(Hayden’s eXtreme Walk was in 2004 in Ecuador)
I had everyone around for one weekend. We decided to head up into the mountains for a hike, around 4000 meters above sea level, our heads in the clouds and our lungs starved for oxygen. As I stumbled after my Ecuadorian friend, I mused that this is why it is called eXtreme Walk! Well, not entirely …
I did get to do some hiking and it got pretty extreme at times but really the name is figurative. What is extreme about the program is the whole thing. First, taking 7 people from different walks of life – a married couple, a Kiwi, an Englishman and five Americans, all between the ages of 21 and 25. Next, throwing them all together and expecting them to bond together, in a new country while learning a new language.
Soon after that, they are all split up and sent out to work with national churches in different areas of the country. Now that is eXtreme Walk! EXtreme Walk is about going out on the edge and expecting great things from God. The experience really transforms you. I was taken from my comfortable position in NZ, studying and working in my church, to a new culture, a new language that I did not understand and amongst people I did not know from around the world. More than that, if I may use a cliché, eXtreme Walk is about the people. After a crash course in Spanish, I was placed with a local church in Cuenca where I worked with my pastors to further God’s kingdom. This involved planning and teaching English classes, going on visitations and interacting with people from the church and community (in Spanish), helping out with the youth. I can not overestimate the importance of interactions with people to open an opportunity to share the gospel.
One day, near the end of my stay in Ecuador the group was out on a bike ride. I was at the end of our ‘convoy’ and as we climbed up a hill a man and his friend came crashing out of the jungle. He yelled out “Hey Gringo…” (Gringo being a common term for American or any one white in Ecuador) “Do you speak Spanish?” To this I replied, “Sure, do you?” Following that short start we talked about whether it is important to worship on Saturday or Sunday! Another time, a few days later just as I was getting ready to leave Cuenca, I went down south a bit to visit missionary friends.
I came home and visited church friends for a bit then went to my house to carry on packing up. I got there and the neighbours were having a merry party to which they invited me! It carried on till about midnight when I was ready to go home! At that time one man asked me if it was alright to confess your sins to the priest. (They are predominantly Catholic). What followed was a theological conversation till about 1:00am through which I could share some of the Romans Road to these people. That is what I believe eXtreme Walk is about, living beyond yourself and through the Lord’s strength. So, try it! I dare you to and see how big our God really is.
