One step at a time.
That’s how you climb Mount Everest.
It’s been some time since I last posted, but ultimately, this has been the lesson and my motto for the past few months. I’d like to share this experience here with you today.
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I participated in a challenge called Freedom 8848, where the goal was to climb a total of 8848 meters of elevation, the height of Mount Everest, to raise funds and awareness to fight against sex trafficking.
The challenge was nothing like I’ve ever experienced, or even expected. To achieve the elevation, we were tasked to climb a total of 9 mountains in 3 days. We would have to be both fast and smart at going up and down each mountain. One wrong move and may miss the cut-off time to the next mountain.
I went into the challenge with no expectations. Despite this, I made sure that I had the right gear and spent some time training leading up to the event. This undoubtedly helped me as I don’t think I would have made the progress I did without this preparation.
Leading up to the event, I talked with many folks, many whom I encounter on the regular about the event. It was quite the adventure to learn about the many issues we face as a society when it comes to sex trafficking.
For example, did you know that the average age of exploitation is 12 years of age? Or that sex trafficking occurs in every city in the world, and is currently happening within a 10-block radius of any city neighborhood?
To say that we have a deep, dark, embedded issue would be a gross understatement…
Many of the people I talked to during this time didn’t know much about sex trafficking, myself included. However, I learned a fair bit while I took one step at a time up and down each mountain.
On the first day, I was all ready to go and excited to start. However, I quickly discovered that it was going to break parts of me I never knew I had.
It was going to be a physical, mental, and spiritual battle.
Now at this point, I did not consider myself an experienced hiker. I had the gear but did not know much about maintaining water and calories or even the techniques for hiking. However, it was over the course of these three days that I learned the importance of all these things.
Hiking up the first mountain, I slowly realized that if I was going to make it to the other mountains, I would have to pace myself. I also realized that having a hiking partner and conversing with them would be the encouragement I would need to push ahead.
My hiking buddy and I had some great conversations getting to know each other. He encouraged me, and I encouraged him as we both made our way up and down the mountains. There were quite a few difficult areas to climb, which required a calm head. My hiking buddy was great at getting over these, myself, well, not so much.
It was at this point that I struggled with anger. Why am I here? Why am I stuck with this guy? Why am I already out of breath? Question after question came to mind as I took one step at a time. It was both a physical and mental battle that started and would need to overcome.
As we got to the peak of the first mountain, we celebrated and took some photos (above). We didn’t spend too much time up there as we had to make it to the next mountain. Getting to the peak was the achievement I needed to continue on, despite the barrage of questions.
Once we got to the bottom, we met with our support team who quickly gave us food, water, and anything else we needed. It was great knowing that there were people there to take care of us to and from each mountain. It really was a treat to be treated this way. Once we got what we needed, we took off to the second mountain, where the challenge really began.
The second mountain was quite steep, with the peak visible, but very far away. For the most part, the hike was a grind. However, I settled into a rhythm as my hiking buddy taught me the Rest Step.
Essentially, the Rest Step is a way to hike a mountain without tiring out your legs. It was good practice going up, but I slowly realized that I had a problem: I lacked food and was not drinking enough water.
When hiking, it’s very important that you drink water regularly, even when you are not thirsty. This ensures that you don’t get dehydrated leading to cramps and a headache. Also, food is very important as it gives you the energy to power through the difficult parts of a hike.
I struggled coming down the second mountain. Something about the height and the view at the top temporarily brought back my fear of heights. Coming down was quite difficult as it was as steep as it gets. However, my hiking buddy managed to help me a lot on the way down. We then decided it best that he push forward to make the cut-off time to the next mountain while I stay with one of the slower groups. Suffice it to say, it was a difficult climb.
Once I got to the bottom, my support team was there and ready to take us back to our campsite. It was too late to attempt to climb the third mountain of the day.
Back at the campsite, we had a BBQ feast and plenty of water to drink to rehydrate ourselves. We ended the day with a recap of what happened, testimonies, and worship. Shortly thereafter, we decided to get some sleep and get ready for day two.
On the second day, it became evident that I was just warming up! I woke up excited to start the day, albeit a little sore and tired as was to be expected. I know knew what I was up against: trekking up mountains at roughly a 45 degree angle for hours on end…
At the campsite, we had a team of volunteers preparing food for us in the mornings and evenings, which I am very grateful for. We also had drivers that would get us to and from our destinations and even help us prepare for the hikes ahead.
Once we’ve had our fill, we quickly loaded up into vehicles to start another day of hiking.
The first mountain of the day went well and I scaled up and down the mountain with relative ease. There were a few rough patches and it was steep most of the way, but I managed. Up and then down to meet the support team – who was quite the encouragement all the way.
Unknown to me at this time, it would be the second mountain that would break me.
It was at this time that I struggled to maintain my energy again. I learned on the first day that I took too much with me, so I removed much of the food I brought. This was a mistake that I’ll hopefully never repeat.
On top of this, the mountain was incredibly steep, so much so that I had to resort to my hands and knees for portions of it. Fortunately, I was hiking with an experienced hiker who shared a lot of what she learned about hiking. I learned about the best ways to maneuver, manage your water and calorie intake, converse your energy, and how to tackle the various obstacles you will inevitably encounter on the trail. It was from her that I learned how to ‘ski’ on scree and overcame my fear of hiking down a mountain. I am grateful for her.
As we got up to the halfway point, there was a rest spot where we managed to recharge and we heard stories from one of the Freedom 8848 partners, who hiked up before us. It was here that I thought of turning back. I could see the two mountains we had to climb that day and couldn’t fathom hiking them. They seemed so far and steep that I was quite discouraged. However, once our partner spoke and reminded us of the reason why we were there, something told me to continue and press on – and I’m glad I did.
