Prophet Abbas

There is a man here, who is very well known to CCS volunteers, named Abbas Alula. He owns a safari and African expedition company called Bushman Expeditions and Safaris, and is the man who CCS typically books through. Abbas is known throughout CCS and Moshi, as we're trying to spread the word, as the Jesus of our time. The man is a prophet.

I feel in order for you to get a visual, I first need to describe His appearance. Men here are short. Like very short. I am on the tall side of average, and outweigh pretty much anyone by at least 20 lbs. Abbas, on the other hand, is around 6 foot 4, and not a small man. He actually rivals the largest person I have seen up close. Yet in spite of this brooding figure, He is the most gentle, calm, and welcoming man I know, and certainly has the biggest smile I have ever seen - the ear to ear kind you see on cartoon shows. His handshake is not the firm kind we appreciate as manly in our culture back home, but a warm gentle touch, embracing your hand with both of His, as you would do if you were handed a baby chick. "Hello my kaka (brother), thank you so much for blessing me with your presence today," is what usually follows this handshake.

Abbas is very wise, and offers bits of advice that you could have sworn came from an ancient greek philosopher. The man speaks in metaphors. When explaining the preservation of culture He simply said: "A tree cannot grow without its roots, my kaka." For His philosophy on foreign aid policies, He used this description: "You see this hand, 5 fingers, all different sizes and different thicknesses, but they all work together."

In addition to running a pretty major safari company, Abbas is also a painter, a local volunteer, a yoga and aerobics instructor, a photographer, and he has his own coffee plantation. Mind you, this is only what I have discovered so far, as we typically find out a new speciality of His every week. He does everything!

We have determined that He is in fact a prophet, and deserves his own cult following. I intend to fully participate. He even has a prophet name. If I were to start a religion it would not work, solely for the reason that there could not be a prophet Graeme. It just doesn't work, Prophet Abbas on the other hand, has a very nice ring to it.

In addition to the crazy Russian impersonations I have promised upon my return, I will also provide Prophet Abbas impressions.