• 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…

• 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…

All right, so it’s just another fun way to discover new blogs!  I admit, I cheated a bit with X.  But the Rapp family has to get some kind of a prize for their creative use of that misunderstood letter.

I do believe I managed to have 26 different countries as well.

So enjoy this quick alphabetical tour of the world, and go leave a comment on a blog you’ve never commented on before! 

• aliens and strangers (Tanzania)
• Behind Palace Walls (Nepal)
• Children of Hope (Mexico)
• drumsticksandpaintbrushes (Australia)
• Ecuador Missions (Ecuador)
• Finding God in China (China)
• Gleanings from the Field (Thailand)
• He Says/She Says (Peru)
• In His Love (Russia)
• Jungle Abbotts (Cameroon)
• Kids’ Doc in Jos (Nigeria)
• Livin’ The Adventure (Argentina)
• Millions to Tell (Chile)
• New Every Morning (Taiwan)
• OUR JOURNEY (Philippines)
• Partnering with Parents (Niger)
• Quirey Life (Brazil)
• Rescue Iraq (Iraq)
• Sowers4Pastors (Honduras)
• Today’s Grace (El Salvador)
• Under the Marchegian Sun (Italy)
• Voice in the Desert (Burkina Faso)
• With Love from Ukraine (Ukraine)
• Rapp Family Aixtreme Life (France)
• The Yakubu Family (Ghana)
• Zach Attack (South Africa)

• 1-1-11 (first things first) Ukraine
• Like Christmas – But New Years! What is New Years like in Ukraine?  Get a glimpse here!
• And in Mexico, UW Sports Day 1
• Start the new year with some wise words from Mama … What My Mama Taught Me… (Mexico)
• And in Siberia, Russia, come to a Spektakle!
• Happy New Year! (and an invitation) (Mozambique)
• Thoughts at the beginning of a new year about 2011, Decisions, Carpenters, Listening, Weakness… (Brazil)
• And now, for adventure, suspense, and much more, once again out of Brazil… the Grand Theft Missionarymobile!  Read part 1 here, then part 2 here.

Looks like everyone in Brazil, Mexico and Ukraine have been especially busy!  (all right, so I chose these somewhat randomly.  But still…

Have a great 2011, everyone – remember, it’s in His hands!

• Christ School Stories (Uganda):  The stories of a couple of students.
• Am I a Cool Christian? (Philippines):  On being a cool blogger, a cool church, and a cool Christian.
• nou la (Haiti):  "We’re here. We’re watching the place we love fall into further chaos. We’re sad. We’re hopeful. And we’re praying."
• Crossing The Passion River (Guatemala):  A common event for these missionaries – some pictures of the crossing.
• Bangkok Taxi Evangelism (Thailand):  "Sealed inside an air conditioned bubble, far from the eavesdropping ears of society-at-large, Bangkok’s taxi drivers will give you their uninhibited opinion on just about anything. Politics. Religion. Education. The monarchy. Their hometown. How to manage multiple wives in different cities. Nearly nothing is off limits. "
• More nuggets from Russia (Russia):  Cold day?  Whatever you do, don’t open your mouth!
• Oh, What a Day! (Paraguay):  Here’s where la lucha (the fight) comes in.  Sometimes minor setbacks, sometimes big problems.  Also, from the same blogger, check out Manger Scenes.
• December Kekchi Pastors Module (Guatemala):  More students!  49 pastors hearing God’s Word…
• Christmas Dinner Recipe (Malawi):  Actually, this is the same video I posted below.  (Warning: real insects are harmed in this video)

Today, let’s look closer at missionary bloggers who are talking about disciple making – reflections on how they feel it should be done, stories about how it is being done, and even posts about how challenging it can be…

• Disciple making and makers (France):  Tom Julien just completed a week of teaching at the Château de St. Albain where he expounded on Ephesians 4:11-16. His teaching on maintaining balance in ministry was thought-provoking…
• Photos from our "Guns ‘N Roses" Baptism (Canada):  Here are a ton of fantastic photos of the baptism taken by Robert David. Unfortunately, you can’t hear the music…
• Is Francis Really That Crazy? (Ireland):  "Missions" or The Mission?  I was reading the final chapter of Luke this morning and was struck once again (Luke 24:45-48) that Jesus’ vision and his commission has always been about…
• September 2010 Update (Ukraine):  You may have read about record breaking heat waves, forest fires and grain shortages in Russia. Though Ukraine is…
• Short Term Missions: A Personal Expereince (Brazil):  For years, I have seen people impacted by a short term mission experience. First, while I still lived in the States and then as people have come to visit through the years. Angie Duplaga, a teacher…
• Reading with Nathan (Mexico):  One of my life goals is to disciple my kids. If you read the Bible, you’ll understand that…
• Culture 101 (South Africa):  (Leigh Writes) always comes a point in our spiritual journey when our faith in Jesus and our culture reach a disconnect. A point where we have to choose who we are going to follow.For many of the kids we work with…
• Do You Need a Bible Degree to be a Long-Term Missionary? (Thailand):  Because the need for people to hear the Gospel on the mission field is so urgent, it is sometimes claimed that doing a lot of Biblical studies or earning a degree in Bible is not necessary to be a long-term missionary…
• The Feast and the Cross (Uganda):  Sort of stuck in Luke 14. A good place to be. After meditating on how we steel ourselves for battle only to find out that the draft letter is really an invitation to a party . . . kept reading and…
• Discipleship and Mentoring in a Russian Context (Russia):  Karen and I came to Russia with the plan to church plant. Our desire was to plant a church that would reproduce itself and hopefully spark a…

