Internet Savvy?

Have you noticed how so much of life now revolves around the internet nowadays? Are you internet savvy? It's so accessible, although admittedly less so in parts of small town America ... even than in the 'wilds' of Africa!!! With laptops, tablets, smart phones it seems to be anywhere and everywhere ... right at your fingertips. With the click of a button you can find out how to make a recipe or remove a stain, get directions somewhere, download music and books, find out facts that you would have had to look up in an encyclopedia 20 years ago, keep in touch with friends, check the weather forecast, book flights .. the list really is endless! 

We have friends who are in their 90's now but in their 'prime' they were missionaries in the Congo. The journey to get there took 6 months by boat and then a letter to tell the family they had arrived safely took another 6 months to make the return journey. Imagine being the family back at home ... and not hearing anything for a whole year and knowing that when the news did arrive it was way out-of-date already.

We are doing the mission thing at a time where we can let family and friends know instantly that we have arrived safely and even post photos of where we are and what it's like straight away too. The internet has certainly changed the way things happen! With this blog and our family blog we are able to keep our family, friends and supporters up-to-date regularly. It means family and friends can see what we're up to even though we're not part of their day-to-day lives, as much as I know they would like and helps supporters get a feel of what life is like for us and pray more specifically.

Recently I also started a Facebook Page for Beckwith's Big Adventure to enable more instant and accessible updates for those who want them ... and for us not to get too out of touch with the way a lot of things are done today internet-wise as well!! In the first week we already reached 50 'Likes' which is great. If you're on Facebook and want up-to-date information about us as a family and our mission antics, find it and 'Like' it!

Many of my good friends have also embraced the internet in ways that we would never have imagined even 10 years ago. For example here in Coshocton, one friend has set up a photography business via Facebook, Beloved Images and another has a website, Cayton Heath Photography (you could even spot some photos of us on the 'Family Page' of that website, including the one above!!). Another really good friend, with her husband and another couple, have set up Ink Robin and make storybook apps for kids. It's really fun and Abigail loves the 'Will and Kate' one! Yet another friend from the UK, used some redundancy money, moved to France and set up her own internet business Writer's Block Admin Services with loads of online services including Ebook formatting which is keeping her really busy. It might sound a bit lame but I'm really proud of them!

The internet really does blow my mind sometimes and I would love to know what I'm doing more than I do (I know that some of you think that what I do is loads already ... but I honestly consider myself as a beginner!) I dream of being able to design websites (yes, really!!) both from my own creative mind-set but also to maybe help out smaller businesses or teach web design when we're in Tanzania and beyond ... which I'm guessing would be really beneficial for everyone in the current internet dominated world!!