'Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo'

A few of you who don't follow us on Facebook have asked for new Maggie photos on this forum, so here are a few from Maggie's first trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo — complete with Maggie's comments when she saw the photos on our Facebook site.


"Oh, pretty!"


"Oh, mommy!"


"It's that!"


"Memo!" (She means "Nemo.")


"Maggie elephant."


"Maggie mommy!"


"Monkey!"


"Giaffe?"


"Good job!"

New blog post at bobbyrossjr.com

This week we discuss teens, Churches of Christ and The Christian Chronicle's Web site redesign:

TRYGG THURSDAY: Teens, Churches of Christ and a new look for our Web site

Enjoy!

Like a cappella music?

Then please take a moment to check out my latest blog post.

And crank up your computer speakers! I've posted links to some songs I've recorded at church events around the globe.

Let me know what you think.

Somebody PLEEEEEEASE leave a comment on my blog post (not on this site — the other one)

Yes indeed, I'm not above begging!

If you would be so kind, please take a look at my post on Bobby Ross's blog and leave a comment. You can just say "hi." I don't care!

I'll be forever in your debt. Thanks!

TRYGG THURSDAY: A collection of animals — great, small and delcious

No, these monkeys do not fall into the "delicious" category. This is not and Indian Jones movie!

It's "Trygg Thursday" again at bobbyrossjr.com.

This week I'm talking about animals I've encountered in the mission field (and a bat some of us encountered on the recent couple's retreat here in Oklahoma).

Read the blog post

Please take a look and leave some feedback. Don't make me beg! Thanks!

TRYGG THURSDAY: Some thoughts on the name "Church of Christ"

If you're a member of a Church of Christ, what sort of reactions or questions do you get when you tell someone you attend at Church of Christ?

That's just one of the points to ponder in this week's "Trygg Thursday" offering at bobbyrossjr.com.

Read the blog post

Please take a look and leave some feedback. Thanks!

Stories from around the globe -- 2009

A street sign in western Ghana (photo by Erik)

I'm committing to the Internet something I've been doing on paper for years.

Following is a list of every country — well, most of them, anyway — in the world. In an attempt to provide some balance in my work for The Christian Chronicle, I keep a running tally of how many times we've mentioned each country outside the United States (and a few U.S. territories) in the course of a year. I've separated them into seven geographic zones to help me track how much coverage I give each zone.

The number of country "mentions" appears below. Some "mentions" are merely two or three paragraphs on our "Around the World" page. Others are three-page "Currents" features or front-page stories.

I'll update this as the year progresses. I'm doing this mostly as a reference for myself, but feel free to peruse!

(I haven't been to all of the places listed below, by the way! These are just countries mentioned so far this year.)

Jerry Jones leads a Bible study at a prison in Belize City (photo by Erik)

NORTH AMERICA:

Antigua and Barbuda

Aruba

Bahamas
SEPTEMBER 09: Around the World item (Caribbean Lectures)

Barbados

Belize
JANUARY 09: Around the World item (flooding, Belize City)

Bermuda

British Virgin Islands

Canada
APRIL 2009: Fertile field for faith? (from Toronto)
JULY 09: Around the World item (Opsitch visit to Quebec)
AUGUST 09: A conversation with Geoffrey Ellis (Dialogue)
AUGUST 09: Little church on the prairie (Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan)
SEPTEMBER 09: Around the World item (youth mission, VBS in Thessalon)

Cayman Islands

Costa Rica
JANUARY 09: Costa Ricans lift voices and harmonize at praise seminar (photo caption)
AUGUST 09: Around the World item (women's fellowship, Santo Domingo)

Cuba
MAY O9: As restrictions ease, churches consider future of Cuba work (feature story)
SEPTEMBER 09: Around the World item (youth rally, Matanzas)

Dominica

Dominican Republic

El Salvador
JANUARY 09: Around the World item (Confraternity of Christian Women, San Marcos)

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe
JULY 09: Women study Bible while men wash dishes on island of Guadeloupe (photo caption)

Guatemala
MARCH 09: New Mexico congregation raises thousands to help plant church in heart of Guatemala
JULY 09: Partners brief (Health Talents MET program)

Haiti
FEBRUARY 09: Around the World item (Lipscomb mission to children's home, Cap Haitien)
APRIL 09: Around the World item (ladies' seminar, Port-au-Prince)
JUNE 09: Minister who saved 37 lives during flood continues to serve people of Haiti

