1) Multimedia and photography: As you know, every mission agency needs personnel in the field of communications and publicity. They need to let people know what they are doing and they need to attract candidates for their activities. Most publish a magazine with some frequency. Thus they send people like yourselves to visit places of ministry to take photos, interview people, and write up stories. At a place like the Urbana Student Mission Convention (Dec 2003) you could have the opportunity of contacting personally literally hundreds of agencies in one week!

More and more national churches, institutions, and agencies need the same kind of help. This requires the presence of patient, sensitive, and skillful artists who are willing to enter into the culture, learn the language, and then teach able young visionaries to translate their ideas into print and images. More and more national groups are publishing and even producing TV. programs. One skill the North American would need is to help nationals in emerging countries do good work with meager resources, including aging equipment.

Let me pass on some addresses for you. Eric Miller, founder of InterVarsity's Twentyonehundred, has a lifetime of experience in multimedia and photography all over the world. At the present time he lives in Nairobi, Kenya. (emiller@maf.org). Closer to home, Eric Vess, founder of Videovision (vidvisn@aol.com) (www.moreinformation.net/video) works out of Lynchburg, VA, but has traveled extensively worldwide making videos for missions and churches.

Overseas, you might like to contact HCJB, in Quito, Ecuador, the pioneers of missionary radio and television (www.hcjb.org).

2) Mission work in the U.S.A. has many options. Churches, young peoples' societies, agencies that work with indigenous peoples, students, athletes, etc., all need help with multimedia. Most of these agencies have work (things to do) but not employment (have no money for salaries). Therefore, one has to raise support from friends and churches -- which is another subject all in itself!

I'm not sure if I am scratching where you are itching, but at least here are some ideas you can begin to work on.

May the Lord guide you as you use your skills for Him.

Jack