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?

• Two new little lovebugs! (South Africa)
• Equipo San Andrés es lo mejor! (Guatemala)
• Even if My Father and Mother Abandon Me . . . (Philippines)
• Plan B: punt (Ukraine)
• Precious Children (Ukraine)
• Drive-By Shootings (Niger)
• A Milestone, of sorts (Honduras)

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)

• Do we take for granted the simple things – like electricity?  In Senegal, getting basic steady electricity can be a challenge, as we read in Power Cuts.
• And not to complain – but what about the ability to get good milk?  Well, some of us could live without it, but some of us couldn’t.  Here’s what a family in Madagascar has been dealing with – bad milk!
• On a more positive note, let’s head over to Sudan for something that is badly needed – good, solid training for leaders!  Take a look at Church Leadership Training (details)
• Working in South Africa, David points out that some Bible passages – that may seem very archaic and far away to you – may seem quite contemporary in other parts of the world.  Read All the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked (Genesis 31).
• And how about an update about everything from the country of Niger?  Head on over and read Eleven in 2011.
• Take the time to get to know some real people in Ghana – The Privilege of Sharing our lives in Christ.
• Wow, how often do you face decisions like this?  Missionaries in Uganda want to share with you about this tough decision.
• I’m sorry – you’re under arrest.  For what, may I ask?  Find out what happened to this missionary in Liberia…
• It’s 435 years old!  What is?  Why, Luanda of course!  It’s the capitol of Angola.
• And this is totally unrelated to anything, but I was very excited to find this extraordinarily practical blog for those who aren’t eating gluten – and are living where perhaps it’s not so easy (not that it’s easy anywhere!).  So, from Senegal, check out Living GF in Dakar.
• And just one more – a video (below) from Mozambique, thanks to the Da Silva Family blog.

Boyana River, Bulgaria

• Celebration Christian Center & Prayer:  How to pray for missionaries who are preparing to go to the field – in this case, Mexico!
• x3:  Busy times coming up for this family!  I’m sure they could use your prayers as well (South Africa).
• Beginnings in Greece:  Well, the title speaks for itself.  Some thoughts after a move to Thessaloniki.
• Coffee Mondays & Rosehip Jam:  Somewhere between enchanting and tragic – the things missionaries see, and something to pray about in Bulgaria.
• Youth Camp:  Thoughts on an upcoming youth camp with 200 teens in El Salvador.
• My People:  So what does that term mean to you?  Thoughts from the jungles of Cameroon.
• A Trip Into Mexico City’s Urban Slums, and a summary of the mission objectives…

Thanks for coming along for another year of missionary blogs!  Join us again next year for much more from about 500 active missionary blogs from around the world!

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…

• Jungle Abbotts – coming to you from Cameroon!
• Today’s Grace – actually home now, but just embarking to return to El Salvador!
• Across Cultures – all the way to Bulgaria, in fact!  Not sure where they’re from, though – North America, I think?
• Reaching Cape Town – obviously in South Africa!
• Landon Rogers – actually, in Landon, London, England – United Kingdom!
• Being in the way, the Lord led me… – and it looks like He led them to Mali!

How would you like to live and work in this place in Burkina Faso?

In many places security is a big deal – here’s one way they deal with it in South Africa.

And over in Uganda, a description of a house some new missionaries are moving into.  (Page was temporarily down when I wrote this – check back or try here if it still doesn’t work.)

Not specifically house related, but this post takes a good look at ministry and challenges to ministry in Mexico.  Also in the category of things missionaries see and deal with regularly, this post from Paraguay.

One last house picture, as a missionary family finds a place to live in Sudan.

By the way – do you want to introduce your children to houses around the world?  Try Imagine a House: A Journey to Fascinating Houses Around the World.  It was written by retired Peace Corps volunteer Angela Gustafson for kids.

Talk about people around the world, and pray for them today!

• tanzanian kids say the darndest things – what are the most common greetings this person gets from kids in Tanzania?  I never would have guessed…
• And by the way, from the same blog, these pictures give a great view of life in one corner of Tanzania:  mwanza to mwakiwasha
• And now that you’ve travelled through Tanzania, why not visit Japan?  Here’s First thoughts on Japan
• Here’s a ministry to seniors in Ukraine – check it out Monthly evening for senior citizens
• Joys and challenges when it comes to this outreach in Moldova:  We are up and running!!
• So you’re thinking about going to Brazil, or praying for Brazil, and you want to know What’s it like…??  This blogger recommends some books.
• A great post about school and ministry in South Africa:  Back to School
• Finally, a story of life in Togo.  Got the time?  Read Long version: Ambulance, taxi, moving truck.  In a hurry?  Check out Short version: Ambulance, taxi, moving truck

First, a couple of posts specifically about the World Cup.  Next, some more general posts.

• World Cup Vibe ========<() !!!!  "I’m not really sure how to begin to describe the feelings from my first ever World Cup experience, it really was a stunning event…"
• Unevangelized "According to OM’s 2010 World Cup Prayer Guide Siya Thandaza, the top unevangelized countries participating in the 2010 World Cup are…"

And now, more from South Africa…

• Culture  "The other day at the mall, I went to draw money from the ATM…"
• Two from one blog:  No Quick Fixes, thoughts on missions and technology, and Dumisani’s Reason for Existence  "My last post referred to the tragedy recently experienced by a local Christian family whose eldest son committed suicide. Well, one day last week…"
• Mama Marie says that she is now a rugby fan…  "So Mom has decided she is a rugby fan. I think that’s rad, because rugby is awesome. It was so much fun! Trent took us and his mom and dad…"
• Contrasts  "On Saturday afternoon after Alan returned from a morning meeting, I ‘ran away from home’ for a while. I found a store that had moved, drove in a…"
• plot 45  "Last week a received a random phone call from Sello Modiba, a member of the Stoffel Park Council. “Can we meet tomorrow?” I agreed even though…"
• African Culture Shock (not really)  "So, yesterday Given and I were ministering to a woman who lost her husband. During our visit…"
• Mandela House & Hector Peterson Museum  "In early January Rachel, Amber, & I went and visited the Mandela House and Hector Peterson Museum in Orlando West, Soweto. We had a fun day and learned some interesting stuff…"
• Behind Bars  "This blog is for a friend who wanted to know what it is really like living in one of the highest crime capitals in the World. Well, here goes…"
• Ngikhuluma isiZulu  "I speak Zulu. One of my passions is to speak to people in their heart language…"