Most of the international staff of Campus Crusade for Christ do not own a personal computer. Of those who do own one, most do not have internet access in their homes. For many of our staff, their office and connection to the world is a local internet café.

In an effort to improve the effective of our staff, our Global Technology Office developed a “Mobile Office.” This tool allows staff to use internet cafes, without the worry of not having programs they need.

They just need to plug in their Mobile Office drive, and work from it as if the computer they are renting is a terminal. All of the programs they need are stored on the password protected USB drive. The Mobile Office kit also contains a headset with microphone that allows our staff to use services like Skype to communicate with other staff around the world.

This summer, Jeff had the privilege of building 500 of these Mobile Offices for our staff in Latin America. It was a great way for Jeff to use his technical skills to help empower staff who are reaching millions of people in the Southern Hemisphere.

[Photo courtesy of Rob Williams ]

Barna did research on the book, The Da Vinci Code. I found several of his findings and comments interesting:

• Roughly 45 million Americans have read the book – 1 in every 5 which makes it the most widely read book with a spiritual theme other than the Bible
• Only 5% said that the book changed any of their beliefs or religious perspectives

“Before reading The Da Vinci Code people had a full complement of beliefs already in place, some firmly held and others loosely held,??? explained George Barna, the author of numerous books about faith and culture. “Upon reading the book, many people encountered information that confirmed what they already believed. Many readers found information that served to connect some of their beliefs in new ways. But few people changed their pre-existing beliefs because of what they read in the novel. And even fewer people approached the book with a truly open mind regarding the controversial matters in question, and emerged with a new theological perspective. The book generates controversy and discussions, but it has not revolutionized the way that Americans think about Jesus, the Church or the Bible.???

But what I also found interesting was this quote:

“On the other hand,??? the researcher continued, “any book that alters one or more theological views among two million people is not to be dismissed lightly. That’s more people than will change any of their beliefs as a result of exposure to the teaching offered at all of the nation’s Christian churches combined during a typical week.???