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Journey to Bethlehem

This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told: the ... Read all This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told: the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told: the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.

• Adam Anders
• Peter Barsocchini
• Fiona Palomo
• Milo Manheim
• Antonio Banderas
• 79 User reviews
• 23 Critic reviews

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• Trivia One of a handful of smallish budget films made by Affirm Films that Sony Pictures distributed that have strong Christian or moral themes. Although Sony knew that none of them were going to be blockbuster hits, they also recognized that they would tap into an element of Western society that would help promote the film within their sphere of influence and gain a loyal audience as well as encourage discussion. Sony decided on this approach after they regretted turning down the chance to distribute 'The Way' back in 2010, a low-budget film about a spiritual journey undertaken by a grieving father (Martin Sheen) that was eventually given a release through independent distributors and went on to receive good reviews and proved a favorite among many communities.

Joseph : [to the obstinate donkey] Don't be such an a-

[rest of the word drowned out by donkey braying]

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Journey to bethlehem.

A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. ​   This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told, the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. A unique new entry into the collection of holiday classic movies, this epic Christmas musical is unlike any before it.

© 2023 Road To Bethlehem LLC, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Inc. and TSG Entertainment II LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Journey to Bethlehem

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Watch Journey to Bethlehem with a subscription on Netflix, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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Journey to Bethlehem adds a solidly traditional and surprisingly fun -- albeit occasionally treacly -- entry to the lengthy list of Nativity films.

Journey to Bethlehem is an excellent adaptation with enjoyable songs that stays true to the spirit of the story despite taking a few liberties along the way.

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Adam Anders

Fiona Palomo

Milo Manheim

Joel Smallbone

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ABOUT Journey To Bethlehem

A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told—the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. A unique new entry into the collection of holiday classic movies, this epic Christmas musical is unlike any before it. See  JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM  in theaters beginning November 10.

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Journey to Bethlehem

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• 3 Production
• 5.1 Theatrical run
• 5.2 Home media
• 6.1 Box office
• 6.2 Critical response
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A young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas musical celebration for the entire family, weaves classic Christmas melodies in to new pop songs in a music-infused retelling of the timeless story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.

• Fiona Palomo as Mary
• Milo Manheim as Joseph
• Lecrae as Gabriel
• Joel Smallbone as Antipater
• Antonio Banderas as King Herod
• Antonio Cantos as Joachim
• Moriah Peters as Deborah
• Stephanie Gil as Rebekah
• Rizwan Manji as Caspar
• Geno Segers as Balthazar
• Omid Djalili as Melchior

Production [ ]

The film and its cast was announced in March 2023, with newcomer Fiona Palomo as Mary, Zombies star Milo Manheim as Joseph, and Antonio Banderas as King Herod. Shooting locations included the Castle of Santa Bárbara in Alicante.

Soundtrack [ ]

The following soundtrack was released on Nov 3, 2023. The deluxe version containing the original score will be released on Nov 24, 2023.

Release [ ]

Theatrical run [ ].

Journey to Bethlehem was theatrically released on November 10, 2023, by Sony Pictures and Affirm Films. A teaser trailer premiered in front of Affirm's Big George Foreman , before being released on YouTube.

Home media [ ]

Reception [ ], box office [ ].

In the United States and Canada, Journey to Bethlehem was released alongside The Marvels , and is projected to gross $1–3 million from 1,823 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $1 million on its first day, including $250,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $2.4 million, finishing in seventh.

Critical response [ ]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it an 81% positive score.

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Mary and joseph's journey to bethlehem.

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After such a long, dangerous and grueling trip, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, a name which means "house of bread." It is fitting that the Christ-Child born there would be the bread of life who gives himself -- his flesh and blood -- as food for eternal life.

Photo credit: Michael Payne

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Mary , Joseph , Catholic , Jesus , faith , Bethlehem , journey

When we think of Christmas, we often think of Mary and Joseph making the journey to Bethlehem, the city of David in which Jesus was born. The pregnant and delicate Mary riding on a donkey, Joseph confidently leading the way as her husband and protector with staff in hand, the demanding and dangerous trip to Bethlehem, finding no room available at the inn upon their arrival and thus giving birth to Jesus in a cave that served as a stable. But what would the trip to Bethlehem have been like for Mary and Joseph and the Child in her womb?

