Blog purpose

I've been amazed as the blog has spread from mainly family and friends at Westgate Baptist Church to include people all over North America. It is a blessing to know that so many of you care and so many pray for us!

If you've begun to read the blog recently, you may not know the purpose behind this blog. I'd like to share it with you so that you can read the blog in context, so to speak. The new year seems like a good time to remind you and myself exactly why I am keeping this blog. (As an aside, the word "blog" comes from weblog. Blogs started as diaries on the Internet that were shared with other people.)

The first purpose of my blog is to keep people updated so that they can pray intelligently and in a timely manner. That is one reason that I include names. You may not be able to match faces with names, you may not even be able to pronounce the names but at least you'll be able to keep track of people's progress. One thing you'll notice is that progress seems to be very slow. I may meet a fellow and have an opportunity to preach Jesus Christ to him one day. Then months later, I might meet him again and have another opportunity to be a witness to him. That's why your prayers are so very important. I realize that it's not because I witness that people will be saved. It is because the Holy Spirit draws them. Of course, He uses my witness and my efforts, but ultimately everything that happens is because of our gracious God.

One intention I have is to include more pictures so that you can put names with faces. But I feel extremely awkward asking to take pictures of people. The best picture so far is a part of my Sunday before Christmas post. There along with a picture I have listed the names of the faces in the picture.

The second purpose of my blog is to post sketches of Mongolian life, society, and culture. Living in Mongolia, I forget that many Americans simply cannot identify with some of the things we experience. Often during furlough, I would begin to tell a story about something that happened to us during our first term. The person listening would stop me with questions about why things happened the way they did. Other times they would give me a quizzical look, and I would realize that they didn't understand the significance of the story because they lacked the cultural background necessary to understand.

To correct that, I determined that I would include some stories that would be a window into the culture in which we live. Some notable examples include blog entries such as Mongolian decorating tip, Ministering at Home, We Wish You a Smoky Christmas, Wacky Mongolian Moment, Buying a Car - the Mongolian Experience, Religion in Mongolia, and The Missing Bag. If you've not had a chance to read those posts, I would encourage you to take some time and read them. It will increase your appreciation and understanding of Mongolian culture. (Notice that they are hyperlinks, so clicking on them should take you directly to the post.)

Third, I use my blog to post updates (usually posted weekly) and prayer letters (about ten times a year).

Fourth, sometimes I write a post just to get things off my chest. There are things that I want to say that reveal something of who I am: the struggles that I face, the victories achieved by God's grace, the things that interest me. I'm providing a window into my soul. Some notable examples include Two Cultures, One Mind and Language Progress (do you see a trend here?) Occasionally, there will also be a light-hearted attempt at humor (see Global Warming in Mongolia). I find that humor helps make living in Mongolia more bearable.

You may wonder why I chose to have a blog. Why not a complete website? Why not send out these as e-mails? Even that decision provides insight into who I am. I didn't want a website because of the work to keep a website up. Blogger (the website I use for my blog) provides templates that make the background and colors as simple as clicking a choice. Since all I really want to do is write stories and post pictures, a blog can do that very effectively without the necessary maintenance that a website would require.

I also don't like to receive e-mail updates so often from people. I try to write 3-4 posts every week. I feel awkward sending out that many updates of so many different types every week. Perhaps you're one who likes to read about Mongolian culture but not so much about the things I want to get off my chest. A blog means that your e-mail inbox won't fill up with things that you don't want to receive. Or maybe there's one day a week that's better for you to read my blog. Rather than have an inbox with three or four e-mails that you won't read until Saturday, you can just go to my blog on Saturday and check it out. I would much rather provide a place where people can go to read about what is going on then push out e-mails to people who may or may not be interested or have time to read.

So there you have it: purpose and provision. Why I have a blog and why I chose a blog over other methods of providing information. May God bless you for taking the time to read this post, and I trust that it will increase your ability to use my posts to pray for us and those to whom we minister in Mongolia.