chicken soup time...

A few days removed from my time in Africa, I can think of no better time to write my last thoughts than on the best day to be an American, the 4th of July. This will be long, so if you're not into long posts you can click away.

I remember talking to Danielle a little bit before I left on how to explain the question that everyone will ask, "What did you learn there?" She told me that, for her, it is hard to explain what you have learned on trips like this to someone because most lessons are taught to her days, weeks or months after she returns. I look at it as looking at a puzzle. I can sit (for six weeks) right on top, connecting it together piece by piece...but it isn't until that I back away from the completed mural that I see what form it has taken. God, I believe, teaches lessons in no particular way (duh, i know) and just when I think that God is in the middle of teaching me something specific, he is preparing a totally different surprise on stage left.

"So, you're telling me that as of now you have learned nothing..."

No, there are things that as I listened to the star spangled banner and thought about the country that I live in that I have already learned. More than anything, I have put a face to everything that I have heard about the poor.

Zuleka is a woman who lives in a very poor part of Red Hill, but volunteers her time to help with kids clubs.

Apeowei is an adorable kid living in a house made of material that we would leave on the side of the interstate.
Malcolm is a man in the HIV/AIDS Health Care Center who's bed is in the back left corner who reads books. (unpictured)









Peter is a man who has faced more hard times than anyone
would want to face and is living out some of his decisions on the street in Muizenberg.

And I used to look like this:

Remember playing peek-a-boo as a child? Or hide-and-seek? When you are that young, you always assume that if you cover your eyes and you are in total darkness, then nobody else around you can see you, and that everything around you fades away and doesn't really exist. It was so easy to close my eyes and not believe that there are actual people behind the statistics and the pictures that far away from home. Nobody really lives in these homes....if I don't see them, then they don't see me.

I have learned that this isn't a fairy tale, or just a news headline. To someone living in suburban America like myself, it is so far away from what we know that it may seem imaginary, but I've seen it. This is why God stresses it so much in the Bible to care for those less fortunate.....nowhere in the Bible does it say, "Care for the less fortunate...but only if they live in your country. The ones that are miles away can fend for themselves."
It is commanded to care for the poor. Isaiah 58 is wonderful in explaining this....I like the way The Message puts it:

What I'm interested in seeing you do is: Sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage.

Just to make sure here, I don't say these things because I have figured it all out or am going to be perfect for the rest of my life on this topic, because I am far from it and am bound to fall. I just want to remind us to all uncover our eyes, and that just because we can't see or touch the poor where we live, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

Give.

Give to ministries that help the poor. Go out and serve where you live. Support missionaries that are caring for the poor. I remember writing about a quote from Donald Miller at the beginning of this trip that says something about going away from the city because you will forget that God made more than just buildings and concrete streets. Well, I feel like I gained that experience but I also found that the beautiful voices of Masiphumelele come from the same mouths that God created like mine. Names. Faces. Stories. People doing good.
God is still teaching me about what I saw in Africa, and all in all it was some of the best weeks of my life. I apologize that this is very much a flow of my last thoughts. (hence the Chicken Soup reference...blah...)

I feel like this wasn't the last time I will see Africa. So until then...

Romans 1:12

sala kahle

I'm leaving Africa today.

I'll write on the plane and airport and post the last couple of posts soon. The internet here has been down, so getting online has basically been once every few days.

Danielle is playing a Chipmunks CD....

song?

It has been a while since I’ve posted due to another one of Africa’s little joy’s: bandwidth internet limit. (this means you only have so many pictures/videos/websites you can visit in a month) Seeing as how a few of us here are Coldplay fans and the new album was recently released…..bandwidth was dried up early and we are left internetless here at Sundollar. I have wanted to write about last Thursday, because it was the most FULL day that I’ve had thus far on my trip.
The day began at Living Hope offices where I thought I would spend the first hour or two planning my shot sheet list for the remaining few days. Mike approaches me as I’m sitting on my case in the corner of his office (desk space is a little tight, it’s better than the kitchen) and says, “If we got the guitar, would you be interested in playing some songs over at the Health Care Center?” A bit confused, I said yes and within the hour Anna, Margaret and I were circling around patients in the Health Care Center singing songs. The nurses joined us and we switched off teaching each other songs. As we played I would glance around the room at some of the other beds and saw people staring at the ceiling under their blankets and holding their swaying hands in the air with the bend still at their elbows. It reminded me of singing songs in the nursing home and watching the elderly sing and clap their hands even if their mind wasn’t in the same room. It was cool to learn some African songs too. After we sang I came back in and took footage of the clinic….I can’t really say I got some “good shots” but I think it went well.
After a brief lunch that I packed in my camera case, I caught a ride over to King of Kings Baptist Church (Fish Hoek Baptist….) to interview Avril Thomas. This is John Thomas’ wife and she gave a very insightful well-versed interview. Thank goodness. So after her interview, that would pretty much be a full day….except let’s rewind to an hour or two before lunch…. (seth, you will like this.)

