Great Wall of China Travel Tips

After visiting the Great Wall of China, I decided it would be good to share some travel tops for those reading this that might be traveling there soon. While this list is not the greatest list of travel tips ever assembled, this list is made up of things I wish I would have known before I got there. Here are my tips:

1.     Wake up early and get there early – we waited until 8:30 to leave the hotel. It took about 90 minutes to travel to the Great Wall, and I feel like we wasted time unnecessarily. Had we left at 6:30 or 7:00, we would have made it back to the Forbidden City in time to make that tour in one day. 

2.     Take the gondola up – save your legs, it is the easiest way up.

3.     Head West (to the alternate ways down) once you get to the top.

4.     Wear comfortable shoes for walking, with ankle support if you need it... I wore decent shoes, but should have brought better shoes!

5.     Take drinks and snacks with you – It seemed a though we walked about 2-3 miles on rough terrain. They sell water and snacks, but if you like to save money, bring your own.

6.     Take the sled (slideway) down. This was really cool. It is a sled that you ride down. It has a handheld break, it goes as fast or as slow as you want, and is definitely a unique experience.

7.     Purchase souvenirs after you come down from the wall – vendors will hustle you on the way up, but there is no reason to waste your time on the way up (most people already know this)

8.     Bring $1 bills (US) – you can buy most everything for just a dollar. There is no need to exchange your money here, and your money will go further this way.

9.     Have fun – this is an incredible site to see, enjoy it and have fun with the experience. You will get tired, hot, and sweaty, so make sure you have fun seeing this site!

11 Helpful Tips for Mission Trips

I read this article today and found it helpful and interesting, so I am sharing an abbreviated form of it here. For the full article from the original source, click here for Jeremy Parks post.

1. Know the difference between Missions vs. Ministry: Ministry is about loving people. Missions is about loving people so that His kingdom might expand into the hearts and minds of people. Mission teams usually need to be about missions, not ministry.  

2. When in Rome, Eat as the Romans Eat: Eat what you are given, when you are given it. Never refuse, make faces, joke about, or make a big deal of what’s offered, it is typically their very best they have to offer. Eat like your grandmother was serving you your meal.  

3. Flexibility: You’ve go to go with the flow in regards to your schedule, job changes, tasks, and inconveniences… go along and get along.  

4. Just accept it: Don’t critique the choices that the missionaries make: food, shopping, clothing, schooling, driving, how they spend their money, how they educate their children.

 5. Don’t be high maintenance: Consider not going if you are diabetic or hypoglycemic, an extremely picky eater, if you must have air conditioning, or if you are a vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free eater… leave your diet at home too!  

6. Minister to the missionary: Financially, personally and vocationally, do whatever you can to encourage others. Remember that you could very well be the only American Christian they see and spend time with all year, always be a source of encouragement to them.  

7. Practice your testimony. Be able to share your story in 3-4 minutes.  

8. Learn the Language: Make an attempt to learn the basic of communication with nationals, whether through gestures common to the people or through some basics words, but do it without constantly asking the missionary.  

9. Partner: Unless you possess a special set of skills that is needed in a variety of locations, find a missionary, a strategy, and a people group with whom you can partner for a few years.  

10. Think: Show a willingness to use creativity and the wealth of resources we have in the United States in order to present high quality work and projects.  

11. Learn: Most missionaries are forced to use out of the box techniques for reaching people for Christ, pay attention to what they do and apply it to your work back home. Go with your cup empty, not full!

Dealing With Your Critics (2 of 2)

10 Tips for Dealing with Critics: 

1. Determine if it is Constructive or Destructive
2. See the critic, not criticism – some people mean to help
3. Guard your attitude – don’t let the beat-down beat you down
4. Check yourself (spiritually) – be angry and do not sin
5. Prove the critic wrong in time – this comes from my competitive nature
6. Concentrate on your mission – don’t get distracted from what God has called you to
7. Change your mistakes – if there is truth in the criticism
8. Find the truth in the criticism – Even if there is just a hint of truth, typically you can learn from anything
9. Own your mistakes – don’t ever blame others or pass it off on others, own whatever mistake you made and apologize for them
10. Thank whomever criticizes you – if they meant well, you will affirm them; if they were being a jerk, you can kill em' with kindness

5 Tips for Buying A Used Car

It is a well-known fact to some, that I love searching for cars, although my time with this hobby is over for now! If you are looking for a used car, avoid the following mistakes. The best tip I can give you though is to ditch Kelly Blue Book altogether, it is outdated and I have found it to be worthless in buying a car, use the industry standard NADA!  

Mistake #1 – Not checking the vehicle history report This is a no-brainer when buying privately or from a dealer. You want to make sure the vehicle has never been in an accident, a hurricane, had the odometer rolled back, or was a rental unit! A lease return is ideal! There are two vehicle history reports available: Carfax.com and AutoCheck.com.

Mistake #2 – Not checking the vehicle inspection report Simply ask to see the mechanic’s inspection report on the vehicle you want to purchase.

Mistake #3 – Ignoring fuel consumption It’s more difficult to ignore a vehicle’s EPA fuel mileage rating when gas prices are at $4 per gallon. The best place to research fuel consumption is a user-friendly, government website: FuelEconomy.gov.  

Mistake #4 – Ignoring certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles You’ll pay a bit more for a certified pre-owned vehicle, but those benefits won’t diminish if you make a great deal on the selling price.  

Mistake #5 – Don’t comparison shop The Internet has changed how new and used cars are bought and sold, there are now ample tools online to comparison shop. Ignore Kelly Blue Book, just use NADA.com for pricing, then check sites such as Craigslist.org or Cars.com to see how similar vehicles are priced. Most of this was taken from yahoo, click here for the entire article.