Where faith and adventure meet: Helping people one step at a time. That’s the motto for a mother/daughter team from New London who plan to walk coast to coast this summer to raise money for missions.
It’s been quite a journey for them already. The day after she declared her intent to be a missionary to Burkina Faso, Africa, Rebecca Bosquez was in a near fatal car accident. She sustained many injuries, the most serious, a traumatic brain injury. Lingering between life and death, doctors were not sure if she would make it, whether she would ever leave a medical facility, or if she would ever walk again. That was two and a half years ago. Miraculously, Rebecca has done all three, graduated high school and become a certified nursing assistant.
Traumatic brain injuries are difficult to describe to people who don’t have day to day contact with a patient. When asked about the lingering effects of the accident, Rebecca’s mother, Lisa, admits that, “It hasn’t all been easy. It’s an ongoing process. Some days Rebecca seems just fine and other days she struggles.” Lisa says her daughter struggles with debilitating headaches, migraines and other issues such as mood, memory, and tiredness. “Most days are just fine, but there are days that you wonder what is going on. We have received a lot of support from close family, friends, and others.”
The thought of walking coast to coast for missions was born this past January. As the idea was explored, it was supported more and more until finally there was no denying that this is what the mother/daughter team was supposed to do. Rebecca insisted that it was to be coast to coast. They chose one of the shorter routes – Savannah, GA to San Diego, CA.
As for the heat? They have plans to walk early in the morning before it gets too hot. Interestingly enough, they have been told that the climate they will experience in their chosen route will resemble various seasons in Burkina Faso – the location where Rebecca would like to do missionary work.
A free concert will be sponsored by musician Heather Ruesch and Rebecca & Lisa’s 501(c)3 partner, Foundations for Living. The event will be held Thursday, June 7 at 7pm at St. John’s Community Episcopal Church, 1513 Pinewood Lane, New London, WI. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual walk this summer, listen to the concert, hear from Rebecca and Lisa, and pray for them. A free-will offering will be taken for the mother/daughter team.
Lisa and Rebecca have chosen to call their walk across America “Cloud and Pillar”, symbolic of the Israelites journey through the wilderness when God led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. You can follow their journey and donate through their website: www.cloudandpillar.com. Updates can also be found on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CloudAndPillar.