They did it! Mark, along with howFar board President, Jim Kelly, and a team of friends, completed their goal of reaching the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. They climbed 19,341 feet, hiking through five different climate zones including rainforest, heath, mooreland, alpine dessert and arctic.
 |
| At the "Rooftop of Africa" - the highest point in Africa. |
For Mark, this climb was special for many reasons - since 2002, when he first saw Mount Kilimanjaro, Mark dreamed of one day climbing the incredible mountain. His wish was to be able to look down over the land, into all of the areas where howFar has planted churches and schools, and to pray that God would call many to Himself.
 |
| Jim and Mark with their team and guides on Day One |
Fast forward to 2016 and this dream became a reality. Mark chose to climb the mountain for an additional reason. To raise the funding necessary to send all 120 of our orphans at the howFar Orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo to school.
After an incredibly challenging week, the team made it to Uhuru Peak, which many call "The rooftop of Africa".
 |
| Incredible views from Kilimanjaro. |
Mark explained,
"Cimbing Kilimanjaro was one of the most incredible experiences of my life...and one of the hardest things I have ever done. Without prayer and the drive to accomplish this task for the orphaned children, I don't know that I could have made it through the final seven hour nighttime trek to the top".
 |
| "Sunrise on Kilimanjaro was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen." |
 |
| The final push to the top! |
 |
| The huge glaciers are awe inspiring. |
Through our
GoFundMe campaign we raised nearly $5000, which is enough to educate 22 Congolese orphans out of the 120 that are in our care. This is a tremendous start and we can't wait to see how this will impact the children.
In January when the new school year begins, we will send the 22 oldest children to school so that they are able to catch up, and then eventually help the younger children when they start school. We plan to leave the GoFundMe campaign live until January in the event that anyone still wants to give to that specific fund.
 |
| Our children at the howFar Home in Goma, DR Congo |
By giving to this campaign, you are helping us break the cycle of destruction that the Congolese people face. The UN has stated that the Congo has the largest poverty rate in the world, and through first-hand experience, we at howFar know that there is still serious ongoing warfare and conflict. By taking children off of the street, loving them, and educating them, we are bringing about big changes to the culture - one village at a time.
Thank you for partnering with us!
howFar will you go?
No comments:
Post a Comment