Mission: Kilimanjaro 2018 By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ Saturday, Dec. 8 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” – John 15:4 (ESV) We were abiding in the LORD on this, Climbing For Christ’s 100th Evangelic Expedition. We felt in lock-step with God as the Holy Spirit led us through a “Spirit Walk,” a climb of Kilimanjaro, and a Kilimanjaro Chapter training of disciples making dis...
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Damson Samson, right, sings about Jesus coming around the corner (“Are you ready?”) while Kilimanjaro Chapter members dance during a time of praise and worship. (Photo by Gary Fallesen) CLICK HERE for daily Dispatches from Mission: Kilimanjaro 2018.

Please join with us in prayer for this exciting Evangelic Expedition from Nov. 24-Dec. 9. Learn more by opening the document below. Please feel free to share it with other prayer warriors. Thank you for your prayers!

Kilimanjaro Chapter members meeting to learn more about being a disciple of Jesus. (Photo by Damson Samson) CLICK HERE to read this Mission Moment from Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro Chapter members meeting to learn more about being a disciple of Jesus. (Photos by Damson Samson) Turning Gospel students into teachers By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ Damson Samson was teaching guides and porters from the Kilimanjaro Chapter about the Gospels when the students shared how they had been applying lessons learned on and around the mountain. Elia Yona talked about trying to be a walking, talking example of the Gospel. He spoke about going out many times and preaching to five porters on 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro. Four of them had, by the...
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Brothers in Marangu, Tanzania reaching up and out for Jesus. (Photo by Damson Samson) As Damson Samson visited homes of Kilimanjaro Chapter members, he saw the results of our disciples-making-disciples training. “Even children (of the guides and porters participating in our quarterly training) can recite all the books in the Old and New Testaments,” Damson reported from Tanzania. CLICK HERE to read more about these Mission Moments on Kilimanjaro in the story “Building blocks.”
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Brothers in Marangu, Tanzania reaching up and out for Jesus. (Photos by Damson Samson) Building blocks By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ As Damson Samson visited homes of Kilimanjaro Chapter members, he saw the results of our disciples-making-disciples training. “Even children (of the guides and porters participating in our quarterly training) can recite all the books in the Old and New Testaments,” Damson reported from Tanzania. Damson told about children memorizing verses in the Bible. “I looked at what Climbing For Christ is building...
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Jon on Echo Peak in Lee Metcalf Wilderness, southwestern Montana. Nationality: American. Occupation: Account Manager for Zinpro, a livestock trace mineral company. Missions with C4C: Kilimanjaro 2018. How long have you climbed? I spent a lot of time hiking and hunting in the mountains with my dad growing up. It really became a passion in 2014 when I started guiding youth with Lat45 Adventure Ministries. I now spend over 20 nights per year in the backcountry of Montana’s wildernesses. Type of climbing you do: Hiking, mountaineering. Highlight of climbing career:  Echo Peak, my firs...
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Hillida Mtui with her four grandchildren. (Photo by Damson Samson) “Hillida Mtui, a 73-year-old widow looking after four grandchildren, gave her life to Christ,” said Climbing For Christ’s East Africa missionary Damson Samson. He was invited to Hillida’s home in Marangu during visits with members of C4C’s Kilimanjaro Chapter. She is part of a family of one of our porters. “She was very happy and more excited to have this wonderful time,” Damson said. Damson made his quarterly visit to Tanzania for evangelism training with Kilimanjaro Chapter guides a...
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Sowing seeds, transforming lives By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ As Damson Samson was preparing for our Kilimanjaro Chapter training in March, he had a dream. Thieves came and took away what he had gathered. “It (the dream) happened twice,” our missionary to East Africa reported. “I was asking, ‘What could that be?’ Then I was led to Matthew 13, where I read the parable of the sower.” “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his hea...
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Adam on Pico de Orizaba in Mexico.  Nationality: American. Occupation: Civil engineer. Missions with C4C: Kilimanjaro 2018. How long have you climbed? 16 years. Type of climbing you do: Hiking and mountaineering. Highlight of climbing career: Climbing Pico de Orizaba (18,491 feet/5,636 meters) outside of Mexico City. How long have you been a Christian? My entire life. Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: Family (husband and father of two boys, ages 5 and 4). This will be my first mission trip. Favorite Scripture verse (and why): Matthew 7:1-2. “Do not judge, or you to...
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Forde (pronounced “frOO-duh”) on 11,382-foot/3,470-meter Mount Nyiargongo in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo above one of the world’s largest lava lakes. Nationality: Norwegian. Occupation: Network engineer. Missions with C4C: Kilimanjaro 2018. How long have you climbed? Since 2008. Type of climbing you do: Mountaineering, rock climbing, hiking. Highlight of climbing career: Nevado Pisco (5,752 meters) in Peru was definitely the hardest and most challenging climb that I have ever undertaken. Had it not been for my climbing mates and guide that encouraged me and ...
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Nationality: American. Occupation: Children’s Pastor. Missions with C4C: Kilimanjaro 2018. How long have you climbed? Since 2000. Type of climbing you do: Rock and ice. Highlight of climbing career: Climbing Dairyland (WI5) in Munising, MI, USA. How long have you been a Christian? Since 1982. Type of ministry you are blessed to serve in: Children & Family ministry at a church in the community I grew up in (Hope Community Church, Manitowoc, WI). Favorite Scripture verse (and why): “Tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has ...
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Click on the attached PDF to read HIS story for Mission: Kilimanjaro.

