Tuesday 10 March 2015

There are Mountains to Climb

In October last year I wrote about The Freedom Climb. 

If you missed it you can click the link above and read all about it! The Freedom Climb is a beautiful justice initiative run by O.M. The heart behind the Climb, is really special as it creates awareness for women and children worldwide who have been sold as victims of human trafficking. It also raises much needed funds to help fight this injustice. It also challenges us to keep on praying for those who are being exploited through human trafficking, forced labour and oppressive lifestyles of the voiceless millions on this planet.

On one level this is a justice movement, on a deeper level this is a personal movement. Women from across the globe (and even men!), from different walks of life climb mountains like Kilimajaro and Everest, they face their fear of heights. Their fear of the unknown, they put their hearts and bodies through the gruelling mission of summiting the world highest and toughest mountains, so that they can take a stand for the vulnerable. 



So in this post I want to share with you about the upcoming "freedom Climb" taking place in July this year. This year some truly amazing women are taking on the Alps, for freedom! Part of this adventure does not only involved climbing the mountain but each climber has to raise money to support Freedom Climb projects that help vulnerable women and children.

Today, I want to honour all the women who are climbing this year and especially the women of Africa who are part of this team. A few years back I had a vision from God, a lesson He taught me when I was part of the Freedom Exhibition. The Freedom Exhibition was a travelling art exhibition that created awareness about human trafficking. I was the resident poet and travelled up to Pretoria to be part of the exhibition at Freedom Park. While travelling God gave me a beautiful poem entitled Africa Arising. He showed me that the women of Africa will be the ones to break out and bring God to the nations. I saw a picture of women walking through deep water carrying children on their backs. I remember God saying to me that the time of His African Glory has come and I truly believe it. I have hopes yet that God is still going to use this continent mightily to change the world. So I want to post the names of the brave African Freedom Climbers and if you feel led, pray for them, support them, light a candle for each one of them as they fight for freedom. 


  • Suria and her husband Coen, are working with Operation Mobilisation and have been in fulltime ministry for the past 18 years.  Together with their biological daughters, Chara (14)  and Hymne (13), they have adopted nine Zambian children and fostered five.  Two of there adopted kids are disabled.  Suria sees her involvement in the Freedom Climb as an act of obedience in answering God’s call to speak out for the rights of especially women and children trapped in every kind of circumstance that robs them of their dignity as image-bearers of God.
  • Shirley Ann Turner, director of the Teach Training Centre in Zambia for OM.
  • Reneta Pillay, She believes that every woman and child who is oppressed, abused and exploited should hear the promise of restoration IN Jesus Christ. It is her deepest desire to be a voice for the voiceless (Prov 31:8) and an instrument of restoration.
  • Nantie, I am involved in a ministry called Fresh Namibia. We aim to create ways in which we can reach the unchurched masses in Windhoek and we provide different opportunities in which people can become part of Christ's family.
  • Louria Schoeman, Served 7.5 years on board the OM Ships & joined the Freedom Climb in October 2013, where she has been serving in various capacities since then.
  • Larissa Wiens, I have seen hundreds of children who are unable to go to school because there simple is no school for them to go to...I have seen young girls at age 14 who are selling their bodies just to stay alive...I have seen young women abused daily by their husbands, yet are unable to find freedom. It is for this reason that I will be taking part in this years Freedom Climb - an 8 day trek in July through the Alps, beginning in France and ending in Switzerland.
  • Hettie, All of us are called to be a voice to the voiceless and oppressed. Sometimes a quiet voice is not enough. Will you scream with me?
  • Esmarie, I am climbing in the 2015 Freedom Climb Summer Haute to raise funds for women and children who are oppressed, enslaved, exploited, and trafficked.
  • Cynthia Courtney, age 65 yrs. I am one of the 10 Freedom Climbers from Africa. I live in South Africa.

    This year these are some of our brave African climbers, however there are many women taking part in this from all over the world and I ask that we hold them up in prayer. Who knows, maybe next year you will be climbing!

    As part of this project there is also a prayer team (sometimes two teams) that join the project, each year. The prayer team offers an opportunity for women and men to join a weeklong prayer movement on behalf of those who are oppressed, enslaved, exploited or trafficked, especially within Europe. If you have a heart for this please consider joining, here is the information - Prayer Outreach in Czech Republic.

    The prayer outreach team will be in the Czech Republic, while the climbers are climbing the Alps. Last week I posted Heather's Amazing Testimony of something she experienced during one of the prayer team outreaches while the Freedom Climb took on Mount Everest. Praying is a part of the Freedom Climb, so even if you cannot join the team in Czech, you can pray and interceed right where you are!

    For more about the Freedom Climb, visit their website Freedom Climb Site.

1 comment:

  1. How beautiful to be the hands and feet, climbing for freedom and pursuing the gospel mission as you are. Beautiful! Praying for God to move mountains through the faith that is moving hearts and bodies to bring hope and healing to so many.
    Blessings!
    Dawn

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