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Local News
Granny walks, prays for America By Hilary Hellens | Daily Times Staff Writer As a little girl, Lyn Hanush said she dreamed of bicycling across the United States. Hanush is now 66, a grandmother and great-grandmother, and she is making her way through Wilson County this week on her fourth trek across a part of the United States. Not on a bike, however, but on her feet. The purpose of the walk, which she began in Ormond Beach, Fla., in March, is to pray for America during the election year. She will complete her trek in Madawaska, Maine, in September. Hanush's walking started out as therapy, she said. After she put her mother in an assisted living facility because of complications from her stroke, Hanush decided to walk from Tijuana, Mexico, to the California-Oregon border in 1983 as a form of therapy to help herself through the difficult time. "I didn't think she would do it, but she did it," said her husband, David Hanush. The couple lives in Paso Robles, Calif. Hanush decided in 1993 to walk again, this time with a long-term goal of walking across America in stages and praying for its communities. She walked from Brookings, Ore., to the U.S.-Canadian border at Blaine, Wash. Inspired by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Hanush walked again in 2003. "After 9/11, my husband said it is time for you to walk across and pray for the nation," she said. So in May of 2003, she, along with a friend and her granddaughter, began a trek that started in Blaine, Wash., and ended in Key West, Fla., in July of 2004. Hanush walks five days a week and covers about 15 to 20 miles a day. Hanush said she stays with families and at some motels. "Basically, I really depend on God to supply," she said. Currently, Hanush is staying with Bob Brown in Lucama. Hanush said she found Brown through Mennonite Your Way, a directory of Mennonites and Christians who open their homes to travelers. "This woman is praying for our country, and I think prayer is an essential thing to be doing," Brown said. Hanush said she enjoys meeting people from all different walks of life. She has written a book, Putting a Face on America, which chronicles her journey after Sept. 11, and the people she has met. Hanush said she stops and talks to people and often receives prayer requests. "When people give me a prayer request, I will stop right there and pray for them," she said. "I always give them my card and say feel free to call me." Hanush said she has bad days sometimes. Recently, Hanush's foot has been bothering her. But she said she manages to get through the tough times with her faith. "As I am walking, I pray out loud a lot." Hilary@wilsontimes.com | 265-7868
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