Honduras
APRIL 09: Partners brief (Mission Lazarus, Choluteca)
MAY 09: Around the World item (New Life Behavior Ministries seminar)
JUNE 09: Generation Mission (brief about student who makes mission trips)
AUGUST 09: Amid Honduran political crisis, mission teams regroup (Page 1 story)

Jamaica

Martinique

Mexico
FEBRUARY 09: Around the World item (Mexico Missionaries Retreat, Guanajuato)
MARCH 09: Minister who left Mexico City found his career, church in Tulsa (from Tulsa, Okla.)
APRIL 09: Border violence curtails mission trips to Mexico (from Tijuana)
APRIL 09: Mission teams need not leave the country to serve, ministers say
MAY 09: Drug-related violence in Mexico fails to deter the peace of Jesus (feature story)
JUNE 09: Swine flu prompts ministries to recall teams, gather supplies
AUGUST 09: Around the World item (U.S ministers preach in Cancun)
SEPTEMBER 09: Around the World item (Three missionaries sent from Leon)

Netherlands Antilles

Nicaragua
APRIL 09: Around the World item (Health Talents Int'l, Managua)
JUNE 09: Around the World item (BICA campaign)

Panama
MAY 09: Around the world item (Mark and Miriam Upton, new missionaries)
JUNE 09: Generation Mission (brief about student who did short-term mission in Jaque)
JUNE 09: Alabama governor greets young Christians from Panama (photo caption)
SEPTEMBER 09: Panama missionaries are not-so-lost at sea (Panama Mission, Vince Payne)

St. Kitts and Nevis
JULY 09: Around the World item (Bassterre church, Randolph Prentice)

St. Lucia

St. Vincent and the Grenadines
JANUARY 09: Saints in St. Vincent (Spotlight)

Trinidad and Tobago
APRIL 09: Around the World item (death of first baptized member, Port of Spain)
JULY 09: Around the World item (Ramsubhags' work in Barrackpore)

Turks and Caicos

U.S. — Puerto Rico

U.S. — Virgin Islands

A Church of Christ building in Santa Cruz, Bolivia (photo by Erik)

SOUTH AMERICA:

Argentina
JULY 09: Around the World item (Carlos Ardilla, challenges, Hentons)

Bolivia
MAY 09: Around the World item (church members help refurbish house)
AUGUST 09: Three members of church youth group killed in Bolivia bus crash

Brazil
JANUARY 09: Around the World item (healing church divisions, Porto Alegre)
MAY 09: Around the World item (National Youth Camp)
JUNE 09: Around the World item (Elicamp in Campina Grande, northeast)
JULY 09: Remission mission (Spotlight, Recife)
AUGUST 09: Around the World item (Campinas theology course, baptisms)

Chile
MAY 09: Traversing Chile for Christ (spotlight)

Colombia
MARCH 09: Voices of Venezuela (Spotlight)

Ecuador
JANUARY 09: Recession: Bad for missions, or good? (includes photo from Pan Am Lectures in Quito)
JUNE 09: Former trumpet player leading souls to Christ (Inside Story column)

Falkland Islands

French Guiana

Guyana

Paraguay
March 09: Around the World brief (donated clothes, Asuncion)

Peru
FEBRUARY 09: Around the World item (Pan-American Bible Institute, Lima)

Suriname

Uruguay

Venezuela

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (photo by Erik)

AFRICA:

Algeria

Angola

Benin
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, George Akpabli quote)

Botswana
JULY 09: Partners brief (African Center for Theological Studies, Gaborone)

Burkina Faso
JANUARY 09: Doors item (missionaries' home burned, Dano)
APRIL 09: Doors item (same as January)
SEPTEMBER 09: New life in a land of wooden crosses (Global South, Part 3, dateline Ur-gawn)

Burundi

Cameroon
MAY 09: 'I have fallen in love with Cameroon' (photo caption)

Cape Verde

Central African Republic
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Worlanyo Bor quote)

Chad
AUGUST 09: Around the World item (World Bible School growth, ministry training, Moundou)

Comoros

Congo (Dem. Rep. of)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Doyle Kee quote)
SEPTEMBER 09: Around the World item (Violence in east, Goma)

Congo (Republic of)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Doyle Kee quote)

Cote d’Ivoire

Djibouti

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia
JULY 09: The changing face of the church (Global South, Part 1, Abebe quote)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Abebe quote)

