Pictures...Part II

Don cutting metal plate

As promised, here are more photos of our past week. It's now Friday evening and the progress has been good. We've built half of the ten trusses that we require, and next week we hope to start on the I-beams.

Bob Brown with the cut-off saw

Cutting notches for the future I-beams

Trimming out the windows

Welding up trusses

Half the trusses completed, paint and all

But it's not all been work. Last Sunday we had the opportunity to visit the mission carpenter, Gabriel, and his family at their humble home.

And here are a few random shots from the previous week...

A seldom seen leopard in Kruger Park

Bob Denesiuk saw the Mercy Air helicopter coming in for a landing and decided to take a picture.

He didn't realize Don Bryce and Bob Brown were riding inside!

But he got to do a little flying of his own the next day on our way into Mozambique

Don was invited to a lunch of sudza and fish by his helpers. He says it's pretty salty...

Three lost guys on a hike, trying to catch something in a muddy pool. A little too much sun, I suspect...

That's it for now. We'll have more to share in the days ahead. Thanks for viewing!

Rick

Pictures tell the story - Part I

It has been a busy time for the team here in Mozambique, and although we're off to a good start, the days are long and hot, and by the end of the day all we can think about are hot showers and a good supper!

There will be more time by the weekend to compose some interesting blog material, but for the moment we'll give you some photos to show what we've been up to.

Preparing to leave South Africa

Over the coast of Mozambique

The completed walls!

The four amigos...

Don and Bob checking out the generator situation

Bob leading the way on our day hike

Somewhere in the bush

 

Fueling up the new generator and welder

Grinding metal plates for the trusses

Tome welding on the first truss

Bob checking levels with a lazer (isn't there a song about "lazers in the jungle somewhere..."?)

Revy is learning about electricity

Don has found the hammock

One good piece of news is that our load of electrical supplies for the shop project is now on the road with the transit company and should be here by the end of this week.

We'll be back later with Part II - coffee break is over and we need to set a good example to the rest of the staff!

Last Leg of the Journey In

The past five days have been a busy time with traveling and shopping for supplies. Here are a few photos to bring you up to date:

Leaving Kelowna airport

Coffee break in Amsterdam airport

Lunch on the road in South Africa

Our cottage at the Mercy Air base

A relaxing evening

After getting settled into our temporary home at Mercy Air and getting our supply shopping done, we managed to spend a beautiful day in Kruger Game Park. Here are a few of the animals we came across.

Okay, these guys aren't really animals, but they were in the park...

"Pretty sure I saw a hippo..."

Now that we've recovered from jet lag, it's time to load up the plane and finish the journey in. Tomorrow morning we fly out to Mozambique where the real work begins.

Don Bryce, Bob Brown, and pilot Paul Middleton

Some great news is that we met with our electrical supplier today and found that our order will be shipped tomorrow. So within the next week or so, we should have all the electrical supplies needed to put power into the workshop. He has also donated a large number of hand tools for our mechanics and electrical students, for which we are very thankful.

So we leave "civilization" behind, so to speak, and begin our work in the bush. We will update this blog as Internet access permits (always spotty in the African bush), so keep checking back.

Finally, we just wanted Sue and Liz to know that their husbands really do know how to do dishes.

And Bob D has finally found the perfect rock - indoors and big enough to read the paper by. Life is good.

Cheers!
Rick





All Systems Go...

By this time next week the Mercy Tech Team will be en route to Mozambique. We leave Kelowna February 23rd, and will be away for five weeks. It will no doubt seem like a long time for our families, but I know that we will be so busy that the days will pass quicker than we'll like!

Here are some recent photos of the shop progress (courtesy of ASAM Field Director, Dwight Lagore):

Outer walls of the mechanics shop, almost to full height

A view inside to the rear mezzanine area

Pouring the lintel on the last big door

Our new generator and welder, delivered and ready for work to begin!

 

As mentioned before, all the steel for the roof trusses is delivered and on-site, along with our new welding equipment (graciously transported by Allan Luus of Mercy Air in South Africa!). So once we arrive, the steel work will begin, and before long we'll be showing you photos of the roof going on.

We are still awaiting the purchase and delivery of the electrical supplies for the shop - hopefully they will arrive in time to be installed while we are there. For those who still would like to contribute to the cost of these building supplies, please follow this link to the SAM Ministries project page. So many have given sacrificially and it really is making a difference!

