30 Days of Blogging. Day 8. Hey, I built an IPhone App!

Sounds more impressive than it really is.  Really.  I used a 3rd party App creator and mostly it was drag-n-drop.  However I probably have 40+ hours in it and already can think of some improvements for the next version.  In it's first day available in the ITunes App Store, 15 people (including me) downloaded it for free.  That's 50% more than I expected altogether.

So what's it for and what does it do?

I'll admit, one reason for creating it was just to see if I could do it.  I wish I could drag-n-drop something like Angry Birds (I was thinking "Dirty Birds" where the Atlanta Falcons score goals using a giant slingshot...but I suspect there's LOTS of infringement issues there).

Another reason though is to allow friends and family (and maybe a stranger or two) with an Iphone/Ipad the ability to easily see and share what I'm doing.  I especially like the Prayer Request part that's linked to a dedicated Twitter Account that I use solely for Prayer Request and Praise accounts.  Getting ready for church Sunday morning or your Mission Class on Wednesday and want to pray for me?  Load the App and see what I'm praying for.

You can send me a message via Email (right now, there's two ways to do that...email me or through feedback...it's redundant so on the next version I'll remove one and add a new feature).  Since I almost always have my IPad with me it's almost like real-time communication.

The pictures are linked to a Flickr account and I'll try to change them at least monthly.  In the summer when I'm working at camps, I'll change it every week and let the whole album tell the story of the camp.

You can access my latest blogs.  You can sign-up for my email newsletter and even support me financially online following the links.  Of course, there's lots of information about the ministries and projects I'm working on.

So, it's practical.  And kinda cool.  And one more reason...it serves as a "test platform".  If there's enough interest then I might build an App specifically for Ruka Dopomogy here in Ukraine where youth leaders can get teaching content, game ideas, online registration, etc. and now that I've done it one time I can probably build something for other missionaries that are interested.

You can find the App, "Clinton White in Ukraine" in the ITunes App Store.

30 Days of Blogging. Day 7. Day after Election Day.

This scene from Remember the Titans sort of captures my thoughts in regard to yesterdays' US Presidential Election.

Ok, in reality, I guess I do care a little bit.  I cared enough to call my Circuit Clerk nearly 2 months ago to order an Absentee Ballot.  I cared enough to spend 3 days trying to get it notarized here in Ukraine and sent  back to MS in time to count.

I don't know if it made it back in time or not, or if it was accepted or not and I won't lose any sleep worrying about it.

I wasn't strongly (or even mildly) drawn to either major candidate.  I'm not sure there's a dime's worth of difference in what either one could/can accomplish in 4 years.  I thought one had a better business sense but I honestly think America is too far gone for even the best commander to right the ship.

In the end, I think God placed our leader.  Maybe not what we wanted  Maybe not what half of us wanted, but I'd have to say, probably what we deserve.  As long as God is on His throne (and He surely is), then I can say of the election...I do not care.  The results have no bearing whatsoever on how I live my life in the Kingdom (here and now, and to come) and I don't think it should for you, either.

30 Days of Blogging. Day 6. Humble Beginnings.

Tonight we kicked-off a ministry to International Students in the form of a Coffee House.  Nine people showed up; I think one was an actual University Student.

On the one hand I can think of a hundred things I could have done before launching this ministry like doing a better job training our "hosts", and doing a better job communicating the vision to other ministry leaders both in our church and in other churches, like doing a better job connecting with Christian University students from several churches who ultimately will be the hands and feet and mouthpiece for this ministry.  But then again, this is our on-the-job training.  We'll only meet for the month of November before the universities here in town shut down in December for the holidays and throughout January and February because of the harsh weather.  How's that for a Winter Break?

I knew that going into it.  It was either launch now with "something", or wait 'till March.  Our "Business Cards" will be ready tomorrow and I'll get them distributed as best I can to some kids that can pass them out on campus.  Our numbers will grow each week.  Our Christian kids will start to get the idea that their campus is a mission field and God wants to use them to reach their friends and at some point, those foreign students who go to school here.  Churches and Pastors will figure out that we're not trying to steal kids from their respective churches; we're trying to point some new kids towards their churches.

30 Days of Blogging. Day 5.

You know what?  I'm going to cheat again today.  Here's another submission from my Storylane page.  The topic is "Where did you grow up?"  My answer was: I grew up in the sticks!

My earliest memories are from the tiny town of Arcola, Mississippi. Not long after I was aware of that fact we moved to the "country"- a dozen or 15 miles from the nearest town. I grew up walking and riding a bike, and later a small mini-bike with a 3.5 horsepower lawnmower motor, to my neighbors' houses. My nearest neighbor, a kid about my age, lived maybe 400-500 yards away. My favorite neighbor (the babysitter who was my first crush) lived about a mile away- I could see her house across the bean field that separated our homes.

I grew up fishing with a cane pole in a small, muddy creek that probably never produced a fish bigger than my hand. I grew up shooting a .22 rifle at snakes and turtles and cans and bottles. I grew up playing hitchhiker with the neighbor girls in the abandoned car behind our tool shed; let your imagination roam. Yeah, I grew up with a junk car on blocks in the backyard.

I grew up floating in a raft tied to the front porch during the monumental Mississippi River flood of 1973. I grew up camping close enough to the house that I could run an extension cord to the 12" black and white tv in my tent.

