Hey! This is Bedouins International’s new intern, Melynda Sides. I’m a mass communications major at the University of Montevallo and I’m excited about the chance to help out around the office this fall! I’ll be working with Jessi on some of Bedouins’ social networking sites, the monthly newsletter, and fundraisers so that you can stay up-to-date with what’s going on around here.

I first heard about Bedouins International when Stephen spoke at a church near my university. His story of how he and a few friends combined their skills and interests with global missions intrigued me, and I knew I wanted to be a part of this movement.

As a missionary kid who has grown up in a couple parts of Asia (Macau and Taiwan), I have seen first-hand how important it is to connect missionaries and their organizations to the network of people who support them. Bedouins International is filling a desperate need for more professional, easy-to-use media for people who don’t have the time or resources to produce high-quality websites, documentaries, or photographs. I love that there are people willing to donate their skills and time to do this, and I love that I get to hang out with those people and work alongside of them this semester!

Some thoughts on the media…

There’s no question that media is constantly shaping, editing, representing, and re-shaping our world. Just think about all of the ways it has changed our culture in the past decade! Media exists because people have something to say, and need a way to express it. From cavemen drawings to the latest Facebook photo album, humans have used media to share a story with each other.

Media has the ability to span social, geographical, and cultural divides. Because of media, friends on opposite sides of the planet can laugh at the same Youtube video. People can have an entire conversation consisting only of movie quotes. Artists, musicians, and writers can connect with their fans. Businesses begin, families stay in touch, and an entire entertainment industry exists because of media.

The growing power of the media comes from both the individual message (a photograph, blog, news story) and the amount of people who receive it. In the words of Uncle Ben to Peter Parker in Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Bedouins International is doing its part to be responsible with the powerful tools of media. I’m excited about catching their vision, and I hope it spreads to you!

and extra hands, extra eyes, extra feet, etc. sometimes it seems like there is just too much to do and not nearly enough body parts to oblige. you know what i mean?

and so it gives me great joy to introduce chelsea, a public relations major at lee university in cleveland, tn who will be interning with us this summer. chelsea e-mailed us a couple of months back and told us that she was looking for an internship during which she could expand her skills in public relations and art. we met with her and talked with her a few times and decided that she would be a great asset to bedouins. we are really looking forward to working with her and getting some fresh ideas on marketing, fundraising and pr in general.

yay for extra body parts!

“i came across a flier for your organization one day while sitting in a coffee shop downtown, and fell in love with your cause. my freshman year of college my eyes were opened to the need for humanitarian aid and i decided to spend a
month working in orphanages, churches and schools in nairobi, kenya. it was there that i truly learned that my heart was geared towards nonprofit public relations. however, i have always loved art… i love that your organization combines both art and heart.”

-chelsea goins, public relations and development intern, bedouins international

woot.