For recently retired school teacher David Barlow, the dream to walk the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway has become much more than a personal quest or the opportunity to make history.

The Landis, North Carolina, resident was looking for a way to combine three of his greatest passions—love for the Lord, kinship with nature, and ministry to youth. After 33 years as a science teacher, he had a yearning to, as he says, “complete the bookends of my career and put it all into perspective before I begin the next chapter of my life.”

So the 56-year-old went back to where his calling began, as a ranger on the Blue Ridge Parkway. From 1974 to 1977, Barlow worked as an interpretive specialist in the Grandfather Mountain to Asheville district during the summer seasons. He was in his element conducting campfire programs and nature hikes.

The lure of the mountains beckoned him again when he retired from his teaching position at Mooresville High School in June. Barlow sought to do what no one as far he knows has ever achieved: to backpack all of the original Blue Ridge Parkway from Jarman Gap near Waynesboro, Virginia, to the southern terminus in Cherokee, North Carolina—a grand total of 477 miles.

“I have been all over North America, to every state except Hawaii, to Canada, and to Mexico,” he said. “But after all of these years, I had never been north of Mabry Mill in southwest Virginia on the Parkway.”

All he needed now was a “higher cause,” Barlow said, a noteworthy project to bring attention to during his journey.

Barlow’s mother Emily, an avid supporter of Operation Christmas Child, suggested he dedicate his walk to the Samaritan’s Purse project. She took her inspiration from a story she read about a man who ran across his home state of North Dakota last November to promote Operation Christmas Child.

Barlow loved the idea. He and his wife, Debbie, help their church pack shoe box gifts each holiday season. Debbie’s third grade class held a shoe box packing party as part of their Christmas celebration one year.

“Our family loves Operation Christmas Child,” he said. “My wife and my mom have both worked at the processing center in Charlotte. A couple of years ago my parents traveled to Mexico to deliver shoe boxes. They had the time of their lives.”

He set out on his journey on August 31, walking a short 2.5 miles just to stretch his legs. From then on, he has averaged 10 to 11 miles a day.

“It’s so wonderful to be able to walk with God out in nature, to be away from the mayhem and talk to the Lord throughout the day,” he said. “I think the Lord didn’t mean for us to live life at a frenetic pace like we do. We all need to slow down and spend more time with our Creator.”

To raise awareness for the ministry, Barlow taped an Operation Christmas Child bumper sticker on the back of his 35-pound pack. His belongings consist of a sleeping bag, tent, small cook stove, two changes of clothes, water, and enough food for a week.

Along the route he stops wherever he can for water and an occasional restaurant meal. “Trail angels,” as he calls them, have been answers to prayer, offering him goodies ranging from a cold soda or homemade cobbler to a picnic shelter where he can pitch his tent overnight.

Barlow is both amazed and humbled by God’s daily provision.

“Every evening around seven o’clock I start praying for the Lord to lead me to a place to spend the night,” he said. “Invariably, about 15 minutes later the Lord shows me a spot or someone offers me a quiet location to camp out.”

When he crosses paths with people, Barlow tells them about Operation Christmas Child and encourages them to pack boxes. He has been pleasantly surprised to discover that many people are already familiar with the project.

“Most people I have spoken to either pack boxes themselves or know of a church in their area that is participating in the project,” he said. “I’ve had people say to me that they think it’s great that I am dedicating the walk to Operation Christmas Child.”

On September 25, Barlow stopped in Boone, North Carolina, home of the international headquarters of Samaritan's Purse. He was delighted to meet with staff at the Operation Christmas Child processing center and take a tour of the ministry.

The next evening he was joined by his wife, their youngest son, and several friends who camped out with him at Price Park outside Blowing Rock.

If the weather remains good, Barlow plans to complete his odyssey in Cherokee by mid-October. He hopes that his journey will inspire others to follow the trail God has marked out for their lives.

“I want to get the word out about Operation Christmas Child and see it grow,” he said. “As it is with anything we do for the Lord, we have to take the first step. When we take that step, God will bless our efforts and give us strength for each step down the road.”

Samaritan's Purse , United States , Operation Christmas Child , Sharing the Journey