Mission: Kilimanjaro 2017 By Gary Fallesen, founding president Climbing For Christ Thursday, Dec. 7 Damson returned to his home in southern Malawi and Elaine and I finished up at the Finishing the Task Conference in southern California. Louie Giglio provided the send-off message, quoting Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” “This (conference) is happening so that can happen,” Giglio said at the start of a stirring 45-minute message. He concluded as he often...
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The view from the New Shira Camp at 12,600 feet on day 2 on Mount Kilimanjaro in 2016. (Photo by Gary Fallesen) Mission: Kilimanjaro 2017 is underway. CLICK HERE to read daily Dispatches from Tanzania.

Mountaintop experiences in Tanzania Damson Samson has been to the mountaintop. He stood on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on Aug. 28, 2016. He was a rare African standing in rarefied air on the rooftop of Africa. Damson descended off the mountain, but he has been back there many times as Climbing For Christ’s missionary to East Africa and he really hasn’t come down from that mountaintop. He has joyfully overseen the growth of C4C’s Kilimanjaro Chapter, an association of guides and porters that was organized in 2008 but didn’t really begin producing fruit until after ...
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Impact, not size, is the measure of Great Commission success By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ Kilimanjaro Chapter meeting. (Photos by Damson Samson) Damson Samson was teaching about the Great Commission at our Kilimanjaro Chapter gathering in September. He wanted to remind our brothers “why we spend time and a lot of money training them.” Before the lesson, he asked the group to pray for 30 minutes for Climbing For Christ and all who put their support in this Great Commission ministry. “In the course of the prayer I saw variations of two...
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‘Rejoicing in the presence of angels’ By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ Thumbs up for Jesus: Our friend Juma, right, with C4C missionary to East Africa Damson Samson. The faces are familiar, like those found in a family photo album. For years I have seen and walked with the men who climb Mount Kilimanjaro for a living. Some have become dear friends despite the distance and differences between our cultures and faith. Kilimanjaro was where Climbing For Christ began – placed on my heart as I prepared to climb there for the first time in 1998 &nda...
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Mosque in Moshi, Tanzania: “None to be worshipped but Allah.” (Photo by Gary Fallesen) The Muslim world is observing Ramadan. See Project Prayer: Ramadan 2017. In Tanzania, Climbing For Christ kingdom worker Damson Samson is meeting this week with and teaching guides and porters who are members of the Kilimanjaro Chapter. Watch for a “Mission Moments” update on this work in Tanzania. Also, Climbing For Christ is preparing for its 10th mission in 11 years to Kilimanjaro in late November and early December. CLICK HERE to learn more. Mount Kilimanjaro is where Climbing...
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