Day 10: Final Celebration Dinner & Safari Trip

After a life changing experience of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, our group got back to the hotel ready to hit the showers. The next day, waking up sore and restless, our group had time to reflect on our trip and had a last celebration dinner together. This dinner also included John Simon. one of our wonderful guides, and his amazing wife Mary. At dinner we got to each get a certificate for our achievement of summiting the mountain. While this dinner was full of laughs it was also full of tears and heartfelt memories we all shared together.

The big question from Tank that we answered at the dinner table was: “What dust will you bring home with you?” This question was one of Tank’s easiest and also hardest questions that he has asked all trip. My answer (after a couple of days to think about it) would be that I am bringing home the memory of how patient, gracious, hardworking, and how much of a servants heart the porters and guides had. I want to go back and strive to be more like them, as well as continue to build my relationship with the Lord, and always remember how these new friends of ours relayed Jesus’ love for us.

While this dinner was a great way to end our trip, we had to go our separate ways with some of our group. Nine of us then traveled to Tarangire National Park to have an amazing two day safari where we saw even more of God’s beauty and excellence. Now as we are leaving tomorrow to go home I have been reminiscing on the trip. I will always remember this being the most physically, emotionally, and spiritually challenging weeks of my life. However, I have never been so amazed by God and His beautiful world and people He created than on this trip. We have been the closest to Heaven that I will ever be and our group will never forget that.

Pamoja Pamoja. Together Together. 

Pole Pole.  Slowly slowly. 

~ Lanni Hanson