After meeting a young boy in Mexico wanting to trade his toys for a simple pair of shoes, Rick Hagans, founder and president of Harvest Evangelism and a member of First Baptist Church, Opelika, in Tuskegee Lee Baptist Association, realized something had to be done.
So in 1996, Hagans began his first “pilgrimage of promise,” walking across Alabama east to west and garnering 30,000 pairs of shoes.
He said when he was able to find that boy and put new shoes on his feet, he felt more like Jesus than ever before.
That’s when Hagans knew this was not just a one-time project.
And Sept. 22, he completed his 14th journey, walking across Maryland, Delaware and Connecticut, marking more than 8,000 miles in 32 states and amassing more than 800,000 pairs of shoes for needy children.
“Sometimes the road seems more sacred than the sanctuary,” Hagans said. “I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. … Jesus seemed to share the same sentiment.”
Walking 20–25 miles each day, Hagans was joined by his 19-year-old son, Chester, who set out with a goal of his own — to gather shoes for a village in Guatemala he recently visited.
The walks accomplish that type of goal each time, but they are also a chance to take the gospel outside the four walls of the church, Hagans said, noting several men he encountered on his latest journey prayed to receive Christ as Savior.
“It’s always a success for me because I’m doing what God called me to do and doing what Christ set the example of — being where the people are.”
For more information, e-mail Hagans at rickhagans@harvestevangelism.org. (TAB)
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