Bringing Hope to the Nations: Hiking to the Falls

At the top of the falls.

Mikayla on the Oklahoma rock.

Mikayla - The world that the Father has created blows my mind daily. Through the miles and miles of corn rows, to the red dirt roads that never end, to the water falls that rain His heart of joy and love. To finally the people that our Father has created in His image, who are beautiful and have been blessed with the ability to do His work. We had an amazing adventure of hiking today and Oh, my goodness did my Father blow my mind! The amount of beauty that the African jungle has in enormous and grand. The African trees that He has made are gorgeous and take my breath away at each look. As we hiked up the mountain I would look in the distance and my eyes would swell with tears, I was so overwhelmed by how beautiful the scenery was. We saw the valley that led into the beautiful mountain range that lingered in the distance that once again left me speechless. When we arrived to the first waterfall my breath was taken away with how gorgeous it was. Every rush of tumbling water that came from the top is special because it is a small glimpse into the eyes of the Father and how beautiful they are. Going up was hard, but was worth it when we reached the top and saw the final waterfall. It was so wonderful and grand. We had lunch, took pictures and spent time in the Word. We were challenged to not always take the easy pathway, but to be patient and take the long and sometimes hard way that the Father has planned. He did not say that sharing the Good News would be easy, but it is something that is necessary and vital not to mention we have been commanded and called to do so.

Molly - For about a year I had dreaded going back to the waterfall. Last year, I had fallen and I’m pretty sure that I had broken my tailbone. The waterfalls are beautiful, but I was so scared I would fall again and something worse would happen. So, as we began our journey we walked through brush, climbed over various fallen trees, and looked out for snakes along the way. When we reached the first stream that we had to cross I began to panic. Slippery rocks are not my favorite thing to encounter. I’m so thankful for my teammates because they let me take it slow and held my hand as we crossed. We continued walking for a bit and finally had reached the bottom of the falls. This is another place that had completely freaked me out. Each year, our team takes a picture on the top of this giant rock beneath the falls. Last year, I didn’t take the picture because I was bruised and broken after my fall. This year, I let my team get on the rock and again I opted out and decided to just take the picture. However, after some convincing, my team helped me make it on top of the rock! It was so exciting! From there, we continued up to the third level of the falls. Again we walked through brush, climbed steep rocks, and crossed over several streams and fallen trees. Finally, we had made it to the top and it was one of the most serene things I have ever seen. It was like a hidden oasis that not many people have traveled to or seen. We jumped in the water and played around. It was so cold! We ate some lunch and then headed back down the falls. Once we arrived at the second level, we sat on some rocks on the mountainside and we studied the Word. We talked about how in all things we should glorify the Father. We also talked about how in our lives there will be mountains that we have to face and that the journey may be hard but if we call on the Father there will be beauty even through the hard times. It seems cheesy, but it was a cool visual representation of how the Father cares for his people. We finished the day roasting hot dogs and marshmallows by the fire. Overall, it was an absolutely amazing day!

Hannah - Yesterday, we went to a waterfall in Northern Zambia. After we hiked to the first waterfall Blake asked if we wanted to keep going, of course we said, YES! So we continued to hike up the unbeaten path of a mountain. We finally arrived to a beautiful, rugged, natural splendor of the Father, a waterfall that many people never have the chance to see. As our team circled up and lifted words of thanksgiving to the Father, I looked up at the waterfall and was in awe of how glorious our Father is! The journey to the second falls was rough with many obstacles along the way. Some obstacles that our team faced were fears, skirts (hard to climb rocks in long, wet skirts), finding a path to actually take, fallen trees that block the path, and other things. On our way back we stopped and ate some muffins and studied Romans on the rugged mountain side, each of us finding a rock to sit on. The view was breathtaking! Blake reminded us that the path we just traveled to get to the falls is just like the path of sharing the Good News (which every follower of the Father is called to do). The path of sharing the Good News may have many obstacles, but does that mean we stop when the first one comes along our journey, NO! If we would have stopped when the first fear or tree in our path came, we would have never seen the the last waterfall which was more beautiful than words can even begin to describe. Yes, many people stop when it gets hard. But I encourage you my friends to not stop when sharing the Good News is hard! Continue on because the Father is walking with you.

Jenna - Yesterday, we were able to go to the waterfalls in Isoka. It was such an amazing experience to see this beautiful place. It was definitely not an easy journey. We all had to work very hard and work together to make it to the top of the mountain, but it was more than worth it. It’s one thing to behold the beauty of the Father’s creation, but it was so much greater to know that we worked so hard to get to this hidden beauty. Very few people have ever even seen this place, so it was such a blessing to be able to experience it with this wonderful team who has quickly become my family. As we came back down the mountain, at one point we stopped and sat on the side of the mountain to study the Word. It was such a powerful experience to sit in the midst of this extraordinary picture of the Father’s creation and study His words so deeply. That is an experience I will never forget.

Paige - Spending time with Kimbrough family has been such a blessing. This sweet family has truly invited us in to every part of their lives. This past weekend, Blake took us to see one of the most lovely sights. Each year, the team has hiked to one of the waterfalls here, but this year, Blake took us on a longer hike see a second waterfall that is a hidden gem. The hike was definitely an adventure, involving lots of river crossings, hiking up a mountain (and then down the other side), through the jungle, and clearing the path with a machete. There were so many moments on the hike that I was very afraid and wanted to just go back. But the sight at the end of the hike was so breathtakingly beautiful and so worth it. Though the hike was hard, I was so glad for the encouragement and help of the team. In the moments I was ready to just cry, they were right there to grab my hand and talk me through the next part. The waterfall and the journey that it was to get there was such a picture of the faithfulness of the Father. In each moment, His hand is right there, and He holds His children so near.

Joseph - Yesterday we got the chance to visit some waterfalls here in Isoka and just spend some time enjoying the Father’s creation. It’s so humbling to know that the same Father who created those glorious waterfalls not only created us, but knows each hair on our heads. It was a really beautiful thing and then study on the side of the mountain was the best study I have ever been a part of. It really was just a humbling day spent in His creation!

Andrew - The waterfalls we visited were nothing short of incredible. I cannot even explain the beauty of the Father’s creation. The secluded waterfall was like a dream come true for me (ever since I watched the Goonies). You can see some of what I saw in the pictures but not even those do the view justice. Not to mention it was a blast hiking the mountain with the amazing scenery and with such a fun team.

Dayla - Going to the waterfall in Isoka is always one of the coolest and most challenging things I do each year. There really aren’t words to describe the experience it is to hike to this little waterfall. Each year I am on high alert as we walk through grass taller than our heads, crawl through dead trees, push through brush and cross through rivers. Once we arrive at the waterfall my heart calms a bit and I can finally appreciate the beauty of the Father’s creation. Before going this year, a friend told me that Blake discovered another remote waterfall further up the mountain so I was prepared to go all the way. When we started up the mountain and His machete came out, all of that changed. I was convinced that this little waterfall would not be worth the risk of hiking through dense jungle on the cliff of a mountain. Though it was intimidating, I am glad that I faced my fear of the unknown and made it to the top. This experience was worth the challenge and the overcoming of it. I mean, how often do you get to hike through the jungle in the middle of Africa with a machete and see an incredible natural waterfall that only a handful of people have ever seen? The pictures cannot show it’s beauty to the fullest and in some ways I am glad. This is something that I just want to keep tucked away in my memory.