(Navarrete to Azofra: 23.1 km in 5 hours 50 minutes; 30,456 steps, plus 2200 walking in the evening)

Jeremiah 17:5-9, 13-14
v 7-8a, 14 But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. She will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream….Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

I still hurt but I am refreshed today. The kilometers went by quickly. The greetings of other pilgrims lifted me up. The prayers of friends at home have reached the Lord on my behalf. I will trust in God for my healing. I will trust in the Lord, the one who has saved me. He is the one I praise!

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Maurice said enough with rearranging the heavy things–we had a long way to go today and he was sending his pack too! Keep reading

(Viana to Navarrete: 22.1 km in 7 1/2 hours; about 33,178 steps, plus another 2437 walking in the evening)

Jeremiah 7:1-11
v. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!”

We can look so good on the outside and back it up with things we say. “I go to church on Sunday.” “We just volunteered for a great cause.” “I’m walking to Santiago.” “Oh really?” says the Lord. “And what do you do with the rest of your time? Do you truly love your neighbor? Do you care for the poor? How do you spend the minutes when no one but me is watching? Do you worship me from your heart?” Carefully cultivated outward appearances and clever words don’t impress God, especially not when we pay him lip service then do as we please, flirting with the world’s polished plastic toys. Lord, help me to remember that you see everything I do. Help me to live with integrity.

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Breakfast at the hostel was to be available from 6 am. We were ready at 6:20 then spent ten minutes knocking, ringing and shivering at the hostel door across the street before the French gentleman, whose party we seem to be trailing, let us in. Keep reading

Leaving Casa de la Abuela in Los Arcos

(Los Arcos to Viana: 18.4 km; about 26,300 steps)

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12
v. 9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help him up.

We got up even earlier because we were supposed to be out of our room by 7:30. Keep reading