(Isaiah 40:9)
There is something exhilarating about mountains. It is such hard work to push your body up one, but once at the top, you forget all the pain, all the exhaustion and the burning in your lungs, and you stand in awe at the view around you.
I hemmed and hawed about whether I should join my two friends on the hike up the mountain. I was the one who pushed for it, but when the morning came I panicked a little. I was afraid I would hold up the group. I have been working out fairly consistently but the town we were in sits 6,000 ft. above my city. Then we were going to ascend another 6,000 ft. I wasn't sure I was used to the altitude and in good enough shape. But that morning, I got up, hard-boiled some eggs and of course, drank a good strong cup of coffee. I donned the strangest outfit I've ever worn hiking a mountain before: black dress pants (they were the most durable and comfortable of the two pairs of pants I had with me), a punjabi top (to maintain culturally appropriate attire), a fleece jacket and a head scarf.
We set out before sunrise...myself, a friend and former teammate of mine from America, and a Pakistani man working with another NGO in town. The two of them started walking really fast, and I was a bit worried the pace might wear me out quickly. We had to hike an hour just to the base of the mountain, traversing peoples' wheat fields and passing by shepherds already bringing their animals out for early morning grazing.
As we started up the mountain, all the jump-roping I had been doing the previous months was paying off. I was keeping pace with the men and even urging them on at times. Our Pakistani member of the group insisted on taking a few tea breaks on the way up. He even bought his own full thermos of black tea and a glass! We told him you could meet 100 hikers on a mountain in America, and he'd be the only one with tea to share! While he took tea breaks, I kept moving forward and beat both of them to the top.
At the summit (sitting just over 14,500 feet according to the GPS) the view was fantastic!!! We could see the peaks of the mountains from three countries all around us. I was in awe at the beauty of creation all around me. We had lunch and then sat at the top for about an hour. The guys took a nap. I closed my eyes for a bit but wanted to just take in the beauty and the grandeur all around me. Creation always leads me to praise the creator. I can't help but worship in the outdoors. This day was no exception. I let the praise flow while we were up there.
I have been hoping for an opportunity to do some hiking and climbing since I've moved here but this was the first real opportunity. The mountains closer to where I live are still littered with landmines and I haven't wanted to take that chance with my life! This area however saw little to none of the war and the countryside is free and clear. I hope there will be more opportunities like this in the future.
