Day 2 - Experience Young Life in Arusha

Itinerary

Experience Young Life in Arusha in Morning. Lunch in town with local YL Staff. Final Mountain Gear & Equipment Check, Safety Briefing with Guides. Trip Host Orientation. Special Group Dinner & Overnight at Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha.

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Day 2 Journal Entry ~ Murphy Brennan

Today struck the perfect balance between joy and preparation as we shook off any pre-climb nerves with an afternoon of dancing at YoungLife club before meeting with our guides to prepare for the climb ahead.

We headed to the Sokon 1 neighborhood, while Laban (Area Director) explained more about the community and the incredible work YoungLife Africa is doing to build relationships with adolescents and young adults.

As soon as we stepped off the bus, we were welcomed with a YoungLife Africa staple: “Jambo Rafiki” (“Hello, friend”). After meeting the other YL leaders, we walked as a group to take a tour of the neighborhood, giving us a firsthand look at the place so many of them call home.

We made a stop at Epic College, which is a professional college in which many students are actively involved in YoungLife. There, the director shared their mission and how they operate— from hands-on kitchen training (which includes being assigned to watching “Hell’s Kitchen” to learn commercial kitchen skills) to developing computer skills. The power of education here is immediately clear, as is the meaningful role YoungLife has played in helping transform and strengthen the community.

Back at club, we danced and played games alongside local children of all ages. It’s amazing how much joy and connection we could share without even speaking the same language! We said our goodbyes, exchanged WhatsApp contacts, and loaded the bus with some of the YoungLife staff who joined us for a pizza lunch.

Once we got back to the hotel, we laid out all of our Kilimanjaro gear in preparation for our gear check with our guides. John Simon (our lead guide) walked us through a safety briefing and gave us some more insight for what to expect on this beast of a mountain that we’re about to face.

We ended our evening with a group dinner at the hotel, reflecting on what brought us here as we anticipate this climb ahead. Some have jokingly called this “The Last Supper”.

Let’s do this!

-Murphy