Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Gothic Line Prayer Journey Day 9

After a good rest and recoup we started our day with the word Victory. The day was beautiful and sunny.  We set out to find Mt. Frasino. Along the way we passed through Mangona which is smack dab on the Gothic Line, so we stopped and staked our claim. Onward we drive with maps in hand and a location and we stop along the side of the road to make and up from the hillside comes a couple of old men and we ask them and they say "follow us". So we return to the town that we passed and they show us a little road and say take this until you reach that house and then walk. So off we go to Mt. Frasino and we walk for about and hour and we arrive to our spot. We break bread and stake our claim and while praying I felt this long line of men , either hand in hand or side by side by I felt led to step into this line and when I did I felt like I broke the flow and then a flow from me was going out to the left and the right. 




This area seemed to be well marked and known when we asked for directions for Mt Citerna.  It was go here and sure enough it was there.  Along the way we stumbled across Santa Lucia (which I thought was on the other side) so we stopped and prayed and moved on to Mt Citerna. we climbed to it's peak and prayed, drove a stake (took 3 tries, wouldn't go in the ground) and took Communion.  What a view but what destruction on the hillside. 















Down and over to Passo Della Futa, this was literally a spot (restaurant and resting place).  We actually drove right up to this mountain top so that was pretty cool, no walking, yeah God.  We prayed in the little park, staked and took Communion.  We then went inside to talk to the owner.  This family has owned this place since like 1913, so they pretty much know the history.  He (the son) told us that this place was a strong German defense and that the German Memorial Cemetery was very close. It seemed almost as if it was a selling point.  He then gave us directions to our next point il Giogo.

 Il Giogo like the last place, was a restaurant and it had rooms also for rent but unfortunately for us was closed.  It too was where the Germans chose to make a series of strongholds.  The view from the roads coming up were incredible.  It really was a perfect spot to set up base.  We prayed, drove a stake & took Communion, however we found ourselves at the top of a Mountain range in what seemed to be a National Park area that Bicyclists & Motorcyclists as well as hikers enjoy coming to but the place was virtually isolated today.  We did manage to get our bearings by looking at one of the maps and took off walking in the general direction.  Now this area has a different story to tell as over 2700 Americans lost their life here trying to take some of the strategic Mountain Tops.  One of those Mountains was Altuzza.  The road was marked with directions and a huge Cross on it's peak commemorating the war there. As this whole area is right on the Gothic Line and had a lot of activity during the war, there are still bunkers and the such visible for all to visit.  Again we prayed, staked & took Communion.  Every Mountaintop is different and we get different words or proclamations or declarations or directions for prayer.  It is hard to remember them all, but the Lord hears and remembers and brings life to them amen. 






























Our last order of business for the day was Mount Verruca.  We drove up the road further to a gate and parked.  We had read all the trail markers but none mentioned our Mt.  An man & his daughter came down the road from what looked like a very long hike, and we asked them if they knew were it was.  They sent us back down the road and told us to take this one trail into the woods.  I think they said about 1/2 hour in we would see our Mountain.  We see Mountains all around us and signs of the war but at one point we came to an impassable, no path forest and figured this must be it. So we prayed, drove a stake and took Communion.  I (Joyce) still didn't feel right about this place, it just didn't seem like something the Germans would use as a strategic point, it was hidden in the woods but it was getting late and we needed to eat and go to sleep.

We went back to our car, satisfied that we had accomplished so much today.  8 places in all.  We drove the little way over to the Il Diogo across the road and Guido made us some nice sandwiches.  We then changed our clothes and got into our P.J.s, pulled out our blankets and pillows and set about having a discussion about sleeping there on the hilltop in total isolation, with no one and no cell service or drive 10 km. to the nearest town and sleep.  It was apparent that our next 2 places were somewhere in this huge range of Mountains, but where.  And what were we going to do for a bathroom ( hair, teeth, etc.)  And what about directions tomorrow, would there be anyone to ask early in the morning?  After much back and forth debate we went to sleep at 8:30 pm.












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