Grandmother on a prayerful journey

If you see a great-grandmother walking down U.S. Highway 17A with a collapsible walking stick and waving an American flag, it's Lyn Hanush, and she just said a prayer for you.

The 66-year-old California woman is more than a month into her 2,000-mile walk from Florida to Maine. On the way, she prays for presidential candidates and their voters, asking God to grant them wisdom.

Recently, Hanush has been resting in a Summerville hotel between walking points. She puts in about 20 miles a day on her route and then a driver picks her up and takes her to where she finds shelter through the night. The following day she begins walking again, usually at the same point she left off. On Tuesday she expected to make it to Highway 17A near Walterboro and hopes to walk through Summerville sometime next week.

"I walk facing traffic. As the cars come I wave to them," Hanush said. "With every wave goes a prayer."

After passing through Summerville, Hanush will continue her walk on Highway 17A until she reaches S.C. Highway 41 and continues toward North Carolina.

Hanush started walking March 6 in Florida and expects to finish by October.

This is the fourth time Hanush has taken a long walk to pray for the country. Most recently, she walked from Washington to Florida in 2003 and 2004 praying for unity after Sept. 11.

Following her journey she wrote a book called "Putting a Face on America."

Anyone who wants to help Hanush may contact her at 805-610-0274. To read a journal of Hanush's walk go to http://www.greatamericanjourney.com.

Reach Jessica Johnson at 937-5921 or jjohnson@postandcourier.com.