New Project Idea
Ok, the paying bills post got me actively working on trying to find something I could do. Preferably, at least to start, it needed to be something I could do with my current resources. And after a lot of discussions with friends an family, I think I came up with something I can do now. This project would be just the beginning, but at least it’s a start. My thought is to put together a software and training package for missionaries.
Specifically a package for missionaries and native pastors dealing with writing prayer letters and doing basic publishing. I’ve been trying to find something where I can use my current skill set. And I think this might be useful. I realized that, while I don’t have a lot of formal training, I do have a lot of word processing and small scale publishing experience. Things a lot of people can do with very little experience, but most wouldn’t know where to start.
If I could create a training package that used nothing but free software and taught missionaries and native pastors how to create prayer letters and presentations using that software it would be a really useful tool. Maybe add some basic image editing to the package. I could try to get a list of cheap digital cameras that I could evaluate and recommend (or tell them to avoid) as part of the package.
I’ll also be trying to collect a bunch of online resources and links for them. And if they have local Internet access, try to teach them how to set up and run a blog (which would be basically just an online prayer letter).
So the plan is to use my expertise to build an entire resource package geared towards missions that would be very low cost or free for the missionary. I’ve done a good bit of research already to see if there is a package out there that does this, and haven’t found anything. And the more I talk to about this to people, the more it seems like there is a real need. And it is something I can easily do and should be able to do a good job at.
Finding and evaluating disparate pieces of software, integrating them together, and writing support documentation is something I do in my job all the time. So building and collecting the pieces needed for a package like this is something I have some experience with and should be able to do.
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:21 am
This project sounds very good!
Two spontaneous little thoughts:
1) In your part about the internet I suppose you will mention appropriate security soft-/freeware.
2) Just tonight I saw a report on TV about the suppression of blogs (and bloggers) in certain countries (e.g. Chine, Myanmar). Probably there do exist tips for such situations, too.
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:25 am
(By the way another report, few days ago, was about the situation of US-American bloggers that are serving in Iraq. It seems to be not very easy for them, too. But that’s another discussion.)
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:26 am
Hey — if you need/want some help, let me know. This sounds like a fun project and one worthy of spending time with. Just drop me an email if you’re interested.
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:27 am
I spelled my last name wrong on that last post — that’s sad…
December 23rd, 2007 at 10:48 pm
I’ll keep your offer in mind Andrew. In fact, I’ll probably take you up on your offer once I get things a little more finalized.
Right now the holiday season has me sort of busy and I haven’t been able to get much farther than the identifying resources phase. Once New years is past, I hope to be able to devote some real time towards it.
By the way, I went ahead and fixed your name in that first comment.
December 30th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
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December 30th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
[...] I set up a website for my missions project. The whole thing kind of went on hold over the last month. What with Christmas and everything, I [...]