To Read or Not to

     Newsletter Updates - For a missionary this can be equated to an end of semester term paper hanging over your heard, yearly taxes, etc.   Sometimes we are excited to share what is going on and other times dreading the writing, proofing, getting pictures that fit the text to match.

    Besides family and visitors to us, it often happens we don't see our supporters except an every 3 year rotation.  This past year at a church we were introduced as missionaries from Jamaica - wrong country!  And then at another church we were introduced as missionaries from Haiti at an elementary school, yes- that was correct 5 years ago we were!  Both of these churches are faithful monthly givers and have only seen us but a few times over the last 10 years, so we hope that our newsletters are a way to keep them connected to the work. We are so grateful for their help and want them to know how their partnership continues to help.

     So after 10 years of writing them monthly and quarterly here are some thoughts we have discovered from them:

- It takes time, thoughts of trying to prepare something that has not been said in the 540 previous ones we have sent out over the years.  We try and think of something original and interesting.

- There is always another one going to be due:)  Even when you breathe a sigh of relief you just finished one.  The next one is around the corner.

- The balance of figuring out if we put too much family news in a whole mission newsletter as opposed to all the news of the mission- with none of our personal family life.

-Because 400 on our list are still mailed and we have those costs of printing and postage, we went from monthly to quarterly newsletters.  Yet, in between  those times we get about 40 requests asking when our next newsletter is coming out.   It shows our life, successes, prayers, joys- and after sending out over 1,600 copies that people have signed up for and asked for- we typically get about  only 8 responses back.  It is definetly not that we want to guilt people into reading, but also want to send something that people want to read.

- In a group of missionary friends, we talked about this one day.  One said her average response was 1 response a newsletter after sending to over 600 people!  Another said after sending out their newsletter the head elder at their church asked to be taken off their mailing list- here is the guy who helps decide how much support goes to them and yet does not want to receive their updates?  This is the person who should be the main contact encouraging them and instead would rather write a check but not hear of their work and progress and what to pray for!

- After we send out a newsletter we typically $400 extra is given from someone who received it.  When we are back on furlough- so many ask us questions on things we have written about and wanting more updates.  So, in a day and age when so much is going on,  we have found so many are praying- you just may not know that instant!

      We'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts on this topic!  Let us know if you read newsletters, what you like to see in them, or other ways to get communication?  We'd love to know how to encourage others through them.