Wind ripped through the air picking up any ungrounded objects in its path as a storm hit Lewis County on Friday, but Durrell Bell stayed anchored to the ground from the weight of the nearly 6-foot-5 wooden cross over his shoulder.
“I’m walking in peace. I’m walking in love,” the Longview resident told The Chronicle while trekking along Harrison Avenue in Centralia.
Bell started carrying his cross five months ago when, as he puts it, he felt compelled by God to do so in hopes of improving the community.
At first, he walked 3.5 miles a few times a week. But the calling was still there, a calling to do more.
Until the answer finally came: A compulsion to walk all the way from Longview to Olympia, a journey totalling more than 70 miles if you skip the freeway.
The first day, he walked 20 miles. On the next day, 17 miles. He walked alone — but with the names of people he’s encountered since first carrying the cross in Longview each etched into its fibers.
Bell said he was thankful for all the interactions he had along the way and the copious amounts of food, water and other provisions he’s been offered. He also expressed gratitude for his wife, Teyonna, who picked him up and dropped him off each day of his journey.
And while that journey may have been complicated, his message was simple: He just wants people to know that “Jesus loves ‘em.”
On Saturday, he provided a final update on his journey: “I finished the 70-mile walk. This walk was challenging. I did no training for it. I simply listened to the voice of God, and He kept me through the entire journey. About a quarter of the time, I was crying, crying in pain, crying in disbelief … Just me, God and my tears. But every time I wanted to give up, God gave me strength. Even when I felt discouraged, He still strengthened me. There were moments I couldn’t go anymore, and God literally moved my legs. I was determined to push His message to my state: that Jesus loves you. He loves everyone, even those who are mad at Him. This walk was to inspire people in Christ to open their Bibles, find a church home and build a real relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This walk was also to declare His name and call people back to Him. The walk is finally completed, but the message will live on forever: John 3:16 — ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.’”
“God bless you all in Jesus’ name. He loves you, and I love you too. Thank you for all the support! I am truly grateful.”
