Kelly Aalbers, 19, began his walk over a month ago, trekking his way with friends along highways for extended hours, stopping only at small towns for lodging and meals. He was a member of a faith group that taught him respect for his fellow man, respect for life and the love of God. And now he feels compelled to walk across Canada for this ideal and Aalbers who hails from Bruno, SK has admitted that the journey has allowed growth and given him a better appreciation of life.
"I can channel God's love to the world through my actions and through just being a peaceful witness; when the opportunity presented itself to walk across the country it really seemed like the fitting opportunity to take everything that I learned from the past year and apply it in a very practical way of just taking steps everyday towards the goal of saving lives - but ultimately to be a silent and peaceful witness," he said.
Aalbers along with six other young adults started walking on May 18 from Vancouver, BC as part of the Crossroads organization and the group has now made it to the southeast. Over the weekend they passed Carlyle, rested in Redvers and on June 25 they renewed their walk west. Ian Gallagher, an Ottawa native and leader of the group said he wanted to participate in the walk for several years now; he took the initiative this year and applied to join the program and was chosen as leader of the group. He said the walk represents their beliefs of pro-life.
"We're especially against abortion because we believe it ends human life so that's the major part of it and we are also against things like euthanasia we are not just advocating for abortion, we're advocating for the dignity for all human life because we just want to raise awareness," Gallagher said.
The slogan of Crossroads is "taking steps to save lives" and it involves bringing young people together to walk across the US and Canada in an effort to spread the message of life preservation and opposing abortion. There are five groups of; four in the US and one in Canada, all of whom began their walk simultaneously. The Canuck group of six who come from different areas in Canada began their journey in Vancouver and their destined end point is Ottawa. The members of the group have taken the opportunity to not only spread their message of prolife but also used it to have an introspective look at their lives. Kelly Aalbers said the journey allowed him the opportunity for expansion in all areas of his life but said it's been a challenge but it's been a joy none the less.
" Ultimately it been an opportunity to witness- to see beauty in a way I think that people haven't witnessed since the first settlers came across on horseback , " he said.
"There's one evening we saw a beautiful sunset and we stopped and watch it for two or three minutes and there was a little creek running and cows grazing. It's just really an opportunity for us to recognize that all things were created for us to enjoy and how often we pass by at a 120 km per hour and don't enjoy what's there for us."
The organization was started in 1995 by Steve Sanborn, a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio and was organized as a response to John Paul II's call for the youth of the world to take an active role in the pro-life movement in order to establish a culture of life.
The group is comprised of four women and two men and they are en route to Montreal and predict completing their journey by Aug 9. On the following day, they will attend a pro-life rally in Ottawa to mark the occasion.
