About Jonathan Parsons

Jonathan thinks and writes about practical aspects of missionary service to help train and equip missionaries to fulfill the Great Commission. Jonathan ministered in East Africa with the International Mission Board. He now serves in the International Ministries office at the headquarters of Word of Life Fellowship coordinating logistical and administrative matters. He and his wife Amy live in the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York.

PayPal Overseas Fees

How much does PayPal charge to send funds from the US to Kenya, you might ask.  PayPal, the online money transfer service, charges two fees.  First, they access a fee on funds withdrawn to a to non-US account.  Second, they access another fee on funds received in different currencies.  See the fees for each country on the pages linked below.

External Hard Drives

Do you use an external hard drive to back up your computer data?  An external hard drive is an easy and affordable way to backup your documents, pictures, music, and other computer data in case your hard drive crashes.  A external hard drive is simply a hard disk, like the one in your computer, inside of a small case with a cable (usually USB) that allows it to attach to your computer.  The larger ones are a 3.5 inch drives like the ones used in desktop computers, while the smaller ones are a 2.5 inch drives like the ones used in laptops.  The larger ones give you the best capacity for the price.  The smaller ones are more convenient to carry and, in a pinch, could be installed in your laptop computer if your internal hard drive crashes and a new one is not readily available.  The One-Touch series from Maxtor is simple and affordable.  You can set it to backup your files when you press a button, or automatically on a schedule (each night at 3am).  Make sure you choose USB 2.0 for faster speed.  If your only desire is to backup your computer, you only need an external hard drive with the capacity (GBs) of your computer’s internal hard drive.  These may be purchased online (TigerDirect, Amazon, eBay) or in stores (BestBuy, Office Max, Staples, etc…).  Prices range from $50 to $150 for common models, depending on capacity (GBs) and size (3.5 or 2.5).  Currently a 3.5 inch 320GB is $80 and a 1TB (or 1,000GB) is $150.   Watch for sales as prices are falling in and the capacities are increasing.

Google Pack

I remember when I used to compile a list of the essential freeware to install on a new computer.  Now it is much simpler thanks to Google.  Google Pack is a bundle of quality freeware that may be downloaded easily at pack.google.com.  Google Pack includes: Adobe Reader, Firefox with Google Toolbar, Google Earth, Google Desktop, Google Photos Screensaver, Google Talk, Google Toolbar for IE, Norton Security Scan, Picasa, RealPlayer, Skype and StarOffice.

Carrying a Spare Tire

Do you drive a vehicle with a spare tire on the back door?  If you regularly drive on rough roads you will notice that it will often begin to damage the back door.  Cracks will develop, the back door will become loose, and make a lot of noise.  The rear door is simply not equipped for this weight on this terrain.  The solution is to put the tire on the roof rack.  Here is a way to mount it on top.  This will require some welding.  You will need a large bolt and nut, some rod, a steel sheet, and some small nuts and bolts.

  1. Start with a 3mm piece of steel, about 1 foot x 1 foot.
  2. Drill a hole in the middle, the size of the bolt – 1 inch.
  3. Weld nut on the bottom of the piece of steel.
  4. Drill small holes around the perimeter of the steel place.
  5. Use small nuts and bolts to fasten the newly fashioned base plate to your existing roof rack.
  6. Drill a 1 inch hole in another piece of 3mm steel, about 4 inches x 8 inches.
  7. Weld a piece of a bolt or 3/8 rod to the bottom of this piece (1/2 inch long).  It will go in one of the small holes of the wheel to help secure the tire in place.
  8. Weld a handle fashioned from rod to the top of the bolt, for easy removal.
  9. Weld a link of a chain or a circle of a rod to the top of the plate about an inch from the hole.  This is to use a padlock to lock the tire in place.

    

    

Hushmail

Did you know that sending an email is much like sending a postcard?  It can be read my many people other that the intended recipient.  Do you want to send private email?  There are a few things you can do to become more secure like using SSL or a VPN, but only encryption is fail-safe.  Unfortunately, many users find it difficult to use PGP-style encryption.  Hushmail offers the PGP level of encryption in a easy-to-use webmail format.  While limited and relatively featureless, it is one of the easiest ways to send a secure email.  You can even send a secure email without creating a Hushmail account.

Power Protection Products

What devices should you use to protect valuable electronic equipment from potential power problems?  You will need different products depending on what you need to do.  Do you need to convert 220 volts to 110, or just adapt the outlet?  Do you need to shut the power off when the voltage fluctuates or regulate it to ensure a constant 220?  When thinking of surge protectors, don’t forget to protect your devices from surges coming through phone or ethernet cables.  More about power problems.  View as a PDF.

Surge Protector

Stops power surges; this in-line model also protects telephone connections; attaches to laptop power supply with velcro; multi-voltage

Power Strip

Stops power surges and multiplies outlets; they are either 110 or 220

Travel Adapter

Allows your device to plug into the outlet

High Voltage Guard

(similar to Fridgeguard)
Turns off power if mains are above or below 220; unnecessary if you have a regulator

Step Down Transformer

Converts 220 to 110

Step Up/Down Transformer

Converts 220 to 110 and
converts 110 to 220

Voltage Regulator

Maintains a constant 220; some regulators include a transformer

Uninterruptable Power Supply

Powers your equipment for a few moments to provide time for a proper shutdown

Google Desktop

Have you ever lost an email, document, spreadsheet or other file… on your own computer?  Do you wish you could search your whole computer as easy as you can search the internet?  Google Desktop allows you to do precisely this.  It indexes your emails (Outlook, Outlook Express, Gmail, Thunderbird), documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, text files, instant messaging chats (AIM, MSN, Google Talk), and internet browsing history (Internet Explorer, Firefox).  With Google Desktop, you can stop filing and start searching.

Airport Security Screening and What You Can Bring

Have you wondered what you can carry on you next flight and what needs to be in checked luggage.  The Transportation Security Administration has a helpful website.  Dowload the PDF brochure Prepare for Takeoff.