Gabon
APRIL 09: Around the World item (church growth, Port Gentil)

Gambia

Ghana
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, dateline Kumasi, young preachers)
AUGUST 09: Dream for Christian college materializes (Global South, Part 2, from Accra, Heritage Christian signs document with ACU)
AUGUST 09: Voices question (from Accra)

Guinea
FEBRUARY 09: Around the World item (Healing Hands, Conakry)

Guinea-Bissau

Kenya
FEBRUARY 09: Remembering Jane (Spotlight)
FEBRUARY 09: Voices quote (Paul Ochieng, Mombasa)
JUNE 09: Generation Mission (brief about student who did trip to Mariann School in Kapsabet)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Dyron Daughrity quote)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Charles Ngoje quote)
AUGUST 09: Around the World item (Made in the Streets projects, Nairobi)

Lesotho

Liberia
APRIL 09: Partners brief (George Kiadii Christian Academy, Paynesville)
JULY 09: South goes North (Global South, Part 1, mentions refugees from Liberia)

Libya

Madagascar
APRIL 09: After presidential ouster, Madagascar work continues

Malawi
FEBRUARY 09: Donated 'V-tractors' will cultivate fields and improve lives of people in Malawi, missionary says (photo caption)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Randy Judd quote)

Mali
MAY 09: Around the World item (visitor from Belgium)

Mauritania

Mauritius
MAY 09: Visit by French mission team re-energizes small congregation on island of Mauritius (feature story)

Morocco

Mozambique
JULY 09: The changing face of the church (Global South, Part 1, includes Chad Westerholm quotes)

Namibia
MARCH 09: Around the World item (coastal church, Luderitz)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1,Jerry D'Alton quote)

Niger

Nigeria
JANUARY 09: Around the World item (Normandie church mission trip, Warri)
JANUARY 09: Christians shelter and baptize refugees of post-election violence in Nigeria
MARCH 09: Around the World item (Romain visit, Obong Ntak)
JULY 09: The changing face of the church (Global South, Part 1)
JULY 09: South goes North (Global South, Part 1, mentions Nigerian immigrants in Minnesota)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Henry Huffard quote)
JULY 09: A conversation with Wendell Broom (Global South, Part 1, Dialogue)
AUGUST 09: Christianity's southward shift demands new history (Global South Part 2, book review)
SEPTEMBER 09: 'I've been saved. I could have died so easily.' (Whittaker kidnapping)
SEPTEMBER 09: Northern Nigeria's wave of violence claims life of church youth leader (Maiduguri violence)
SEPTEMBER 09: Robert and Annette Whittaker have dedicated lives to mission work in Africa (sidebar to Page 3 story)

Reunion

Rwanda
JANUARY 09: Atlanta Christian school plans sister campus in Rwanda
MARCH 09: 'Everyone has the right to clean water'
APRIL 09: Around the World item (church anniv., Kigali)
JULY 09: The changing face of the church (Global South, Part 1, includes Jenkins quote)

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal
JUNE 09: Around the World item (Geneva church campaign to Dakar)

Seychelles

Sierra Leone
MARCH 09: New life, new ministers in the land of 'blood diamonds' (photo caption)
JULY 09: South goes North (Global South, Part 1, mentions Liberian refugees converted in SL)

Somalia

South Africa
JANUARY 09: Around the World item (joint worship service, Johannesburg)
MAY 09: South African church gives meals to families, job seekers (photo caption)
MAY 09: Voices quote (Philip Adjei, Johannesburg)
JUNE 09: Partners item (InterMission event in Wilderness)
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, DTheo Rappard quote)

Sudan
FEBRUARY 09: Workers needed as refugees return to southern Sudan (photo caption)
JUNE 09: Sudan's 'open door; won't last forever, workers say

Swaziland

Tanzania
JULY 09: Africa — After a century of growth, church membership tops 1 million (Global South, Part 1, Charles Ngoje quote)

Togo
SEPTEMBER 09: To reach Togo (Global South, Part 3, dateline Kpalime)

Tunisia

Uganda
MARCH 09: A drive to find new funding (example from The Source Cafe, Jinja)
JUNE 09: Around the World item (Kampala church launches Luganda service)
SEPTEMBER 09: Whom shall we send? (Global South, Part 3, quote from Mbale missionary Shawn Tyler)

