Postscript...

Already it begins...the fading of the memory.

As the effects of malaria slowly leave my body (feeling stronger every day), so does the sense of what I experienced begin to leave my conscious thoughts. I find it a struggle to remember what I was doing and living through just over one week before.

Matthew, ASAM Farm Administrator and my translator for the day.

Francois Rauch, my missionary friend from South Africa.

Peter the bricklayer and his assistant, getting steel ready for the campground veranda that I helped lay out the foundations for...

The truth is, life in these remote places goes on even when we go home.
(Thanks to Lynn, Barb, and others for many of these photos)

But one thing does remain, and it appears to be increasing...a growing disquiet, a subtle resentment at the need to fit back into the "routines" of our hectic North American culture.

And I ask myself, "Do I really have to?"

What matters is that we don't forget.

Though we don't see them and greet them each morning, faithful people are still getting up all over the world, having their breakfast, and then stepping out to serve in whatever way they can, with whatever the day and the Lord brings their way.

The entire staff of the ASAM Farm in Mozambique.

Please remember them in prayer.

But here is my question...who will be next?

This blog is just waiting for the next dusty traveller to take us along on their journey towards serving others in Jesus' name.

Any takers?

One Flight Leads to Another...

If there is one part of this "Dust On My Shoes" process that I really don't care for, it's the travel times involved...

By the time Laura and I arrived back home in Summerland, BC Canada, we had spent over 25 hours in the air on 5 different aircraft (including a helicopter!), and over 20 hours sitting in airports awaiting flights. Plus there was the 7-hour drive home from Seattle.

Saying goodbye to family is hard. Word is, Keren once again came down with malaria just hours after this photo was taken...please continue to pray for her and other missionaries who literally dedicate their lives, health, and comfort for the work of God's kingdom here on earth.

Dwight Lagore checking a few gauges as the pilots refuel the Mercy Air helicopter

Not your typical airport refueling truck...

The family photo (thanks, Barb!)

Some questionable cargo...

Leaving our new friends...not an easy thing to do

The ASAM Farm in Mozambique: an ambitious project with unlimited potential. It's a great place to put some dust on your shoes...and some memories in your heart.

Will God bring us back here one day? Who knows.

But for now it's goodbye.

Stay tuned for more...

The Magic of Medicine

Since contrcting malaria, I've had the dubious honor of experiencing its many additional features. If I thought the first night of fever, aches, and shakes was all there was, I was sadly mistaken. Most mornings I've felt pretty good, only to have some different new symptom arrive by the afternoon - diarrhea one day, upset stomach the next, and so on.
Yesterday afternoon I suddenly found it increasingly painful to breathe, a form of pleurisy I suppose. By early evening, I was very uncomfortable indeed. Fortunately for me, I'm living amongst a team of nurses armed with medical journals, the internet, and lots of medications. Plus, they all seem to want to help me get better, which is a good thing.

But as I lay in bed last night, heavily drugged up, I began to think about all the people living here in Africa who don't have access to these same things. They suffer too, and many of them with no hope of relief.

It was humbling.

Today I accompanied Lynn Lagore as she visited the home of Bero, a young man who was badly burned as a child during the civil war.

Large flaps of skin had joined Bero's lower left arm to his upper arm, making it impossible for him to extend it. But after coming to the attention of SAM Ministries, travel funds were raised by donors, and a plasitc surgeon in South Africa donated his time to try and correct Bero's conditon as best he could.

Lynn's job today was to change the dressings and assess the healing process.

The whole family turns out to watch.

The medical work out of the way, it's now time for a quick math lesson to help Bero with his studies...

Bero is very active in his local church, and also very industrious, even with his disablilties. He makes and then plays these musical shakers in his church choir.

Pray for people like Bero and his family. And find a way to give to good causes like this if you can.

Even from our side of the world, we can make a difference.

Initiated Part 2

Here are a few more photos for your enjoyment...

Mushrooms (or is it toadstools?) that pop out of the ground whenever it rains...

The 2 kilometre driveway leading in from the main road

The local shops on the main road

Tiny anthills that appear after every rain

The kitchen in the campground where the short-termers stay

Nurse Keren's tent

The woodworking shop

The foundation for the future training centre

The primary school located behind the shops on the road

That's all for now...time to hit the sack and sleep off this illness. Cheers!

Fully Initiated...

I'm all for experiencing local culture, but last night I received more than I wanted...I came down with malaria!

There has been a lot of it going around here these days, so I'm not alone. But I can tell you that it's not an experience I'd recommend to anyone. But with the proper medication I should be recovered in a few days.

So today I'll just post a few hotos to show everyone what things look like here on the ASAM farm. Enjoy!

Dwight and Lynn Lagore's house, where I've had the priviledge of occupying the spare bedroom.

Mercy Air's garage, where I've been doing most of my work.

The foundation for the future Mercy Air living quarters. Mercy Air is a partnering mission with ASAM here on the farm.

Bricks to build the house.

The 4 ton Hino truck that we haul sand and stone and bricks with.

Lychee trees

Mango trees.

Pineapple plants.

(come back soon and I'll add more...)

Heading into the home stretch...

It's Sunday evening, and it hits me that Laura and I are about to start our final week here in Mozambique. For my part, although I've been able to make good progress on a number of vehicles already, there is still a lot of work to do - all those parts Dwight and Lynn brought back from South Africa still have to go somewhere!

Over the weekend I took advantage of having no staff around to putter on a few projects that seem to work better when there are no interruptions - things like rebuilding a carburetor.

I also fixed their washing machine, but I have an ulterior motive - I need to do my laundry.

But it wasn't all work and no play. On Sunday morning, after listening to one of Pastor Larry's sermons from the Summerland Baptist Church website, the girls and I made plans to walk through the community in the afternoon. Of course, it involved riding motorcycles first to get there...

But once we arrived at the village, it was off on foot down the paths through the grass.

Here is a typical house for this area...

And one not so typical.

We had the opportunity to stop and visit with one of the local pastors and his wife, who is one of the midwives that Keren works with.

Of course, when the camera comes out, so do the local kids...

But walking in the African sun is hot work, so we headed over to the local shops for a Coke.

Yes, they still serve it in a bottle here, just like when I was a kid.

Back at the motorcycles, we found a crowd of women and chilren sharing gossip around the local water pump. The woman standing between Keren and Laura is Eunice, the key leader for the women's ministry started here by the mission.

So that was how we spent our weekend.

Do have a good day.