Tag Archive for 'africa'

Magic Jack - Update

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on November 14, 2008
in Joe, Mac and Stuff
. 1 Comment

www.magicjack.com

So, I have now had my Magic Jack for 6 months and I have to say that I am very impressed with this little gadget.  Everything that the website has said about this gadget has been the truth.  So, what can you do with this Magic Jack?

1.  Get rid of your expensive phone bill!  As long as you have fast enough Internet access, the Magic Jack will work.  I was in DR Congo, Africa and we were using satellite for Internet, when it was up.  The speed was not fast at all, maybe around 128k or so.  The Magic Jack worked!  Yes, in the middle of no where in Africa!  So, if you can get out of your home phone bill, do it and get one of these.  Again, it cost me $50 for the first YEAR and then $20 dollars every YEAR after.  Yes, YEAR…not month.

2.  If you travel outside of the U.S., this is for you!  I bought a second Magic Jack and left it in Africa so they could call back to the U.S.  It does not matter where you are in the world, you can call back to the US, and I believe Canada, for that small yearly price.  Oh, and you do have to have internet access.  I you know of a missionary, this would be something so awesome to give to them.

I have a cousin that her and her husband are in Italy.  He is in the Navy and is stationed over there.  I told my aunt about the Magic Jack, so she bought one for them.  They will not need to get phone service while they are in Italy.  As long as they have internet access, they will be able to use this and call back home.

I also have a buddy of mine that is teaching a class for my company over in Germany.  He bought a Magic Jack so I told him he needed to bring it with him to Germany and use it.  He told me that AT&T cell phone service for him over in Germany would be .99 cents a minute.  WOW!  So he brought his Magic Jack and is making free calls back home.

My daughter is getting to that age where she likes to get on the phone, and stay on it.  Instead of getting an additional phone line from TWC, I am going to get another Magic Jack and connect it to her computer.  Then she will have her own phone and it will not tie up the home phone.  Plus, it will save me a lot of money each month.

With all that said, I do not work for Magic Jack.  I have never met Magic, or Jack.  I got it because I was tired of paying my $30 - $40 dollar a month phone bill.  I saw the commercial and thought, you know what, for $50 dollars, why not try it.  I did and I have been so impressed.  The I got a second one for the DR Congo, Africa mission trip I went on and that was truley a gift from God.

So, if you have any questions about this, post a comment and I will answer your question.  I get so many “hits” on this blog site every day from people that are searching for Magic Jack, and if it really work. YES, it does, and again, if you have questions, post a comment and I will answer them.

A Present from Cedrick in DR Congo

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on October 31, 2008
in Joe and Mission Trip
. 0 Comments

I got this present the other day from my friend Cedrick.  He lives in Mulungwishi, DR Congo.  This dude is awesome!  He has a big passion for Information Technology, but an even bigger passion for God.

From Africa Gift

Here is a picture of me and Cedrick.

From DR Congo Africa - Joe Barnes 2

New DR Congo, Africa Pics from George

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on September 29, 2008
in Mission Trip
. 2 Comments

George Etheredge and a team went to Mulungwishi, DR Congo, Africa around the first of Semptember.  They went to the same place I went to on my mission trip.  Here are links to the pictures he took.

Boys’ Orphanage at Lubumbashi

Trip to Mulungwishi from Lubumbashi

UMC sewing center in Lubumbashi

Mulungwishi Station, D.R. Congo

The Mission Trip Team

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on July 16, 2008
in Mission Trip
. 0 Comments

Here is a photo of our mission trip team that went to Mulungwishi, DR Congo, Africa.

The Connection Church in Africa

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on July 16, 2008
in Faith and Mission Trip
. 1 Comment

This is a picture of me and my new friend Cedrick. Notice the Connection Church shirt he is wearing! Cedrick is the seminary’s IT guru. The room we are in is the computer lab. The computer lab was not operational while we were there because we had no electricity.

Mulungwishi, DR Congo Misson Trip

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on July 9, 2008
in Mission Trip
. 0 Comments

I got most of the pictures up on my Google album.  I still have pictures that I need to take off my iPhone and upload.  My Google album has the pictures from most of the team that went on the mission trip.  I am still waiting on two of the other team members that I am getting pictures from.

