En route with incredible journey

Two survivors, Kearney and Kei, walk the talk

over diverse terrain and beautiful scenery, sometimes close to wild animals, having to cross rivers and endure pain and discomfit.

He spoke about two frightening encounters “where I thought I’d had my chips”.

“Between Wavecrest and Trennerys we ran into a pack of 40 to 50 hunting dogs controlled by two youths. The dogs wanted to attack us, but I warded them off with my walking stick. I had suffered from bunions which gave him problems. He also had shoulder problems from carrying the heavy backpack, but was thankful that his knees had held out.

“The Lord has been with me all the way. He has given me strength both physically and spiritually,” he said.

He said he did not really have a home base during his walks, but returned to Port Alfred to stay with his mother and stepfather. “My stepdad later died of Alzheimer’s. Coming to Port Alfred and giving comfort to my mother . . . The Lord moved in His time and in the right way.”

Kearney said he became a Christian in 2000 after a crisis in his life in which he lost everything. He questioned why it had happened and began seeking God.

“I made a conscious decision to give my life to Him.”

He said he attended a Bible college for a year and his life had been a continual walk of faith since then.

On his travels he has practised “walking in the spirit” – having continual communication with God rather than occasional prayer.

He said people had been very friendly and kind all along his journey.

One of the highlights of his travels thus far was meeting Gary, his previous dog, who started following him in the Transkei.

“He was an old dog and he had been abused. He refused to get in a car or boat, or take a leash around his neck,” Kearney said.

“I managed to get him back to my home in Port Elizabeth, just walking, swimming across rivers. We managed to get back before his old arthritic legs gave in.”

As for future goals, Kearney said he would like to do one more walk, along the South African coastline from Alexander Bay at the border of Namibia to Kosi Bay near Mozambique. A distance of 3500km, he said the journey should take about eight months.

He said the walk would be a promotion of his book, and he had set a goal to sell 20 000 copies within two years. He has committed to giving R25 of every copy sold to Lions International.

“If it’s God’s will, I will achieve it. Nothing is impossible with God,” he said.