They conquered Kili!

We are happy to report that Christopher and Allan reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro this morning around 7AM!  I knew their last trek began around midnight last night and it would be about a 7 hour climb~the most mentally and physically challenging of the seven days.  I forgot to mention on the previous post that I added a link on the top of the page describing their climb schedule and route.  The machame route is considered the most challenging but adding a day gave them a little more time to acclimate.  I woke up around 6AM waiting for their call.  I waited for about four hours before hearing from them (I can honestly say they were the longest 4 hours of my life knowing that people die each year trying to summit).  A lot of prayers were said and we knew that they were in good hands and were being very cautious.  They sounded good but were very exhausted and pretty dehydrated.  I don't have a lot of details (or pictures, obviously) to share at this time as our conversations over the week have been very brief to make sure their battery lasted until day seven.  Nicholas and I are so proud of them and so happy for them.  I'm sure they will have many stories to tell and the memory of their adventure will be something they will share for a lifetime.

Nicholas and I also had a memorable week.  We spent most of our time at ADRA and the baby home.  I won't be able to describe the experience we had, but I can say that we will be leaving a piece of our hearts there.  On one of our last nights there, we went to dinner to a place called Rivertrees with the volunteers from Germany and Denmark and were also joined by some missionaries from the UK that they had met.  We had a lovely dinner in the most beautiful setting with outdoor fireplaces and brick ovens.  We listened to everyone's stories and how they ended up in Africa.  They were absolutely fascinating (both the stories and the people)!  They were truly inspiring.  It was an evening we will never forget.  Saying good-bye at the end of our stay there was very difficult.  I really wasn't prepared for it.  I literally sobbed and it will be awhile before I can talk about the people and our time there without coming to tears.  Nicholas is certain that we will be able to come to stay at ADRA and Cradle of Love for a week each summer.  How I wish...

When we were planning our trip here, Nicholas and I weren't certain what other activities we would pursue when Allan and Christopher were climbing besides spending time at the orphanage.  We decided to wait until we got here to decide.  Many of the people that we talked to here said that the coast is something we should not miss.  We decided to spend our last two days on the Swahili Coast.  The five hour drive here was gorgeous and again, there was always something to look at as we passed through many villages.  The Indian ocean is very pretty and the place we are staying at is very small and quiet.  There are miles of deserted beaches between small villages.  We had to cross the Pangoni river which carries water from Mt. Kilimanjaro and spills into the Indian ocean.  Normally this is done by a ferry but something was wrong with it the day we arrived.  You should have seen the boat we had to use to cross it!   It was a VERY old-looking wooden boat that was packed with people (but thankfully no livestock) and no life jackets.  Since the ferry was broken, our driver could not bring the vehicle and come with us so the manager of the hotel sent someone to pick us up.  It was a little bit of an adventure in itself.  Nicholas and I are staying in a two-story bungalow that is just picture perfect.  The last two days were just what we needed before starting the next part of our journey.  We have spent time reflecting, having great conversations, swimming in the ocean, throwing seaweed balls at each other, playing "monkey in the middle" in the swimming pool with our guide, Bashiri (who has become our very dear friend) and drinking Stoney Tangaweze, our new favorite drink.

We leave early tomorrow morning and should arrive in Moshi around noon~just in time to meet Allan and Christopher as they come down off the mountain.  We are very excited to be together again.  We will spend the night there "catching-up" and the guys will rest up before we head to Dar Es Salaam on Friday morning.  After an eight hour bus ride (we were told that we will see a lot on the way), we will meet up with our group at the Landmark Hotel.  They are making their way there now and are currently in Dubai.  There are seven adults and nine youth in our group.  Saturday we will make the ten hour trip to Iringa.  Our group leader has also started a blog and I will soon post a link to that as well.  Thanks to everyone who has been praying for our group!

Once we arrive in Iringa, I may be able to post every few days when time allows and when we have access to internet cafes.  Love and blessings to everyone!  We miss you!  You are all in our thoughts and prayers.