Walking Home For Christmas

Eight of us from our campus ministry decide to partake in this journey “home” walking the stretch of road from the two cities. Three of us were actually not from Birmingham though the other five were and went to the same church that was a part of aiding us in the process. We raised money, got sponsorships, donations, and raised a good bit of money for our cause. We had vans that held our bags and water and often police escorts to keep us safe as we walked on the side of Hwy 280. We would walk from sunrise to sunset, eating lunch along the way that was graciously donated to us form one source or another. At night we were hosted in various churches along the way that offered to feed and house us for the night. After walking close to thirty miles the first day, it almost felt better to run than try to walk more since we weer using our muscles in a different way! I think we all underestimated just how much energy we would use or how physically demanding “just walking” would be. It was also pretty cold so we were all covered in tons of layers which made things a bit interesting as well.

Some of the sponsors made banners to show support that were displayed on the side of the highway! We made news articles and even did some audio interviews as well. We really got the word out to Birmingham. We even had a good many people drive up in front of us and pull over to get out and talk to us, hand us a donation or even offer us food. One person even taped some money to a speed limit sign for us. It was crazy to see the support we had for doing something so simple as walking for a cause.

When we got to the church in Birmingham that all but three of us grew up in, there was a large gathering and reception for our return. There was also a family waiting for us as we were able to give them a portion of what we had raised in person. It felt incredible to see the gratitude in their eyes for what we had done and were able to provide them. All in all, we raised several thousand dollars and were able to help a good many people. It was such a unique and different experience that I am so glad to have shared in with some good friends that would later be teammates on a variety of other mission trips across the world with Wesley. There is not a day that goes by when I drive on any part of 280 that I don’t remember that trek!