A Missionary Life:
Rev. J. Wesley Day
China, Malaysia, Indonesia


Seniors explore world on Web (1998)

Class provides Internet access,

KAREN HAMERDORFER LANCEY, CORRESPONDENT

OCEAN GROVE - Since his missionary post in Indonesia 30 years ago, the Rev. J. Wesley Day's friends haven't seemed as close, as fast, as they do now.

"It's a new world," said Day, 88, referring to the speed at which he can write to friends in Indonesia via e-mail.

About three months ago, Day entered that new world. It is, Day said, a far cry from the old days.

When the Francis Asbury Manor resident was a Methodist missionary in Indonesia, news about a death in the family back in the States took nearly a week to reach him. Now, e-mail takes seconds to deliver, which means he and his friends halfway around the world can keep with their news without waiting.

Day recently learned how to email family and friends through a computer education program at his Stockton Avenue home.

"The computer class is a surprise and a delight," said Day, 88. "The challenge is to remember all I need to know in order to use it. I'm not a good computer man, but I love it for its communication possibilities."

In the "Seniors in Cyber Space Program," five volunteers are giving residents, ages 76 to 98, one-on-one computer lessons in how to send e-mail and gain access to the Internet.

A genealogy course has just begun and a program on graphics arts will soon kick in., "The fact that people can correspond with. their family is a popular incentive," said activities director Joanne, Goldberg. At present the computer lab has four terminals which were donated by residents' family Members. One computer is hooked up to the Internet. Sometime this summer, the facility will receive four new computers at a cost of approxmately $3,000. Two of the computers will be online.

Francis Asbury Manor residents can use the lab 24 hours a day. And if they encounter a computer related program when a teacher volunteer is not present, they can ask the receptionist, whois located next to the lab, to assist.

Laurie Loughney, administrator at Francis Asbury Manor, said the long-range goal is to open the computer lab to area senior citizens at no charge.

The administrator emphasized that a computer can serve as occupational therapy for stroke victims, people afflicted with Parkinson's disease, or those in, the early stages of dementia or cognitive decline.

"It's a life-enhancing program. The mind is a muscle; just like an arm or leg it needs to be exercised," said Loughney.

Ethel Gillespie, 85, said she can remember when telephones were considered a luxury rather than a necessity and a party line had nothing to do with, a crowded gettogether.

"I'm interested in learning the, lingo associated with computers When I hear a commercial say, 'Look for us on the Internet at www-dot something,' I don't know what they're talking about," she said.

"I want to know everything there is to know," said Lillian Thompson, 85, who has grown fond of playing solitaire and e-mailing a granddaughter in Willingboro. "If I can learn this, anyone can."

"It's fun seeing the residents learn how to e-mail, send a greeting card. The ultimate goal is to get them to eventually do these things on their own," said volunteer Phyllis Truran, Ocean Grove, who sometimes sends her new friends an e-mail as a surprise. Officials at Francis Asbury Manor credited Tech-Connections of Family Resources Associates, a non-profit group in Shrewsbury, with upgrading their current computers and assessing the needs of senior citizens. For example, because some seniors were having difficulity clicking the mouse button twice in succession, an augmented device will be added to some new computers.



Autobiography
The Call | Kalgan | War Years | Post-War China| The Communists | Malaya |
Palembang| Bandar Lampung | Medan | Retirement | Completion 2005
Home | Chronology | Sitemap | Guestbook.
Retirement 1975-2005
More on Retirement | 1975 Dunroven in Retirement | 1980 Indonesia, Malaya, China Trip|
1987 China and Indonesia Trip| Exploring Web | 1998 Medan Trip| Article about 1998 Medan Trip|


"A Missionary Life" © 1998-2005, J. Wesley Day, Jackson Day, Vivia Tatum. All Rights Reserved. Jackson Day, Webmaster

Updated April 17, 2006