Climb for Cribs a Success

Submitted by Aaron Bell

Thank you so much all you “CLIMB FOR CRIBS” supporters!

A few weeks before Christmas I set out with my girlfriend on our “CLIMB FOR CRIBS” of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on 9-16 December to raise funds and awareness for the Door of Hope orphanage in Johannesburg, South Africa. The climb took eight days following the Lemosho route from the western side of the mountain - six and a half days up, then one and a half days down. The first few days we hiked through tropical rainforest in humid 30C weather, but as we went higher up the mountain the climate and vegetation changed drastically. The trees become shorter and sparser giving way to alpine deserts and rock, while the temperature dipped to freezing some nights. We made our successful summit attempt from midnight to 7am the morning of the seventh day on a crisp, cloudless, starry night with temperatures hovering around –10C. As one guide described, it was like we had “gone from the equator to the north pole in a week!” We successfully made it 5895m above sea level to Uhuru peak, the tallest point in Africa.

One of my secret plans amidst all this was to propose to my girlfriend on the summit, but she was suffering from a severe pressure headache – the effects of altitude sickness at higher elevations. I thought it would be wise to wait until she was feeling better so she would not be sick all over me while I was on one knee…I also thought it would be better to wait until she was more coherent so she would remember agreeing to a proposal. I waited until later that evening over dinner. So not only did we summit the mountain, but we got engaged!

A few days later on 21 December my fiancé (woohoo!) and I had the opportunity to visit the Door of Hope in Johannesburg. The staff showed us around the orphanage, including the “hole in the wall” safe drop box for babies off the street. Seeing the secure drop box with a receiving blanket awaiting the next arrival off the streets of Johannesburg again brought home the reality of the place, and the need for people and places like this all over the world. We were also able to visit the newborns room where their newest arrivals were seven and fourteen days old. The staff were excited to share about physical healings and success stories with the babies while we all took turns holding, playing with, and feeding the children amidst their sleep schedules.

It was such a blessing to see the amazing work being done there, and be able to bless them with prayer and financial support. That is where all you “CLIMB FOR CRIBS” supporters come in – your personal donations and the money raised from the O+M department’s gift raffle is all going directly to the purchase of formula and new cribs for the babies and toddlers at the Door of Hope. So thank you so much for your contributions and support – they are so greatly appreciated!