• From Niger, Gifts for Those Who Have Everything
• In Russia, find out what getting ready for Christmas is like when you’re away from home in Christmas Decorating
• And in Brazil, find out why practising for a Christmas performance took Guts!
• Ideas about Sharing Christ With Others Through Tradition from Russia
• Ah, the memories.  Visiting the USA from Guatemala, read O Christmas Tree
• From the Czech Republic, learning new traditions and keeping some of the old in These are a few of my favorite things…
• A little wishful thinking from Tanzania in Christmas Wish

A winter street in Russia

Our newest blog is from a family preparing to go to Guatemala.  If you’re interested in community health, be sure to check out Updates from the Messick Crew.

Over to Europe, check out Carrie’s blog – Perfectly Imperfect.

We’re going all over the world – let’s head to the Philippines with OUR JOURNEY, the blog of Matt and Rina.  This one has been going since May.  And one more in the same country – Direct from the Philippines.

Let’s see – we haven’t been to Africa yet.  Go visit Cameroon Chronicles, the blog of the Hamm family, transitioning back to life in Cameroon.  And heading to Africa is For the Multitude, from the Baylors going to Kenya.

Now we haven’t been to North America, so let’s visit the USA with The Bobby Harjo Family, serving on a Navajo reservation.

Out of El Salvador we have the Wimberly Journal, and preparing to go to Uganda Among the Nations.  And let me give you just one more, out of Europe… Romania Missions.  It was actually started in March, but I haven’t mentioned it yet, so we’ll squeak it into the "new" category! 

Also going since 2006, you can read about the Life of a Pastor in Guatemala.  And how about another blog about the Life of the Wife of “A Pastor in Antigua, Guatemala”?

On the move, going from Haiti to the Philippines, is Bethany.  She’s been blogging since 2007 at Updates From a Missionary.  On the move at the moment, between Germany and the USA, is the author of The Journey Has Begun…, blogging since 2007.

Back to South America, be sure to check out the family that is Real Nutz 4 Brazil, and almost finished a full year of blogging.  And, on a journey heading to another culture, check out B O L I V I A !

Just one more gets us over to Asia.  Visit Taiwan Prattler, and see what thoughts you can find about life in Taiwan.

Come back soon for more blogs – that you’ve probably never read!

• ICOS- Mother’s Day – typical Mother’s Day ministry
• Last night in my living room – take a look at what the day involves in Honduras!
• The Best Mother’s Day Ever! – it’s a great thing to do around Mother’s Day.  We tried it too.
• Mother’s Day… – the Sunday after, that is
• Dia de la Madre – how to do it in Mexico
• Mother’s Day reaches 100th anniversary – a little background from the USA angle
• Mother’s Day Serenades – more on the celebration in Mexico.  While you’re here, see what the kids do (video).

I say almost because, first, all the blog archives by month are not included.  Also, pages are being added all the time, and the sitemap is only updated once in a while!

For example, we have a new continent here – missionaries in North America now have their very own page.  Recently the Overseas Ministries Study Center reported the countries that receive the largest number of foreign missionaries.  Guess who was #1?  The United States.  That’s right, there are now more missionaries to the United States than to any other country in the world.

So the question is, where are all the bloggers?  I don’t have nearly enough missionaries to the USA and Canada.  To qualify, you must come from a very different culture (probably a different language) than the culture you are now living in.  Contact me and I’ll consider your blog for inclusion!

You can visit the Missionaries in the USA page here.

Here are some recent posts of note from our bloggers in “the States”:

I’m seeing more and more posts from Americans struggling with their own culture and how it relates to missions.  Here’s a recent example, Being American and a Missionary at the Same Time.  Also, read USA and Missions.

One blogger has been doing a series of posts on dependancy.  Dependancy has to do partly with churches in one culture being “dependant” on missionaries, or churches from another culture.  For example, if the missionary pays the pastor’s salary or hosts teams to build the church.  Here is, I believe, the first post – The Deceitfulness of Dependency.  Visit the home page and do a little digging to find several more posts on the topic.  Thanks, everyone, for thinking about these issues!

• O me of little faith! – Raising support.  Whether you think it’s a good idea or not, a bigger question might be what would your reaction be if God asked you to do it – or perhaps if you thought He might?
• Mrs. Johnson has done the “illegal” – for you Americans out there (but a broader issue that applies to us all).  What impressions are American believers leaving with Mexicans in view of the illegal immigrant debate in the States?
• Love and Canned Fruit – when trying to strategize, do we actually end up trying to control, instead of leaving things to the Lord?  It’s a challenging and at times complex question, but here are some thoughts.
• You Meant It For Evil…. – oh sure, we know God can use some bad things for good.  But what about BIG things?  Things that really matter?  How easy is it for us to remember God in the midst of the storm?
• The Most Wonderful Time of the Year – while some are missing home at Christmas, Cathy shares the joy of being with family, but the challenge of being in her “home” country…

So what are missionaries talking about these days?  Snow, of course!  Those in colder climates are talking about the snow they have, and those in warmer climates about the snow they wish they had (or the snow they’re glad they don’t have!).  If you’ve been missing the snow, here are a few snowy posts to get you in the winter mood…

• Two from the Copelands in Canada – It Finally Looks Like December (the bright side) and Try Again, Shall We? (the dark side).  By the way, great idea including the answering machine message!  Anyone else care to try?
• Cuuuuute slide show – Our Snow Angel (but these guys want to schedule their snow – check out Let it snow, Let it snow (but only on the weekdays))
• From Chuck, this … disturbing … video  First snow day in America
• I guess this isn’t Oaxaca – Brrrr….It’s Cold! (they closed the schools?)

Since I report on blogs, I’m always a little behind (many of these were celebrated between September and November), but I finally decided to share with you some of the best blog entries on these harvest and thanksgiving celebrations from this season.

• Many people had lists of things they were thankful for.  Here’s one from The Rothchilds Blog (Nigeria) – Thanksgiving
• Jessica (from Jessica’s Adventures in Language and Travel) claims that this is a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner – if you disagree, comment!
• In Thailand, the Akha tribe celebrates a harvest festival.  Read all about it in The Vernon Journal entry, Turkey Day & the Eleventh Month
• Quick thoughts on Charlie Brown and Pilgrims in the Huber News post, Theology of a Pilgrim
• Hanging on to traditions from their home, this post from Mission Safari – A Kenyan Thanksgiving
• Struggling with giving thanks in the face of tragedy – this entry from The Latest – Giving Thanks
• A number of people quoted Psalms for Thanksgiving.  I mentioned several in our family blog – see Which One Are You? But the winner was Psalm 100.  It was quoted in such diverse places as Bangladesh in Kevin’s Web Log – All Lands Summoned to Praise God – and in Chile in News ‘n’ Views Online – Thanksgiving.