Kilimanjaro
9/4/24One year ago this week, I found myself hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro with two old friends and one new one. Charles Vieau and Shahin "Sean" Jamea, my long-time friends, joined me on this bucket list adventure. My new friend, Mathayo Sanka, was our guide who led us successfully to the summit.
Over the past year, I’ve kept in touch with Mathayo. He’s shared stories of his continued adventures guiding people up Kili, including one trip on mountain bikes. I’ve kept him updated on my own adventures much closer to sea level.
A few weeks ago, I reached out to Mathayo for advice as I was preparing a talk on gratitude. One thing that stood out to me about him during our adventure was his deep sense of joy. It was clear that he loves to serve and truly enjoys his job. But as we talked on the hikes and at camp, I learned that his joy comes from a much deeper place—rooted in his faith. His work, and life in Tanzania, can be unpredictable. But his relationship with Christ is constant, and that’s where he draws his strength. It’s what drives his heart to serve and his deep sense of gratitude. I’m incredibly grateful that Mathayo shared this with me and has allowed me to include his story in my talk.
True to form, Mathayo recently surprised me with an unexpected gift. During a recent conversation, I mentioned that I had finally gotten serious about my business, which included creating a logo and a LinkedIn page. I had been hesitant to design the logo, and even more reluctant to share it. I’m not sure why—maybe I just needed a little push from a friend like Mathayo.
Somehow, while he was on the mountain last week, Mathayo arranged for someone to take my logo, screen print it on a t-shirt, send it up the supply route, and deliver it to him. He wore the shirt as he made the final ascent to the summit at 19,341 feet. Yesterday, he sent me pictures after completing his latest summit, proudly wearing my logo at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
I’m grateful for my old friends who joined me in Tanzania, and for my new friend who guided us to the summit and then carried my logo there. Sometimes, all we need is someone to push us outside our comfort zone!
