasonal Sioux Falls, South Dakota (see Rosanne's post below) where we effectively exchanged one "Transient Walker," Nate, for another, Erin, a Northern Walk Alumna from 2007.

After having been hosted at the Good Samaritan House in Sioux Falls and speaking at a pair of parishes through the weekend, the Walkers swiftly returned Sunday night to Fort Pierre, South Dakota to pick up and walk exactly where they left off on Friday evening.

The Walkers continue to trek through South Dakota and are continually overwhelmed by the strong and large Pro-Life contingent in this state, a source of edification for one and all.

Pax,
Andrew
Tired and Terrific Leader, Northern Walk