In this issue…

  1. ONLINE SURVEY FOR THOSE BECOMING MISSIONARIES
  2. CHURCH WEBSITE TOOL NOW AVAILABLE TO SYNDICATE
  3. KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGES AT MISSIOPEDIA
  4. “ETHNO-WORSHIP” IN THE MIDDLE EAST
  5. TEACH ENGLISH WITH CONFIDENCE AND INTEGRITY
  6. “WRECKED” EZINE LAUNCHED
  7. MAC USERS CAN ENCRYPT TOO
  8. WANTED: PRAYER COORDINATORS & MOBLIIZERS
  9. NEEDED: BIBLE STUDIES RESOURCES IN KREYOL AND ENGLISH
  10. EMPOWER BRIGADA
  11. THE BACK-PAGE: MORE “COOL TOOLS” FOR CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY
  12. CLOSING STUFF
  1. ONLINE SURVEY FOR THOSE BECOMING MISSIONARIES — Gateway Training Centre is conducting a questionnaire for anyone interested in becoming a missionary (including missionary candidates/appointees.) They invite you to answer 12 questions that will help them serve the training needs of new missionaries. Please pass this URL to anyone considering missionary service, either short-term or long-term.

    http://gatewaytraining.org/survey.html

    (Note, due to its internal limitations, this URL does not work for Internet Explorer version 7. All other versions should work fine.)

  2. CHURCH WEBSITE TOOL NOW AVAILABLE TO SYNDICATE — Internet Evangelism Day’s new self-assessment questionnaire can now be syndicated into any other website (or republished in print):

    http://ied.gospelcom.net/churchdesign-syndicate.php

  3. KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGES AT MISSIOPEDIA — Some have been following the development of the Missiopedia at Justin Long’s Momentum site. It’s an open-source Wiki-style encyclopedia describing global Christianity and Christian mission in particular. Now you can keep up with the changes there. Just join the moderated discussion e-group by sending an e-mail to Notify-missiopedia-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org You can also subscribe to RSS feeds for new pages and recent changes. Point your RSS reader to:

    http://www.momentum-mag.org/wiki/Special:Newpages?feed=rss

  4. “ETHNO-WORSHIP” IN THE MIDDLE EAST — Passionate about worship? Ready to use your music ability and learn new skills? Want to connect music and missions – especially in places where Christ followers are restricted, persecuted, or unknown? Spend two unforgettable weeks on an “ethno-worship” trip with one of OM’s Heart Sounds International (HSI) teams going to the Middle East, June 5-19, 2007. The HSI team welcomes musicians, worship leaders, audio engineers, and videographers to do music research, as well as songwriting and field recording with a group of Middle Eastern believers. Go to

    http://www.heart-sounds.org

    or email frank(at)heart-sounds(dot)org. [As a means of preventing SPAM for our contributors, in the preceding email address, please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] Come along with us!

  5. TEACH ENGLISH WITH CONFIDENCE AND INTEGRITY — Invest three weeks in practical TESOL training and ensure that your teaching is effective and your ministry with students is enhanced. During Essentials of TESOL, July 9-27, 2007, at Biola University in southern California, you will: learn methods and techniques for teaching English language skills, be introduced to the sound and grammar systems of English, discover teaching materials, explore cultural issues, and learn appropriate ways of being a Christian teacher. You will also get supervised experience teaching non-native speakers. Non-credit tuition is only $525. (Credit is also available.) Dorm space is available. Visit

    http://www.biola.edu/sics/academics_tesol.cfm

    or contact kitty(dot)purgason(at)biola(dot)edu for an application. [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]

  6. “WRECKED” EZINE LAUNCHED — In affiliation with Adventures in Missions, a grassroots e-magazine has been launched and is in its second month. “Wrecked” primarily serves to reach out to and profile the stories and thoughts of young adults who are searching for meaning and action in their faith. You can visit the project at

    http://www.wreckedfortheordinary.com

  7. MAC USERS CAN ENCRYPT TOO — Thanks to our encryption volunteer who reminds us that MAC users can mimic a lot of TrueCrypt’s offerings on a Mac without any additional software by using Apple’s Disk Utility to create a virtual volume that can be encrypted with very good (AES128) technology. If anyone is interested in knowing how to do this, our anonymous volunteer has provided step-by-step instructions. Just go read this item at

    https://brigada.org/today/articles/mac-encryption.html

    By the way, most Mac experts do not recommend using Apple’s built-in FileVault, as it encrypts everything in the user’s home folder, including large media files.

