At the end of October, we will come to the end of an epic challenge to walk the length of Wales and Zimbabwe together (750+ miles) this year. The WALK! Wales & Zimbabwe challenge has been running since March to raise money for the Talents of Hope appeal, which supports work to increase the resilience of small-holder farmers in Zimbabwe who are among the worst affected by Climate Change.
Llinos shares her walking story and reflections on taking part in the challenge over the past few months as she contributed 100 (!) miles to the challenge...
My name is Llinos Penfold. I have been a member at Bethel Church, Mynachlog-ddu, Pembrokeshire for 44 years. Having spent 30 years in the education sector, I started working as Baptist Union of Wales Corporation Co-ordinator in July, and I love the work!
When the opportunity came to contribute to the Christian Aid challenge, and the aim of walking the length of Wales and Zimbabwe, which is a total of 750 miles, I was eager to take part
Walking has played an important part in my life for some years, ever since we got a very enthusiastic new little dog called Caio back in 2015. When you own a dog, there is no way to make excuses – you have an obligation to venture out in every weather.
There is no doubt that walking is beneficial to improve your physical health. Doctors believe that walking regularly – and briskly – can help to withstand the chances of heart attack, stroke obesity, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis… the list goes on!
But what about the effect on your mental health? In my experience, going for a walk in the fresh air can completely change the course of your day. Sometimes if I am tired or feeling low, half an hour outside can improve my mood significantly, help lift those dark clouds, and can put those worries in context.
Something that we do not give enough attention to in modern Wales is our spiritual health. When do we have the opportunity to meditate, to pray, to give thanks? We are so busy trying to complete our work tasks, meet our family responsibilities and societal expectations… have we forgotten how to look after our souls?
And yet, walking is such a great opportunity to talk to God, to meditate, to pray, to ask for leading and to ask for his blessing. Often, when I walk the Wales Coastal Path and face a challenging, steep part, I will try and remember the Psalms that I memorized as a child in primary school, the words of hymns or poetry that have stayed in my memory since the days of youth.
I will either recite them in my mind, or if no one else is around – I’ll speak them aloud to the four winds! It’s strange how you will often remember things that you learned as a child, but when it comes to learning new things now – no hope!
‘So, where did you walk this year?’, I hear you asking. I am sorry to disappoint you, but the majority of my walks this year have been around my home in Mynachlog-ddu, short walks on the road and longer ones in the Preseli hills. My husband and I spent a week walking the Anglesey coastal path as well in August, enjoying journeys from Amlwch to Cemaes, Pentraeth to Moelfre and Porthaethwy to Biwmares.
I also re-walked parts of the Pembrokeshire coastal path as well – I am very fond of the walk from Marloes i Dale, around Barafundle beach and from Porthgain to Abereiddy.
Well done to everyone who has contributed a mile or two towards this target. I hope that new habits will continue, and that you will become a regular walker. If you have not been able to walk far, remember that there’s always an opportunity to give towards the appeal.
It’s not too late to support the Talents of Hope appeal. There are a few ways you can do so…
- Go for a walk – be it for a mile or ten! Register your miles here, invite friends, family or church, get sponsored for the miles you walk (instructions here), and then… go for a walk before the end of the challenge (end of October)!
- Sponsor those who have already walked many miles for the appeal – head over here to find out how to give towards the appeal (which will come to an end in December).
- Organize a special event in your church or group before the end of the year! Take a look at the harvest resources available on our website for individuals, groups and churches, in addition to the appeal resources here.
