Faith will move mountains

Whichever way you look at it, this is no simple saying .... as what started off as a group of women running (huffing and puffing) hills in the local suburb, we have taken on the highest peak in Africa.... through absolute faith in ourselves, our abilities, our strengths, our passion, our group commitment, we have turned into an emPOWERed team.....

.... and sometimes a crazed one too. As part of this journey we are on, I think I talk for most of the team, that we find ourselves unable to pass a Cape Union Mart, Drifters, Sportsman's Warehouse, or any other sport store in a mall....the last place I would have favoured only months ago....our obsession includes such names as First Ascent, Under Armour, Columbia, KWay, the latest style base layers, wicking shirts, trekking pants, trekking poles, bladders (the kind you carry in your backpack!!), 100, 200 or 300 fleece, thermal underwear and outer shell clothing, buffs ... and most important of all, no cotton!! The list is endless, and these all take on a new meaning in this exciting lead up to the actual climb.

My mind seems unable to complete a conversation without veering subconsciously towards that peak in Africa ... do I have enough gear, have I trained hard enough? will we be warm enough? are our boots going to be worn in enough to be comfortable to endure hiking 6-7 hours a day for seven days, covering a total of over 50km? what else is there that we haven't thought about..... totally consuming, but so exciting.

While there is so much physical preparation, throughout all of this is the constant awareness that we are doing something bigger than life, something beyond our comfort zones, and the lingering thought..... WHY ....... and as Brad Shorkend of Urban Everest ended his most amazing presentation to our group .... what is your purpose of doing this climb.... what is your W H Y ?

To be honest I still don't really know why this appealed to me so strongly, I just knew I had to do it, its like my soul needed it. My feeling is that I will really only have the true answer on the Umbwe trail ...at Stellar Point ... at the Summit ... or maybe even back in the comfort of home on our return.

But as a starting point of my own personal journey, mountains are a big part of life, both literally and figuratively. I have climbed a few emotional ones myself and I have been thinking long and hard as to who I am going to honor on my climb. As I have figured that for this to be worthwhile and to have an enduring outcome, I want it to be more about others than it is about me.

Firstly, having been affected by illness of those close to me, my mother succumbing far too young, my sister surviving a nasty brush with cancer, and so so many friends lives being cut short or radically changed by illness and disease, I feel that these women deserve to conquer Kili with us, to these women who wake up every morning with the weight of illness bearing down on them, to still have to get up and be wives, mothers, daughters, sisters. And I have seen so many take on their struggle with love, light and pure faith - often giving strength to those trying to help. To these special brave women I will walk with you in my heart and on my mind.

Secondly, in my life, I have loving role models in my late mother, my dear sisters and sister-in-law and my special friends, who have become family. These strong women, who are also all struggling with their own mountains, have been my shelter, my safe place. I am so grateful to each and every one of them for being in my life, and I will take every step filled with love for them and an inner strength in knowing that they are behind me.

And while they all hold special places in my heart and I will carry them all with me, my climb is ultimately to honour my four beautiful, special children of whom I am so proud, and love so deeply (and of course my husband who I adore and is most definitely a huge part of my climb!!).

In honouring them through this spiritual and physical climb I am undertaking, my blessing to them is :-

.....that they continue to grow in God's way, to be proud, honourable, compassionate and empowered members of the next generation, and that they climb their own personal mountains with grace and integrity.

.... that they always be proud and stand for their beliefs. Religion gives you spiritual ideals. Ideals are what make life meaningful. Ideals will bring happiness to you in your life. And religion translates these ideals into simple daily deeds. Life is made by what you live for. And I know that they will always find meaning and live a life of value.

.... that they always make space for G-d in their lives. To be the best that they can, and never be afraid to learn and grow. They are a blessing to me, may G-d help them to be a blessing to others.

I feel blessed to be able to go on this adventure. And I know that faith CAN move mountains (or at least get us up the mountain!!)   May many more blessings come from this incredible journey we have begun...

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves."
-- Sir Edmund Hillary

by Kate Gershuni