17 September 2018 – I’m sitting in a hostel in Formista at 830am. On my own. The rest of the pilgrims left at least an hour ago, Angie left at 7am. My wee toe was still giving me jip last night. I could hobble quite well but the hostelerios suggested seeing a doctor at 9am this morning! Seems like a good idea.
So yesterday was quite a day we stopped for lunch and had possibly the rudest person serve us ever, we couldn’t work out his problem but the lady who also worked there saved the day.
I was reminded of Nabal and Abigail. (1 Sam25) Angie prayed that he would encounter the welcome of Jesus…
But his lack of hospitality was totally contrasted by the hostel we arrived at in the next town of Formista.
The couple who ran it went out of their way to serve us. They wouldn’t hear of it that I would walk the 200m to the doctor. They put me and a fellow limping pilgrim in the car, dropped him at the railway station and then Gabriel (no wings but in the right vein) took me into the doctor. I explained the problem and he translated. The doctor had a good look then got the nurse to remove some dead bits off my wee toe* and irrigated my heel blister with iodine. Wonderful! Patched up and with doctors orders to stop walking for 3 days, bath my feet in ice water after walking and get a pumice stone and special foot cream to soften my feet to stop the blistering in future, oh and lighten my load!
So that also meant I had to get a taxi to catch Angie up at the next town where we joined a chorus of nuns in singing worship songs in multiple languages, including Darlene Zschech’s “Shout to the Lord” in English and German.
I’m quite sure we won’t need different languages in Heaven but it did feel close…
*Footnote- warning if your squeamish stop now….
Hearts Set On Pilgrimage 