July 10-18, 2026, 21 individuals traveled to Spain to join Ends of the Earth Hiking for the 2026 Camino Portugues Hiking Trek for the youth of Portugal. Ends Hiking participant Rick Willis has chronicled his experience during the eight-day hike here.
“The Lord has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10)
Isaiah prophesied long before the time of Christ, knowing the salvation He provided would be proclaimed all over the world. Jesus would give the great commission saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19).
The apostles wasted no time. Tradition says James went to the Galicia area of northwest Spain to preach before returning to Jerusalem where Herod had him beheaded. Western Spain was, at that time, considered “the end of the earth”.
We were a group of twenty-one people of various ages traveling with Ends of the Earth Adventures (appropriate, right?) to hike the Camino de Santiago in northwest Spain. Ends Adventures is a ministry that provides various adventure outings (cycling, hiking, sailing, etc.) as they raise financial support for disadvantaged youth in many foreign countries.
This time the funds raised would go to Ride Nature, a ministry that provides equipment and activities for kids involved in action sports, like surfboarding, or skateboarding. Many who are involved in these sports have little or no Christian background or influence, and often come from fatherless homes.
While holding such events, Ride Nature personnel create lasting relationships and introduce the good news of Jesus to the participants.
Sitting on the border of Portugal, Vigo is just on the Spain side. Our first day had us going to Arcade, the second to Pontevedra, the third to Caldas de Reis, the fourth to Padron, and finally, the last day, hiking to Santiago.
The Camino de Santiago means, in Spanish, “The Way of Saint James.” After the death of the apostle James, tradition again says his bones were brought back to Spain, and are now located in the Cathedral of Santiago. During medieval times, people started pilgrimages from all over Europe; traveling to this site to honor the apostle and to make the traveling sacrifice to honor God.
Not all in modern times do it for religious reasons; it has become a trendy thing (with an estimated 400,000 pilgrims annually), but our group certainly wanted to honor the Lord as we raised funds for Ride Nature. Ride Nature representatives Ethan and Jacqui Rushing would hike with us, educating us about the ministry each day.
As we trekked along, we saw new sights and had interesting experiences. We always started together with our local guide, Juan Rendo, of CaminoWays.com, leading us out of the town. After a while, we would slowly spread apart at our own pace, always with at least one other person.
There were plenty of hills to climb, but as you crested a hill, often you were greeted with a beautiful scene of the Spanish countryside. Then, as we weaved our way through small villages and vineyards, we might pass running fountains along a cobblestone street, offering water to the thirsty traveler. Many ancient churches, some dating back 800 years, would come into sight as we neared a village.
Several times my wife, Rexanne, and I would go inside to pray before continuing. Our Ends Hiking slogan is #PrayTrekRepeat and we did a lot of that. We passed many “cruceiros” (crosses of stone) along the trail. Juan explained to us that in ancient times these served as a blessing to travelers as they came to crossroads, wishing them God-speed along their way.
An interesting part of each day was meeting new people. As you pass fellow travelers, you greet them with “Buen Camino”, and they reply with the same. That means, “Good Way”.
Occasionally, you stop to talk to a new acquaintance or walk with them as you learn their story. It’s an opportunity to tell them about Ends of the Earth Adventures and Ride Nature, and to give them a bracelet with #PrayTrekRepeat on it. If a need becomes apparent you can offer to pray for them and tell them about Jesus.
One personal example was me meeting a young Chinese man, hiking alone, because his girlfriend had hurt her foot and took a bus to the next town. He told me his Chinese name, but said many called him “Jess,” and he liked that name. I asked Jess if there were Christians in his part of China. He said, “No religion.” His home was near the place where they found the Terra Cotta Warriors. I told him about our ministry, that we were Christians who found our hope in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins, and that, with faith in Him, we had the promise of heaven. I gave him a bracelet and asked if I could take his picture. He said yes, posed with a smile, and said, “Today, I am Christian.” He wasn’t, of course, based on our short exchange, but he seemed very interested and I prayed as we parted that a seed was planted.
