Testimony: Kilimanjaro

One definition of “testimony” says “proof; something that supports a fact or a claim.” Another says “public avowal; a public profession of Christian faith or religious experience.”   It’s a word that Ugandan Christians use frequently and are very comfortable with.  Often during local church services, the Pastor will invite anyone with a testimony to come up and share it with the congregation.  People share all sorts of personal ways that God is working in their lives, from His provision in matters of finance to physical healing to spiritual peace through adverse, often life threatening, circumstances.

The EMI climb Kili Team on Day 1 at the trail head. (photo credit David Hoskinson)

I have an amazing testimony that covers both of these definitions. The climb to the highest point in Africa on Mount Kilimanjaro was successful.  Our entire team of 14 reached the summit at Uhuru Peak, 19,341 feet above sea level!   I have heard that the success rate on the route we took (called Lemosho) is about 92%.  So statistically, at least one of us should not have seen the stunning glaciers at the peak.  But by God’s sweet grace and amazing mercy, we all made it!  

The mountain is a beautiful place and it was a joy to be enveloped in God's incredible creation, camping on terrain that I had never before witnessed.  There are a few plants that only grow on the slopes of Kilimanjaro and our guides pointed them out as we passed them.  We went through 5 ecological zones (rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine dessert, and arctic) on the 8 day, 40 mile hike. 

Jumping across swampy place on Day 2.

Senecio trees.

Taking a break.

(photo credit David Hoskinson)

(photo credit David Hoskinson)

Day 3, we still have a long way to go. (photo credit David Hoskinson)

The team, along with our 4 guides, hiked the first 5 days, gradually rising each day up about 13,000 feet.

(photo credit David Hoskinson)

On the 6th day we made a short 3 hour hike in the morning up to camp at 15,000 feet.  Then we rested and went to bed early after supper, around 5 pm.  We woke a few hours later to eat "breakfast", and around 11 pm started the slow ascent up the final 4,000 feet of elevation change to the summit.

It was very cold and difficult to breathe, especially for the last few hours, because of the very low oxygen levels at that elevation.  We arrived at Uhuru just before sunrise, around 5:50 am.  It was freezing cold and very windy at the top but we were all thrilled to be there!

Here's the testimony.  Do you see me?

Glacier at the summit. (photo credit David Hoskinson)

View of the rim of a crater at the summit. (photo credit David Hoskinson)

 After a very short photo session at the summit (less than 10 minutes!), we returned back down the mountain to camp, which only took about 2 hours.  Then we had a short rest and lunch and another 3 hour hike down to the next camp.  In all, we hiked about 13 miles with 9,000 feet of elevation change in less than 24 hours.

Veiw of Mount Muru from at sunrise from the summit.

It was the most difficult time I have ever experienced physically.  But it was well worth it!  I learned an even deeper dependence on the Lord during my time on the mountain.  He carried me through a physical challenge that I would not have even attempted on my own.  Jesus was with me every step.

God used that time to show me to seek Him above ALL else.  The verse He continually brought me back to was Jeremiah 29:13.

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.

As you know from my previous post, the climb was a fundraiser for the EMI East Africa building fund campaign, Build Africa Together.  Praise God, over $49,000 was donated!  Thank you all for your generosity as you partner with EMI.  Please pray for this effort as we continue to raise funds and plan for this exciting new building project!

Kilimanjaro!

Monday I will begin an 8 day trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.  The opportunity to make this once in a lifetime journey comes as a fundraiser for our office, Engineering Ministries International – East Africa.  

The common meaning for KILIMANJARO is “shining mountain” in Swahili.  Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain on the African continent and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. 

Following the Lemosho route, we will hike through 6 ecological zones found on the mountain: cultivated land, rain forest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and an arctic summit.  We ascend for 6 days, hiking through the night under a full moon to summit at dawn on the 7^th day.  The last 2 days are spent descending.  The length of the journey is intended to assist in gradual acclimatization.  Our experience will be much different than the fastest round trip which was accomplished in 2004, when local guide Simon Mtuy went up and down the mountain in 8 hours and 27 minutes!

Approximately 25,000 people attempt to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro annually. About two-thirds of those are successful. Altitude-related sickness is the most common reason climbers turn back.  Please pray for the health and safety of our team, 14 climbers including staff, interns, volunteers, and friends of EMI East Africa, January 21 – 28 as we make this climb.  

The mountain’s snow caps are diminishing, having lost more than 80 percent of their mass since 1912. Scientists estimate that they may be completely ice free within the next 20 years.  No matter what the reason for the change, the mountain will never look quite like it does today.  I am grateful for the occasion to experience the beauty of God’s creation from the rooftop of Africa.

