Jack Inbar of Stryke Alarm gives his thoughts on the journey to Peru - http://strykealarm.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Peru_article_v2.pdf Contact Stryke Alarm: 14143 Denver West Parkway Suite 100 Golden, CO 80401 Phone: 855-600-7004 http://strykealarm.com

1. ULTIMATE
LESSONS IN
HUMILITY
by Jack Inbar
L to R: Jake Hendy, Shakeh Hendy, Susan Smith, Jeremy Blakeney, Kim Blakeney, Dan Ottesen, Josh Webber, Nathan Connor
Sam Burdick, Keisha Burdick, Cord Nichols, Lisa Elbaum, Maarit Friman, Omar Taveras, Jack Inbar //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
It is without reservation that I can state unequivocally that I believe I have been taught the ultimate lessons in
humility on the 2012 Titan Alarm Peruvian journey even prior to the start of the charitable work on the orphanage for
underprivileged children. The four day hike to Machu Picchu has been far more of a journey of the soul than a journey
of the body. While this hike stretched my outer physical limits, this paled in comparison to the depths it caused me to
reach inside myself and to expand beyond my comfort zone. It has been my honor to get to know 12 men who acted as
our porters who have literally transfixed my heart and taught me lessons I hope to never forget. God truly does work
in mysterious ways for which I am extraordinarily grateful.
My team and I worked harder than we ever dreamed possible to surmount the incredible challenges of this hike. We
climbed despite the foreboding altitude and enormous distance. We carried nothing in our arms and had only the
weight of our bodies to manage. Yet, the porters climbed the same rigorous terrain carrying over sixty pounds each of
luggage. The porters were all men who were easily in their 50’s. I was mesmerized by their physical and emotional
strength as they kept up with us and climbed without complaint. When I was struggling and felt I could not take
another step, I would look over at these men walking tirelessly carrying heavy loads. I was awed by them. I thought
about how utterly exhausted I was and I had nothing to carry. I could not imagine how they could possibly continue at
their age with such massive loads on their backs.
“When I was struggling and felt I
could not take another step, I would
look over at these men walking
tirelessly carrying heavy loads.
I WAS AWED BY THEM.”
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In addition to carrying such enormous loads on their
backs, the porters worked with a speed, energy and
intensity that literally astounded me. The porters got up
in the morning at least an hour before we did and fetched
hot water for us to wash with and had our breakfast ready
for us to eat when we got up. When we had finished our
hike for the day and felt we could not take another step,
it was our tireless porters who set up our tents. Ironically, we always left approximately ninety minutes ahead of the
porters because they stayed behind to take down the tents and pack them up for us. Yet, somehow they always arrived
ahead of us in time to set up the tents and prepare our meals. It defies my imagination how they found the stamina to
accomplish this at every stage of the hike without exception.
“I then remembered that they were
I then remembered that they were each earning the each earning the equivalent of $35.00
equivalent of $35.00 for this colossal effort and it nearly
brought me to my knees with a mixture of gratitude for FOR THIS COLOSSAL
my own blessings, admiration for their hard work and
sadness for their misfortune. When we finally reached
EFFORT...”
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our destination, I felt completely inspired to have them
join our team for a celebratory meal at a restaurant. The men politely declined our invitation at first and then when
they reluctantly accepted at our urging, they told us that they had never eaten at a restaurant before. It was at this
moment that I understood the true meaning of what it meant when people spoke of and sang about a hard and honest
day’s work. I also truly grasped the meaning of how unbelievably extraordinary my own life was. Restaurants are a
regular part of my existence and these amazing and inspirational men had never experienced this pleasure before.
The disparity between the life I lived and the way these men lived was enormous. As we checked into our hotels, I
noticed that our porters were standing outside the restauraunt and I asked the men where they would be staying.
They told me they would get some sleep on the floor of a restaurant. I was once again beyond shocked and insisted that
they be our guests and treated them to a night at the hotel.
We are told almost daily how fortunate we are and that we should count our blessings. This concept is certainly admi-
rable in ideology. However, a picture is truly worth a thousand words and far more meaningful. When you see a man
with your own eyes carry 65lb-75lb and seventy pounds on his back climbing up a mountain in high altitude day after
day to earn a meager wage and then sleeping on the floor of a restaurant, you have a genuine picture that describes
how unbelievably lucky we truly are. I cannot imagine a more humbling experience than seeing men older than myself
carrying these heavy bags and climbing these difficult trails. It is astounding to me that this is how they earn their
living and survive with minimal rewards.
It is my greatest hope that my team and I were able to make these 12 men feel special, appreciated, valued and impor-
tant the night they were our guides. I know that they made an indelible impression on us. It is my aspiration to keep
the image of these men forever alive as a reminder and lesson in humility whenever we are feeling less than fully
grateful for the amazing bounty which has been bestowed upon us. While our own lives will certainly have its frustra-
tions and disappointments, I doubt that anything in our lives can compare with the lives of these 12 porters. I am truly
humbled and grateful to have had the honor of meeting them.