February 16^th, 2001

Jean is in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is a long way from home!!! Still, my Valentine took the time to send me beautiful flowers on February the 14^th.

In Texas, Jean stayed in some of the following cities: Winnie, Texas City, Lake Jackson, Bay City, Port Lavaca, Rockport. In Texas City, Tommy, a new friend, had Jean at his house for a few days. He drove him to Houston to the Immigration Office so Jean could get a 4-week extension on his stay in the U.S. Thank you Tommy! This sure got a lot of pressure off Jean's shoulders and has given him the opportunity to enjoy the welcoming, warm hearted and generous disposition of the people from Texas.

Let's share some of the e-mails Jean or I received:

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Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001

Hi Luce
Jean spent three nights with us. After getting his 4-week extension from Immigration he was more at ease. I took him back to the ferry landing in Galveston this morning, so he could resume his walk. I wish him all the luck in the world.

God bless

Tommy Webb

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Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001

Dear Jean:
Hope everything is going well with you at this time. I just wanted you to know that you have been in our prayers since you left. I can't imagine you being on the road in some of this weather that we have been having.

In case you don't remember we are the family that you had "Thanksgiving Dinner" with in Safford. You know the sweet potatoe casserole and all the other goodies. It was great to have you with our family that day. We will never forget you.

I am just guessing but you are probably somewhere in Texas at this time. I now how your Web site but it does not tell me anything past Christmas holidays. I am so glad you spent some time with your wife during the holidays.

Jean, you take care of yourself and if you have time drop us a line and let us know how you are doing. May God keep his Angels around you while you are walking for peace on this earth.

You are in our prayers,
The Roddy Cahoon Family

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Subject: Saw your husband in Galveston
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001

Hello,

Just wanted to tell you that I saw your husband as he was walking down the beach in west Galveston, Texas....heading south. He is in very good spirits and was happily anticipating the news of your new grandbaby....He showed us his book of photos and articles....I admire both him and you as you both go on this journey.

Kathleen Sukiennik

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Subject: News of Jean in Texas
Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001

Hi, my name is Leslie Klug. I live in Lake Jackson, Texas, USA, which is about 50 miles south of Houston. Me & my 2 sons (Karl & Kaleb) met your husband, Jean, here in Lake Jackson today! What a blessing for us!

I saw him & didn't know who he was or what he was doing until I read about him a few minutes later in today's newspaper. I was so impressed! He is doing a truly wonderful & selfless thing!

He already had plans for a place to stay (in a nearby town named Oyster Creek), but was kind enough to let me take pictures of him with my sons. I will send them to you as soon as I get them back.

We didn't have much on hand to offer him, but my oldest son, Karl, gave him 5 of his golden dollars and I gave him the only $2 that I had with me and a Walmart gift card that had about $6 credit available on it. I hope it helps him in some small way.

What he is doing is so good & I thank him from the bottom of my heart, both for my children & for my children's children! Thank YOU for supporting him in this! I plan to share the website with as many people as I can. I was so touched by his mission & his devotion to it!

We will pray for him & we wish him Godspeed. We will pray for you & the rest of your family as well. He said that he thinks he may be a grandfather now (he said that his daughter was really close to having her baby when he spoke to you all 2 days ago). Congratulations! I hope all was well with the birth & that mother and baby are both well.

In Christian Love,

Leslie Klug

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Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001

Luce,
We had the pleasure of meeting your husband Jean here in South Texas. We reserved this Web site address for your use, it is wwwalk.org as in WorldWideWalk. I have redirected it to your site, so people can easily follow Jean's journey.

It should start working in about 24 hours, it will forward to your site.
Best wishes,
David Crain
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Subject: Hi from Central Texas

Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001

Jean; Keep up your efforts. I think it is very important!

Janet Crain

(David's Mom)

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Subject: hello Luce

Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001

Hello Luce

I have been given your e-mail address by my cousin Marie Beliveau. I am tracing our family tree and she mentioned that Jean (her cousin so somewhere down the line mine as well!) is walking around the world! What an amazing feat.

Just wanted to pass on my good wishes, and when you next make contact can you say hello to Jean from me here in the UK. Maybe when he makes it to the UK we would get to meet? I'm having a look through the Web at what I can find.

