News of Josh on his pilgrimage
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:31 am
You'll have seen that Josh hasn't been able to keep up his postings and even on Facebook he has to be brief. But I have discovered that his mum is one of our students, and I made contact with her last week. She is in regular contact with him by text and by ringing him on identified public telephones. She is plotting his progress on Google Earth.
Josh is following a well known pilgrimage trail and is currently working his way down through north east France, staying at monasteries or convents when he can, otherwise he is camping. He has found it difficult in France partly because there is a bit of a language barrier (his original plans had involved walking through Germany, and he is fluent in German - but only has French to GCSE) so there have been times when he has been lonely. At one point recently he nearly gave up. John Shippen has encouraged him to at least get as far as Besancon, from where he could get a return student ticket on the TGV and come home for a bit of a break.
Josh has agreed with his mum that he would like members of the Forum to be kept in the loop as he progresses, so from time to time I will be posting progress reports, if that's OK with you? This is a message I received from his mum last night - it's rather alarming!
"It's good to know you are in touch with JDS. I don't know if you are aware, but Josh was attacked on Saturday evening as he entered the town of Bar-sur-Aube. A group of youths approached him and sprayed pepper spray in his face. He said he was terrified and in a great deal of pain as his face felt like it was on fire. He could hardly see to run away and he thought they were going to rob him. He managed to get to a house and got some help. The people were wonderful, washing his face with a shower. He then called me on their phone and then the family called the police who took Josh to hospital to get him checked out. He is fine now and the police drove him to the Fraternity of St. Bernard at Clairvaux. The sisters there looked after him and he remained there the next day and night to rest and recover. For tonight they have paid for Josh to be put up in an English B & B in Chateauvillain which is his next stop I think. His text today said that he is in a Youth Hostel tomorrow as I have made him promise not to sleep out in towns and cities.
Josh did tell me about JDS's suggestion to come home but I think after speaking to John, Josh has decided to go as far as he possibly can on foot and he seems to have a renewed determination to complete the walk if he can. I think as he has got stronger he is finding more pleasure in the walking and I feel the only thing to stop him now would be if he ran out of funds for food and accomodation. He seems to be managing to be frugal in his spending which is a good thing and he will learn from it."
In return I said I would be happy to pass on your messages to Josh, via his mum.
Kerren
Josh is following a well known pilgrimage trail and is currently working his way down through north east France, staying at monasteries or convents when he can, otherwise he is camping. He has found it difficult in France partly because there is a bit of a language barrier (his original plans had involved walking through Germany, and he is fluent in German - but only has French to GCSE) so there have been times when he has been lonely. At one point recently he nearly gave up. John Shippen has encouraged him to at least get as far as Besancon, from where he could get a return student ticket on the TGV and come home for a bit of a break.
Josh has agreed with his mum that he would like members of the Forum to be kept in the loop as he progresses, so from time to time I will be posting progress reports, if that's OK with you? This is a message I received from his mum last night - it's rather alarming!
"It's good to know you are in touch with JDS. I don't know if you are aware, but Josh was attacked on Saturday evening as he entered the town of Bar-sur-Aube. A group of youths approached him and sprayed pepper spray in his face. He said he was terrified and in a great deal of pain as his face felt like it was on fire. He could hardly see to run away and he thought they were going to rob him. He managed to get to a house and got some help. The people were wonderful, washing his face with a shower. He then called me on their phone and then the family called the police who took Josh to hospital to get him checked out. He is fine now and the police drove him to the Fraternity of St. Bernard at Clairvaux. The sisters there looked after him and he remained there the next day and night to rest and recover. For tonight they have paid for Josh to be put up in an English B & B in Chateauvillain which is his next stop I think. His text today said that he is in a Youth Hostel tomorrow as I have made him promise not to sleep out in towns and cities.
Josh did tell me about JDS's suggestion to come home but I think after speaking to John, Josh has decided to go as far as he possibly can on foot and he seems to have a renewed determination to complete the walk if he can. I think as he has got stronger he is finding more pleasure in the walking and I feel the only thing to stop him now would be if he ran out of funds for food and accomodation. He seems to be managing to be frugal in his spending which is a good thing and he will learn from it."
In return I said I would be happy to pass on your messages to Josh, via his mum.
Kerren
Good luck, Josh.
