Mountain Climbers

"You ladies inspire me."

We were standing together in the parking lot after class feeling the heat of the day when I said it and they stopped in their tracks.

Rachael* is 8 months pregnant and had walked in the heat from the bus stop several city blocks away to get to her GED class at Hope Academy. She lives with her boyfriend in assisted housing with one of her two children waiting for her third to arrive any day now. She rides two busses, then several blocks and up a winding flight of stairs to get to her class and her coaching sessions with us every week. She's usually out of breath and hungry when she arrives but has a perpetual smile on her face. She hopes to one day have a career in social work helping children because people helped her.

Kimmy* is in her mid 30s and just celebrated with her husband and daughters their oldest graduate from high school. She works full time at two jobs as a security guard and comes to class after working down the street at the health department. It was there she heard about Hope from a stranger who came in for services and mentioned they were going for an interview to see about getting their GED. She called us right away because she wants her GED before her second child graduates school and dreams of helping the elderly as a CNA instead of as a security guard at her other job in a nursing home. Her work schedule prevents her from getting coaching right now but her oldest daughter has been helping her with her homework and she arrives early every week to her English class at Hope.

"You ladies inspire me."

Kimmy cocked her head to the side and said incredulously, "Why? You already have your piece of paper!" She gave me that mom look that said 'are you kidding me'? Rachael looked shocked.

These women are mountain climbers. Serious mountain climbers but without the training and equipment experienced climbers would need before they tackled the toughest climb.

Kimmy and Rachael look at their mountain and where others have called it Fear they call it Get Out of My Way! They show up. They keep going when the work gets hard. When they don't know what they are doing. When people in their life say, "why are you going to that class again" or "why don't you stay home today- it's raining out." When their bodies are tired and their stomachs are empty.

Kimmy is determined and says, "Oh, I'm getting my GED!" the same way I tell my kids "Don't you even think about not doing what I said!" She looks at that mountain and something inside of her gets rock hard. Angry even. She tells that mountain, "Get out of my way!"

Their mountains may look different than mine but we all face mountains that try to intimidate us. They lie to us and tell us there is no way over it.

Kimmy and Rachael are teaching me what you do with a mountain like that. 

You tell it to get out of your way and keep climbing.

*Names have been changed to protect student's privacy.

Brian and Heather Flood are full time missionaries in downtown Savannah. They are the founders and directors of Hope Academy in Savannah, GA. Hope exists to partner with adults in their adult education needs and to help them discover and achieve their life purpose.

To learn more about Hope Academy or how you can impact downtown Savannah one life at a time contact Brian Flood at bflood56@outlook.com.

Visit their Facebook page or to donate and Share Hope with a Student go to their Go Fund Me page, www.gofundme.com/hopeacademysav .