Working at the moment (9.30am here in the UK) so cant stay for long.

Best wishes

Sarah Keerie nee Gouin

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Subject: Hello From Port Lavaca - Benito Juan Cantu
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001

Hello Lucy,
Your husband Jean visited our Catholic CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) class tonight in Port Lavaca, Texas. We are located on Highway 35 along the east coast of Texas, about 250 miles from the Mexican Border. He visited our class of about 22 students and answered questions about why he decided to take this journey on. He inspired some and he was accepted here.

We pray for his success and for you his wife and for his family. It great how you and your family support his efforts. If you would keep us alerted to his successes and I shall pass them on to our class.

Thanks,
And Peace, No More Violence!
Benito Juan Cantu

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Subject: Jean in Corpus Christi, Texas

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001

Jean,

I enjoyed meeting you this morning at the Corpus Christi Cathedral. I regret not getting to stay longer and visit. I hope you have a safe walk around the world.

John Wright (L'heureux)

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And finally, this piece of writing that really speaks to the heart…

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Envoyé : 7 février, 2001 12:23

Objet : (no subject)

Hi

I KNOW THIS IS LONG BUT I WANTED TO SHARE IT TO SHOW MY APPRECIATION TO JEAN FOR WHAT HE'S DOING. ALSO, TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON BECOMING A GRANDFATHER. I AM ALSO IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS!!!

I would like to share my experience in meeting Jean and how it's affected my life. The previous two months before I met him I was going through a pretty rough time and had reached a stage of depression that took all the energy out of my life. I had been an avid runner, running in a couple of marathons and just enjoyed being outside and able to run. The depression had taken any desire for that away and besides going to work I mostly stayed in my apartment eating one small meal a day and living in that dark world where I felt I was all alone and nothing seemed to matter.

Then this one day I was off work. I'd been laying on the couch staring at the TV and somehow I felt like I just had to make myself get out and go for a jog. I fought the urge for over an hour but finally gave in, got my running shoes on and started jogging slowly down the street. After two months of abusing by body from poor eating and no exercise I made no attempt at really running. I was slowly jogging down the street when I saw this guy in the distance. He was standing there with what looked like a runner's baby
stroller. So, I thought, oh that's nice a man out with his little baby on this nice day.

As I got closer he started waving at me, so I waved back. Then I realized he was motioning me to come over. Being in the depressed mood that I was I thought "Oh great... I really don't feel like talking to anyone" but I jogged over and met Jean. He then asked me directions to a house about a mile away. I gave him directions and then he started telling me about his walk, showing me pictures of his wife and kids, and showing me a map outlining the journey he was on. We stood there for maybe 10 minutes and his smile and cheerful outlook lifted my spirits immediately. Just being with him for that short of time I could tell he was someone very special.

Then we parted ways and I told him I would e-mail Luce and let her know that he was fine and on his way to spend the night at a home in Athens. As I was jogging away I started thinking how lucky Jean was to have someone at home that supports him on his dream to walk around the world for peace.

Then after I had written Luce I begin receiving her updates and the stories of different people that would help Jean along the way. Total strangers that were willing to give him a place to stay, a good meal, or some other help along his way. That's when I begin to realize that I had people in my life that did care about me but I'd hidden myself and my feeling from them. So, with the encouragement I received from all of your acts of kindness that were given to Jean, I made what to me was a huge step and shared my feeling and what I'd been going though with my closest friend. It was scary for me
because I was afraid I'd lose her friendship but of course that didn't happen.

This was the first step of many that I've taken since then that have made my life better and I want to thank Jean, Luce, and their kids and all you people who took the time out of your lives to show Jean, and me, though your acts of kindness that there are people that do care. Also, I want to thank God, because I feel that he allowed all this to happen to help me along with my life. The fact that I had an unplanned day off and Jean just happened to make a wrong turn down a side street in Athens, Georgia, and that I had this strong urge which I fought for over and hour to go for a jog. Some people would call it coincidence but I'm sure that God had his hand in all of this.

Thanks again to all of you!!!!

Tom

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I do not believe we can explain every happening by calling it coincidence … do you???

Till next time soon…

Luce

P.S. Browse the Web site… I scanned around 20 newspaper articles… they will be on the site soon. Also baby Laurie's photo!!!