  8. WANTED: PRAYER COORDINATORS & MOBLIIZERS — Interested in networking with other prayer coordinators or prayer mobilizers in mission organizations? If so, let Betty know at prayer(at)teamexpansion(dot)org [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .]
  9. NEEDED: BIBLE STUDIES RESOURCES IN KREYOL AND ENGLISH — Here’s a worker in Haiti serving all ages looking for bilingual sound Bible studies (English and “Kreyol”) especially for use with leadership training there. If you know where he can find something, write him asatalbot(at)juno(dot)com [As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding email address(es), please replace (at) with @ and (dot) with .] or read more about his mission at

    http:// www.MissionsofLove.org

  10. EMPOWER BRIGADA — Our hats go off to The Chapel in St. Joseph, MI for their recent gift of $100 to Brigada to encourage us onward. And Blessed Hope is still at it with a gift of $50 due to InPhonic phone commissions for Oct. – Dec. 2006 (Thanks for subscribing to them, Daniel!). Thanks Blessed Hope! To learn more about their great service and low rates, visit:

    http://www.lowermyphonebill.com/brigada

    Join others in spurring Brigada on to good works? Just click on “Sponsor/Donate” in the top menu (to use PayPal or a credit card), or if you prefer, send a check payable to Team Expansion to: Team Expansion (Brigada secretary), 13711 Willow Reed Dr., Louisville, KY 40299. (Team Expansion is a 501(c)3 incorporation so for USA citizens, your checks made out to Team Expansion are tax-deductible.) As always, be sure to let us know if you’d like us to promote any particular service or ministry, or if you’d prefer your gift be anonymous. And thank you in advance for helping.

  11. THE BACK-PAGE: MORE “COOL TOOLS” FOR CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY — We’ve been listing some fun and practical tools for cross-cultural ministry. These are items to which others have drawn attention as they’ve traveled with me abroad. Our first few tools dealt with jet lag and how to live with it — or perhaps even avoid it all together. But now let’s move on to some other “hacks” for the voyage:

    *** YOUR OWN MOSQUITO TENT (for malaria-infested areas) — Maybe this seems like overkill, but there’s something deeply secure about knowing that wherever you land to sleep, you’re covered. I recommend taking along something like the Epco Tropicscreen II. (Google it and the Campmor.com version will probably come up in the top 5 for about $70. Worth every penny of it. Completely enclosed.)

    *** AC ADAPTORS THAT DON’T REQUIRE CONVERTERS/TRANSFORMERS — Read the fine print on the AC Adaptor for your camcorder, laptop and/or digital camera. Odds are, if it’s less than 5 years old, you really don’t need an adaptor/transformer for it. (It’ll probably say something like 110- 240V.) Just get a “tip adaptor” to change the shape of the plug so it’ll properly plug in in your hotel room or host’s home.

    *** RENT OR BUY A “WORLDPHONE” FOR EMERGENCIES — If you need to stay connected, consider renting a cell phone and/or SIM card from the folks at Telestial.

    http://www.telestial.com/

    If you use a US-based cell network like I do (I like Sprint’s plans), you’ll have to pick up a cheap GSM phone on ebay. Ask Telestial for help. Then ask them for a SIM card that will connect to the cell network in your destination country. Odds are, the cost will be prohibitive for anything but emergencies or a daily 2′ check-in. But having the cell phone option will be a great sense of security.

    *** RENT A SATPHONE (for dangerous or “out back” areas) — If you’re unsure about relying on cell coverage for any reason, ask Telestial about them too. (See link above.) They might not be the cheapest, but they know their stuff. Again, the cost is prohibitive … unless you’re about to be kidnapped and you need to get a call out. Then the cost will be minimal. :-)

    *** RENT A SAT MODEM (when you absolutely have to have the Net) — If you’re not sure there will be good connectivity in your area and you simply *must* remain connected, consider a Thrane Sat Modem or its equivalent. Something like the Trane Explorer 500 (via the BGAN network) shouldn’t set you back more than $115/week. Granted, that’s too much for the typical instant messaging with your kids, perhaps. But if your office needs you to be in touch for a few emails each day, then it’s really not a terrible deal. You can connect at up to 128K via USB. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it. For an example, visit:

    http://www.satellitephonestore.com

    although that’s just one of many vendors you could research.

    More cool tools next time around…

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