My friend Anthony, who is currently a Peace Corps worker in Mongolia, recently told me that he reads my blog. I was so touched by his words, I asked if he would mind if I shared his comments on here, to which he replied: “you’re welcome to use or misuse my comments in any way that helps you get to the heart of what I was actually saying.” Beyond just being an encouraging challenge to try to make my blog worthy of being read by my friends scattered across the globe (I’ve also got some good friends working with Mennonite Central Committee in Nicaragua who stop by the blog), the comment also serves as a reminder of how good I have it. I am so blessed to have access to an excellent education, fantastic library resources, and all the rest. And without further adieu, here are Anthony’s comments:

So, Pat, I’ve been reading your kata ta biblia blog fairly religiously lately. I’m really glad to have access to in depth seminary level biblical discussion that I can tap in on. I feel like I’m getting a seminary education and I don’t have any of the work of applying, getting financial aid, or doing anything in general. Vicarious study is what I’m all about. You read, do all the hard work of sifting through everything and I’ll stand on the other end and catch all the good stuff that filters out. Of course that probably means you’ll get the jobs too, but as long as I stay in Peace Corps, there’s nothing to worry about. But seriously though, it has been good to get an idea of what you’re wrestling with in your studies. I wouldn’t have thought it but over the past year and a half, we’ve had our share of discussions with other volunteers in our area about Christianity, the historical Jesus, the church, etc. The whole thing kind of started off when another volunteer in our area found out we are Christians and made it his mission for several months to try and undercut our faith in anyway possible. That didn’t happen and we’ve become friends with the guy but our continued conversations have challenged us to really understand our faith more deeply and try to whats going on in the debate/dialogue surrounding Jesus, the church, and the bible these days. As you can imagine, Mongolia doesn’t have a wealth of information available on these topics . . .

Thanks, brother. Keep up the good work (and I don’t just mean the faith conversations, of course) and I’ll try to keep bringing you some more of that fully paid seminary education. Maybe you should send me some reimbursement checks with all the riches the Peace Corps must pay you

Some of the hard work of Anthony and his wife, Vita, in Mongolia (we miss them both!):