Women undertake prayer walking journey By Mary Mount Not every young girl dreams of crossing the entire United States on foot, but for Lyn Hanush, the dream has been 50 years in the making. As a child, she remembers wanting to bike across the entire U.S., but over the years as her interests changed and her ideas came together, she decided to set out walking. On March 23, Hanush, a resident of California, and Joni Balog, formerly of England, made their way through Chester County on a cross-country trip that has brought them from one of the north westernmost points of Washington state. Accompanied by Cassie the traveling dog, the two women, who are both in their 60s, have been on the road since May 12, 2003. They plan to complete their journey by Aug. 3. Along the way, the two women pray for America and the people they meet in each town. Their adventure has been named the “Great American Journey,” and their ministry can be tracked at their website www.greatamericajourney.com. While passing through Chester County, the women stopped to visit with passersby and local businesses. They have documented their trip through photographs, mementos, and recordings to remember the people they’ve met and who they need to pray for along the way. Despite snow, ice, injuries, and transportation problems, Hanush, Balog, and Cassie have kept on going. When the motor home where they sleep broke down, they were near an excellent service department, which made repairs and got them on their way. The same held true when Balog injured her arm; a hospital in Missouri treated her and put her on the mend. “God takes us to just the right place for the help we need,” Hanush said. Everywhere they go, they wave and smile, endearing themselves to those they meet along the way. Any prayer requests they receive are written in a prayer journal and are prayed for on a regular basis. Additionally, “with every wave goes a prayer for that person,” Hanush added. At the edge of each town, the pair leaves a stone inscribed with their names, who or what they prayed for, and the date they were there. These stones, which are picked up along the way, are typically placed at the welcome sign and left as a lasting tribute to the prayers uttered there. Traveling approximately, 15-20 miles a day, Hanush and Balog are followed by their motor home and a driver who picks them up at the end of their walk each day. Although they leave the RV parked in one location for approximately one week, their driver drops them off where ever they left off the previous day so they log continuous mileage. When they reach Key West, Fla., in August they will have logged over 4,275 miles and... For the complete story, pick up a copy of the Chester County Independent. Printer-friendly format