Last September, Anderson, with Operation Mobilization, caught a vision to bring together ordinary women from all over the world to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. The women’s goal would be to bring awareness and funding to combat oppression, exploitation and global trafficking.
Anderson, who works with OM USA Donor Relations, says the climb is expected to take place in January 2012. “We have just begun the process of inviting women with influence and passion for the purpose to join us,” says Anderson, who hopes to have up to 35 women join the climb.
Specific OM projects supported by the climb will help break the cycles that create poverty, slavery and oppression by bringing the hope of Christ.
OM Africa’s Suria Scholtz, who expects to be one of the climbers, says: “It is for me personally a very special journey. It is my prayer that women will be able to identify with their oppressed sisters in various parts of the world and that God will create compassion in their hearts to become involved in their climb to freedom.”
Climbing the nearly 20,000-foot Kilimanjaro, however, may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Anderson has found a way to allow women not quite ready to take such a steep plunge to still be involved.
“We are encouraging more to hold what we call a ‘Freedom Climb’ event, and asking each woman who climbs to have a group of women at home doing their own Freedom Climb event. This could be a run, walk, hike, tea or whatever works for them,” explains Anderson. This could also help raise awareness and funds to fight oppression with Truth.
OM is putting together a 30-day prayer booklet to highlight the different aspects of the modern-day slave trade. In the meantime, pray that many women’s hearts would be moved to participate in the climb, either through prayer, giving financially or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