DR Congo Africa Photos

Mulungwishi, DR Congo Misson Trip

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on July 5, 2008
in Mission Trip
. 2 Comments

I made it back home yesterday evening safe and sound.  It is so good to be back home.  I actually got to take a hot shower…it felt so wonderful.  Melanie and I went to Whataburger for supper and let me tell you, a hamburger never tasted so wonderful!  I was so happy to see the kids again, I thought my heart was going to explode when they ran up to me.  I will be posting a lot more about the mission trip.  There is so much to tell.  I took around 1000 pictures, plus with the pictures I got from the team, we have around 2000 total.  Plus we got some digital video.  It will take some time to upload everything, but I will start to post pictures in a couple of days.  I have so many emotions going on in me right now.  I am so happy to be home, but yet my heart is broken because I could not do more.

God Bless Your Day!

DR Congo, Africa Mission Trip June 19 - July 4 - Update June 18th

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on June 18, 2008
in Mission Trip
. 5 Comments

Well, I am heading off tomorrow for Africa.  Please be praying for me, and our Mission Team, excpecially during my fights.  My back does not do too well when I travel and am on long flights.  Here is my flight schedule:

Leave Austin 6:19am to Chicago 9:00am (06-19)
Leave Chicago 3:46pm (06-19) to London  5:55am (06-20)
Leave London 8:00pm (06-20) to Nairobi 6:30am (06-21)
Leave Nairobi 8:05am to Lubumbashi 12:20pm (06-21)
Leave Lumbumbashi ??? to Mulungwishi ???  all I can tell you is this will be around 120 mile drive on a dirt road.  (I might be off on this, it might be around 84 miles)  I get car sick if I’m not in front or driving…so hopefully this goes well.

I don’t know how often I will be able to post while I am gone, but I will try.  God Bless!

DR Congo, Africa Mission Trip June 19 - July 4 - Update June 9th

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on June 9, 2008
in Mission Trip
. 0 Comments

10 more days until I leave.  I am excited and nervous all at the same time.  There is so much to do and so little time to do it in.  I was looking at the weather conditions where I will be and found this website.  It doesn’t look too bad, but take this into consideration:  there is no air conditioning or heating in the buildings, and from what I found out today, no running hot water.  I was told I needed to try and get some type of heating bag, 2 gallons, to take so I can at least take a warm “shower”.  All I have to say is I will be having flash backs from when I was in the Marine Corps!!!  Yikes!!!

DR Congo, Africa Mission Trip June 19 - July 4 - Update May 30th

Published
by
Joe Barnes
on May 30, 2008
in Mission Trip
. 0 Comments

Melanie came home the other day and told me that I got another check for $100 for the mission trip. To the donor, I want to say thank you so much. You are a very special lady!
So, here is an update. I have purchased 4 wireless access points off of eBay. Yeah for eBay! Now I have to get the antennas for these, that is going to cost around $300 - $400, yikes! I have also purchased a used Dell laptop from eBay. Yeah for eBay…again!!! I really need a computer to use while I am there, plus, I am going to leave it there so they can get some good use from it.
I started doing some really heavy thinking last night and realized that the power in DR Congo is 220. The access points that I got are 110. The power supply cannot handle the 220. So now I have to buy some converters….it never ends!!! I found a website that has the converters for around $13 each. If anyone knows where I can get them cheaper, email me.
Magic Jack…this thing is really cool. I wrote a small post about it the other day. It has been working great. So what does the Magic Jack have to do with the mission trip? By the way, the Magic Jack is a VOIP phone service that cost $50 the first year and like $20 each year after. So, what does it have to do with the mission trip? Well, I am going to buy another one and take it with me. I bought cheap telephone from Wal-Mart today, one that does not require external power, to see if it worked on my Magic Jack…it did. That was great news. So I am going to take the phone and Magic Jack with me so the mission team will be able to call back home for free! Including me! My plan is to keep the Magic Jack there this way the communication from DR Congo to the USA is free. Isn’t technology wonderful…isn’t GOD wonderful!!!! I just hope that the government over there isn’t blocking certain Internet traffic, so please be praying that this works. This technology is going to be HUGE for them if it all works. Anyways, that’s all for now.
God Bless Your Day!