Christian Nonprofits, Missions Trips & Bloggers: Part 2

Laura and I met volunteering with Candlelighters For Children With Cancer.

We both had survivor children.

We both found healing through hiking.

Naturally, we started climbing mountains together too.

We both love Jesus.

We had talked about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro some day.

Laura had served in South Africa when she was 17 years old.

And I had my Africa connection.

We talked about it a lot.

And now we are BOTH going back!

Yesterday's Blog

Laura is fearless.

Laura is confident.

Laura encourages me when the fear of heights begin to set in as I'm ascending an open, 

exposed, 

steep snowfield.

Laura is strong.

I remember our first hike together.

I took her to Kings Mountain on the coastal range.

A 3,260 foot elevation gain in 2.9 miles.

It snowed
hard.

We laughed a lot,
all bundled up forging our way to the top.

Snow swirling all around,
biting our noses, blurring our vision.

Inhaling deep
the cold air.

And Laura said, "You are my kind of friend!
You are crazy enough to be out here in this snow and love it too!"

Since then, we have climbed South Sister, 

Middle Sister, 

Mt. Adams 

and Mt. St. Helens twice!   

We have trekked many miles through out the Columbia River Gorge, 

Mt. Hood, 

Mt. St. Helens, 

and the Deschutes River area, 

talking about God, 

sharing our families, 

 our lives. 

Now we have a grand adventure a head of us.
Mt. Kilimanjaro
19,341 feet