Note to the reader: Before I begin sharing my experience, I want to make it clear that I have personal beliefs and a Faith. However, I do not intend to impose them on the reader. I am only mentioning them to provide context for some of the things I may talk about.
11th of December, 2022
I drove up the steep driveway in one of the suburbs of Paihia, Bay of Islands, New Zealand and parked my car in a small car park. It was around 5 pm, and I had arrived at the address on time. As I got out of my car, I surveyed the surrounding car park and a building that stood tall in front of me like an ivory castle. It was three stories high, designed in the Art Deco period but built in the early 1990s. Five steps led up to two big wooden doors, which I climbed before knocking on them. After a few moments, I knocked again. Perhaps I had come to the wrong place? Apart from my own car, the car park was empty, and everything looked somewhat abandoned. After a moment or two, the door opened to reveal a woman in her late thirties or early forties. She asked if I was supposed to be there and suggested that I come back another time.
Come back another time? I had been invited for tea, and now I was being told to come back another time? But what about the decided appointment? Had it been cancelled, and had I not been told? She was neither the occupant nor the host of the home and did not have the final say on such matters. Like myself, she was a guest who had been invited for dinner. At the time of my arrival, my very good friend who had invited me was in one of the inner rooms of the house praying for a person from the local church. I told her that I had been invited for dinner, and she understood now why I was there, before showing me in and taking me to the kitchen where a young mother worked to prepare the evening meal. For reasons of confidentiality, I have changed the names of people. Esther had two daughters, and her husband was currently in the room praying alongside my friend for the person who required prayer. The two of them, Esther and Andrew, had come up from Christchurch for a week or so, while my friend John had come up from Mosgiel to spend two weeks in the north to attend to our needs. I do not recall the reason why Esther and Andrew were there, perhaps for travel. After an hour of speaking to Esther in the kitchen, the prayer group ended, and John came out to greet me. He looked tired and worn-out, but happy. Tonight was his last evening in the Bay of Islands before flying back down to Mosgiel tomorrow. John introduced me to Andrew, and we all sat down, said grace, and began the dinner. I listened to John, along with another friend who had been invited but showed up late, and we talked about the state of the world, the church, and where things were heading. The seating arrangement was informal, so half of us sat outside on the back porch while the other half talked and ate inside. Once dinner was over, we all moved inside as a group and talked for quite a few hours.
The other friend who had shown up late, let's call him Steven, was working on refurbishing a boat and showed us images. I added to the discussion by sharing that I had been building a tiny house. As the evening grew late, we turned our attention to prayer. As I sat next to Andrew, in the quietness of my soul, I listened. Andrew turned to me and said, "I have two words for you. Go and test them for yourself to see if they are true. First, you will travel overseas next year. Second, you will-" I will pause here. For the purpose of showing the audience the greatness of our Creator, I will state the first word given to me. For the second, I will give you one word: Smoke. Why? In due time, if the second word is fulfilled, I will reveal the full word to the readers.
2nd of April, 2023
Alea iacta est.
A word given four months ago is now coming to fruition. The first steps of our journey have begun. Now, let us fast-forward four months, and I find myself in the last few weeks before I grow wings. I have spent much of my short time left travelling back and forth between the Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Te Kuiti, and Hamilton.
Our tickets have been purchased, and my two younger brothers, my older sister, and I are going to walk the Camino de Santiago. My sister Rose is currently in Uganda and will be meeting us (Osgar, Enoch, and myself) in Paris when we arrive on the 21st of April. Enoch has kindly organized our flights and B&B accommodation in Paris, where we also hope to meet up with our Auntie and cousin who also will be in Europe at that time. We will then officially begin our pilgrimage from Vézelay on the 24th.
VÉZELAY ROUTE is approximately 900 km (560 miles) long.
The full walk that we plan to do is in Pink.
"Those who embark on a journey seek rest, yet rest often prompts the start of a new journey. But those who answer the call to adventure will discover that the path to true fulfilment lies in the journey itself, and not in the Rest which is longed for."
~Historian Dou-tush-shero.
From Vézelay to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, the distance is about 900 kilometers, and it takes about 43 walking days. However, this is only halfway. From St. Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela is another 790 kilometers and takes about 34 days. It takes about 77 days to complete the full route, covering approximately 1,690 kilometers.
On the 8th of April 2023, I sit and write these words with eleven days to go before the start of my expedition. The market in Kerikeri is bustling with activity during the Easter weekend, and I wonder how my journey will go two weeks from now. My backpack is still not fully packed, and I still need to get a sleeping bag, a 1-person tent, and the right clothing.
As of Tuesday the 18th of April, I have been tuning pianos in Rotorua, Hamilton, and Te Kuiti. I have managed to buy a sleeping bag weighing 1.4kg, rated to -2°C for comfortable, and a tent that weighs about the same. We depart on the midnight of the 20th, which is a Thursday, two days from the time of writing this insert.
Today is the 19th of April, and it is the eve before our departure. My bag is packed and ready to be taken in the morning when we depart for Auckland at 8:30am. The drive to the city is about four hours long. My mother plans to take my two brothers and me to the city while on her way with my younger sister to see a show.
I am excited, but the feeling is not there yet, and it won't be until I am actually on the plane as it takes off. So, what do I have in my backpack? A waterproof trench coat, waterproof trousers, a 1-person tent, two thermal undershirts, two pairs of trousers, two pairs of shorts, one jacket, one brimmed hat, a metal detector with two coils, a pin pointer, an NKJ Bible, two notebooks, two t-shirts, a charging cable, an inflatable sleeping mat, a solar panel, and a battery pack. It weighs about 15kg.
Am I fearful? I do not know. At this moment, I lie in bed listening to the rain on the roof. It is 9:41pm, and my thoughts are on whether the weather will be suitable on the Camino and whether my God and Father will provide for my every need. Yes, and yes. Let it be known that I have faith, as I stated above, but it should not affect the reader in any way. You are simply following along and watching what happens. What will happen will happen. I will finish this entry here.
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