Somalia continues to lead the world in corrupt governments, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Afghanistan has fallen three places to second, and Iraq made a slight improvement. The United States sits at No. 19.

Daniel Looman took an illuminating trip to El Salvador with Surfers on Mission. In addition to the unspoiled beauty of the surf, Looman discovered the beauty of the people.

This time in Chico was different, though. They were calling us to lay down our lives – our LIVES – meaning, being willing to die for the Kingdom of God, and for the first time, I had to pause. I had another little person in my life to think about. This wasn’t just me anymore – if I died, it would affect my son.

My couch smells like joy. Take a deep breath. Sniff down deep under the layers of Febreeze, and day-old potato chips and you can smell it. OK, if we had really had scratch and sniff going on, it would actually smell like unwashed bodies and possibly five-day-old alcohol breath. But to me, and those I  Read more »

Some women in Egypt are fighting the government’s efforts to have women remove their traditional veils in all-female classrooms. There are arguments for and against. Some women feel that they are dishonoring their Muslim faith by leaving off their niqab, a conservative form of Muslim dress. Proponents of the ban feel that it prevents insurgency  Read more »