You know it was Phil who turned Ronaldo into a Caminohead. Phil is blessed with the capacity to help others dream big. But before we met Phil, we saw the movie THE WAY and as we walked out of the movie, Ron said, I’m going to do that, I am going to make that pilgrimage”. He looked at me and I stated bluntly, ’This is your calling, not mine!” After four years of nightly reading posts of pilgrim experiences Ron retired. He had already collected his gear and in one month, on September 1st 2016 he arrived in SJPP. He had said repeatedly, “I don’t know why people do this more than once, Why would someone do that?”
When he returned home, he confessed “For the first few days, I couldn’t believe anyone had walked that far.” But about a week in, he found a rhythm, and his Camino family was beginning to gel. Many of the family were women, younger than Ron and not concerned about walking a lot of miles per day!
In 2017 we traveled to Seattle to meet up with members of his Camino Family to celebrate Ron’s “Camino daughter’s” birthday. A bonus for me was the opportunity to see Priscilla, who lived on Vashon Island and was a special friend from the years we lived in Haiti. Priscilla asked if we knew about Phil, and how Phil had built a Camino on his farm, and she offered to arrange a walk with Phil. The day we met Phil and Rebecca, Priscilla, Ron, and I walked with Phil that first round, on the second round, Priscilla and I sat out while the guys walked.
We met back at the house for tapas and stories and Phil said with a sparkle in his eye, “Ron, you’re a Caminohead!” Now I’m not sure what Phil meant by that, but I knew Ron would walk more Caminos. Easter 2018, we walked Porto to Santiago arriving on Holy Saturday and attending Easter morning mass.
That trip solidified our dream of moving to Astorga. In May 2019 we began living our Spanish dream. I think Caminoheads dream big. I think they have big hearts for fellow pilgrims, for fellowship, and friendship.
Thank you Phil and Rebecca for creating a space to bring pilgrims together.
May the Grace of God sustain you and each pilgrim.
Dream big loves,
Ann Angert
Thank You Ann for this wonderful story.
Many of us owe a lot to this GREAT guy,Phil Volker, along with his lovely wife Rebecca.
Their open Hearts are filled with Beauty.
We are Blessed to know them.
God Bless.
Dear Ann,
I loved that you jumped in to write to us!!! You have to keep doing it!!!
Your post made me think in two things, one of the them is how small the world is (and not just that pilgrims are spread all over the world). Somehow, for forces larger than ourselves, we are way more connected than we think… It never ceases to amaze me how is that you go to Seattle to visit someone that Ron just met, and you mentioned this fact to a friend, and your friend knows Phil, and then you know me, and then you end in Astorga friending a family from Argentina…
The other thought I had is related to the family, partners and friends from the pilgrims… how is that they embrace the fact that the other is going to quote the Camino from now on in every possible occasion… As Phil posted several times, there is this warning about “May spontaneously start talking about the Camino”… as that inevitably happens… some close ones get annoyed, and some others like you, become “one of us” like yourself or Rebecca… In your case, even moving to the very Camino… I would love if you can write to us more about that!
Meanwhile, let me THANK YOU!
And say that I am your fan!!! and that we love you!!!!
Cris