PAUL’S WALK from TROAS to ASSOS

“Over the course of Paul’s three missionary journeys, he walked approximately 10,000 miles across the eastern Roman empire sharing the good news of Jesus Christ as he went. His very last walk of these missionary journeys took place on the Troad pennisula in the mid 60s while he was traveling back to Jerusalem. Knowing that trouble awaited him there (cf. Acts 20:22–24), Paul left his traveling companions to sail around the coast without him while Paul walked the Roman road from Alexandria Troas to Assos, presumably alone (cf. Acts 20:13–14). The thirty–mile walk and the two days that it likely took him to travel would have given him ample time for meditation as he reflected on his life and ministry thus far—the many places God had called him to go, the many churches he had helped to found, and the many new brothers and sisters in Christ whom he loved dearly. The solitude also likely gave him time for prayer as he prepared for the conflict and persecution that awaited him in Jerusalem. For the first time ever, Tutku Tours has arranged a pilgrimage to follow in Paul’s final footsteps, literally! We will spend three days retracing Paul’s route from Alexandra Troas—walking beside the beautiful turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea, following the ancient sacred way leading to the Smintheum, Apollo’s Temple, and meandering over the pastoral hills and farmland of the Troad—until we arrive at the ancient acropolis and harbor of Assos, one of the most beautiful spots in all of Anatolia. Whether you’re a lover of nature, history, or the apostle Paul or if you’re in need of time for reflecting on life and the spiritual rejunivation that hiking and meditating can provide, we invite you to walk this sacred way with us.”  Dr. Meg Ramey