Cheryl and Nikki Bart were blessed with superb climbing conditions to become the first mother-daughter team to climb Mount Everest. Source: Herald Sun

Ten years ago my husband and 13 year old son went on an adventure. We traveled to Venezuela to visit my nineteen year old daughter, Laura , who was studying Spanish at the University of the Andes in Merida. We were there for ten eventful days. The country at that time had a great deal of civil unrest and a coup was attempted just a few weeks prior to our visit. One of the most memorable experiences was our trip to the snow capped peak of Pico Bolivar. Pico Bolívar is the highest mountain in Venezuela at 4,981 meters, and the second highest mountain in South America. Its top is permanently covered with three small glaciers and snow. It can be reached only by climbing or by the Merida Cable Car, the highest climbing cable car in the world. Me climb? No. We took the Merida Cable Car.

I can clearly remember my family and some friends of Laura’s piling into this spacious red cable car to find our seats and began our 7.8 mile accent to the majestic mountain peak called Espejo Peak.  The cable car skimmed over the rugged terrain in a steady, smooth ever upward motion. About ¾ of a mile before we reach the summit, we entered into a dense bank of clouds that made it difficult to get a sense of where you were but we kept climbing upward. Finally, after a 45 minute ride we were on the top of the highest mountain in Venezuela. It was breath taking, not only because of the stunning beauty and the nearness of the heavens above, but because the air was thin at such a high altitude! At the summit, my family stood there in awe of God’s majesty, we marveled together at His power, and savored that once-in-a-life time mountaintop moment.

Our mountaintop excursion was the highpoint of the trip to South America and was the pinnacle of our experiences on this particular trip. In the same way, like my journey up Pico Bolivar, Chapter 21 is the pinnacle of our study together and it is breathtaking! Let me explain. In the preceding chapters we have been on a steady, smooth, ever upward trek toward this very moment. This is where it gets exciting! In this the 21st chapter in The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood, you, dear mother, have an opportunity to talk to your daughter about her relationship with Jesus and explore where she is in the process and urge her on to make that commitment to Him. In my mind, this is what the Beautiful Girlhood book and Companion Guide is all about! Our life is stunningly beautiful because we know Jesus and right now, His mercy takes my breath away.

This week, I urge you to talk to your daughter about this new awakening in her soul.

Praying for you on this upward journey,

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