• The joy of envelope-stuffing in Kenya
• The eyes of the world are on Greece – are we praying?
• Now that is a cool tree house in Taiwan!
• A video – flight to Sudan!
• Thoughts about corruption in Russia – or is it corruption?
• Thoughts from a medical missionary in Ukraine – Am I Contagious?

Finally, this video from Chile – Chilean folk music meets an old hymn…

• Interested in construction?  Here’s how it’s being done in Mexico – and some Spanish words to go with it.
• This missionary in Mozambique has gas!  But maybe not enough…
• A place in Mongolia that has no-car days – how about that?
• Christmas activities in perspective in Mexico
• Christmas for Americans in Kenya – a little about gifts
• And how about a Thai view of Christmas as a Western holiday?  See what happened in this school in Thailand…
• Missionaries face tough questions.  How would you answer these ones? (Mexico)
• Sustainability in a children’s home – take a tour in Kenya.
• A good reminder from Thailand – The Nativity Story is Not the Gospel

I really enjoyed these glimpses into life and ministry in Japan from Robin White…

• Glimpse of Romania:  We traveled again to Gherla, Romania, this last weekend. The trip takes between four and six hours, depending on traffic and stops, so we had lots of time to take pictures. We see…
• She did what?! (Kenya):  Recently I was talking with Ann (house mom for C4KK Children’s Shelter-coming soon!) about how exciting it is to see the building coming along and moving date getting closer and closer…God willing! We talked about her having her own room. You could hear the excitement in her voice…
• Neighborhood Day Camp (Russia):  Our church put on a day camp for the youth in our neighborhood (right between where we’re living now and where we’ll be moving to) this past Thursday-Saturday. 100 kids came on the first…
• Multitude Monday – 1000 Gifts – Starting anew, a bit apprehensive… and not sure where God will lead us… (Niger):  One week ago, Sunday night at the English worship and fellowship service we attend, we heard Dave Totman (the youth pastor at Sahel Academy and someone we are thankful to call friend) preach on the parable of the wineskins. We aren’t sure we’ve ever heard someone actually…
• Esperanza en ti (Hope in You) (Mexico):  At last the big day we’d been looking forward to, arrived, August 27th! 19 of us crowded into Julio’s van, (we would never have passed inspection in the States!) plus 5 in another two cars, and we were off to Queretaro to "Esperanza en ti" orphanage!
• Indonesian Independence Day in Pa’Upan (Part 1):  Indonesia’s Independence Day is August 17th. It’s celebrated throughout the country, even in the interior villages. A few weeks ago, I had the chance, along with MAF’s program manager, Steve, and fellow MAF pilot, Paul, to attend the opening festivities… (see part 2 here)
• The deer god (Venezuela):  One of our concerns in the jungle was making sure we had enough protein in our children’s diet. In the early years, before the solar panels, generators and battery powered refrigerator, we were constantly searching and trading with the Indians for fresh meat and fish…

Ok, scratch that.  So, missionaries get frustrated a LOT.  What do you expect?  They’re always chasing problems and lost people and all stuff like that there.  What have our bloggers been frustrated about lately?

• A (Damp) Day in the Life (Chile)
• FO and Complaining (Ukraine)
• Out of my control. (Japan)
• May I Interrupt You? (Kenya)
• spiritual triggers (Cyprus)
• Truck Blues (Brazil)

Anyone you want to pray for today?

I really enjoyed this post from Ginna about the challenges, frustrations and blessings related to practising medicine where she is.  Here’s the start – click through to read the rest.

‘So, what’s it like to practice medicine over there?’

That is a questions I was asked a lot while we were in the US. I never really know how to answer. I think I should say something noble like ‘rewarding’, but all I can really think is ‘frustrating!’ It truly is on so many levels. Lack of equipment, lab tests, imaging and medicine was something I expected. The fact that patients would not be able to afford what was available was also not a surprise. Even the language barrier was nothing new… [read What's it like to practice medicine here?]

But did you know that missionary bloggers are always giving things away?  They’re taking the time to share their lives with you, and share with you about what God is doing!

So let’s look at a few recent posts:

• How appropriate!  Here are some people looking to work together to share stories about what God is doing in Africa!
• I love posts like this – both pictures and text answer questions about life in Jamaica – awesome!
• Thinking about image while making tortillas – curious?
• Just happened to be passing by – God’s surprise encouragement in Bolivia…
• I love it – learning a little about urban gardening – what a great idea! (Kenya)
• Babies in Bolivia
• Thankful for short term teams in Ukraine!
• Serving as dorm parents – what do the students think about it?  Here are some quotes from Niger.
• I know you’ve all been wondering – what does Brian do?  What’s it like to work at a Bible institute in Peru?

• First, a couple of posts from Chile – first, a glimpse of how Chileans are getting training to serve the Lord, and finally a personal story of the challenges of growing up adopted.
• Next, thoughts on testing from God in Kenya.
• Incredible stories of people coming to Jesus in Papua New Guinea.
• Getting… that… paperwork… can… take…. some…… time!  Adventures in Costa Rica.
• Missionaries are sometimes just outsiders wherever they go (including Mexico)
• Coming back to the field (in this case, Peru) for a second term…
• The incredible value of little tiny coins in Chile.
• Working together in Honduras (with some great pictures to show for it).
• Every missionary family has its own balance, and every missionary has his/her opinion about every person’s role.  Here’s how one missionary wife (or perhaps wife of a missionary?) finds balance serving in Paraguay.

Finally, a couple of posts from Japan.  First, a post entitled simply Earthquake, and then some thoughts on ministering to and praying for Japan.

• “It’s a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood” (Costa Rica)
• Fall Photo and Fall In The City (Ukraine)
• A change of seasons… (Spain)
• Moving! (Kenya)
• The Aroma of Spring (Uruguay)
• Despendida – never thought leaving family would be this tough (Ecuador)

• Driving home late, in the rain, is not the time when you want to hear Not a Good Sound!  Plus, Mexicans and Bibles.
• No news is big news – don’t miss the Peace in Kenya!
• Could it be?  Someone is more interested in these books than you are… who’s going to win in Books, Wonderful Books! (Haiti)
• It’s always fun hearing about missionaries who are new on the field.  Check out this fact-filled post from Kenya:  in Kamba-land.
• I really enjoyed this post (probably because I’ve written posts like it) about re-entering the home culture after being away.  The title?  Please Forgive Me In Advance! (Chile)

I decided to take a stroll to the market to try out some new foods and check out the atmosphere.  Here’s what I found…

• Something fishy makes a missionary scream… in Congo
• Lending a helping hand with Romaine in Tanzania
• Answered prayer at the night market in Taiwan
• Watch them cook in the Dominican Republic
• So what kind of food is popular in Brazil?
• Let’s make Foufou in Kenya!

Incidentally, don’t miss the video in the last post.  There are some very interesting things about how this is done – see what you notice.