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| A GROUP OF WALKERS
left this stone at Wetumpka's First Presbyterian
Church during their trek across the country.
-HERALD PHOTO/PEGGY BLACKBURN
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WETUMPKA - As Rose Thomas and several
friends stood on the lawn of the First Presbyterian Church
after attending a recent wedding, the group's attention was
drawn to a brick-shaped rock perched on the base of the
monument located on the church grounds.
"We went over
to see what it was, and found this," she said, displaying the
orange-tinted stone. "We'd like to find out something about
the people who left it - and we'd also like to make sure that
the people of Wetumpka know that someone is praying for all of
them."
The rock bears the following inscription -
"4/26/04 Memorial Stone #223 across America ... We prayed for
Wetumpka as we walked through on our Great American Journey.
May God bless, direct and be with all who live and work here.
To God be the glory. Lyn, Joni, Ronni & Cassie"
As
it turns out the stone was placed at the church by 62-year-old
Lyn Hanush and 66-year-old Joni Balog who are walking across
the country and praying for each community they pass
through.
The trip - which they call the Great American
Journey - was begun on May 12, 2003 at Peace Arch Park in
Blaine, Wa. Their brief stop in Wetumpka marked the completion
of 3,149 miles of walking. They will end their trek in Key
West, Fla. Their projected arrival date is early
August.
For Hanush, an avid walker who planned the
trip, the walk is the fulfillment of a 50-year-old dream. Her
plan a half-century ago was to bike across the country, but
the current walk has taken the place of her original vision.
The goal of the journey is to pray for the nation and give
glory to God.
The ladies -
members of Seek Him First Ministries in Paso Robles, Calif. -
aren't making the walk completely unsupported. Throughout most
of the trip, Hanush's son Russ has pulled a camper that ranges
ahead of them and provides overnight accommodations and
supplies. A pace car also travels with them.
In April,
Balog's friend Ronni joined the expedition as a driver. And
the "Cassie" named on the stone is Balog's German shepherd who
has traveled with the pair since the beginning of the
trip.
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