“Ok Jeff, I’ve got you all lined up to shoot the ‘Wait For Me’ music video this afternoon at King of Kings at 3.”

~blank stare and drooling….~

Waiting at the church would be appx. 10-12 kids and about 8 Life Skill educators to perform the song “Wait For Me” for the Wait For Me Campaign. I knew it was coming…just not today. With the help of an employee, I found 3 stage lights that I had to roll around and set everything up the best that I could. I was just about ready to go and I asked where the cd or mp3 player was to play the SONG that we were shooting the music video for.

“We don’t have the song, we were going to use your sound.”

~blank stare and drooling…~

Turns out, the song for the music video I was to be shooting had yet to be recorded. I know only a few of you will appreciate the irony of this but needless to say I was a little more than disappointed and confused. After a discussion about music videos, we decided to try the best we could with the live music and away we went. I haven’t edited it yet, but I believe they are supposed to have the song to me in the next couple of days. It all went well but it was very draining not only having to direct the video for a song I have never heard... or I guess nobody else has ever heard..... but making sure the kids stayed happy/upbeat/singing. Everyone was patient and I’m glad that everything worked out.
I drove the Red Barron home afterwards and thus begins CHILLI NIGHT AT THE TALLEYS.
Mike and Pam invited all of us (about 15) over for Chilli. The food was fantastic and like most nights here, I ate until full. We played TWO games of Mafia which took almost 3 hours. By the time the second one was over, people hated Mafia and it got pretty intense because nobody could make a decision (including myself) and needless to say….Mafia is still banned to this day. Also, Austin….you will be happy to know that I’ve started the “Ok, so I’m going on a trip…” game down here, and it is driving people absolutely insane.
Although my most strenuous, it was my best/favorite day so far. Oh yeah, and on Saturday we went to SA vs. Italy rugby. SAH.
Internet has been down for the past 4 days or so...so sorry for not responding/sending any messages to anyone. AND sorry that this was very much like a diary.

Hey look! A big bus of Christians!

Near the township of Mountain View sits this satirical goldmine. The entire time that I have been here none of us have seen it move or change positions. I told everyone when we got out to take pictures that this wasn't a metaphor for anything...

anyways...

A good bit has happened since the last post. My difficulties with the really interesting HD to DV has been sorted out and things are running smoothly thanks to a friend and some prayers. I've finished one video (the one with the voiceover with the jacket over my head) and in return....get ready....I received a car. Yes. I was going to rent a bike and as I discussed this with Clive (head of WPBA) he told me he had an old car that has just been sitting there that I could drive. I've named it the Red Barron. pictures coming soon.
We had a good, relaxing weekend here filled with one or two movies, going to watch rugby at a local "diner" and a surprise father's day breakfast for Mike Talley, which was quite a hassle. We convinced him that there were big problems going on with the volunteers (by ways that I won't mention....Anna...) and that we really needed to talk to him Sunday morning before church. He was completely surprised and things worked out great. I fixed eggs. Yeah.
Tomorrow begins the first day of shooting for the actual video I came down here to do for Living Hope/Grace/Way, which is slightly challenging because of the time I have left down here. It doesn't feel like I've been here for almost 3 1/2 weeks! Time really has flown. I'm in a good routine down here and I'm beginning to get the hang of things as far as what I need to do. We have been playing a lot of "Signs" and "Mafia" after dinner and before bed which is always a fun time. Elliott and I have even caught him up on a few of the last episodes of LOST. (I know half of you are cheering and the other half are booing right now)

The kids at Red Hill today were absolutely nuts for a while. We had to break up 8-10 fights and kids were running around like they had been injected with sugar. Things calmed down when Stanton began to tell his testimony about Red Hill and by the time we were about to leave to go home things were just about back to normal. Apeowei (i still hope i'm spelling that right) always runs up to me before we leave and wants me to carry him around for a little bit and he'll hug my face really hard, which is incredibly sweet. The past few nights when we have left the moon has been out and while propped up in my arm he'll gasp and point to the moon, "Jeff! Look! It's Jesus!" At first I thought I would correct his theology, "Um no, Apeowei, you're wrong. Jesus isn't the moon. He's a part of a thing called the Trinity...can you say The Trinity? It's like God, but three times...." But why wouldn't he be able to see Jesus in the moon? The moon has always held a certain mystery and awe to mankind and maybe Apeowei looks at the moon and feels the same way he thinks he should feel about Jesus. Sometimes I wish that I could still point at things like that and notice God at work. Or, for the most part, appreciate it. To point at the ocean and say "Look. Jesus."

