‘OUT OF AFRICA’ - Mid-August 2008

A summery of the journey…from American soil
[Picture above shows my home in Pemba...I was living behind that bamboo fence.]

If you’re reading this right now, then let me congratulate you as well as thank you for keeping up with me during this adventure.

I’m now about a week back and the lag of the jet is waning slowly. I’m still finding myself hitting ‘The Great Wall of Sleep’ at different hours of the day - and then waking up at farmer’s hours wondering what to do with myself.

[STOP]

[It’s now another four days later. It seems in Pemba, I had time to write and difficulty emailing – now that I’m back in the states, I have the convenience of unlimited wireless Internet…but not quite as much time. It’s a funny thing!]

[It’s now even several more days later…finishing this up is becoming a challenge of it’s own. Quite a difference in lifestyles!]

The ‘availabilities’ of First World living surround me as I carefully make my selections as to which ones I’m once again able to indulge upon.
First there’s the amazing convenience of wireless Internet, which fills the airways of my living quarters - along with unlimited bandwidth. Just being able to sit at my computer whenever I feel the desire to communicate is such a refreshing little activity. Isn’t it interesting how something so fascinating, so revolutionary…’The Internet’, can so quickly become such a standard in our life…

Knowing that I can get in my vehicle and drive wherever I want, whenever I want is another luxury that’s escaped me for so long. Once again, just another little expectancy that’s so easily taken for granted. Makes me think about how we can sometimes get with the people in our lives… I’m reminded of an episode from a TV show back in the 60’s, Lost In Space. It’s about a family unit of seven traveling through different supernatural and extraterrestrial space experiences. In this episode, the young boy, Will, becomes very discontented with his family and his wishes for them to all disappear comes true. At first he seems happy with the immediate peace he’s experiencing but quickly finds his loneliness becoming painful. As a result, he misses those people God has given him and begins to see them through refreshed eyes of appreciation.
Just having a reminiscent moment…for a moment.

OK, next there’s my own bed. Oh yeah, the comforts of our own sleeping palace, our space ship to the clouds. My own place with my own things – my self-developed freedom and conveniences…all around… more Nirvana!

I know this may be sounding a bit melodramatic but I can’t tell you how much appreciation I’m having for all the things, great and small, that have been filling my life, which, until now, have previously become a bit, well…invisible.

My first ‘out of the house’ experience was a trip to my favorite grocery store, Trader Joe's. And anyone who’s ever been fortunate enough to have had a TJ’s experience knows what I’m talking about. Once there, I found myself just floating the isles with a faint grin and sense of wonder similar to that of a child visiting Disney Land for the very first time. No joke…it truly was a journey. How great would it be if this experience would become the norm…living life in a constant state of heightened amusement, fully submerged in ‘the now”. It’s sad though for I know that its time is slowly passing.

Sushi, ah yes, sushi…my first real outside indulgence. Over priced little pieces of raw fish. For some strange reason my first real American craving wasn’t a cheeseburger, as I though it might’ve been. Maybe that’s because there was some version of a cheeseburger available at a couple of places in Pemba. Occasionally I would indulge before the unknown adventures of an Iris outreach, knowing that it would carry me through for a few days. No, my first hunt for the food of my choice, (because that’s what we have available to us here in the US…a choice. A choice of just about any kind of food we feel like, in any portion we want, prepared just the way we like it. WHAT AN AMAZING BLESSING!) No, my first craving was…craw fish! Real Louisiana Cajun craw daddies! Why? I have no idea, but that’s what I was after. So, where does one go to find an authentic Cajun craw fish boil…New Orleans? You might think…but no…this is America, and no matter what it is, we can find it! It’ll most likely be prepared by some person of Mexican decent because after all, I do live in LA and no matter what type of food you’re eating in LA (and probably many other places in the country,) the kitchen will be staffed with Mexicans. No kidding, if you look in any kitchen in any restaurant especially in the surrounding area of LA…who’s cooking up the chow… Mexicans. Nothing prejudice here…merely an observation, but man can they cook…anything!

