New episode...Crackberry Cracker

Cell phones...one thing that Kenya does SO much better than the US. After we returned from home assignment, I was stuck between two cell phone worlds. The restrictive Wicked Witch of the West held my BlackBerry captive, and I need some shady Kenyan acquaintances to break it free. In the process though, I found that God can show up in the most unusual circumstances if we make ourselves available.

College Football Preview

Every year at this time I take a break from stories about Africa or missionary life to focus on my hobby--college football. In 2009, I talked about a college football playoff. In 2010, I theorized about conference expansion. This year, I'm going to preview the upcoming season.

The main way I get my sports fix is through podcasats that I download on the Internet. My favorite podcast is "The Solid Verbal," which is hosted by two guys, one from Pennsylvania and one from Southern California. (Ironic, because those are the two places where I lived in the U.S.) Modeling after their show, I chat with football expert Clint Neff via Skype about the 2011 college football season.

And if you're not a football fan, don't worry about listening to this one. You won't hurt my feelings. Click below...

Sudan's Day in the Sun...my night out to eat

Here's the story of how I got invited to the Ambassador's house here in Kenya to meet NBA superstar Luol Deng. Learn about these two great men (Ambassador Gration and Deng), a great woman (Gration's wife Judy), and the future of Africa's largest country--Sudan.

Oh, and I might have insulted the 6'9" athlete too. There's something in there about that small detail.

Stitcher Radio is now "All That"

You can now find the "All That You Can't Leave Behind" podcast on Stitcher Radio. Stitcher Radio allows you to listen to your favorite shows on the go, streaming daily updates to your iPhone, iPad, or computer. If you like to mix your sports and news, you can "stitch" together a station. And if you like to listen to short tales from the mission field along with your other favorites, you can now check out "All That You Can't Leave Behind" on Stitcher Radio.

Check out Stitcher and find my podcast today!

Cleaning out the cupboards

New episode just launched of my podcast. How do you empty and refill a kitchen multiple times in one year? What is the weirdest canned food you ever bought? (Pork brains?)

Also discussed, how much do schools for missionary kids change in one year? Can a school survive with a 50% rate of turnover?

New podcast episode comes home...

Home assignment is a time of many challenges for missionaries--fund raising, traveling, home schooling. Finding a house is one of the mundane but necessary tasks. Our unbelievable housing situation for our first furlough is the topic of this episode. Part 2 of a 3-part home assignment series of stories--"A house, a home, and a heritage."

How weird are missionaries?

This short episode recalls two families that we visited with during our home assignment year. One was heading towards the mission field, and one away from the mission field. The contrasting emotions and thoughts of each were fascinating, and the exotic locale of our meeting-- a McDonald's in the middle of nowhere in central California--made the experiences all the more interesting.