Inside our house we had 19" black and white tv connected to an outside antennae. We received 3 channels and I had to go outside and turn the antennae with a pipe-wrench whenever we changed channels. I grew up peeing off the back steps as much as I did into the toilet. Yes, we did have indoor plumbing.

I grew up in a place....maybe in a time...that I'm not sure exists anymore. More's the pity.

30 Days of Blogging. Day 4. My Dream Job.

I'm cheating today.  I wrote this short blog a few days ago.  I was invited to join a blog community called Storylane- it's a blog that prompts you to write about specific topics.  The first one: Describe your dream job.  So I wrote about how my dream job is the job I have right now.  For now, anyway.

I'm a Christian missionary. I happen to live and serve in Ukraine. But in reality, I'd consider myself a Christian missionary no matter where I lived. I think all Christians are missionaries; or should be.

I serve with a great organization called International Teams. Our Vision is to see lives and communities transformed by the power of God. How we do that, our Mission is: bringing people together to help the oppressed.

We identify with 3 kids of oppression: Financial (the poor), Physical (the slave), and Spiritual (the lost). We want to bring people together to provide access to food, freedom, and forgiveness for those most marginalized in our world.

My particular job with ITeams is as a National Trainer with a Ukrainian Youth Ministry organization called Ruka Dopomogy (Helping Hands). I help Eastern European churches build sustainable, Jesus-focused youth ministries. I'm also involved in College Student and Refugee work, anti-trafficking, and orphan-care.

I don't make a lot of money. But I don't need a lot, either. I get to serve to my strengths and passions. There's enough "routine" in my job to give me some structure; but enough variety to keep things interesting.

Learning the Russian language is a challenge and most days I feel like I'll never really be fluent. But some days, when I'm able to accomplish a task or have a meaningful interaction with someone...well, those days give me hope.

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30 Days of Blogging. Day 3. Club Day.

Saturday is Club Day.

No, not like Thursday was Club Day back in Jr College.

Our church has "Youth Club" on Saturdays.  A lot of Ukrainian Churches do.  It's basically the "youth group" meeting.  I guess you'd call it discipleship oriented in that there's a pretty in-depth bible study every week except for the last Saturday of each month which is usually evangelistic and is intended to be an event our kids can invite their friends to attend (last month we watched Hunger Games).

Normally, Doug teaches the Bible Study.  I taught today (and will teach next week).  We're basically going through the entire Bible using a 6-year curriculum map and this week and next we're on Galatians so I'm teaching a survey of that letter.

A couple of interesting tidbits I learned in preparation: The area of Galatia (particular the northern portion) was populated by the Gauls, or the Celts who invaded the region about 300 bc.  So basically the area was inhabited by Central Europeans (or at least proto-Europeans).  A funny thing I saw in one commentary from a non-Biblical historian of the time called them a people who were "easily swayed" in their opinions (remember, you could call these Galatians proto-frenchmen)...and of course, in Galatians, you see a people who quickly abandon Paul's teaching as soon as the Judaizers sweep in after Paul moved on.

Of course, the important thing isn't the historical background but the message which is Faith trumps Works, Grace trumps Law.  It's pretty much the same message Paul wrote to the Romans but perhaps not as refined but more personal.  When he wrote the Romans, I don't think he had yet spent time with them.  When he wrote the Galatians, he knew them, had spent time with them and had planted their churches.  You get the impression he took it rather personally their "stupidity" (rough translation of the Russian back to English) at abandoning the really good news he left with them.

30 Days of Blogging. Day 2. Birthday part 2

I still really haven't decided on a theme for the month.  I like some of the randomness of the online lists and I like the idea of simply commenting on some quiet time stuff.  I'm actually working on a survey of Galatians that I'm teaching the youth group this week and next. 

But for today, I'll write about my birthday.

To begin with, my upstairs neighbor, my landlords 17 year old son, Roma had the brilliant idea that we should go to Lviv for my birthday.  He decided this MONTHS ago...coincidentally my birthday was the opening day for the new James Bond movie, Skyfall.  So this morning, in order to catch the 5:43 am commuter train to Lviv I was up at 4:20.

Roma overslept.  We BARELY made it to the train on time.  We had to run from the Taxi to the train.  I'm too old for that!

Roma's sister Ira and our friend Katya went with us.  Ira sings and plays keyboard in our worship band and Katya sings and plays guitar, too.  A few minutes into our train ride the girls disappeared and re-appeared with a homemade Pizza complete with a dozen candles.  Why a dozen?  It has something to do with the number of Apostles, the tribes of Israel...and maybe that they came a dozen to a pack!

Then they gave me an even more unexpected gift of a new guitar gig bag.  Somehow or another they got a custom made Mississippi State iron-on for it.

We arrived in Lviv just before noon, still full from the pizza for breakfast.  We got coffee at McDonald's then shopped in the open market and walked around beautiful old town.  Later we went to the huge King Cross Mall and watched SkyFall on the Imax.  I do recommend the Imax experience by the way.

After the movie we went to Aquapark- I guess the largest indoor waterpark in Ukraine.  We stayed for 2 hours then went back to downtown where we had a late McDonald's meal before walking to the train station on a drizzly night.  Our train left at 12:49 am and we returned to Uzhgorod about 6:50 this morning.

That was quite a birthday!