A Taste of the Camino

A Pilgrim. Synonyms – worshiper, devotee, believer, traveler, crusader 

A few years ago I heard of a pilgrimage in Spain called the Camino de Santiago. Since then the World Race has had a few squads experience this journey, and as I designed the 2018 Fusion route I felt it needed to be a part of their year.

As I flew out to Spain to meet them I had so many questions and emotions running through my head. We spent the first five days having a ‘debrief’ south of Barcelona. It was so good to see everyone, reflect, celebrate and refocus…then it was time to head to the Camino.

The backstory of how the pilgrimage started has to do with Saint James body washing up on shore, some seashells and centuries of travelers that have since felt compelled to walk to that site. You should read up on it! It has become even more popular in recent years as a movie called ‘The Way’ came out and gave the trek more publicity.

Although there are many different variations of the path now, our group was walking on the main path that started in St Jean, France and ends in Santiago, Spain. Due to time constraints we decided to start in Pamplona, Spain…ironically where the ‘running of the bulls’ takes place!

I joined one of the teams for 5 days, but in groups of 5-7 the squad will be hiking anywhere from ten to twenty days. There are so many things I could share about my experience, but I decided to reflect on two main things: What God was speaking to me and my biggest take away.

What God was speaking to me:

As I saw my teams go through the experience first hand I realized just how hard it was. As much as we tried to prepare them in different ways it became obvious that having this experience within an 11 month backpacking mission trip is tough. Not the right shoes, too much gear, a limited budget…much less all the dynamics that come along with functioning in their teams as the church is called to live.

It was within all this that I realized I wanted their experience to be ‘perfect’, partially because I helped craft it and I generally walk the fine line between doings things with excellence and perfectionism.

As I was thinking about this one morning God reminded me ‘Daniel, it IS going perfect’. It’s perfectly in line with what each individual and team needs to walk through and God’s plan unfolding through it all is so much greater than any vision I can put together on a white board months before.

I was blown away with the grace and gentleness with which God continues to remind me that my pursuits of perfection don’t come close to touching his pleasure from simple obedience. As the teams continue to have ups and downs, moments of perseverance and moments of failure, HE will use it for good in HIS perfect plan. He is pleased with our obedience and willingness to listen to His voice within the midst of the challenge.

My biggest take away:

Despite the amazing scenery, moments of personal fortitude and hours of reflective hiking…my biggest take away was the heart of the pilgrims, the people I met.

There is a sense of camaraderie, openness, seeking and kindness I saw each day on the trail. People from all over the globe hiking the Camino for different reasons. Some searching for truth within the world, some seeking healing from personal loss, some a deeper connection with God and some unsure what drew them there.

As the days went on I would see a lot of people consistently as we journeyed on similar schedules. Each night we would stay at ‘Albergues’, local hostels, or sometimes cathedrals in the cities that were donation based.

I hiked with a 71 year old Korean man recovering from cancer, a 54 year old Croatian man who shared a similar love of basketball and countless others. We talked about life, dreams, faith/religion and brought encouragement to each other in times of need.

At the heart of the pilgrims I sensed a desire to ‘Seek More’, always looking for a deeper level of discovery and intimacy. It’s what I will remember above all else from my time on the Camino.

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I hope to one day return and hike for longer, but I’m thankful for the taste of the Camino de Santiago that I did experience. It’s a fascinating journey and one that is hard to fully capture through a blog.

Thank you for all my supporters and friends who have made this job and experiences possible. Please pray that God will use the conversations among the foothills of northern Spain to move in people’s hearts among the nations.