Africa Journal #1

Africa Journal #1:

It sounds cliché, but it is true: The first thing you notice when you return to Africa is the smell. To be honest, I won’t even try to describe it to you because it is, appropriately, quite exotic to the Western olfactory senses. I love it. I was in Mexico just last week and as much as I love that country, it just doesn’t smell exotic. It doesn’t elicit in the one doing the smelling that sense of otherness and freshness. That’s not to say it smells bad. Quite the contrary since I have travelled all over the planet and the best food (and therefore smells) are to be found just south of the American border. But Africa, the smell is just different and it brings with it memories of riding in the back of trucks singing African spirituals under the starlit sky in Malawi, the smell of the rainforest just after it has rained in Congo, the smell of my thatched-roof hut in Zambia, and the smell of the markets and bustle of downtown Kampala—that unmistakable (and some say, caustic) mix of pre-catalytic converter exhaust and matoke.

As I write this I am sitting in my “guesthouse” feeling familiarly overwhelmed. No, not by the smell, but by the incredible shift that has occurred in my life this past week. Just over a week ago I had a job teaching history to kids with mental illness or drug addictions. Just 96 hours ago, as of this writing, I was in Mexico getting a root canal out what seemed to be someone’s house. It went well, but it will take some time to erase the images of blood and teeth flying out of my mouth. After that episode I spent a day eating the best food on the planet and chilling on the beach at a beach house that cost me $27 a night. About 72 hours ago I was climbing Mt. Ajo in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. It is one of the most beautiful and verdant stretches of desert on the earth. Just 48 hours ago, after not sleeping for about a day, I boarded a plane to Dubai, UAE and for the first time in quite a while was able to take a deep breath and just enjoy the (15 hour) ride. Emirates is quickly becoming my favorite airline and they treated me well, as is characteristic of the Arabs’ hospitality. They even paid for me to stay in a nice hotel in Dubai for my overnight in the city! While in Dubai I was able to experience a disconcerting amount of proximity to opulent wealth that makes Beverly Hills and North Scottsdale seem petty. Dubai is unbelievably wealthy and the 7-star hotel, man-made islands, indoor ski resort, exotic car malls, and tallest building on earth I witnessed (again) just make you take a step back. I admit a certain draw to Dubai that I have not felt previously that I’ll have to process later, but the next morning I was whisked away to the incredible Dubai International Airport bound for one of the poorest countries on earth and the ultimate destination of my travels.

And now I am here with basically all I need. I wish I could report that some amazing spiritual revelation has befallen me in my 15 hours in Uganda, but I’m afraid that is not that case. There are a lot of romantic notions about Africa that affect us all at some point in time, but I do not wish to feel those romantic feelings of place. Last night I prayed a simple prayer that God would speak to me and use me while I am here. I am so weak and I really bring very little to offer to brothers and sisters who have ten times the faith I do. Nevertheless, I believe God has brought me back here to serve in a way that I can—a way that God can speak both to me and through me. This, of course, is through the Mending the Soul group I will be doing for the men here at A Perfect Injustice. These are my passion… and where your passion and the world’s need meet that is your calling. So for this season, that is my calling. God give me strength.

As I write this I still do not have internet or photos loaded up so please be patient. You can expect this entry and likely a few more in a couple of days! That was a pointless sentence, I know.

Well, I am off to the street program with Peter, my new friend here. We were supposed to leave an hour ago, but we’re still here, and that’s just fine with me. Oh, how I love Africa time!