Let me explain…
Many people know that I’ve had my share of struggles in
life, but the struggles I have faced
have just made the joys better.
It’s 10:30 here, as I sit in my bed, and I just got back
from climbing a VOLCANO. When we set out
on this excursion, we thought, “what a cool experience this will be!” For the
others in my group, this fun-filled excursion was just that, but for me, it was
unexpectedly so much more…
We got to the start place around 3:45 PM and immediately
getting out of the car, people asked us if we wanted a horse to take us up the volano
for 200 Q, $30. Honestly, yes…I
did. I wanted every bit of that horse to
take me up the mountain, but $30 is over half of my weekly stipend, and the
excursion already cost $25, So I thought, “How difficult could this be..?” Very fricken difficult.
I certainly slowed the group down as we climbed. As the muscles in my legs burned, as ,my right
leg froze up time after time, and as I wondered how much further until a break,
I wanted to quit. So many times, I
wanted to take a break. I wanted to get
on a horse. I didn’t know if I could do it.
However, I persisted.
I watched my steps and thought to myself, “One step at a
time. I can do this.” I didn’t ask how much longer because I was
afraid of the answer. Covered in sweat,
I told myself, “One step at a time.”
Over an hour later, the most wonderful thing happened…we reached
the dried lava rocks. We were close! However, this posed another hurdle. It was so easy to slip. A few minutes into
the hills and bounds of lava rocks, as my fatigued right leg shook, I fell and
hit the sharp, cooled lava stones. As I
hit these stones, I was met by the hand of another…a man (maybe 30 y/o) who had
seen me struggling on the way up reached out his hand to me, and in broken
English, smiled and said to me, “We will do this together.” We walked sliding
and slipping through the slick gravel-like hills, and then we hit a BIG
hill! That’s when his friend grabbed my
other hand and said, “You can do this.”
Together we climbed through the stones and made it to a landing
point. I thanked the men
whole-heartedly, and we parted ways.
Next decision…Whether or not to attempt the part over molten
lava, with sharp larger hot lava rocks.
My initial reaction was, “Heck no!” because it sounded like a
nightmare. But I persisted on because I
figured I it’s better to try and fail than not to try…That’s when another
beautiful thing happened. Our tour guide,
Mono, took my arm and said to me (In Spanish), “We can do this…I’ll help
you.” He and I jumped and climbed lava
rocks (hand in hand) with skin-searing heat coming from the orange liquid lava
underneath. We climbed nearly 15 minutes
(very slowly walking), and BAM there it was!
Orange liquid rock-not underneath, but right next to us. The liquified rock was falling slowly,
melting into the solidified lava rocks.
That’s when I took the marshmallows out of my back
pack. I had bought these marshmallows
(called “angelitas” in Spanish) this morning on my walk to school, just in case
we had an opportunity to roast mallows, and here it was…the chance! Mono brought a stick and we roasted marsh
mallows over molten lava. They actually
caught fire next to the lava-Crazy! By this time, the sun was setting, which
turned out to be so beautiful. After a few pictures and delicious smores, we
started the decline.
That was another adventure, with much slipping and a man on
each arm on the way down. But I was just
filled with so so so much gratitude…I just climbed a fricken mountain. Yes, it was terribly hard, and I probably won’t
do it again…but I don’t need to. Because
I persisted and I did it. I didn’t take
any short cuts. I endured pain, and
humbling humanity, and I did it-with the help of my brothers and sisters in
Christ.
We got to the end of the hike, and it was hours later than
we should have returned, but my friends were so supportive. Hungry, but supportive.
What beauty…the support from my team, as one held a light
for me on the way down the hill. Two
stuck back with me as I struggled up the mountain, supporting me as I was
telling myself I couldn’t go any further.
And others took plenty of pictures of us. Everyone played a part.
This evening was a beautiful reminder of the love that
surrounds me, through the trials that I face.
Reflecting on the immense support I have had from my family, friends, neighbors,
and everyone in between. That support
has come in many shapes and forms, like an environmental services woman (that I
had never met before) at work asking my story/mission while we were stripping a
room, and then she gave me a big hug and a few dollars to support my
fundraising. It also looks like a visit from
far away, support of my fundraising, a hug and smile, and now the men who held my
hands while I climbed a volcano. My
mission is to achieve and spread love, and I am able to do that because YOU
have taught me to love…and so I thank you!
Grupo son nuestra guia, Mono.