Western Sahara

Zambia
JUNE 09: Change for Africa: Christian school raises $12,000 (photo caption)

Zimbabwe
FEBRUARY 09: More woes for Zimbabwe
FEBRUARY 09: Despite hardships, Zimbabweans post record enrollment in World Bible School

Communist-era statue in downtown Vilnius, Lithuania (photo by Erik)

EUROPE:

Albania

Andorra

Austria
MARCH 09: Around the World item (women's sem., Filzmoos)

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia
FEBRUARY 09: God solved problems 'one by one' for Croatian church, minister says
APRIL 09: Youths in Central European nation of Croatia bundle up for rally (photo caption)
JULY 09: Around the World item (Perkins visit to Varazdin and Ukraine)

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia
JUNE 09: Around the World item (Warpole visit to Tartu)

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany
JANUARY 09: Around the World item (Euro-American Retreat, Rothenberg)
APRIL 09: Church near military hospital in Germany ministers to America's 'wounded warriors'

Greece
JANUARY 09: Around the World item (Philadelphia conference, Kechries)
AUGUST 09: Cooking with Eleni: Greek Christian practices 'table fellowship'

Hungary
MARCH 09: Around the World item (Minister Mark Lance visits, Budapest)

Iceland

Ireland

Italy
MARCH 09: Killing bugs for Christ: Missionaries work odd jobs
JULY 09: Around the World item (Northern Italy Ladies' Day, Milan)
AUGUST 09: Around the World item (Ghanaian Churches of Christ lectureships, Vicenza)

Kosovo

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania
JANUARY 09: Former 'hoodlum' and 'metalhead' share pulpit (from Vilnius)

Luxembourg

Macedonia

Malta

Moldova

Monaco

Montenegro

Netherlands
AUGUST 09: He takes notes, shoots photos — and preaches (Global South, Part 2, Inside Story column, from Amsterdam Ghanaian church)

Norway

Poland
JULY 09: Doors item (Sopot)

Portugal

Romania

Russia
MARCH 09: Workers needed in Russia (letter from Joel Petty, St. Petersburg)
JULY 09: Intimidated by graffiti? Russian church says 'Nyet' (Rostov-on-don)

San Marino

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden
JULY 09: The changing face of the church (Global South, Part 1, Abraham Monney visit to start-up church)

Switzerland
JUNE 09: Around the World item (Thun church retreat)

Ukraine
JANUARY 09: Unable to reach Russia, church planters move to Ukraine
APRIL 09: Voices quote (Sasha Prokopchuk, Donetsk)
JULY 09: Around the World item (Bill Wharton tour)

United Kingdom

Vatican City

A market street in New Delhi (photo by Erik)

MIDDLE EAST/CENTRAL ASIA:

Afghanistan

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Cyprus

India
MARCH 09: A drive to find new funding (from Chennai)
MARCH 09: New lampstands for Chennai (from Chennai)
MARCH 09: A day in the life of the orphanage inspector
APRIL 09: English training centers introduce young Indians to Bible (from Chennai)
MAY 09: Around the World item (Kakinada School of Preaching 24th lectureship)
JUNE 09: Around the World item (Jack Nelle Institute songbook distribution, Vijayawada)
JULY 09: The changing face of the church (Global South, Part 1, includes Renganathan quotes)
SEPTEMBER 09: Whom shall we send? (Global South, Part 3, dateline Kakinada, KSP)

Iran

Iraq
APRIL 09: Crutches and candy needed for children in Iraq (photo caption)

Israel
APRIL 09: Around the World item (Negev seminar, Mitspe Ramon)

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Maldives

Nepal

Oman

Pakistan

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Sri Lanka
FEBRUARY 2009: Around the World item (World Radio program, Colombo)

Syria

Tajikistan
JULY 09: Arkansas minister gets a taste of Tajikistan (Kachelman)

Turkey

Turkmenistan

United Arab Emirates

Uzbekistan

Yemen

Students from the South Pacific Bible College do some volunteer gardening for a widow in New Zealand (photo submitted by David and Mary Nelson)

OCEANIA:

Australia
FEBRUARY 09: Around the World brief (donations to Papua New Guinea, Perth)
MARCH 09: Australian church seeks fire relief
AUGUST 09: Around the World item (Southwest church retreat)

Cook Islands

Fiji

French Polynesia

Kiribati
JULY 09: From Tonga to Banana Village (Randy English)

