Video from Joe Shortino’s youtube channel

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

That Bible quote adorns the business card of Joe Shortino, a man who recently traveled to Hays from Cheyenne Wyo., bringing with him something that has caught the eye of many locals as he winds through the streets of the city  – a 12-foot, 150-pound cross with attached American and POW flags and a ram’s horn.

While in Hays, he is working to fulfill his mission by walking the streets, talking to locals and, most importantly, praying with anyone who asks.

That mission, he says, was given to him by God himself.

Relying solely on the generosity of others while criss-crossing the United States, Shortino has been walking since Feb. 13, 2013, traveling through 14 states so far.

“I walk with no money. I’ve never slept a day on the street. I’ve never gone hungry,” he said.

But as strange as his mission may seem, he claims it came directly from a higher power.

“The Lord told me in an audible voice, he said, ‘I’m gonna build a cross and you’re gonna carry it,’ and I looked around and nobody was there. So I prayed to make sure I wasn’t kookoo for Cocoa Puffs,” he said.

After hearing the message, he said he immediately gave up a six-figure income working in the North Dakota oil fields and began his trek.

“I’m not out here to push my faith,” Shortino said. “When I walk, I look at the ground and, if people stop me, I’ll talk and pray with them.”

Originally, Shortino carried the cross without the flags, but after picking up the American flag in Texas during a Fourth of July event, it became permanent.

“The next day, the Lord said not to take it off,” he said.

A year later, he added the POW/MIA flag in support of veterans across the nation.

“We need God to bless this country again and, without our vets, we wouldn’t have the freedom we have,” Shortino said. “I just love the Lord and love my country.”

As for his time in Hays, just like the rest of his travels, he is waiting to hear what comes next – and when.

“I will not leave the town until God says I’m done,” Shortino said. “I go as God leads me.”

While he is in Hays, he said he hopes to help others with their struggles.

“There is a lot of hungry people out here that need a touch,”  Shortino said. “I pray with them and encourage them.”

In order to follow Shortino’s travels, he has set up a Facebook page as well as a YouTube channel.