Day 1: Arusha, Tanzania

Today marks the beginning of an incredible journey! Everyone has arrived safely at Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania. Similar to Mount Kilimanjaro, which comprises of three volcano cones, Mount Meru is also a dormant volcano and stands at 14,968 ft. Let’s hope our climbers have good weather on Mount Kilimanjaro because on a clear day, you can see Mount Meru from Mount Kilimanjaro which is 43 miles west! Keep an eye on this trip journal! We’ll be posting everyday from now until the end of the trip!

First Journal Entry from Josh Gill at the airport in Dubai

Our trek begins! We haven’t reached Tanzania yet, but adventure already hit us in the face like a tube sock full of wood screws. If you’re wondering whether that’s good or bad, the answer is “yes.”

From the snow storm that hit DC the night before our flight and nearly blocked our route to Dulles, to an unplanned 16 hour layover in the Doha airport where customer service volleyed us back and forth across security for a couple hours until they figured out where to stash us, we’ve had a lot of hurdles to, well, hurdle!

But that’s sort of the point of this whole affair anyway. For the last two years, nearly everyone has been living in a world of constantly shifting circumstances and expectations, most of it beyond their control.

Unfortunately, as a result many have forgotten what it is to walk in freedom. Fear of the unforeseen, of the worst case scenario, whether likely or not, has imprisoned people as much as any lockdown order or government-proclaimed COVID mandate. The fear of risk has turned into a fear of living.

You might say this trek to Kilimanjaro is a rejection of that mindset. It’s a choice to walk in freedom and embrace the challenge of the unforeseen. It’s a choice to let go of the need for absolute control and move forward in faith rather than fear. Faith that, as we pursue this experience of beauty, of connection with each other, and of adventure, we will overcome any obstacle that rears its head, because God will make a way for us.

And He has.

He gave us good friends who invited me, Greg, Alyssa, and Turner to stay overnight at their house, which is 5 minutes away from Dulles, when we got news of the incoming storm.

Despite all the confusion in Doha, He gave us favor with the airport staff, who allowed us access to the first class lounge (with hot showers!) and gave us meal vouchers (after a little haggling).

And while the 16 hour delay isn’t ideal, God turned it into a blessing in a way. The six of us who started out from Dulles have had more time to get to know each other. Apparently other members of our trek will also be joining us for the final leg of our journey from Doha to Tanzania. Our team is coming together.

That’s why I’m climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro for a second time. I had the privilege of climbing it with my Dad in 2019, when the world seemed very different than it does now. The experience was unforgettable and it’s my favorite adventure that I’ve shared with my Dad. I’m not looking to repeat that this time around, though, because I’ve learned that no matter how great an experience is, you can never truly relive it. This trek will be, and already has been, its own unique adventure.

But one thing remains the same from my 2019 trek to this one. Now, just as I was then, I am looking forward to seeing what Christ does in each of us as we ascend the mountain.

I am looking forward to seeing each of us become more fully alive as we shed any vestige of the world’s culture of fear and isolation and instead draw closer to each other and our Creator out in the wilderness. I believe everyone else on this trek is looking forward to that too, each in their own way.

“For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭

Here’s to choosing freedom over fear. Here’s to truly living.

Let the adventure continue.

Nina Barnett