This is where I came to realize that if you can’t focus on the goal, focus on what’s immediately in front of you. If you can’t focus on that, then remember that all hiking is is taking one step at a time up the mountain, and one step at a time down the mountain. Upon realizing this, I calmed down and did just that – I took one step at a time.
It was rough going for sure, but fortunately, there was enough cover and a cool breeze when there wasn’t that I was able to make it all the way to the top. In one of the photos below, you can see snow, that’s how high we climbed. After a short rest, we then started our trek down. This is where I had the most fun ever – I decided to use my newfound knowledge of skiing on scree!
I had the time of my life! I literally ran down the mountain at a breakneck pace. At this point, I really didn’t care if I fell or not, having overcome a fear of heights and climbing to the peak of a mountain that I wanted to quit on, it was too much for me to stop now.
I returned to the campsite tired and nursing my first blister. I felt like I accomplished something that I didn’t know I could do. An experience like this shows you that if you are trapped or struggling in life, you can overcome it as you are way more capable than you first believed yourself to be.
The third day was one for the history books. I followed the routine I established the first two days and felt like I could tackle any challenge that came my way.
The first mountain of the day was such a great hike. I was tired and sore, but that really didn’t register for me. Instead, I embraced a light rain, talked about life, and hiked up the side of a mountain.
One of the best things about this experience is that you spend a lot of time with people. With little to no cell service, you are free to entertain yourselves with conversation. Conversations quickly turn deep as topics like politics, religion, and various life issues are seemingly triggered by the experience. You hike with the same people, so you get to know them on a deeper level than you would otherwise.
The final mountain was a special experience for everyone. Not only was this the last mountain, but held a very special meaning for those who participated in the challenge last year.
I won’t go into specifics as I want to be sensitive to those in the know. But I want to explain, from an outsider’s perspective, what the experience meant to me in as respectful a way as I can.
Last year, there was a woman who participated in this hike as well as many others. Over the course of this challenge, I kept hearing stories of her, from her zeal for life, incredible fitness, and love for God from those I hiked with. Of course not knowing her, I asked questions but had enough awareness to know that something was off, so I was sensitive in the questions that I asked.
This woman shared the love of God with as many people as she could. She brought love to life and seemed to always be a light wherever she went. She was a positive influence on everyone she met. She’s the type of person I would have loved to have met.
Unfortunately, She died on one of the mountains we surrounded ourselves with.
The last mountain was her favorite hike. The kids from the team this year decided to make everyone tie-died T-shirts in memory of her. In my eyes, it was a great way to express the love she had for people – and the love we all had for her.
It was a surreal experience getting to know someone who you never had a chance to meet. I am grateful for those who shared their memories of her with me and the kids who made a shirt for me.
The top of the mountain was incredible. It was a large mountain top with little peaks along the way. We had a chance to reflect on what we just accomplished and shared stories with each other.
On our way back down, it was tricky but manageable. Once we got to a point where it was essentially switchbacks, the entire team of athletes decided to run down the mountain, and run we did!
We ran and ran and ran until we hit the brush. The whole thing was recorded by one of our team leaders and I’m sure it looked great! The end was near and we could all taste it. One foot in front of the other in rapid succession, that’s how we did it.
What seemed like the end to an incredible adventure, we were greeted with cheering, hugs, and beer.
I’m total, I managed to climb 6 of the 9 mountains, achieving a total elevation of 5675 meters.
Statistics are one thing, but stories are another. Yes, we achieved an incredible feat, but it’s quite small in comparison to the real cause of why we did it.
In partnership with Next Step Ministries, Brave Education, and International Justice Mission (IJM), we were able to raise over $90,000 to fight against sex trafficking. This money goes directly to the Prevention, Rescue, and Restoration of those affected by sex trafficking.
Most people are unaware of how prevalent sex trafficking is in our communities. It’s everywhere, from little boys and girls being sold for sex to the teenager who was ostracized because of a preganacy to those who just want to be loved and belong somewhere. Further, it is so prevalent that it’s encouraged in the media we watch and the news we read.
As I stated at the beginning, I went in with no expectations and knew very little about sex trafficking. It has been quite an experience learning from those directly on the front lines setting up sting operations, educating families and communities on the signs to look for, and those who are providing a safe space to help those recover from the trauma of their past.
I am grateful to them and grateful to those who decided to hike alongside me and be vulnerable sharing their experience with sex trafficking with me.
I’m sure I’m missing some mentions. There was so much that happened that I tried my best to recall them here. However, I do want to conclude with this:
When times get tough, my motto has always been to take ‘baby steps.’ You take one small step after another. No matter how challenging life is, all you have to do is take one small step after another.
Taking it one step at a time,
~ John
There are three ways you can help:
1. Educate yourself on sex trafficking through BRAVE Education: https://braveeducation.org/
2. Donate by clicking here.
3. Pray for the sex trafficking victims and oppressors.
Specific prayers:
There’s a saying in emergency response that a person can only live 3 months without hope. Pray that the victims do not lose hope and continue to persevere through the many trials they continue to face each day. It may seem like an insurmountable task, but all things can be done through the mighty hand of God.
Although it may be difficult, pray for the oppressors to repent of their sins and come to know Christ as their lord and savior. We may not have committed such a deep and heinous act before, but we have all fallen short in one way or another. How does it feel to be forgiven for your wrongdoings? How much more would it be to forgive them for their wrongdoings?
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” — Proverbs 31:8-9