[He nods just once, although whether for the former or latter statement cannot be discerned, and perhaps his does not matter..]

It is the Lord who grants me the strength to walk forward, but it is the girl for whom I have reason to do so.

[He will not ask if Linneus believes in God. In his time here he has found surprisingly few who do. There are a slew of pagan deities that others claim loyalty to, and although his mind and heart cannot accept such gods as true, he does not fault his fellow refugees for holding fast to their beliefs. In the end, do they not all have the same reasons?]

I shall pray that you too receive strength.