Date posted:
by Jonathan Krause
The LLL sponsored the Australian Lutheran World Service event ‘Walk My Way’ with a $5,000 grant in July 2017.
Why would anyone walk 26 kilometres down the steep slopes of the Adelaide Hills from Hahndorf to Beaumont?
If you asked that question in the 1840s …
... the answer would be that the walkers were Lutheran pioneer women, walking barefoot in the dark, each carrying up to 60 kg of fresh farm produce and dairy goods to feed the 10,000 people living in Adelaide.
If you asked that question in July 2017 …
… the answer would be that the walkers were part of ALWS Walk My Way. More than 270 people set off in the middle of winter to honour the example of the Lutheran pioneer women PLUS raise money to help refugee children in East Africa go to school!
When ALWS (Australian Lutheran World Service) came up with the idea of Walk My Way, we stepped out in faith and set a bold target of raising $130,000.
One of the first groups to offer support was the LLL with a grant to help promote and organise Walk My Way. This encouragement was taken a step further (groan!) by a number of LLL staff who walked the 26 kilometres themselves!
Walk My Way brought together the extended Lutheran family from schools and churches, and as volunteers. The event also drew in the local community – walking, sponsoring walkers, donating food and organising (thank you National Trust).
What’s exciting is how God blessed Walk My Way so that together we raised $133,593 – enough to support 5,138 refugee children to go to school!
ALWS looks forward to stepping out in faith again in 2018, using Walk My Way to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and bring love to life!
(LLL Australian Lutheran World Service Support Fund also generated $116,740 for ALWS during the 2016/2017 financial year.)
For more stories on how the LLL has supported the LCA throughout the year, read Together In Mission 2017.