To answer that question, we have to begin by considering what Mary was like. When we think of her, we often think of pious images of a delicate, light-skinned woman adorned in unblemished, ornate robes whose hands never saw a day of laundry. As wonderful as these sacred images are, they cannot possibly convey accurately the real Mary as a poor first-century Palestinian Jewish girl -- albeit a singularly extraordinary one.

There's no reason to think Mary was anything but intimately familiar with long days of hard work, as were other Jewish women of her place and time whose daily lives entailed various challenges far removed from technologically advanced, modern-day lives in first world nations. Mary likely began her day at sunrise by preparing a meal, perhaps of bread and olive oil with dried fish. Water needed to be carried and stored for drinking, cleaning, bathing, and washing clothes. Food, such as ground wheat-flour, had to be collected and prepared; firewood gathered for cooking and providing warmth in winter; clothes laundered. Consequently, Mary's workday was perhaps ten hours long. To keep up, she had to be strong and efficient.

Joseph would be no less familiar with tough times and demanding labor. His days as a tradesman -- a carpenter or builder -- began at sunup and continued until the light had gone or nearly so. He was strong and resilient, with rough, calloused hands.

Perhaps neither Mary nor Joseph were literate, as was typical of the majority of people in their day. They would have spoken Aramaic and had a familiarity with Latin and Greek. Some historical scholars believe that, in Nazareth, Mary and Joseph lived in what might be described as a small housing complex, as was often typical. It consisted of perhaps four small, one-room houses made of stone with dirt floors, connected by a central courtyard used for cooking and gathering. It was often the case that family members or kin shared these complexes, which helped them -- especially the women -- to share the heavy load of daily tasks.

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Mary and Joseph, of course, lived under the burden of Roman judicial and military rule. They were taxed by both Temple and Rome; they had firsthand experience with the painful gap of inequality between rich and poor, and the oppressive economic and social policies of the Roman Empire: The social and economic policy of the Roman Empire could well be summarised in a phrase: "the Roman system of inequality." Governing the entire Mediterranean world, Rome maintained its domination through judicial institutions developing legislation concerning property ownership and labour control - and through the use of brutal force. The whole system was based heavily on the inequality of people, which was thought to be either natural or at least inevitable, in order to secure peace and stability in the society. (Häkkinen, Sakari. (2016). Poverty in the first-century Galilee. HTS Theological Studies, 72(4), 1-9. dx.doi.org )

Yet the society in which Mary and Joseph lived was not at all stable, let alone peaceful. All of this serves as a backdrop for the 90 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem -- initiated by Joseph's requirement to participate in a Roman census. Mary and Joseph were familiar with hardship, which means the journey, as difficult and grueling as it was, would not have greatly intimidated the Holy Family.

But what was it like? Do we really have any idea? Probably not. It was difficult, strenuous, and highly dangerous. The gospels fail to convey just how challenging it was. James Strange, a New Testament and biblical archeology professor, had this to say: Writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke "are so laconic about the [Nativity] event because they assume the reader would know what it was like. [W]e have no idea how difficult it was." articles.latimes.com

How long would it have taken to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem? People could perhaps travel about twenty miles a day. However, given Mary's late stage of pregnancy, that number would have been much less, perhaps around ten miles a day. This means their journey likely took place over a ten-day period.

The hazards were many. Wild animals, bandits, desert robbers -- all these and more factored into the nature of the trip. The valley of the Jordan river was a forested refuge for lions, bears, and wild boar. Archeologists have uncovered signs warning travelers of these kinds of dangers (ibid.). Assuming the Holy Family traveled in winter, which is not out of the question, they had to deal with temperatures around freezing during the day and well below that at night, an experience far different from modern-day conveniences made possible by a broad network of paved roads and automobiles. Consequently, warm clothing would be required, and a fire would need to be lit at night for warmth and to help stave off hungry predators.

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For provisions, Mary and Joseph would have relied on bread, herbs, and oil, with perhaps some dried fish as an extra protein-boosting treat. Water would need to be carried, perhaps in wineskins.

After such a long, dangerous and grueling trip, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, a name which means "house of bread." It is fitting that the Christ-Child born there is the bread of life who gives himself -- his flesh and blood -- as food for eternal life. But, due to the census, Bethlehem is overcrowded. There is no room in the inn. There is no room for Mary and Joseph anywhere, except in a cave -- likely on the lower level of the inn -- used as a stable to house animals, probably the very animals travelers had relied upon to get to Bethlehem, travelers who perhaps had arrived earlier and were staying at the inn.

