Joel's Chance

By Lisa Maheu

Joel found out that Barafu is the Swahili word for ice. Feeling the bitter cold clinging to his body, Joel had no doubt the locals knew what they were talking about. As they were hiking closer to the summit, the air was definitely chilly and thinner. It took a lot of strength and determination to move each foot. Joels leg muscles were aching with pain, mainly, because he was exhausted from lack of sleep, and his body trying to fight off the harsh cold. His breathing was becoming more labored as the climb was ascending higher and higher, with little oxygen to take in.

Joel kept thinking to himself, This is harder than I thought! Why did I even want to climb this mountain? I read all of the facts, but no one prepared me for such challenges. I almost wish I had stayed at one of the other camps. NO!!!!! I can do this, I think? With each step, the trail was becoming very steep.

When Joel decides to take a chance to climb the majestic mountain Kilimanjaro in Tanzania Africa, he encounters all kinds of challenges, wild animals, harsh weather conditions, but mostly fear! Through each hardship, though, Joel finds courage and strength. A courage that can only be found when one has a relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490844404

Lisa Maheu

Lisa Maheu has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She has written Bible curriculum for ages two years to 5th grade for twelve years. She has taught Pre-Kindergarten for seven years. She is also the author of “Joel’s Chance” and “Joel’s Journeys, Discovering God’s Amazing Grace.”

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Copyright © 2014 Lisa Maheu .

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-4441-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4442-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4440-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912404

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/1/2014

CONTENTS

Chapter One The Thrill Of Climbing

Chapter Two Mount Kilimanjaro

Chapter Three It’s Not Mr. Granger’s Oak Tree

Chapter Four Am I Ready?

Chapter Five Checking The Gear

Chapter Six Africa

Chapter Seven Why The Elephants?

Chapter Eight No Man Is Too Big To Ask God For Help

Chapter Nine The Magical Ascent

Chapter Ten First Adventure

Chapter Eleven Base Camp

Chapter Twelve The Shadow-Man

Chapter Thirteen Communicate With God

Chapter Fourteen Not So Brave

Chapter Fifteen Helpful Advice

Chapter Sixteen Never Hike Alone

Chapter Seventeen Barranco Camp

Chapter Eighteen What’s That? Ice?

Chapter Nineteen Climbing Partners

Chapter Twenty God’s Beauty

Chapter Twenty-One Faith!

Chapter Twenty-Two God’s Love

Chapter Twenty-Three Day Five: Karanga Valley

Chapter Twenty-Four Seeing Things?

Chapter Twenty-Five Pride

Chapter Twenty-Six Is It The Shadow-Man?

Chapter Twenty-Seven Day Seven: Worse Weather Yet!

Chapter Twenty-Eight A New Relationship

Chapter Twenty-Nine The Last Push

Chapter Thirty The Summit

Chapter Thirty-One Not Any Easier

Chapter Thirty-Two Feeling Different

Chapter Thirty-Three What More Weather Conditions?

Chapter Thirty-Four God’s Faithfullness

Chapter Thirty-Five God Is Trying To Tell Me Something

Chapter Thirty-Six A New Friend

Chapter Thirty-Seven A New Adventure?

Believer- 1: Someone who accepts something as honest and true. 2: Someone who has a strong religious faith.

Chance- 1: a possibility of something happening. 2: The uncertain course of events. 3: An opportunity.

I believe God has a plan to accept each believer in his or her own time.

Through love and fellowship, each believer will multiply by two.

Day upon day, more believers increase their faith for a lifetime.

Until one day, our world has no unbelievers to undo,

God’s humankind.

CHAPTER ONE

The Thrill of Climbing

I know I can reach the top of this mountain. Joel felt his body ache with each new step. Suddenly, he felt his foot slipping off one of the jagged rocks. He immediately grabbed an adjoining rock to catch his balance. Using every muscle in his body, Joel managed to pull his body up. He felt for a secure rock on which to plant his foot. Looking upward, all he could see was darkness. There was no turning back now. I must keep going, Joel urged himself as he reached for another slippery rock. Without warning, rocks started to fall all around him. Some managed to hit the top of his head. Joel could feel his grip on the rocks loosen. Then, unexpectedly …

Joel, can you tell us the answer to the next question in the chapter? asked his teacher.

Huh? Joe uttered.

Huh is not the correct answer, Joel. His classmates laughed as Joel shrunk in his chair. I suggest you stop sleeping and pay more attention. Now open your book to page eighty-four, and read along with us, demanded his teacher.

Joel let out a slight sigh and opened his book. Who cares if it’s almost finals? he thought. My grades are good enough to get into sixth grade. Besides, I want to do something else besides being in this boring classroom. Although he pretended to follow along in the book, he was daydreaming about his adventurous summer vacation.

When the school bell finally rang at the end of the day, Joel leaped from his desk and picked up his books. He ran as fast as he could to his bike and started for home. Joel always rode his bike to and from school. He loved to be outside, riding his bike or climbing trees. It never felt natural to Joel to be inside. What was exciting about being trapped behind four walls? There was always an adventure waiting outside. Just walking out into one’s yard could bring adventures beyond the imagination. Yes, the outdoors was always a challenge.

Joel first found the adventure of climbing at the young age of two. His parents could not locate him one afternoon. Then they heard a chuckle coming from the top of their seven-foot–high bookcase, and there was Joel, standing proud and tall, staring his parents in the face. Since then, Joel climbed anything and everything he came across.

It was on his first bike ride to school that Joel encountered the huge oak tree in Mr. Granger’s yard. The green lush leaves blended among the blue and white sky. But what excited Joel the most were the limbs of that huge tree, extending out to the infinite sky. Joel stood there in amazement, wondering just how high the tree could possibly be. He knew then that he had to climb its gargantuan trunk. With each step, he imagined himself climbing one of the great mountains of the world.

During those moments when Joel was stuck indoors, he read memoirs of famous explorers and how they reached the summit of mountains onto which they ventured. All Joel wanted to do was climb a mountain. And he knew that one day he would get that chance.

I would like to tell you, believer, if someone has a strong desire to do something and is compelled to achieve his or her goal, nothing can stand in the way. Believe.

CHAPTER TWO

Mount Kilimanjaro

Earlier in the school year, Joel’s geography teacher gave them an assignment. Each student was to pick a continent and then report on a chosen region. The students had to include in their reports the reason why they chose that area. One day Joel’s geography teacher introduced the children to what he called recreational geography. Recreational geography is where people have a yearning to explore unfamiliar places for relaxation or to achieve a personal desire, like reaching the summit of a mountain.

Like reaching the summit of a mountain, thought Joel. This is perfect! I’ll write a report on one of