Missionaries and iPad minis...What's the impact?


mattador
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I would hope that the process of having good scripture notes on a digital platform would start during Seminary.  The process of transferring all those notes from paper scriptures, into their digital scriptures for ongoing reference, would be tedious.

 

In addition, it is an additional expense for the missionary, but there will be ways to 'subsidize' the purchase if needed - just like bicycles.  

 

I just hope that the missionary can "unlock" the device after it was specifically programmed, so they can use it with the regular apps after they get home from their missionary service.

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Our missionaries use it.  Have you seen the new lds.org Stake/Ward website?  It is super duper amazing and we use it a lot in our ward missionary program - the map alone has helped our full-time missionaries in identifying and finding inactive families.

 

Also, there are lots of duplicate/triplicate reporting processes by the full-time missionaries that have been eliminated because of the ipad.

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I guess that will be another item on the list of things missionaries will need for their missions.

 

 

Any chance that they could use another preferred platform ...android...windows 8...linux....

Probably not..

 

 

The ipads our missionaries use are the Mission Office's ipads, not their own.  They get passed during transfers together with their cellphones and cars.

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"The missionaries will be asked to buy their pre-configured iPad minis"

 

 

They get passed during transfers together with their cellphones and cars.

 

 

I'm guessing that might change if it is bought by the missionaries themselves rather than as a local supply.

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I'm guessing that might change if it is bought by the missionaries themselves rather than as a local supply.

 

Oooh... then they are opening this up to all mission areas!  Sorry, I didn't read the article.  Eeek.  Our mission office got the ipads when there were only a select few mission areas that were allowed to have it.

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The ipads our missionaries use are the Mission Office's ipads, not their own.  They get passed during transfers together with their cellphones and cars.

Keep in mind your area is a pilot area for these devices.....this does not mean when it goes world wide that all missions will provide all missionaries with iPads.

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By 2015, 32K more missionaries will have ipads.  The $400 cost will be covered by the missionaries and they of course take them home with them.  This will be missionaries that come from developed countries.

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I think the impact it has will be exactly what the Church is hoping for...the look of a modern professional. In today's technological world, flip charts just look silly.

 

I'm sure the Church has lofty ideas of how this could grow into something amazing, but if the development of content for the missionaries is anything like the development of content for lds.org, I'll be underwhelmed.  

 

That said, I think image is important in selling a message, so I'm not opposed to the addition.  Essentially, missionaries will now be paying for a 25 month mission

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I wonder what the rules regarding the iPads will be. Will the missionaries be allowed to install other apps that may help them in their work?

 

I could see it being extremely helpful for foreign language speaking missionaries to get software/audio to help them better their language skills. It would probably be heavily restricted I'm guessing.

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I wonder what the rules regarding the iPads will be. Will the missionaries be allowed to install other apps that may help them in their work?

 

I could see it being extremely helpful for foreign language speaking missionaries to get software/audio to help them better their language skills. It would probably be heavily restricted I'm guessing.

I'd imagine most Ipad usage rules will be set by mission and mission pres.

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Every pair of missionaries locally seems to be using them now and I would say they seem to have beneficial and simplified quite a bit for them. I know they keep a wealth of information on the tablets so they can fall back on information at a moments notice rather than waiting to get back to their area book to make calls. I've spoken with quite a few about their thoughts on it and they've all been very grateful to have this additional tool to aid them in spreading the gospel. This also allows them to use Facebook to reach out to potentially new investigators, pretty nifty.

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I was talking with our missionaries about this today. They told me their Mission President isn't looking forward to the devices.

 

Did they say why?

 

This kinda reminds me of my Dad who retired at age 49 because they replaced his secretary with a computer.

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Another $400 on top of the costs of a mission, doesn't seem very fair on poor families to me. The church could easily cover the cost of these or choose a cheaper tablet

 

When I went on my mission, you could get a good bike for about $300 (my memory has aged, but I do recall it being a couple hundred). When you arrived, you also could borrow a "mission bike" - one that was donated by a departing missionary to be loaned out or used for parts. Additionally, a number of missionaries could buy a bike for half price or less from a departing missionary.

 

If I recall correctly, I didn't buy a bike until I was 2 months into my mission, so I was able to use some of my stipend to pay for it. I imagine the same thing could be done here. You'll have a senior companion who already has a tablet. So you can save until you're the senior companion and purchase one then. (remember what you're saving is from your stipend, which doesn't dip into your home savings).

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Another $400 on top of the costs of a mission, doesn't seem very fair on poor families to me. The church could easily cover the cost of these or choose a cheaper tablet

 

You can get iPad Mini's for under $200 now.

 

But even then, the Church has never said nor will they ever say - you can't serve a mission because you don't have an iPad...

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Or the church could just provide mission presidents with the cash to buy the tablets they will get a discount on multi buts and they lend them to the missionaries and charge for missuse or careless damage

 

You're all speaking as 'rich' westerners only $200 is a massive amount for a poor family. No they haven't but the expectation will probably be there.

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Or the church could just provide mission presidents with the cash to buy the tablets they will get a discount on multi buts and they lend them to the missionaries and charge for missuse or careless damage

 

You're all speaking as 'rich' westerners only $200 is a massive amount for a poor family. No they haven't but the expectation will probably be there.

 

I did not say $200 was ONLY, nor did I say it was cheap.  I was simply telling you that iPad Minis are not $400 anymore.

 

And you like to apply generalizations.  There is no expectation for missionaries worldwide to provide their own bikes.  Nor is there expectation for missionaries worldwide to provide their own ANYTHING.  If you can't afford food or living expenses, you are to go to your bishop and seek assistance.  It will not prevent you from serving if you have done your best to prepare for a mission.  It simply means that the missionary may have to do some legwork in seeking assistance from the ward/stake/church, etc.  Of course, if you had the money to pay for your own mission but you went and spent it on a brand new Xbox with 100 games... the bishop might not allow you to serve until you've saved up some money... but this is not because you are required to have money.  This is because you are to develop a strong testimony of the importance of missionary work.

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Thanks for the education. Anyway it isn't really the point it is an expense essential or not that the missionaries don't need on top of everything.

 

Moving on from the cost. I can imagine these being misused the temptation will be great especially when the missionary is home sick and low to just pop on facebook or face timme. Also it would be very easy for them to be taken places where the missionary can be alone. Not saying they shouldn't have them just how will things like these be monitored. Also missionaries visiting poorer countries walking about with high end gadgets might as well put a beacon out for theievs

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