The omnipotent Creator of the universe assumes human flesh and is born of a poor, young Jewish virgin named Mary, birthed in a stable and laid in a manger of poverty. Heaven comes down to earth. The light of humanity enters the world through the womb of Mary, the Mother of God, where men shun and reject him. God becomes man and takes the form of a slave in service to all. And, all the while, the cross stands erect on the horizon of his earthly life as Jesus of Nazareth.

All of this takes place in order to restore humankind to communion with God. What mystery. What love!

Merry Christmas.

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A Photographic Journey in Mary and Joseph’s Footsteps

It took little time for me to realize that the seat located just behind the rear stairwell of the tour bus uniquely offered a wide, unobstructed view of the Israeli landscape. “I see… You are The Rebel of the group. The Rebel always sits in the back of the bus,” teased our tour guide, a kind-hearted and brilliant man named Stephen. I always responded to Stephen’s light-hearted teasings with a grin. I dared not let on about the prime real estate I had come to occupy, lest I lose it to another member of our group. 

Our group had departed Nazareth – by way of Tabgha, Magdala, and Capernaum – and was headed by bus through the Judean Desert to Bethlehem. As I gazed through that wonderfully wide window of the tour bus on this hours-long drive, observing the harsh, rocky, and burnt landscape of the Jordan River Valley, I realized how little consideration I had previously given to the arduous journey of Joseph and the heavily pregnant Mary just prior to the birth of our King.

It started with a long descent…

Nazareth is situated in a “bowl” within the hills belonging to the Nazareth Range, of the elevated Lower Galilee tableau; the city sits +1,138 feet above sea level. Embarking on their journey, Mary and Joseph were first tasked with traversing the long descent from the hills down to the rolling flatlands of the Jordan River Valley, the deepest valley on planet Earth.

At its highest point, the Jordan River Valley is -696 feet below sea level; at its lowest point, the valley is -1,300 feet below sea level. “On both sides, to the east and west, the valley is bordered by high, steep, escarpments with the difference in elevation between the valley floor and the surrounding mountains varying between 1,200 m (3,900 ft) to 1,700 m (5,600 ft).” [ Wikipedia ]

The tough terrain may not have been the only peril which Mary and Joseph had to face on their journey.

As the LA Times reported, “One of the most terrifying dangers in ancient Palestine was the heavily forested valley of the Jordan River… Lions and bears lived in the woods, and travelers had to fend off wild boars. Archeologists have unearthed documents warning travelers of the forest’s dangers.”

Wandering the lowlands…

As our tour bus continued south along the banks of the Jordan River, the tree-scattered hills of the Galilee were soon relegated to our memories. Barren, treeless mountains and towering dunes stretched as far as the eyes could see. Piles of rocks and large boulders lay piled at the base of the parched, cracked, collapsing edges of the mountainside, which starkly ascended toward the heavens from the flatlands lining the Jordan River. 

Rocks and dirt. 

Dirt and rocks. 

We had entered the brutal wastelands of the Judean Desert. 

At a roadside rest-stop our group stepped off of our tour bus to stretch our legs. It was mid-October, but the heat was unbearable. The glare of the sun in the hazy sky bounced off the steep sides of the giant, treeless dunes. Stephen informed our group that it had not rained in Israel for the last four months.

We don’t know exactly what time of year Mary and Joseph made their trek to Bethlehem. Like the African Savanna, Israel has a dry and a rainy season. If Mary and Joseph’s journey occurred during the winter months (and early spring), temperatures in the Judean Desert are “in the 30s during the day [and] rains like heck,” according to James F. Strange, professor of the New Testament and biblical archeologist at the University of South Florida. [ LA Times ]

“It’s nasty, miserable. And at night it would be freezing.” Whether during the hot, dry months or during the cold, wet months, the voyage through the Judean Desert would have been grueling, especially for a heavily pregnant Mary.

According to Professor Strange, “To protect themselves during inclement weather, Mary and Joseph would likely have worn heavy woolen cloaks, constructed to shed rain and snow. Under their cloaks, the ancient residents wore long robes, belted at the waist. Tube-like socks and enclosed shoes protected the feet.” [ LA Times ]

Climbing the mountains of the Judean Desert

Several hours after our tour bus left the area around the Sea of Galilee, the bus made a right turn and began the long ascent toward Jerusalem and Bethlehem. We left the plains behind, but my view out of the bus window changed little; rather than peering at the barren mountains from below, I viewed this stark landscape from within. We gradually meandered upward, as Mary and Joseph had so long ago.