• What happens when a 4 year old finds a tarantula on the wall… (Ecuador)
• A birthday party in South Africa
• An upcoming women’s conference, Being a Mother, a challenging reward (Mexico)
• Working with pastors and their kids – no fighting over the toys, please… (Guatemala)
• It’s not easy going to school that isn’t in your mother tongue – read about Eliza’s first day (Thailand)
• Travelling in your "home country" as a kid can be hard – just ask Micah. (Kenya)
• You never know what some missionaries are in need of until you ask.  How about cloth diapers (Russia)?
• Pray for what’s-his-name and his Mom… (Rwanda)
• And what better note to end on — Daughters are a Gift of Love (Chile)

Boy in Rwanda

I hope I didn’t say something bad in some language or another, but these two terms are from the posts below.  Enjoy these recent posts from around the world!  And find out what sa fou and shoo foo are all about…

• Extremely useful information – what to do if you call yourself a mushroom. (Russia)
• i don’t believe in love (especially not love and marriage…). (Taiwan)
• Learning to Type in Thai – another of those missionary skills you might not think about. (Thailand)
• A boy called Lucky – hope in the midst of heartbreak. (Mozambique)
• Well Well – a major step forward in helping the community. (Kenya)
• Han Solo gets a little help from local missionaries.  You just never know who you’re going to meet. (regarding Haiti)
• Dominoes & Evangelism???  You bet. (Mali)
• Sa fou (This is crazy!)  Exciting new partnerships. (Haiti)

Now before we start, I have to admit I’m still adding blogs from 2009, so there are lots more that could be mentioned.  But here are some fun facts about the blogs I’ve got in the system so far that have started in 2009:

Most unusual blog name of 2009

And the award goes to Juicy Pomegranate Bits, from Albania.  From the blog, here is the reason for the title:

I was introduced to this delicious fruit sometime during my many years in Albania and fell in love with it.

I believe that life is a gift to be savored and cherished– similar to a pomegranate– savoring one kernel at a time.

If you’ve ever eaten one, you know that pomegranates are often messy and complicated to handle– much like life itself– but if you persevere in unwrapping this exotic fruit bit by bit, the juicy kernels inside are oh-so-worth it!

This is a blog about savoring life in Albania- despite the messiness of living in a post-Communist country experiencing the growing pains of transition.

Here you’ll find bits to savor about culture, relationships, ministry, missions, leadership, mentoring, faith, cross-cultural living, language, marriage, travel, and of course, Albanian cooking!

Most useful blog of 2009

This one has to go to Missionary Moms, which is not only the blog of a missionary but also packed with great ideas and tips.  The blog comes out of Russia.  A brief explanation:

I made this site thinking about other moms with the same desires and specifically, though certainly not exclusively, for those to whom this means living their lives and raising their kids in a different country. It is definitely an adventure to be a parent in a place where everything is foreign! It is a joy, it is a challenge, but more than anything, it is a rich blessing from the Lord. I love connecting with moms on this adventure of parenting, whether overseas or not, and hope that this site can be used to pass on helpful resources and encouragement, and can be a place of community.

Best laid out home page of 2009

I’m looking for useful information that I can scan for and find at a glance – and I have to give the award to Updates from the Messick Crew, from a family preparing to go to Guatemala.  Tabs at the top, useful info in the sidebar, but nothing is cluttered or confusing.  Right on!

Best title banner of 2009

Right at the top, looking good – there were a few good ones, but I’m going to say my favourite was Life is Beautiful from Mozambique.  Check it out.

Most recent post as I write

As I write this post, which blogger from 2009 had the most recent post?  Turns out it was this I never thought to mention that … from Ryan’s Random Thoughts in Malawi.  It’s a good post, too, about something we often take for granted.

Pinkest Blog of 2009

No contest here.  The official winner of the coveted "Pinkest Blog" award goes to Perfectly Imperfect.  Did you know that the word pink originates from the 17th century, used to describe the colour of Dianthus type flowers?  And who says this blog isn’t educational.

Have a great weekend!

Let me leave you with some verses that bloggers of 2009 have shared with us in their sidebars – 2Sam 22:23, Psa 18:32, 2Cor 12:9, and Rom 10:14-17 (these come from Perfectly Imperfect and Scott & Ruth Yingling).  A good reminder that God shares the Good News through us, though imperfect people – the good news that He has Himself provided our salvation – a story that starts before the beginning of time, but was celebrated by angels, shepherds, prophets and prophetesses, wise men, and more, at His coming.

Drinking coffee in Sudan
Photo courtesy of joodmc

Food, drink, Christmas outreaches, flashlights… quite a variety today from our bloggers.  I don’t know what it is, but the posts seem to be getting more and more interesting – check out this eclectic set from recent days…

• Zillions of Cookies in Russia: Don’t you love this kind of outreach?
• The difference between the statistics of Christians worldwide and the reality – talking about syncretism in Swaziland.
• Hate to say it, but these kids are Not Future Missionaries in the Philippines
• Let’s head over to Rwanda to see A Batwa Christmas, and why it was extra special this year.
• While we’re in Africa, let’s stop for a Coffebreak – Sudanese Style (in Sudan of course) before continuing.
• On with our travelling, to see Jacmel… beautiful place with beautiful people in Haiti.
• Around the House and Around the Neighborhood in Mexico.  Ice skating and riot police?
• So you’re a techy interested in missions?  Check out this amazing Reliable Solar Powered Light from these folks heading to Kenya.
• Just for fun, check out these International Nativity Scenes from Thom in Senegal.
• One of the world’s most amazing delicacies right here – Balut–something to try at least once (the Philippines)