New Music Recommendation of the Week

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO - Long Walk to Freedom. While my brain is still in Southern Africa I thought I would point your attention to some great music. Those of you not yet born twenty years ago probably missed these guys when they flew across the Atlantic in Paul Simon’s back pocket. The unique acapella style of their singing is called ISICATHAMIYA and was born in the diamond mines of Southern Africa. This record, released in January 2006 includes duets with some of their US and South African friends. If you can only buy a few songs get their duet with Sara McLachan of the song “Homeless,” then grab the “Amazing Grace” duet with Emmylou Harris and the acapella remake of their Paul Simon hit “Diamonds on the Souls of Their Shoes” with Melissa Etheridge. RICH! (Clicking on the artwork to the left opens the album in iTunes.)

Botswana Update

Never the same. I suppose it’s cliché to suggest that after a trip like this I am forever changed so I won’t say it…but it’s true! I am fresh off the plane from a couple of weeks in GABORONE, BOTSWANA in Southern Africa. I went with 10 of the most powerful, confident, and creative STUDENTS I’ve ever met. We were all scared sometimes, out of place and trapped behind a language barrier (even when they were speaking English). But I watched these students rise to what was expected of them. They fell in love with the people of Botswana; both hurting with them and hoping for them.

Our days included time at an AIDS orphanage outside of town. Some of the children seemed to bounce around as though completely insulated from their circumstances. Others carried the obvious weight of their own mortality; eyes too young to bare such a load. Slowly, there was change, there was the light of recognition in their eyes when we walked onto the campus. We began to see in their eyes the hope of a moments’ joy. I plotted ways to sneak sweet little Katlago into my guitar case when we left. A selfish wish.

Our afternoons were full of school visits and rallies. 500-700 students at a time would crowd into large open rooms and we would share with them a message of hope about a revolution of purity that was sweeping across Southern Africa. AIDS/HIV have descimated THIS REGION OF THE WORLD but the revolution has begun and a new generation is choosing abstinence as the radical solution, the greatest weapon in this fight.

Maybe I will post more pictures and more ramblings later. In the meantime, after 19 hours on planes, I am going to sleep for a while! Thanks again for all of your prayers and messages of support.

Summer Week Four Update

I survived week four of the summer. The only injuries this week were to my pride. I didn’t win a single game of ultimate pong this week. For those of you unfamiliar with this king of all games (next to SOCCER of course) it is played like ping pong with a large group of people. After a regular serve, the ball can bounce or roll across any section of the table but must bounce on the floor once before you can return it. Sides don’t matter. The net doesn’t matter. You return the ball in numerical order: person#1 serves to 2 who hits to 3…and running, diving, hilarity ensues. I AM a master, a champion…but not this week. Ouch. It was a great group this week from all over Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois. I leave in about 19 hours for a couple of weeks in Botswana. Every morning we’re in school classrooms meeting students and talking to them about AIDS/HIV prevention. During lunchtime we will be at feeding stations loving on AIDS orphans. Then in the afternoons its back to the schools for an assembly program the students have put together called “Revolutionary Purity.” It’s based on the new TRUE LOVE WAITS theme and the students will be using it to teach abstinence in a country where more than 40% of the population is infected with HIV or AIDS. In the evenings I have a few concerts scheduled and we will do a camp weekend for students from around Southern Africa. Check back next week and I will do my best to post regular updates on the trip. Thanks for all of the encouragement and prayers you guys sent me this week. Keep it up. We’ll need it!

Peace,
James