Dirt and rocks.

Rocks and dirt.

Onward and upward through the mountains and dunes the tour bus climbed. 

Stephen told us the tragic tale of a group of school children who, on a field trip to the mountains, had been caught by a flash flood and been swept away. This mountainous area of the desert is a treacherous place. 

Along our ascent, we passed a camel standing in the middle of a highway intersection. We passed a bedouin who lay fast asleep beneath a lone tree, his donkey beside him.

Gradually, the sight of trees became more frequent, but the sight of rocks scattering the hillsides remained. As the amount of cars on the road increased, I knew we were nearing our destination.

The Christ was Born in Bethlehem

By the time our tour group had reached the area of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, we had made a total ascent of approximately 3,500 feet from the Jordan River Valley below.

Bethlehem lies 98 feet higher than and 6.2 miles south of nearby Jerusalem.

It sits +2,543 feet above sea level. The town is situated on a hillside within the Judean Mountains.

It was after this monumental climb from the sub-sea level valley below that a likely exhausted Mary gave birth to our Lord. 

A Reflection:

Through my modern eyes, Mary and Joseph’s journey was no less than a monumental task.

The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem spanned approximately 90 miles, across unpaved terrain and steep slopes, encompassing tremendous changes in elevation. It is likely, given Mary’s condition, that she and Joseph only covered ten miles each day.

The pair would have had to supply their own provisions for their journey. “In wineskins, they carried water,” said Rev. Peter Vasko, the coordinator of the Holy Land Foundation. [ LA Times ] “And they carried a lot of bread. . . . Breakfast would be dried bread, lunch would be oil with bread, and herbs with oil and bread in the evening.” It is difficult for me to imagine myself making such a journey with so little sustenance.

Additionally, the Rev. Vasko noted that “bandits, pirates of the desert and robbers” would have been “common hazards along the major trade routes like the one Joseph and Mary would have traveled.” [ LA Times ]

Wild animals, thieving bandits, little food, and a landscape that causes even the most seasoned explorers to shudder: for a heavily pregnant Mary, these challenges must have seemed insurmountable. Yet, faced with no choice, Mary and Joseph made this grueling journey to Bethlehem – a town fated to become the birthplace of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.

Before I traveled the path that Mary and Joseph did so long ago, I wasn’t able to appreciate the difficulty of their task; it remains somewhat unfathomable still. Now, however, my respect for the pair’s strength and perseverance abounds. Through sharing my own journey by bus, following in Mary and Joseph’s footsteps, it is my hope that your own understanding and appreciation of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem has also grown.

At the least, I hope that the events precluding the birth of our Lord, culminating in the Nativity, is forever deepened and given greater dimension within our hearts and minds.

May the Lord bless you and keep you this Christmas season.

Posted in: Advent , Biblical History

Tagged as: Advent , Bethlehem , Christmas , History , Holy Land , Israel , Mary and Joseph , Nazareth , photography

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Hi Iam Blanca Ramirez from Saxum, can I use your photos from Bethelem for an article in our Newsletter Dic. 2022 ? Thanks for your confirmation, Blanca Whatsapp 506-8350-6347

Yes, you may use them. Thank you for asking!

The above topographical map shows Mary and Joseph’s path (green) from Nazareth to Bethlehem, along the Jordan River Valley. Source: The Casual English Bible Can I publish this map, too ?

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Why is Passover so late this year?

• Updated: Apr. 19, 2024, 10:27 a.m. |
• Published: Apr. 19, 2024, 10:16 a.m.

Passover's falls later in 2024 because of its place on the lunar calendar. Godong/Universal Images Group vi

• Katherine Rodriguez | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Jewish holiday of Passover runs from Monday, April 22 at nightfall through Tuesday, April 30, which is much later than usual.

The date largely has to do with its place on the lunar calendar.

Here’s what you need to know about when Passover will be celebrated this year.

What is Passover?

Passover remembers the slavery of Israelites in Egypt and their journey to freedom.

Passover lasts for seven to eight days because the Egyptians pursued the Jews until the parting of the Red Sea , which occurred seven days after the Jews initially left Egypt, according to Chabad.org .

