Article December 20, 2004 Issue

Together in the spirit of holiness

By Joni Overton-Jung

We were a motley crew from Ireland, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom making our way to the Chimanimani Mountains in Zimbabwe. There were five of us in Alison's open white pickup truck. We were not a close-knit group, and it wasn't until we arrived that we realized that we hadn't brought enough food.

The first afternoon we hiked three hours up to a rustic, communal mountain chalet, which we shared with about 15 others from South Africa, Germany, and somewhere in the Middle East. That night we ate noodles with broth. I was already hungry, and we had several days to go. The next day we hiked up to Mount Binga on the border of Mozambique. We ate crackers and jam, and baked in the sun.

That was Christmas Eve, and when we got back to the chalet, the place felt festive. But the five of us were silent as we watched the moon rise over the mountains. Around us the air was filled with longing. It was Christmas, and we were far from home.

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