I developed a blister the first day on my left foot, and then three hot spots on day two. I applied moleskin and was able to continue, but by day four I was struggling toward the end of the day, just worn out. I found it to illustrate the support our group provided for each other. Several offered me supplies, encouraged me, and slowed down to walk with me and my wife Rexanne. Of course, she was always there with me even though she has the stamina to keep up with some of the faster hikers.
Each day Lexi, the Director for this event, along with Asia, had someone “sweeping” at the back, making sure no one was left behind unattended. In fact, Asia was that person on the final day, and she was super nice to reassure me, often asking to stop and pray.
Each evening, we had a worship time. Justin Hanneken, Ends Adventures Executive Director, would offer a few words, music was led by Matt Crosson, a devotion was given by different individuals each night (Justin, Rachel, myself, Ian), we got next-day instructions from Lexi, and more insight about Ride Nature from Ethan and Jacqui.
Our 21 hikers included: Justin Hanneken, Lexi and Ian Loofboro, Asia Johnson, Nate Wehrle, Rachel (daughter) and Brian (father) Kelly, Matt and Jessica Crosson, Lindsay Toth, Mary Davila, Angela Kermeur, Betsy (daughter) and Cindy (mother) De Glopper, Mitchell Weber, Rhonda Martin (who walked with us most of the time), Gary Goforth, Rexanne Willis, me, and our Ride Nature representatives Ethan and Jacqui Rushing. Twenty-one [people] plus Juan, our Camino guide.
Finally, after five days of hiking the hills and villages of the Galicia region in northwest Spain, we reached Santiago de Compostela. 17 miles on the last day, with many hills.
As the five of us, bringing up the rear, walked into the plaza in front of the massive cathedral, there was the rest of the group, forming two lines and waving their hands in greeting, cheering as we passed through them to take our final steps of this long and amazing journey.
As we gathered for a group photo in front of the huge cathedral, there was an intense sense of satisfaction for each of us. We had a bond now based on this common experience. What a wonderful way to practice ministry, to raise funds for a good cause, and to share life in Christ with fellow believers.
“Blessed are you, pilgrim, if you discover that the authentic ‘Camino’ begins when it is completed.” This journey was great, but the real journey is far from over. We will go home to continue in “the Camino de Jesus.”
Our last two nights were spent in an old monastery behind the cathedral that had been converted into a hotel. As I lay in bed the final night, my wife Rexanne swung the window open to gain the gentle breezes of the Spanish night. There was a beautiful sunset over the hills in the distance. People mingled below. I could hear their voices as they passed by. And I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for Ends of the Earth Adventures and for Ride Nature.
May God bless His servants working these ministries, and the kids of Portugal who will benefit in the days to come.
#PrayTrekRepeat
EndsAdventures.com
RideNature.org
Rickwilliswrites.wordpress.com
PS: Interesting side note. When we received our “Compostela” (the certificate showing we had completed at least 100 kilometers of the Camino), our names were in Latin. Mine was listed as Richardum Willis, my wife Rexanne’s as RosamAnnam Willis.
Help us tell the story of how you used your adventure activity for Global Youth!
Share a Google Review.
#PrayGoRepeat | #PrayPedalRepeat | #EndsAdventures | #PrayServeRepeat | #PrayTrekRepeat | #PrayNeighRepeat | #PrayCastRepeat
Have you ever run into a problem with your bike? Most issues can be prevented with using the A-B-C-Quick Check as a routine way to make sure you are ready to ride.
Cyclists normally know that hydration is important, but how much is enough? Is six to eight 8-ounce glasses per day is sufficient? What’s the answer? Look no further than your toilet!
I’m not sure how you’d understand that statement, but it almost certainly isn’t what you’d think. It’s just that when I was initially
As a young boy many years ago, I read the famous book “The Old Man and the Sea.” Now, at 70 years of
This March and April, we are excited to introduce you to our 2023 Ends of the Earth Cycling Ambassadors. They have been featured