I digress. So, here I am craving craw fish and watching the early morning news (for the first time in over a month) and what local weekend event is being reported in the area…The 15th Annual Long Beach Craw fish Boil! Fresh, live craw fish flown in and prepared just the way we like it. I couldn’t believe it! So I go to their website, download the directions, along with a $2 off coupon, and patiently await with great anticipation, the weekend festivity. Ah, the conveniences of a First World lifestyle…how wonderful!

In the interim there’s my studio experience. As most of you already know, I’m also a film acting coach and teach a Friday evening class in Studio City. Well, I arrived back home on Wednesday, not exactly sure what happened to that day. Thursday was a wash as well…it just kind ‘a disappeared into sleepville. Friday was a bit of a daze…my Trader Joe’s day - and my teaching evening. I really enjoyed teaching once I got back in the saddle, I guess it's just in me. Saturday was a day off…a bit more conscious and without any guilt.

[STOP – gotta go do something]

[It’s been a few days since I’ve been able to pen anything and rather than go on about all of the many little experiences that have become so refreshingly childlike for me, I’ll take you through these following points of my summery.]

I thought that I might have had a bad attitude once I got back into the ‘Land of Plenty’. You know, revolted by all of the abundant waste, the abuse of our privileges here and the absence of real love being shared by one another as we cohabitate, but that hasn’t been the case. On the contrary, I’ve actually been enjoying my life of convenience. I’m finding myself indulging in experiences that prior to Africa I would not have given a second thought to. For instance, just stopping in the middle of a workday for a roadside slice of pizza and a light beer, then going on with my business…just because I felt like it and I could. That’s just not something that I would have done before…unless it was a day off or I was on holiday. Or catching a matinee in the middle of the week. It may sound silly but once you begin to experience yourself organically doing things that you otherwise wouldn’t do…it’s a bit mind blowing and rather refreshing!

Now, I understand that this can all be a rebound effect at present, but I’m truly enjoying this ‘cool down’ period.

I think the thing that I’ll do my best to hold on to as the days go by will be the bellow of love, peace and contentment that I’ve been traveling around in. It’s almost like being in a situational state of shock. There’s a certain kind of calm that one can experience when in a state of shock. It’s like life just stops and you’re suspended in an animated condition. OK, maybe not to that degree, but the sort of melancholy state that I’m experiencing at the moment, directly in the midst of the rapid hustle of LA living, is very much accepted refreshment.

Again, I understand that I’m certainly still in the ‘after glow’ of my ‘south of the equator’ experiences, but nonetheless…it’s all still very real, and these observations are priceless to me right now.

[STOP - have to do more things]

In conclusion, and on a more serious note, I would like to once again thank all of you who have been following me on this journey, those of you who have so dearly held me up in prayer and of course those of you who have given of your resources to help finance this adventure…I really couldn’t have done it without your help. Really!

I could go on in my attempts to bring imagery to your minds and sensory experiences to your emotions and spirit, but then I would be writing that novel I spoke of earlier. I’d have to spend more time at the computer writing in the peace and quiet of my dwelling place and less time on the LA freeways fighting traffic to get to the next appointment. I would…wait a second…that’s not half bad! Maybe I should re-think this whole thing.

Photojournalism…why not?!

Much Love & Hugs & Many Blessings Your Way,
Clay


Partial List of Personal Accomplishments While in Africa:

- Taught missions teams dramatic evangelism.
- Wrote, directed and performed several evangelistic sketches used to illustrate different Biblical messages.
- Performed in church, village outreaches and a maximum security prison outside of Pemba…really!
- Taught class for a group of Mozambique’n Pastors…Clay style.
- Using my McGeiver skills, was able to get the (non-working) Jesus movie working in a far off village outreach.
- Helped to un-stick two stuck Land Rovers that were sucked into a water basin.
- Prayed for numerous people.
- Facilitated healing for many.
- Screened The Azusa Street Project, (our movie on revival.)
- Spoke to and inspired missions students from all over the world.
- Brought the gospel message to un-reached people groups.
- Participated in purchasing an acre of land and building materials for a new church building, school, housing and latrines in a bush mud-hut village.
- And a bunch more stuff I just can’t remember…

Thanks once more for your part in all of this…a difference has surely been made!