(disclaimer.. no one was harmed in the climbing of this mountain. Details may be slightly exaggerated for entertainment purposes. Thank you for understanding.)
It’s noon, the sun is high in the sky and beating down on us
while we hop in the van ready for our adventure here in the city of Vellore. We
load in and drive around town for a while. 20 minutes go by and we find
ourselves at a street corner in front of a chicken briyani stand. Ahhh… He is
getting lunch, and our stomachs began to grumble with excitement knowing that
they are about to partake in one of India’s most famous dishes. Our broter
Kalyan promised us the adventure of our lives. He told us to bring lots of
waters and wear clothes suitable for the adventures that lie ahead of us. We
drive around for another hour or so, circling the city and getting familiar
with the roads and the small shops along the way. Where are we? What are we
doing? Questions are circling around in my head as we finally pull up around
1:30 to a small village. The village was quaint and simple. Women and children
are walking around with buckets of water on their heads, and children are
playing on te small pathway as we pass the gawking stares from the locals
(because we are white, and they hardly ever see white people), and continued on
the narrow pathway towards our adventure. Kalyan is leading. He is walking at a
fast pace, and we all carefully watch our feet to make sure that we don’t slip
and lose our footing on the small and narrow pathway. And then the pathway
stops. Our eyes gaze up, and all we see in front of us is a large and monstrous
mountain looming over us in all its glory and might. This mountain can be seen
from miles and miles away, possibly even from the next city over. I steal a
quick glance at my team’s faces. Their bodies are struck with fear, but wait a
glimmer of excitement and anticipation sweeps over their faces.. . With a glint
in his eye and, our fearless leader says, “Let’s go!” and he turns around and
starts ascending the mountain. I murmur a quick prayer under my breath, “God,
send your Angels to protect us.” … and with the first step up the mountain, the
journey began. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. God help us
all.
The mountain was uncharted, there seemed to be no sign that
anyone had ever attempted to scale the rocks and the cliffs that loomed ahead
of us. Bugs are flashing around our faces as we struggle up the overgrown
mountain. Vines lashed at our legs, tearing at the flesh in one swift motion.
Vultures laughed at us, circling overhead, waiting for their prey to give into
the dangers of the mountain. The waste high weeds tangled around our ankles,
threatening to trip us and send us tumbling down to our swift and fatal
destruction. It is 2:00 pm and the intense sun is glaring down on us, causing
beads of salty sweat to form on our brows. Our fearless leader Kalyan saw the
struggle and fatigue in our faces, and suggested a quick break to enjoy the
chicken briyani (wrapped in newspapers) and the fruit that we were lugging with
us to the top of the mountain. We quickly agreed (almost too quickly), and so
we matted down some grass and found some secure nooks in the mountain to sit
and enjoy lunch. As the taste of briyani hit our tongues, we felt a sudden rush
of energy surge through our bodies. We scarfed down the food as quickly as we
could… well as quickly as we could with our fingers. We savored every last
bite, and washed down the rice with sweet bananas and juicy grapes. With our sticky
fingers covered in rice, the journey pressed on.
Our destination lay ahead of us, mocking us as we attempted
to scale the jagged rocks covered in thorns and thick grass. We kept a steady
pace, until we heard it, shouts of desperation came in loud intervals from our
sister Katherine. We looked and saw her a few paces back, defeat in her eyes as
she stared at the gigantic rock that seemed too impossible to climb. With their
protective instincts kicking in, David and Vincent took less than a second to
respond. They raced to her without a moment’s notice, concerned only for her
safety and no regards for their own. Holes threatened to swallow their feet,
and rocks jeered at them as they passed, waiting for the right moment to crush
their soft (but strangely dense) flesh. They sprawled on their stomach’s,
extending their arms in fear, reaching for their sister to stop her from
plummeting to her death. As their hands touched, a wave of peace and safety washed
over the team as watched them effortlessly pull her up. With her safely in
front of us, the journey pressed on.
We saw it ahead of us, a peak of rocks and boulders wrapped
in sunlight, calling us to keep trudging up the mountain. After scaling cliffs
and slashing through the tangled thorny shrubs, the team and I finally reached
what appeared to be the peak of the mountain. Shouts of joy and triumph came
from Natalie and Faith as they ascended onto the edge of the cliffs that over
looked the city of Vellore, but they were soon drowned out by the voice of
Kalyan. “Let’s keep moving, we are not at the top yet!” Our hearts sank. We had
been fighting up the mountain already for two straight hours in the intense
heat. How much more of this can we take? How much toil and strife can our
bodies endure? We are running out of water, will we survive? The journey
pressed on.
The peak of the mountain was spotted, a small dot in the
distance, beckoning us to come and enjoy the scene from its glorious
height. We scaled, we climbed, we
struggled and we triumphed. Hours passed, days passed, months passed.. (well it seemed
like it).. and we finally made it to the top of the world! Up at the top of the
mountain, we found ruins of an old castle where a king had built his home
thousands of years ago. The view from the top enabled him to look at his entire
kingdom, with admiration and pride. We praised God for his imagination and his
creativity. We praised him for ruling of the city, keeping us safe, and for his
limitless unconditional love for the people of Vellore. We claimed that mountain for God and the
glory of His kingdom. We prayed over the city, declaring that the He is the God
of this city and the Lord of these people. We prayed for an Christian uproar, a
revival.. that one day every person will confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord
and Savior!
Great is the Lord and
greatly to be praised in the city of our God!
His holy mountain,
beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth.
Psalm 48:1