Continue to pray for the refugee camps. Also, that I would be able to finish the video that I came here to do without any big snags. And that I would be safe driving a very old stick shift car, in the right side of the car on the left side of the road. And, for my heart to be alert to where I am and what I'm doing.


by the way... i've killed at least 20 ants while writing this message. I have no clue where they're coming from..... ok and while i typed that literally another 15 or so came up from NOWHERE...... WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM?!?!

procrastination....

Well, short update. As of now, the video that I came down here to do is being officially started. As in....today.

Six weeks has became two.

All in a days work! (i'll update later today)

rain and video

This morning I stayed at Sundollar again to work on a video. Buddy, the dog has kept me company. It has taken me forever to finally get all of my hi-def settings correct in Final Cut Pro to edit in HD (this is my first time to) and not have to render everything once I import it. I told you that because I know you are extremely interested.
I had to do some voiceovers in the dining room today whilst one of the maid/workers that doesn't speak english very well kept on walking in to me having a fleece over my head (to block out sound, but she doesn't know that) and talking about churches benefiting from training seminars. I thought about explaining myself, but I figured it's not really worth it. At another point I got up to stretch and didn't hear her walk in, so I think that as far as she is concerned, I spend my mornings with jackets over my head talking to myself and then the other half standing up with my arms over my head.
So far I've shot about 4 hours of tape, and I'll be getting into the MAIN video that I came here to do sometime this week or early next week....leaving me appx. 20 days to complete it before I head back to Nashville. I'm really happy with the stuff I've shot so far and looking forward to some of the other stuff I'll be shooting....especially the Masi choir if that ever happens.
We all awoke this morning to a Biblical Downpour (thanks seth) out side and it didn't stop until just a few minutes ago. Literally, I feel like you could swim upwards in this rain. It even woke me up through the concrete walls of my room before my alarm went off at 7:15. As I laid in bed, one of the first things that came into my mind was the refugee camp and how the only thing separating them from this rain was a thin layer of plastic.
Keep praying that the refugee camp would be solved and people could go home, and that I, as well as the rest of the team, would follow Colossians 3:17.....

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

"play with kids week"

So basically if I could sum up this week, I would call it "play with kids week". Mornings consisted of playing with kids at the refugee camps, and afternoons were spent at Red Hill running Kids Club. And I thought I could get away from singing Brother Friend and J-O-Y.... The refugee camps were an interesting situation, because basically nobody WANTS to be there, but they're all still there because no one has a safe place to return to if they left the camp. A group of kids that I was wrangling around one day this week captured a frog, and after marching it back to our tent chanting "we caught the frog!" and then finding out that it was a very rare endangered frog and switching the chant to "we're going to put back the frog!" a little boy said something that struck me. As I was explaining to seven or eight 5 & 6 year olds why we had to put back the frog I said, "We need to put him back so he can go back to his home." Justin, a boy who normally causes trouble and is very loud put his head down and said to himself, "At least the frog has a home to go to."
Now, in the past couple of days the camps have changed. I don't know all the specific details about the refugee camps, but here's what I do know: it isn't good. The Somalians have basically taken over the camps and are not allowing any volunteers or food to be brought in. This basically sets up an unorganized, frustrated group of few thousand people, who are already tense with each other to begin with, and then also throw in a forced hunger strike on top of that. Oh yeah, and the hunger strike includes the children, who really have no say in the matter. Pastor John Thomas spoke on it this morning in church, and he says that he trusts what God is doing, but the future isn't too bright at the moment if things continue the way they are. ANYways......we are all very safe and we didn't catch Scabees from any of the kids at the camp. Pray for the people in the camps, and that as always, God would be glorified through the whole situation even though it is difficult to see at the moment. And also pray that I would continue to look to God for wisdom in everything.

On the other hand, my times off have been great! Today we went to the Green Point Market, and climbed Lion's Head mountain. We all ate at an incredible restraunt last night called The Meeting Place, and I ate Springbok. What is a Sprinkbok? Well aside from being a fast, antelope-like animal it also happens to be the mascot for the South African rugby team. Sigh....I guess I'll just have to go the South Africa vs. Italy match on June 21st in Cape Town....dang....

Oh.....and......
it's Africa...I promise.