Please join us in prayer for our fundraising efforts as well.  All donations for the climb are to benefit Build Africa Together, a campaign to raise funds to construct a new EMI facility here in Uganda.  The planned office building and workshop will allow us to better serve our ministry partners, proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ to the poor throughout East Africa.  

The strategic location of the facility will allow for new and expanded initiatives:  

• Development of African design professionals  
• Research and development of sustainable building design and water and sanitation technologies
•  Disaster relief
• A growing construction management program

Would you consider partnering with us in this fundraising effort?  My personal fundraising goal is $5,000.  If you would like to make a donation, make checks payable to “EMI” with “Kilimanjaro-1528, McPherson” in the memo.  Mail to:
 EMI
130 East Kiowa Street, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO  80903.

You can also donate on line at http://www.emiworld.org.

Click on the “Donate” button.  Select “Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb – 1528” from the first drop down menu and my name from the subcategory menu that appears.

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support!

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you and all the trees will clap their hands.  Isaiah 55:12.

Daystar

Daystar University, Athi River, Kenya

EMI Project 9131

Founders Don and Faye Smith moved the small training college they operated from Zimbabwe to Nairobi in 1973, offering a Master’s degree in communications with accreditation from Wheaton College in Illinois.  Since then Daystar University has grown to offer more than 40 programs with accreditation from the government of Kenya in 1994, when they also began a second campus just outside Nairobi in the town of Athi River.

Existing reservoir on campus.

The area around Athi River is semi-arid, receiving only around 50 cm (20 inches) of rainfall per year.  Because of the geology in the area, water wells do not give high yields.  The municipal sources of water cannot meet the demand of the rapidly growing populations on the outskirts of the capital of Kenya.  As a result, the 2,000+ students and numerous faculty and support staff suffer from water rationing on a regular basis.  The university resorts to purchasing water that is brought in by water tanker at high costs.   EMI was requested to assist with the water source problem and in June, I traveled with a team to Athi River to perform a topographic survey and preliminary feasibility study for water sourcing. We estimated that Daystar currently is only able to provide about half of the water that they actually need to support the population at the school.

Dan, Patrick, and Kristina visit the local water treatment plant.

I have returned for Phase II, co-leading a team of engineers.  We hope to complete the survey in order to produce plans for capturing rainfall in the two existing reservoirs located on campus, and design a third dam to create a new reservoir for increased storage capacity.  Along with the survey and dam design, we will also conduct an analysis of the existing water distribution system to recommend improvements and the existing waste water system to determine the feasibility of grey water recycling. 

Surveyor Alan getting a point at the top of the water tank.

One of my favorite parts of EMI project trips is connecting with the local people in the ministries we serve, in this case, the students of Daystar.  At the student led chapel on Sunday, Information Technology student Grace shared this original composition.

(Note:  For you non-tech folks, LAN stands for local area network, a computer network which connects computers together in a limited area and IP stands for Internet Protocol, a communications protocol that relays data across the internet.)

HEAVEN’S LAN

I have set up a firewall,

To filter out the devil's traffic from my heart’s LAN; 

I have installed an antivirus called TrustGod,

To protect me against the devil's threats;

I update it daily with the Word.

Every part of my world is a hotspot,

I access God through an IP called prayer;

God and his angles are our servers,

Our requests never experience collisions,

‘Coz each of us has a unique IP address.

Your response may be an ACK, NAK or a timeout;

Acknowledgement for yes,

Not acknowledged for no,

And timeout for wait.

A most effective network,

It experiences no server overload,

Nor network downtime.

Subscription is free,

With lifelong guarantee of no disconnection,

Unless by personal choice.

Surf as per your choice.

Heaven is a wondrous site,

Register instantly via salvation.      

-          Grace Mugane

Later we met with Grace and she talked about the plans the government of Kenya has to construct a new technology center modeled after Silicon Valley just southeast of Daystar. Founders Don and Faye Smith believe that God has strategically placed the University between this new city, Konza, and the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.  Konza is poised to be a center for development of East Africa and students like Grace are already planning to be in position to serve God in that place with the education they receive at Daystar.

Education is a gift we in the west take for granted.  Daystar offers affordable and quality education to the people of East Africa and I am pleased to serve along side this ministry.  Like Grace, and many other students here, we should all strive to look for opportunities to use our education and other gifts to serve God, bring glory to Jesus, and bless others.

Please pray for the students and staff of Daystar and for our team as we work through the rest of this week.

Work Room