Thanks for following along with us on this exciting project. It won't be long before this building can be used to train new young mechanics from the local area. We've come a long way in just two years, and for the residents of this small African community, it's just the beginning. Thank you for helping us change lives, one skill at a time.

The Steel Arrives

One very important reality about our upcoming trip to Mozambique is that we must have the building materials to work with, or all our travels could be for naught. So you can imagine how excited we were to hear that the steel for the maintenance shop roof is now arriving on site!

9 men to carry one I-beam...wouldn't it be nice to have a crane? (photo by Dwight Lagore)

The last section of walls going up. (Photo by Dwight Lagore)

As you can see in the photos, the shop walls are coming along well, thanks to the hard work of ASAM Field Director Dwight Lagore and his mission staff. We can't wait to get there and start building the roof trusses and support beams.

What is critical now are the electrical supplies so that volunteer Don Bryce (our electrician) can install the electrical system and bring power from the generator shed to the shop.

For those in the Summerland area, there are some great fundraiser events coming up that you may want to attend. First, there's a Pampered Chef night, followed by a Menu Auction. Also March 23rd will be our annual Garage Sale for a Garage. The funds raised from these events will go towards the shop project.

For those who want to just make a general donation, you can send it either through Summerland Baptist Church or directly to SAM Ministries. Please mark your gift as for the Mozambique Shop Project.

Less than one month before we get on the plane...is it really coming up so fast? Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement; we appreciate all of you so very much!

Final Details

Our travel date is rapidly approaching - the team flies out of Kelowna on Saturday morning, February 23rd.

The stops along the way will include Calgary, Amsterdam, Johannesburg, White River, Biera, and Chimoio.
Countries touched on will be Canada, Holland, South Africa, and Mozambique.
Modes of transportation will range from jumbo jets to Cessna small planes to 4x4 pickups.
Accommodations could include (semi) reclining airline seats, airport hotels, guesthouses, and tents.
The experiences will be endless and life-altering.
The results...eternity will tell.

These recent photos from Mozambique show the progress being made on the shop walls - they are nearing completion in anticipation of our arrival.

You can read more at Dwight Lagore's recent blog update at this link: http://samministries.org/current-projects/the-multiplier-effect/

Our thanks goes out to everyone who has made donations both large and small to the project - your gift is making a difference! The steel for the roof structure will be ordered this coming week, but there is still a need for funds to buy all the electrical supplies and roof sheeting in advance of our arrival.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift towards this important project, you will find details on the SAM Ministries website (see the link above). Donations can also be made through Summerland Baptist Church.

In anticipation of our month-long trip, the team is taking welding lessons from a friend who is an instructor at our local trades college.

Instructor Sherwood Brocke with Bob Brown and Bob Denesiuk

I'm told that my metal skills could use a little work - something about welding in a straight line? But the others are doing amazingly well, and we look forward to passing on these skills to the fellows we'll be working with for the month of March.

Thanks for following along as we once again put some dust on our shoes for the Lord, and for the people he loves.

Welcome to 2013!

We are into the new year already, and the plans for our next trip to Mozambique are rapidly coming together. Here is the latest information:

Travel dates: February 24th to March 29th

Purpose: To continue working at the Maintenance Shop project at the SAMM mission base. We hope to assist the local staff in building the roof trusses and installing them, along with wiring the shop for electricity. As always, our goal is to pass on our skills, and this building project has been an excellent opportunity for teaching construction skills to the local men.

Team: Our team of volunteers is now four in number! They include myself, Bob Denesiuk, Don Bryce, and Bob Brown, all from Summerland Baptist Church.

Bob Denesiuk and Rick Cogbill

Don Bryce

Bob Brown


A huge thank you goes out to Sherwood Brocke, a personal friend who is a welding instructor at Okanagan College. Sherwood has been giving the team welding lessons on his own time so that the metal roof trusses we'll be fabricating in Mozambique will be good and strong!

Thank you as well to all those who have been contributing financially to this important SAM Ministries project - we are close to reaching our goal. This facility will play an important role for years to come, especially in the area of teaching automotive mechanics.

May God bless you richly for His purposes in 2013!