When does Passover begin?

Passover’s date, which is determined by the Hebrew calendar, is celebrated on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan.

Nisan is the first night of a full moon during the first month of the Hebrew calendar. It occurs after the spring equinox.

The Hebrew calendar is based on a lunar cycle, so for this year, Passover is celebrated starting at nightfall on Monday, April 22, 2024. This is also the date of the fourth full moon of the year.

Seder feasts are held on the first two nights of Passover, so this year they fall on Monday, April 22 and Tuesday April 23.

When does Passover end?

Passover typically ends seven to eight days later.

This year, Passover is eight days long, ending on April 30, 2024.

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Joyce Ann Klo

January 17, 1942 - April 17, 2024 (82 years old)

Bethlehem , Pennsylvania

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Joyce Ann Klo Obituary

We bid farewell to Joyce Ann Klo of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, whose journey of life gracefully concluded on April 17, 2024 at the age of 82. Joyce Ann touched countless lives with warmth and kindness, leaving behind cherished memories that will forever echo in hearts. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Joyce Ann Klo to pay them a last tribute.

She was predeceased by : her parents, Francis E. Cope and Anna Danyluk Cope. She is survived by : her husband Joseph Klo, Jr.; her children, Joseph Klo, III (Jennifer) of Bethlehem and Lisa Ann Stribula (Jim Fenstermacher) of Macungie; her grandchildren, Nicole Stribula, Julia Stribula, Jakob Klo and Jessika Klo; and her brother Edwin Cope (Gail).

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 24th 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Cantelmi Long Funeral Home (500 Linden St, Bethlehem, PA 18018). A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, April 24th 2024 at 11:00 AM at the same location.

Contributions: In lieu of flowers , contributions may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 5014 Hagerstown, MD 21741.

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College Sports | ESU football product Andrew Linder running…

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College Sports | ESU football product Andrew Linder running across the country to combat human trafficking

Andrew Linder, along with parents Mark and Lori and sisters Amanda and Amber, are athletes, so it’s not surprising when sports is a topic of conversation at the dinner table or anywhere else the five are together.

It was during one of those talks nearly five years ago when Linder’s father challenged him by saying he could not run a marathon.

Linder admittedly never ran more than a mile to that point. The 2019 East Stroudsburg University graduate was a three-year letter winner and a motivational leader for coach Jimmy Terwilliger’s football program. He never met a challenge that he could not meet on the football field, but 26.2 miles is significantly greater than 1 mile.

Eight weeks later, Linder ran the Bucks County Marathon in Yardley. He finished, but his body paid the price for his lack of proper training.

“My body was destroyed,” he said. “But it sparked this thing in me to push myself further than I ever thought I could.”

One marathon turned into another, then a 12-hour endurance race for cystic fibrosis and a 100-miler. Law enforcement training was in between those grueling events.

Linder developed a proper training regimen for those long races, but soon his adult passion collided with his career. The 27-year-old is a U.S. Capitol police officer in Washington, D.C. He has seen and read about all sorts of degradation, but one bothered him more than the others — human trafficking.

“It’s the worst crime,” Linder said. “Taking advantage of people like that, it motivated me to go after these people.”

More than 800,000 people annually are being trafficked, according to the International Labor Organization. The ILO estimates that more than 24.9 million people worldwide are trapped in forced labor and sexual exploitation in a business that has generated $150 billion.

Linder wanted to do something more about the crisis. He opted to run across America, but because that’s been done by others about 300 times before he increased the challenge. The Cheltenham, Maryland, resident is doing it wearing a 15-pound weighted vest.

He and his team created a website for people to learn more about human trafficking, follow his journey and donate to the cause: https://www.piertopark.com/

Proceeds from Linder’s endeavor go to Sisters Rising Worldwide, an organization that has been fighting human trafficking for hundreds of years.

“He’s been a live-action dude,” Terwilliger said. “He played every position on our defense. He was undersized, but what he lacked in talent he made up for with his radical play. He was all over the field. He was an energy guy, the heart and soul of our team.

“He had an ability to bring people together.”

Linder, who grew up in Bensalem and went to Conwell-Egan High School, used his people skills to form the group that would give him the best chance to complete the race.

Unlike his first marathon, this would require detailed training and planning so he reached out to friends he’d met in different phases of his life.

