Why, Yes, I Did Climb Pike's Peak

So, I've been here at MTI for almost a week. It has been an incredible experience thus far. While the classroom material is helpful, I think spending time with fellow missionaries has been the most enriching part of it all. Whether we're eating lunch together or walking over to the ice cream shop together, I am continually amazed at how much we have in common and how easy it is to make conversation. We have a bond in our passion for the reaching the world and I'm amazed at how much I've learned about each person after only one week. I could go on and on about how good this time has been for me and how excited I am for the next two weeks. But, I'm primarily here tonight to impress you.

Today, Saturday, August 7th, 2010, I climbed to the top of Pike's Peak--a summit of 14,110 feet. We drove up to about 11,000 feet and then (crazily) decided we would climb the last 3 miles to the summit. We wanted to do a little hiking and not be lazy and drive the whole way up. Bad decision? Probably.

The trail started out pretty flat, grassy, wide. None of us were particularly acclimated to the altitude. I have been living at 7,000 feet for about 5 days. That's it. We were huffing and puffing our way up but I kept thinking, "This isn't that bad."

But then the climb became steeper and steeper. And then the boulder field came. I didn't even realize what a boulder field was. But it's basically a bunch of massive rocks at the top of a mountain. We took a basically vertical climb up said boulder field. I have no idea how long we were there or how far it was. Someone estimated around a mile of rock climbing. Every time we'd get to a place that I thought was the top, there was just one more hill of rocks to climb. (By the way, I did all of this in Chacos. Lovely.) My foot started cramping, my lungs felt like they would explode, I was gripping each boulder like a kung fu champion as I dangled over the cliff, and I watched as the road the cars drove on (my escape route) became farther and farther away. I wasn't alone in my exhaustion, fear, and general freaking-out-ness. But as Joyel (the only other woman) and I realized it would be harder to go down than up, we gave in and just kept going.

I have never been so happy to see a guardrail. I'm pretty sure I screamed "Thank you Jesus!". The guardrail served as our hope that the top was near. A sign of civilization. Not just one rock after another. That guardrail buoyed my spirits enough to get to the top.

Right now, about 5 hours after we reached the summit, I feel like an old woman. My knees are aching and my body is still pretty mad at me. But, I can honestly say, I am thrilled I made it. It certainly wasn't just me scaling up that vertical wall of rocks. I found myself praying more today than I think I have all week. And a song we sang a few days ago kept coming back to me:

"Every move I make, I make in you.

You make me move, Jesus.

Every step I take, I take in you.

Every breath I take, I breathe in you.

You are my way, Jesus.

Every breath I take, I take in you."

As my sea-level lungs struggled to catch up, my heart pounded out of my chest, and my legs turned to iron today, I kept thinking about how much this whole experience is like my spiritual journey. Take me out of my comfort zone, and I suddenly realize that every single step I take, is only enabled by the grace of God. I can find it so easy to rely on my own strength when I'm comfortably living at home in Maryland. But I constantly need to be reminded that I'm an incredibly weak vessel and I can only move, step, and breathe by the power and strength of Christ in me.

Today's left me with a lot to remember. I bought some things at the top of the peak that I plan to take with me to Uganda. I want to remember the physical, psychological, and emotional hurdles I made it over today. And when something seems impossible in Bundi, I'm hoping those "souvenirs" will be good reminders of what God has brought me through in the past.

I'll leave you with some pics even though the camera could not at all capture the beauty and majesty of these mountains. Or the physical stamina it took to hike them :)

At Crystal Lake, with Pike's Peak behind me. Completely oblivious of what was to come :)

Yes, I climbed over that. And then there was a whole additional mountain of boulders to be conquered.

Still looking pretty happy after a short climb.

With Bob at the top. Without his encouragement, I never would have made it!

So happy to have made it to the peak. Still living and breathing. Hooray!

Crazy roads we drove just to get to 11,000 feet.