Mission Moments: Kilimanjaro

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 things,” Damson reported. “First was like a small cup full of gold. The other was a big, empty basket. I could see these things and I was wondering what it was. Then I was told to see the difference (between the two). I realized that the small cup was carrying greater wealth than the big, empty basket. Some things seem to be big, but they are nothing. The choice of the world is blinded today. We choose the big, empty basket, leaving the cup because it is small.

“It is not about how big things are, but how much they can bring an impact to people.

“I gave the example of how Climbing For Christ is bringing an impact to the nations. Training porters and guides can bring a lot to the world in the sense that if 20 people are well trained they can preach the Gospel to clients from Asia, Europe, Africa, and America.”

With that, Damson began the lesson, reading Luke 10:1-20 (Jesus sends out the 72) to the 32 guides and porters in attendance. “On this I really told them that we are commissioned to go and preach,” he said.

This was the first of two days of training. Twenty-eight members attended the second day. Many were working on Mount Kilimanjaro.

“They are ready for the November conference,” Damson said, referring to our annual Mission: Kilimanjaro visit. This will occur Nov. 27-Dec. 1. I look forward to spending time with our brothers in Christ, teaching them and learning from them.

Studying the Word.

Damson will be visiting more homes at that time, too. He spent time with two families in September.

“The first was that of Moses Kimaro, where we had 10 family members,” Damson said. “I was really asking God what to share and I was given ‘the hope for this life.’” He read from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 about the coming of the LORD. “I mainly asked them to make a proper choice with their lives. Moses encouraged them by saying they will be meeting twice a month just to keep this (Bible study) running. He thanked C4C for such an admirable plan.”

Damson closed the visit by praying over two family members who were sick. Before Damson returned home to Malawi he heard the two were well, and he thanked God for this healing.

The families of Moses Kimaro, above, and Godlove Kowero, below.

“The second home was that of Godlove Kowero, where we had five family members,” Damson said. “I really wanted to reach them with what God wanted them to hear - about trusting the told truth. This was taken from Mark 16:1-7 (the Resurrection). I was teaching the family that there is truth that has been told, but we seem to ignore it. Jesus said to His disciples, ‘I will die and on the third day will rise,’ but they didn’t believe Him.

“We are told no sinner shall enter heaven, but go to the hell fire. We don’t listen. This truth shall come to pass in our time.

“Then I prayed for them all a confessing prayer. They appreciated this and promised to keep meeting.”

Discipling our guides and porters and their families is part of the overall training and education involved in making the Kilimanjaro Chapter an effective witness to the nations. God is sending the ends of the earth to this mountain and we pray our brothers and sisters are prepared to lovingly share the truth of Jesus Christ with those who come to climb.