Posts Tagged ‘AIDS Orphans’

KILIMANJARO

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

The mountain is unknown to me- I haven’t reached its summit, I haven’t even seen it in person. I thought I might gain some insight about it by the meaning of its name, but even that is dubious.  Perhaps in the end, the mystery is the most important quality of this hunk of rock.

While I confess that I am a stranger to Kilimanjaro, I am no stranger to mountains. Having lived in Alaska for 5 years, I’ve spent significant time among the crags and precipices. And I know that there are certain characteristics these colossals would share with their African cousin.

In a shadow of a mountain, I am in awe of their timelessness. These giants are the silent sentinels of the centuries. Their fixture among a changing world is a tremendous source of stability.

Kilimanjaro has remained resolute in its oversight of a continent that has amassed quite a history.  The mountain sat quietly while pharos reigned, when the world came to Alexandria to learn philosophy, as colonial powers reached the shores and made their conquests, and as the struggles of apartheid gripped the people. It remained while the sounds, colors, and flavors of the culture made their way to distant lands. It will continue to watch, wait and witness the centuries to come, observing where new hopes may blossom. In Kilimanjaro there may lay a quiet assurance to the world’s poorest continent, ravaged by disease and conflict that “this too shall pass.”

Yet stability seems the antithesis of mystery. Despite the solid edifice, there are deep mysteries. The adventure comes in discovering what secrets the mountain may hold. What lessons does it share about the people it observes? What will you find out about yourself as you explore its cliffs and crannies (and your own inner world)? Each time you climb, it will be a different experience. You can never know what to expect.

Scaling a mountain is a spiritual journey of awakening.

The ascension from base to summit is wrought with struggle and surprise. It begins with an energetic vigilance, eager steps to reach the goal.  Soon the slope becomes steeper and steps become slower. The mountain begins to challenge each step, and it starts to take strong effort to push one foot in front of the other, and propel you foot by foot toward the top. Mountains have a particular fondness for cruelty to their climbers; they lure you into thinking you’ve reached the top, only to find more mountain to climb. This elusive apex challenges the fortitude of any climber.

Stop. Take a look around.  It is surprising how far you’ve already come. The view has become spectacular from this new perspective, which would have been unknowable without perspiration. Renewed and inspired, press on towards your goal.  After another grueling test of endurance you finally find yourself with no higher place to reach. You made it and the exhilaration fills your body and you feel like the eagle freely flying on a thermal updraft. The world below extends to the horizon, the individuals below so small and the trouble you left behind seemingly insignificant. The chill of the air awakens something inside as you take it all in. Then with one last sigh of contentment, you return to the world below.

Enthusiasm. Struggle. Reward. Perspective. Endurance. Doubt. Triumph. Freedom.

Sitting on the plains of Africa, Kilimanjaro patiently waits, beckoning for the next Sojourner to embark on a path of discovery. You will encounter something greater than yourself.

kilimanjaro

Play it Forward.

Nathan Worrell
PIF Sojourner, Guatemala October 2008

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PLAY it Forward with AIDS Orphans in Africa

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

orphans

In beautiful Tanzania, PLAY if Forward will work with a local non-profit that provides orphans with adequate care, education, healthcare, clothes, food, and a loving and warm family life. Sojourners on this adventure will contribute to these children in two ways. The group will be staying at a locally owned and ran lodge in Rhotia Valley whose funding provides sustainability for the children’s home. Sojourners will also be offering their time and support as they construct a much-needed cattle barn for preserving the culture of the children. The staff is 100% Tanzanian and the children are from the local village of Rhotia. Rhotia consists of mainly small farmers. The goal is for children to learn how to improve farming and be proud to teach and help their fellow villagers.

 

PLAY it Forward will travel to Tanzania this August to scale Kilimanjaro. Before setting off on the thrilling 7-day adventure climb, sojourners will be helping those in need. They will also experience African wildlife on safaris in two different areas.

 

Join PLAY it Forward on this thrilling and rewarding adventure! Visit http://www.pifadventures.com/trips/kilimanjaro for more information and call 651-493-8817 to book today!

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The Kilimanjaro Quest

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

A true adventure, thousands of non-technical climbers each year scale this African feat. Kilimanjaro is the world’s highest free-standing mountain. Test your endurance and challenge your body while taking in breathtaking sites of the African landscape.

Begin your adventure through interaction with local African culture in the city of Arusha. Travel through a variety of terrains with something new to see each day. Your experience begins in a tropical forest. As you climb, the topography changes to that of an alpine desert of rock and ice fields. Reaching the top of the snow-covered summit makes you feel that you are on top of the world. Your tremendous effort is met by feelings of success and rejuvenation as you stand on the “rooftop of Africa.”

Join us for the adventure of a lifetime! Play it Forward this summer, August 8-23. Visit http://www.pifadventures.com/trips/kilimanjaro for more information.


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