I am in the final days of the preparation for my hike up Mount Kilimanjaro, reading final instructions, preparing all of the things to pack.  All of the travel arrangements have been completed, visa obtained, shots taken. Thomson Safaris, our tour guide, suggested that, as part of the final preparation, we get plenty of rest and prepare ourselves mentally for the task at hand.

Often we focus so much on physical preparation that we overlook the mental fortitude that is required whenever we take on a new challenge.  I am in the process of anchoring myself in thoughts of reaching the Summit. Nothing will stand in the way of this. I have taken on many challenges in my life, each one more daunting than the last. I have run half and full marathons and this seems to rival these tasks in terms of preparation. I now look forward to the event itself and the awakening that I expect as in every other thing that I have ventured into.

I was given two assignments by the group:  1) to lead us in spiritual insight as we approach the Summit and appreciate the acknowledgement, and 2) to propose a group name.  Interestingly enough, I found both tasks to be related.  I thought about how the continent of Africa is such a significant part of all of our lives, yet we have few personal or historical connections.  I expect that the lack of oxygen at such high altitude could have a dramatic impact on our brain and body. It could open our minds to new thinking and connections to ourselves that we don’t even know exist. I look forward to experiencing the impact of this awakening on my view of myself and others. I plan on bringing some reading material, but some areas of inquiry might be:

• Your Life as a Gift
• You are the One
• Staying Centered in Difficult Times
• What Do You Expect
• Counting Your Blessings
• The Beauty of a New Day
• Stepping Into the Unknown

The selection of the name has taken some time and thought as I wanted it to signify history, culture and connection to the continent.  I recalled in Africa’s history the great migration of a great people that still have influence on the continent today. This powerful name that represented great people and civilizations with common languages and developing cultures was a threat to Europeans, They gave in a negative connotation that remains today, but it is about to be revived as a powerful reminder of the African greatness. The name of our group will acknowledge the name Bantu as part of our hiking experience.

Bantu peoples is used as a general label for the 300–600 ethnic groups in Africa who speak Bantu languages. They inhabit a geographical area stretching east and southward from Central Africa across the African Great Lakes region down to Southern Africa.  Bantu is a major branch of the Niger-Congo language family spoken by most populations in Africa. There are about 650 Bantu languages that use similar words and phrasing

The word Bantu, and its variations, means “people” or “humans.” The Bantu expansion was a long series of physical migrations, a diffusion of language and knowledge out into and from neighboring populations, and a creation of new societal groups involving inter-marriage and cultural exchanges Currently the Bantu are known more as a language group than as a distinct ethnic group. Swahili is the most widely spoken Bantu language and is considered the main language of around 50 million people living in the countries along the east coast of Africa.

We will take this powerful name and continue the migration that began many years ago and make our mark at the Summit as we return to our original land.