Most missionaries no longer board a ship to leave their families forever and pack all their belongings in a wooden box (coffin) and head off to a mission field, one from which they will never return (that was old-school. Do people still say "old-school"?).
Missionaries used to write their families
a snail-mail letter and wait for a few weeks to months for their letter to arrive in their
family's mailbox. Then they would wait to get a letter back a few weeks
to months after that to receive a reply. Wow! Nothing was instant.
Times have changed.
Now we can e-mail if we get near a larger city
that has internet available - yes there are still places in the world
that lack internet coverage and electricity and running water (where we
will be stationed in West Africa for one).
Sure, we can take a plane and arrive in a matter of 24 hours sometimes, instead of 3 months at sea (like our container cargo which still takes to arrive even today). I much prefer jet-lag and a day of motion sickness to 3 months of sea-sickness!
Even so, there are lots of non-instant things to consider about living on the mission field. All food must be made from scratch (I'll save that explanation for another post).
Never-the-less, we are blessed. There is the possibility to connect with my mom, with you, with churches and partners. It's amazing how much technology has advanced to make this possible!
Today, missionaries
have access to many advances in technology that aid in making "leaving
their comfort zone," well - slightly less abrasive. Still, are they really connected??
Missionaries, in spite of all the other tasks they have to keep up with,
now have to struggle to remain current.
I'm currently researching online (while Stateside so it doesn't take forever to load). I search for how to make my blog be more compatible with mobile users because most people are moving in that direction. I don't want to lose contact.
We care about all our partners and we pray for them too. You are our lifeline - connection.
It's hard for missionaries to stay in touch, and in spite of technological advances some connections are getting lost.
Why?
- Some don't have e-mail - yes, there is still a generation (ones who don't read this blog either).
- Some no longer read e-mails because they get too much junk mail.
- Some only check Facebook - or twitter (still have to look into that, is it worth it?).
- Some people used to support our ministry until they lost their jobs, and then they feel bad and lose contact too. It's OK.
- Some just pass away. There is an older generation of church people that are very into missions that support us until they die. We're so thankful, but what do you do when they go home?
How do we reach new friends and keep contact when we are miles away with spotty internet connections that we have to travel 4 hours to reach? The best way is through advocates. People, like you maybe, who share our need and our story and keep connected for us.
Just wondering if there are any new advocates out there? Please write me. I appreciate your comments.
