(Please read part 1 before this post or it won’t make sense)
A few years after the family photo I shared in part 1 of this post, we took another photo. This is the one we should have used in all of our family mission fundraising letters. Here’s why:
1. Missionary Mustache
It’s hard to see in this photo, but my dad is clearly crushing a beautiful missionary mustache now. Look at that thing. It’s perfect. In an instant it proclaims, “I’m going to go start a Baptist church in New England. We sure could use your support. But if you can’t financially give, your prayers would also be appreciated.”
2. No more tie
Gone is my dad’s tie. In it’s place, he’s wearing shorts that have paint on them. And he looks really skinny like instead of eating food he has just been eating the word of God. Brilliant. His clothes instantly say, “I’m working as hard as I can, but this mission is going to take the support of some very special people. People like you.”
3. Mom is happy but not lottery happy
Check out my mom. Is she happy? Without a doubt. Did she just win the lottery? Nope. And when I showed her the photo yesterday she said, “Notice how I am leaning against something. That makes it look like the burden was so heavy I couldn’t support myself.” At the time she just wanted to lean against a tree and clearly never meant to do that on purpose. But well done mom, well done indeed.
4. More kids
Now in addition to me, I’m the impossibly muscular child on the right, my parents have added two more. Good move, but the true genius is having all of us not completely dressed. Look at that masterpiece. I don’t have a shirt on. My brother Will is just in diapers and Bennett is rocking the Donald Duck look with a shirt and no pants. Awesome.
5. Grainy is good
This photo is hard to see but I think that is a good thing. If it looks like Annie Liebovitz took your photo in a studio you should go ahead and count on a lot less funds coming in. Make it grainy. Make it gritty. Make it a little blurry.
I hope that if I ever run into you on the mission field you won’t punch me in the mouth. Hopefully, you will have incorporated these tips and will be so happy that you will instead ask me to play Frisbee with you. That would be nice. I would like that.
p.s. Special thanks to Tara for getting Stuff Christians Like name dropped (a simple mention) in the culture section of USA Today.com. That was awesome
