Visit CRASH Japan here.

• By now most of you have probably heard about the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan today….
• Many of us are wondering how we can best respond to the devastating news of the earthquakes and tsunami that have hurt especially Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate ken…
• I can’t get my mind off my precious homeland, Japan. The news of devastation is heartbreaking and I know the news will only get worse before it gets better…
• We partner with numerous churches in the area that has been affected, including a church just two kilometers from the damaged nuclear power plant. We are gathering information…
• It’s a strange feeling living in Japan in an area with virtually no damage right now.  I have friends who are without water and food, trudging down to a canal to haul water by hand in buckets so they can use their toilets…
• Today things are becoming a little more real.  I woke up and tried to go to work this morning. I was expecting some trouble…
• It has been quite a shocking day for us all, and it’s taken some effort to find out about friends in various parts of the country. Amazingly…
• Another night of aftershocks. Wondering when this will end! Our mission is discussing ways to help our Japanese church ministry partners in the affected area…
• Tomorrow we head to Tokyo–it will be a different life. We’re told that there are gasoline shortages, stores are sold out of certain foods, toilet paper, etc. In addition…
• Just a quick note to let everyone know we’re okay. It is definitely the strongest earthquake we have felt in our 40 or so years here…
• Life is still a bit crazy here. We lived in Sendai for seven years, and many places we know well are affected deeply by the quake and tsunami. Pray especially for Pastor Hori and his family. No one I know has heard from them yet…

Most of you have seen pictures and footage of the devastation, but I’m including a short video here to remind us about what we’re talking about.

While you’re reading blogs, you get a lot of glimpses of particular events, days, and topics.  But sometimes it’s nice to get a general overview of what is going on in a certain missionary’s ministry.

And that’s what you can do today – hear a 4 minute 41 second talk by John Chesney, a missionary in Spain.  Get an overview of the country, and some thoughts on ministry and the church right here:  A Glimpse at the Church in Spain

Stop by to encourage some missionaries who are on their way to Spain – and learn more about the country – in the post 1 in 200 vs 1 in 40

To learn more, visit our page all about missionaries in Spain here.

• How to train fleas (Ecuador) – I know you’ve always wondered.
• Retreat and Prayer Requests (Japan) – just a basic update – always nice to see someone’s face!

And for some other interesting posts, many including some great photos:

• Into Indochina – lots of photos
• Another Busy Day (Haiti) – some great photos of the relief effort
• A Name for God? (Papua New Guinea) – a great illustration of the challenges of Bible translation
• Hot Lava and a Burned up Computer (Guatemala) – Take a hike with the Glicks
• Travel The Road (Guatemala) – what kind of a road would your life be like?

And here’s one more video for you – this one from
the delorenzo flyer (Kenya)  The video is about Sudan, Chad, Congo, and Central African Republic…

Sounds like a good sport for MKs to learn, right?  Or maybe just showing a little interest in kids playing fútbal could go a long way.

It’s great to go and watch a game together, like this one between Ecuador and Uruguay.  If you can’t go to the game, you can always watch it on TV – you’d be surprised what a community event it can be!

Here’s someone else using sports to reach out – maybe you can help.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is coming up!  There will no doubt be more and more football buzzzz in the weeks ahead – stay tuned!

Shopping for a cow in Kenya – get the story and video!  And speaking of big animals, take a look at a rodeo in Brazil.

Time for the cute-kid videos – check out “Papa“, fun with kids and technology, Noa and Martha perform, and for a little music try this birthday song for Mom.

The fun of language learning – I Can Barely Speak Spanish.

Try a little golf, and finally a way to travel in Haiti.

Well, obviously this is a great “do unto others” strategy.  But you might be surprised what an impact this can have on your blog too.

This is the way it happens. You read a post that interests you.  You leave a comment, maybe adding some helpful information, affirming a point, maybe even disagreeing.  Now someone else visits the same post, and is interested as you were (common interest).  They check out the comments, and, yes, they click on your name (which leads to your website, or your Blogger profile, right?).  They find that they have more in common with you, and they’re interested in what you’re doing.  Cool!

It’s becoming more obvious that commenting on other people’s blogs – good, relevant comments (not spam, or “here’s my site that might interest somebody” (which is usually spam)) is a powerful way to bring the right visitors to your site (see the video below as an example of the power of commenting).

Remember, we’re talking about helpful comments, not comments just added in the hopes that someone will click over to your blog.

This may not drive hundreds of people to your site, but it may mean those one or two key contacts that make a big difference.  And there are more benefits to taking the time for relevant commenting. Simply, you make friends with the other blogger.  You can discuss common issues, sharpen your thinking, maybe even partner in ministry.  It’s worth taking the time to build relationships.

If you have a friend who isn’t sure whether or not they should start blogging, direct them there.

Note: I just read another blog post about why to blog in general.  See Alex Shalman’s How To Use Your Blog To Make 2008 Your Best Year Ever!

And now, the presentation!  To see it, visit Why Blog?.  Not there is a link there to a high resolution version.

Today we’re going to look at some of those people whose lives are focused a little more closely around radio and related ministries.  Radio ministry involves travel, construction, computer work, broadcasting, recording, diplomacy, and much more.  Let’s visit some of those people now:

• The Balzer Bulletin:  In Singapore, and currently praying about visa issues and thinking about radio in the villages.
• Willing Mind:  One the move!  Here’s a video blog about radio ministry in Australia, and moving on to Singapore…
• The McCrackens’ News:  In Ecuador, experiencing everything from Bible studies to computer work.  Read a recent update here.
• Gerard & Rebeca Adriaanse:  She’s from Venezuela, he’s from the Netherlands, and they’re adjusting to life in Australia.  And no post on radio would be complete without an interview.

• Dancing and preparing for weddings in Tanzania – On Their Mama’s Backs
• Learning about culture in Kenya
• Day of the Dead in Croatia

Photo courtesy of Dennis Poulette

• Photos in Taiwan – a graveyard, a lake, food and much more
• This one from Thailand – Wat Mahabut is a temple, and there was a funeral taking place
• A great video from a veteran blogger in Mexico of Día de los Muertos 2007