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

Nauru

New Caledonia (France)
JULY 09: Workers look to plant congregation on island of New Caledonia (Baggott, Martin)

New Zealand
MARCH 09: Around the World item (church plant, Foxton)
JUNE 09: Holy Land travel agents (Spotlight)

Palau

Papua New Guinea
JANUARY 09: Around the World item ('Kibung' of Churches of Christ, Emagave)
APRIL 09: New life, New Guinea (Spotlight)
AUGUST 09: Baptisms, beatings and reconciliation in Papua New Guinea (photo caption)

Samoa

Solomon Islands

Tonga
JULY 09: From Tonga to Banana Village (Raine)

Tuvalu

U.S. — American Samoa

U.S. — Guam

Vanuatu
MARCH 09: Around the World item (Truth Bible School, Port Vila)

Children in Cambodia eat food supplied by the Mekong River Boat Project (photo submitted by Rick and Gail Northen)

EAST ASIA:

Brunei

Cambodia
MAY 09: Sharing smiles, songs and faith in Cambodia (photo caption)

China
MAY 09: Around the World item (Sisters Retreat)
AUGUST 09: Church-supported orphanage in China celebrates Children's Day (photo caption, China Mission)
AUGUST 09: Answering God's call in China (Views)
SEPTEMBER 09: 48th Asia Mission Forum brings reconciliation among believers (Beijing)

East Timor

Indonesia
AUGUST 09: Truth without compromise (Spotlight, Medan)

Japan
FEBRUARY 09: Around the World item (winter camp, Tomobe)

Laos

Macau

Malaysia
FEBRUARY 09: Around the World item (gospel meeting, Klang)

Mongolia

Myanmar
JANUARY 09: Ministry aids people of Myanmar after cyclone

North Korea

Philippines
FEBRUARY 09: Around the World item (Philippine International Bible Institute, Angeles City)
MARCH 09: A drive to find new funding (examples from Salvador Cariaga's work in Philippines)
SEPTEMBER 09: Here comes the sun — and power (photo caption, OC engineering student)

Singapore

South Korea
SEPTEMBER 09: A conversation with Joyce Hardin (Global South, Part 3, Dialogue)

Taiwan
MARCH 09: Around the World item (financial crunch, Taichung)

Thailand
JANUARY 09: Thai Christian dies five days after baptism
FEBRUARY 09: Voices quote (Daniel Hamm, Ubon Ratchathani)
MARCH 09: Around the World item (church plants, Khon Kaen)
APRIL 09: Around the World item (Faulkner speaker, Bangkok)
SEPTEMBER 09: Around the World item (Swine flu moves Khon Kaen church outdoors)

Vietnam

It's Trygg Thursday on bobbyrossjr.com

I haven't been doing a good job of updating this blog, but I've somehow found the time to write posts for other people's blogs.

Check out bobbyrossjr.com to see my guest blog post about the situation in Madagascar. And please leave a comment (on that site, not this one!)

Thanks

Getting into stuff

Scenes from a 29-hour train ride through India

Maggie's first birthday and other stuff

(By Erik)

Hello friends:

I've been neglecting this blog for the sake of my Facebook page, and for those of you not on Facebook, I am truly sorry.

It's not entirely my fault, though. I've attempted to update this blog a couple of times in the past month and have been blocked from doing so because, evidently, of some technical problems with blogspot.

Since Thanksgiving I've canceled a trip to India, rescheduled a trip to India and been to India. But the big news is Maggie's tubes (no more ear infections ... fingers crossed!) and her first birthday.

So here are a mix of photos from the past few months. Most of these are from Maggie's birthday. I'll post some India pics soon.

Bailey watches Maggie open a present from the McBrides.

Maggie got her own special cake to destroy ...

... with ladybugs, of course.

Mrs. Vanessa from Maggie's day care came to our party.

Maggie "walks" into a room filled with presents.

Maggie and Rachel Lamb

Joyce McBride gets a big smile.

Maggie says hi to Grace Lamb.

Mrs. Vanessa says goodbye.

That's about all the cake she would destroy. She didn't like getting icing on her hands, for some reason.

Sarah and Grace had to try out our treehouse.

Sunset on New Year's Day 2009, somewhere between I-35 and Duncan

During a visit to Altus, mommy got her hair cut and straightened. It lasted until the next time she washed it.