'I was never really sure that I could walk the 2000 kilometres,' recalls Sav. 'But when we reached the 1500 kilometre mark, it suddenly struck me that I could do it. That was an awesome moment.'
Each kilometre represented a unique language that doesn't yet have the Word of God – not even a single verse. In addition to walking, Dave, Carnsey, and Sav held evening meetings at local churches and town halls en route to share information about the 350 million people who don't yet have access to the Bible in their own language.
'More than 10,000 people from 124 different countries have visited our website (www.the2000walk.com),' says Sav. 'This gives some indication of how widely our message has gone out.'
Dave, Carnsey, and Sav experienced plenty of challenges during The 2000 Walk, including cooling their feet in a creek they were later informed is inhabited by crocodiles, walking eight kilometres in the wrong direction before realising and retracing their steps, and suffering from severe blisters and painful feet. Highlights included their frequent newspaper, radio, and TV interviews, and seeing for the first time a road sign with 'Stanthorpe' marked on it after walking for 73 days and 1818 kilometres.
Dave, Carnsey, and Sav walked the final kilometre along with 100 supporters who joined them on the road. They were met at the finish line by a bagpiper and 350 cheering people who released helium balloons.
'The group finish was symbolic of the fact that translating the Bible for the remaining 2000 Bible-less languages is not a job for a few individuals, but is a team effort where many, many people are needed,' observed Sav.
Although The 2000 Walk has finished, the task of translating the Bible into the 2000 remaining languages will continue for many years. People who are interested in getting involved can contact the mission organisations Operation Mobilisation – for which Carnsey is Queensland's State Director – and Wycliffe Bible Translators.
While they're relieved that The 2000 Walk is all over, Dave, Carnsey, and Sav are grateful to God for His blessing and for strengthening their faith. 'If I sense the Lord calling me once more to get up and do something like this, I'll probably be even more ready than before,' says Sav.