Our night at Shira Camp Two was rather long for many of us. The increased elevation continues to add stress.I got out of the tent four or five times last night. The moon was so bright we didn't need headlamps. As I was standing there I happened to look over my left shoulder and there it was: the face of the western breach of Kilimanjaro lit by moonlight. I just stared and marveled at its magnificence: We are so close now.

In the morning, the sun came over the face of the mountain and brought warmth, removing the ice frosting from the tents. The six-hour walk to Lava Camp was slow but pretty grueling. Pushing forward one slow step at a time, I thought about the children of Nyumbani as they and Sister Mary similarly push forward.

Chatter continues on the climb but it is not nearly as robust as previous days. Our focus is on each other. All that said, there is also a confidence by each hiker that we are near and we are going to do it! --Bruce