These five men also are giving up months of their personal and professional lives to this endeavor:

• Nick Villegas, who ran the 2021 Philadelphia Marathon with Linder, is documenting a lasting memory of the journey;

• Marlon Johnson is Linder’s best friend and mindset coach;

• Eric Kiewlak, a high school football teammate who shares similar health goals, is his fitness and nutrition coach;

• Chase Mangini, also a former college football player, is a breathwork coach;

• Brandon Chambers is a Baltimore native who was part of the same Capitol Police recruit class. The crew chief previously headed up Linder’s crews for marathons, ultra marathons and endurance races.

“They all are huge factors in keeping me motivated, running with me,” Linder said. “I could not have done this without all of them. It’s not easy to pick up your life for somebody else. They all are successful, high-functioning men who are working together for a cause. I am blessed to have them in my life.”

Linder and his team started at Santa Monica (Calif.) Pier and are scheduled to end the approximate 3,000-mile trek on May 18 in New York’s Central Park.

The March-to-May journey was their best bet based on the weather. It is generally nice on the West Coast in March and the weather in the Midwest and East Coast improves as you move through April and May.

Sometimes, though, the best-laid plans go astray.

Linder was greeted earlier this week in Missouri by 90-degree temperatures, which are not conducive to exercising outside for up to 13 hours a day.

There have been many weather-related obstacles. Linder last month ran on bridges in New Mexico and Arizona that were closed to traffic because eight inches of snow fell. That meant Linder was separated from his team, which is traveling in an RV and a Land Rover, for nearly five hours.

There was rerouting from a highway because of heavy truck traffic that left Linder with a view of nothing but cows and farms for 300 miles.

There were strong head winds in Kansas.

Each state seemingly brings another challenge.

“We’ve had so many moments when we laughed together,” Johnson said. “We also had difficult moments, rough times going up mountains, snowy days we didn’t anticipate. We got snowed on, rained on, hailed on, experienced 60-mph winds through Kansas. We got our RV stuck in the mud.

“Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. One thing Andrew made note to me in the beginning was to understand that there will be difficult times, tensions will get high. He’s relying on us to be dependable to the team. It’s why he reached out to all of us. We were willing to go on a mission above our own satisfaction. We were willing to give up three months of our lives in order to make this project happen.”

In addition to planning the route, the team had to secure running shoes, clothing and food for the trip.

Linder has altered his regular diet in order to replace the 7,000 calories he’s burning each day. That remains a challenge.

“A friend of mine said, ‘That’s no big deal. Just eat cookies and McDonald’s every day,'” Linder said. “But I’ve got to find foods that won’t destroy my stomach. We ate healthy for the first couple days, but I couldn’t get more than 5,000 calories so I was a zombie by the end of the day.

“So, we had to switch it up, start drinking calories and eat food that you don’t eat in real life for the next 78 days.”

Linder is getting closer to the Eastern time zone. His determination and his team’s preparation have them on the second half of their journey.

The feedback on the website has been tremendous as the end is within sight.

“When I heard Andrew was running across America,” Terwilliger said, “I was not surprised. As a player, he always pushed the limits, pushed others around him. If anyone can do this, can have this type of screw loose, it’s him.

“There was nothing we challenged him with that he couldn’t do. He’s one of the toughest young men I’ve ever seen.”

The 6-foot, 205-pound Linder finished his ESU career with 80 tackles and two fumble recoveries while playing many positions on defense.

Terwilliger cringed as he walked into the Warriors’ football locker room earlier this month ahead of a spring workout because so many of the current Warriors were on electronic devices.

The head coach was about to rip into them, but a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. The Warriors were checking out Instagram updates from Linder’s journey.

Terwilliger, a record-setting quarterback and 2005 Harlon Hill Award winner, is blown away by what Linder is doing for the betterment of others. So, too, are the Warriors.

“I can’t fathom what he’s doing in the time frame he’s doing it,” Terwilliger said. “Nothing I’ve done can even compare to that. It must be for a cause he feels so genuinely about. His conviction to bring awareness to this is so strong.

“I’m extremely proud as a coach and am dedicated in any way to help him.”

It would be cool to see Terwilliger meet Linder somewhere in Pennsylvania and run alongside him for a few hours.

Those who watched Terwilliger play knows you could never count him out. Linder has raised that bar to raise money worthy of his effort and dedication to human trafficking.

Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at [email protected]

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