The iPhone 6 has been out now for many months. I’ve still got an iPhone 5. Actually, I’ve also still got an iPhone 4, sitting in a drawer at the house, totally unused.
Once your contract expires and you upgrade to the latest-and-greatest, what to do with that old phone? I gave one to my mother, once. People hand them down to the kids, often stripped of telephony services, as a platform to play Jetpack Joyride.
Here’s another option for you: Donate it to missionaries and help spread the good news about Jesus to the world.
The Terms
I need to come up with at least six iPhone 5s by the time of the SBC Annual Meeting in Columbus, OH. At that meeting I’m going to hand them off to an IMB missionary who is going to use them in a team’s work. Oh, yeah, and I need you to unlock them and they can’t be Verizon or Sprint phones (because they have to be GSM phones rather than CDMA phones). I’ll anticipate a few of your questions:
| I’ve got an iPhone 4. Will that work? | I’d like to collect iPhone 5s, not 4s or earlier. Why? Haven’t the missionaries heard the old adage, “Beggars can’t be choosers?” Actually, there’s a good reason. The work that the missionaries are going to be doing with these phones requires attaching peripherals to them. When they released the iPhone 5, Apple changed from the dock connector to the lightning connector interface. To simplify matters (and simplification matters when you’re far off the beaten path), I’d like all of the accessories to be interchangeable. That’s not possible with a mix of iPhone 5s and iPhone 4s. So, I’m looking exclusively for iPhone 5s. |
| How do I “unlock” my phone? | If your contract has expired (usually after you’ve had it for two years), you have the right to unlock your phone. Unlocking your phone means getting your phone company to give your phone permission to be used with another phone company’s network. To unlock an AT&T iPhone, visit this link and fill out the required information, most of which is available in the Settings app on your phone. I’m sure that T-Mobile has a similar procedure. Your phone will be useless overseas if you do not unlock it. |
| What are they going to do with my phone? | Mostly, figure out where they are. The GPS features of your iPhone, especially when augmented by third-party peripherals, make for a pretty powerful location-determining, location-saving device. From trying to map the boundaries of people groups to trying to save the locations of church meeting places, knowing and recording where you have been is a pretty significant recurring need for missionaries. |
| Why don’t they just buy a Garmin? | Many of them already have some sort of a handheld GPS unit, but with a new wave of young missionaries hitting the beachheads, the IMB is starting to have some missionaries with significant coding skills. They’re writing apps to help them with their tasks and to make them more efficient. An iPhone is a programmable platform. Yes, Garmin has an SDK (Software Development Kit), but an iPhone is a better platform for app development. |
So, I’m counting on you guys. When’s the last time you had a chance to take something sitting idle around your house and use it to make a real difference in fulfilling the Great Commission? Who’s in?
When Bart and I were in Senegal, he used his iPhone, even when the less-than-spotty service we had, to navigate our way through trails and paths where other mapping services just don’t go.
Of course, there was the time that he tried to sell me to the rebels, but that is a different matter entirely. I’ve worked through that and am no longer bitter. We found our way back to Nyassia safe and sound.
I’m guessing that we can come up with at least 6, maybe more people who want to “invest” some old technology they’ve replaced in the work of our IMB missionaries.
I still use a flip phone, but I posted this article on my Facebook page. Will let you know if I come up with one.
I took you for one of those latest-technology, young-whippersnapper types.
Yeah, I am afraid technology is passing me by faster than most. I don’t get cell phone service in Drakes Branch and spend the vast majority of my time here. So I have a $30 a month straight talk phone that allows me to make calls when I am away.
The towers haven’t come to Drakes yet? Well, that makes sense.
As a missionary in Mexico, I can attest that this is a VERY worthy cause! Missionaries use their phones (ones that would be considered ‘old’ by many in the States) to carry electronic translations of the Bible in their pocket, as GPS/maps when they’re in unfamiliar terrain, as stereos for sharing Christian music or messages with people, as dictionaries or translators when they just can’t remember how something is said in the native language, as photo albums in order to help them share their lives with the people they’re talking with, and to document with photos and video the ministry they’re doing for those who are supporting them back home. Also, many times having a reliable phone will be the difference between being secure and safe, and being in a dangerous situation. Though I’m not IMB, I thank you Bart and all who will give for helping missionaries in this very tangible way. God bless!
Yes, Bart. Thank you! While iPhones are available in many overseas countries, the majority of IMB personnel use pre-paid plans instead of post-paid (contract) plans and wouldn’t get the benefit of a severely discounted (because of the contract) phone. And with or without a contract, electronics typically cost quite a bit more overseas than in the United States (though there may be some countries in East Asia excepted).
That iPhone 5 or 5s sitting in a drawer in the United States would be a HUGE blessing to a brother or sister on the field.
This may actually redeem the entire Apple Cult!!!
A little off topic for the post purpose and the phone purpose, but please keep in mind that you can stream or play the JESUS film on these devices in hundreds of the worlds’ languages, also. It is totally free.
Bart mentioned something like that in the piece.
I honestly hope people will get behind this idea!!
I missed that.
Let me clear up a little something. The iPhone 5s has a GPS chip inside that allows location services without a cellular signal. Which would be a handy feature to have in very remote places. 5c and below have to have a cellular signal for location purposes. You can also jailbreak a phone that is outta contract too. Youtube has great tutorials on it. Great idea.
Bart, when I read your title, “Make Your Old Phone Useful Again,” I was thinking rotary until I read your post. But that’s just me…
Hope you are successful in your collection endeavor.
Sometimes I wish I could award cash prizes for comments.
🙂
YES! Finally someone mentioned this topic. I am an M with the board (hence the initials) and I have wanted to ask for old phones, but always felt awkward. We have lived in B-urma for the past eight years and only within the past year or two have cell phones been of use. I could use them for communication with partners, and my partner could use the cameras and video capabilities. If anyone would be willing to donate old ones we are on stateside assignment now and return to the field July 11th, so we could take them with us. Thanks Bart for thinking mentioning this topic!