The Pidgeons have landed...

After two long 10-hour flights, we are safely in South Africa, enjoying the amazing breakfast room at the Garden Court hotel in Johannesburg.

Bob especially liked the U2 song playing in the background, It's A Beautiful Day.

Flying with KLM was definitely at treat. Both planes had vacant seats, so we had room to stretch out.

The next item on the agenda is to pick up our rental car and drive out to Nelspruit and the Mercy Air Guesthouse in nearby White River...tomorrow we tackle the Kruger Game park.

But Bob found some game right outside the lobby. Anybody know what kind of bird this is?

Thank you for your prayers; we're feeling remarkably well and excited about the coming weeks. We'll keep you posted!

One Week To Go...

One week from today we'll be on the road, driving to Seattle for the first leg of our journey to Mozambique. So...what does one pack for a trip like this?

How about $5-a-pill malaria medicine? Don't want to get sick this time...

 And some of these. Really helps make the water taste better.

I also picked up one of these - a torque wrench to be used in the mechanical repair side of things. Don't want those lug nuts coming loose on the Mission vehicles. And it was on sale for half price - cool.

Looking ahead, it appears that the Training Centre in Mozambique is just about ready for its roof, and that's great news. One of Bob's first jobs will be building the roof trusses for this project, and he can't wait to get at it. The lumber is on-site awaiting our arrival.

So just a few more days to make sure we don't leave something important behind...but I'm sure we will.

But that's okay. Like they say, it's all good.

Turning Mustard Seeds into Trees

God is a specialist at taking small things and turning them into bigger things. There have been some small steps forward lately, and it leaves me wondering where one day they might lead.

Friend Bob found out just last week that he would be able to accompany me to Africa, so we booked our flights - leaving Seattle on February 21st...

The SAM Ministries Board voted to include our short term mission trip and the Mozambique Maintenance and Training Center in their 2011 budget, so now those who want to donate to this trip can obtain a tax receipt... (visit Mercy Tech Mission for more details)

Other friend Todd (aka The Grumpy Mechanic) is busy compiling training materials that we can use to teach Mozambican young men the basic skills of auto mechanics...That trip is planned for August 2011.

The local newspaper called for an interview and plans to run a story on Mercy Tech Mission...

(yeah, I was pretty shocked, too)

Just one step after another...

Time to dust up these old shoes.

To Start Down That Road...

There's a road in front of me, one that leads both back...and ahead.

In less than a month I'll be on a plane back to Africa.

In less than a month I'll be starting a journey forward to things and events yet unknown.

One could ask, "What in the world are you doing?"

And I could answer, "I'm not altogether sure..."

But when you trust the One you're doing it for,

then What is not as important as Why.

The Why is because He's put it on my heart.

The Why is because in the Kingdom economy, obedience ranks higher in value than understanding.

Maybe I'm just trying to die rich. :)

Clarifying the Vision...

I'm at the point now in life where I need reading glasses to work on small items up close - a frustrating thing for someone who worked in mechanics for many years. I used to be able to just take my regular glasses off and that was sufficient - now I need help.

Lately, the same thing has been happening in regards to my calling to go back to Africa (and other places). As I've been waiting for a few things to come together, I picked up a book called Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson, the same author of Three Cups of Tea. If you haven't read either of these books, I highly recommend it. Just an amazing story of how a lost mountain climber became involved in building schools for girls all over Pakistan and Afghanistan, in some of the remotest villages on earth.

This book has brought sharper vision to what I hope to do in Africa - in fact, a key project that I'm working on will involve creating a trade school where local men can be trained in a trade (most likely mechanics, to start with...). To learn more about this, please visit my mission web page.

Plans are to make a spring trip back to Mozambique, Lord willing, to work on a training centre and discuss plans for a maintenance shop, and then a second trip in July/August to do some in-depth training in mechanics. This is a big step of faith for us, as it is something beyond our own personal resources.

But then, God does not expect us to do His work in Our strength; as scripture says, unless the Lord builds the house (or the workshop), they labour in vain to build at all.

"The game is afoot..."

So said Sherlock Holmes when things began to get interesting on a case he was working on. And that's how I'm feeling these days...things are starting to get interesting.

I have made a presentation to the missions board at my church, Summerland Baptist, asking if they would consider sponsoring my mission proposal called Mercy Tech Mission. For those who don't know, I'm creating a non-profit organization that will enable me to take out teams of professionals and tradespeople to work on various projects around the world, wherever there is a need. I expect to hear back from them sometime in mid-January.

But it appears that God isn't interested in waiting. Already I have people interested in making a trip to Mozambique, perhaps in July/August of 2011. So I've begun to work on plans toward that end, trusting that the Lord will provide the resources needed for such an endeavor. Our work will probably be in the areas of mechanics and building, and we would be going for at least one month. There is room for a few hardy souls to join us, so if you would like to know more about this possible service opportunity, then feel free to contact me at rick@mercytechmission.com .

And yes, that will be our new website as we get up and running: www.mercytechmission.com . This is where you will find more information about Mercy Tech Mission, and about how you can be involved, either by supporting our work financially and in prayer, or by going along on one of our trips yourself.

So stay tuned...I really mean it when I say that things are starting to get interesting!

Moving Ahead

Many thoughts going on in my head over the past few months, all leading toward the possibility of returning to Africa to find new (and old) places to go where I can get my shoes dirty one more time.

I find it interesting how God uses the small steps we make to speak into the lives of others. Consider the words of this fellow mechanic who came across my blog just last month...

"I was pleasantly surprised to find out you are a Christian, and after reading your Dusty shoes blog, I can say you are both an encouragement and inspiration to me (read, kick in the pants, get goin' and find something to do for the Lord with the skills He has blessed me with).

It's my own lack of faith talking here, but I don't think I would be able to afford to go on a trip like that,...I do know God can do it, but at the same time I am too scared to just put everything on the line like that... now what was James saying about a double minded man.....?

Nevertheless, you have stirred my sleeping Christianity by the quote from Jeremiah. Goodonyamate (yes, that really is one word) as us Aussies say."

I love the honesty...moving out on faith is not the easiest thing to do, but it's the life we Christ-followers are called into.

So I'm putting the finishing touches on the mission statement and policies of a possible new organization, code name Mercy Tech Mission.

I'll be presenting this to the mission board at my local church shortly to get their input.

Nothing like stepping out on those thin branches...

Interesting in going along? Here's a sample of what can be done (thanks to Lynn Lagore for the following photos).

Building a local health clinic

This is Tome putting on the roof...he was my helper during my recent visit to Mozambique

The finished product, ready to serve the community

The staff house for Mercy Air was only a foundation when I saw it back in March...

Now the roof is going on.

Projects like these (along with many others) can be something you could take part in.

Interested? Got a trade or a profession you can share with a needy world?

Mercy Tech Mission: Opportunities soon available.

Contact Rick Cogbill