Travel – In Step With God

Traveling is something fun, amazing and beautiful. There is so much that this world has to offer, exploring different cultures and places to see. I think it is really good to visit a country and culture other than your own; to grow in your understanding and appreciation, but it can be hard if there is no one who is able to go with you. This scenario happened to me, where my friends were just unable to travel with me, so after working up lots of courage I decided to go for it- alone. At the same time I had to think about a lot of things, as some things change in your trip when you are doing it by yourself and particularly as a girl you want to stay safe. Also as a Christian girl we do need to maintain our God given standards, morals and values while we are traveling. It doesn’t change just because we are not in our own country or comfort place. So here are some tips if you want to travel as a single Christian girl:

Staying Safe and planning your trip:

1) Read up about each country that you are potentially interested in visiting before going. You can also get Lonely Planet guides out of the library as well to help you in your decision-making.

2) Firstly plan most of it! You can leave room for some spontaneous adventures but you don’t want to be caught off guard or find yourself in a difficult situation. Since you are by yourself the situation of things change, especially depending on where you are going.

3) For safety measures give your whole itinerary to someone such as your parents, so that they know where you are all the time, log your travel online- I know that my country has a website where you let them know what dates you will be in certain countries so that your government/ embassies know if something like a terrorist attack happens.

4) Keep in regular contact with someone back home like your parents so that they also know that you are ok. If anything happens they can let authorities know where you last were.

5) Avoid certain places like bars, pubs and clubs besides from the fact that they are not places that Christians should be attending, but these are places where you are more likely to run into trouble especially for a single girl on their own. I would also avoid if possible walking the streets at night alone.

6) Tours- these can be over a number of days, a day tour or half-day tours in groups or private guide. This is one way to keep yourself safe with people and also to make friends whom you can then tag along with on their journeys or day trips out. I did a mixture of these but I was particular on the group tours. I specifically picked some that went over a fewer amount of days, as I still wanted to honor my day of worship/ the Lords day and not be in tour groups over these days due to the fact that they also weren’t Christian tours. I highly believe that while you are traveling that you still honor God and His day, that you attend church where possible. Just because your traveling, you don’t throw God out the window or do things that you wouldn’t normally do or agree with. I chose to do 3-4 day group tours in some of the places that I went so that I still could honor God and it was a blessing to attend church in another country- you have a world wide church family always remember that.

7) Don’t book all your tours through a travel agent as they can charge more sometimes and also book in such a way that you may not have enough time to get from one place to the next. I recommend searching up the tours that you want to do from the brochures that you get at a travel agency to check them out, ask others what they recommend who have been to those countries as well, Google, visit an isite center when you arrive and then decide what you might like to do. You can also look at maps that are normally free within the isite centers, as this can give you a rough idea where activities/ attractions are etc. I did a mixture of these options when travelling.

8) Searching and exploring the city is sometimes better than going to all the tourist attractions and generally the cheaper option too. You get more understanding of that country and its culture, just simply by walking around.

9) An app that I highly recommend is the app “Here We Go”. It is a map app that you can use when walking around a city and you don’t need Wi-Fi/ data to use it. The only thing is you will need to download each map using Wi-Fi (but this can be done at a motel etc.) first but once downloaded you can walk around the city using it offline. You can type in the address of where your staying if you get lost and it will lead and guide you back. Also will take you to any place that you want to go. Its fantastic! Plus it is another way to stay safe! You can also still use paper maps if you desire too.

10) Use intuition!

11) Have money on your phone at all times for an emergency. I would recommend just using Wi-Fi to save money but you need money on your phone if you have to contact someone in emergency if you find yourself in a tricky situation.

12) Just in general be aware of pickpockets and scammers. Also be careful of homeless, some will come up to you and shake cups in your face wanting money, some will enter places that your eating at to try and ask for money too. As a general rule they do leave you alone but just be aware.

Accommodation:

1) If you are staying in a hostel I know that mixed rooms can be cheaper but remember we are still to honor God and not be lead into temptation- so book the rooms that are for girls only.

2) Air bnb is really good and they have an app that you can keep on your phone and can contact your host through. I again would recommend that you only book ones that are hosted by girls. You can book a room at someone’s place or a whole studio/apartment/house to yourself.

3) Hotels and Motels are also options and some motels depending on how far away from attractions, you book them can be cheap still. Booking.com, Expedia and Trivago are all good sites to compare prices and book from.

4) Another option is you can make contact with local churches in those countries and see if anyone at the church would put you up or take you to church.

Transportation:

1) Check and book travel transportation from airports if you can through recognized companies and also look into public transport. In LA I found Prime Time Shuttles pretty cheap (do not get a taxi), other places like Rome and Amsterdam the bus and train are really cheap and easy to use.

Prime Time Shuttle: https://www.primetimeshuttle.com

2) If you do not want to catch a plane from one country to the next or are traveling from one town to the next I found Flexi bus really cheap and really good. They also have an app you can get. You can also car share/ride through Bla Bla car but again I recommend that you only travel with a girl.

Flexi Bus: https://www.flixbus.com

Bla Bla Car: https://www.blablacar.com

3) Hop on Hop off bus is also pretty good and has lots of different routes that you can choose from all over Europe. I personally haven’t actually used them yet but I know people who have and recommend them.

4) Trains and Metros are good especially within a city; they can become expensive sometimes when traveling from one country to the next so that’s why I recommend something like Flexi bus or Bla Bla car.

5) Hire a car but make sure you have looked up and know the road rules. But this is a more expensive option and is better with others who can share cost.

6) Uber is also good option depending on where you are. In Europe I would do the other options but in America Uber is the best option (Will I personally found it was). It is so much cheaper than a taxi and will save you lots of money, as your only paying for the distance traveled not the amount of time spent in the car, which you will with a taxi. In places like LA you will get stuck in traffic, which will make the trip really expensive. Taxis will rip you off especially as a girl traveling on her own. I had such fantastic Uber experiences in America. Again there is also an app you can get for this, which I recommend.

7) Grab app is really great when in places like Malaysia. It is like Uber but only cheaper. Just remember that you will need wifi to get a Grab. Trains are also really easy to use in Malaysia too.

Money:

1) Always carry some cash on you. Places like Germany if you are wanting something that costs under 10€ you have to pay with cash; they will not let you use card. I found this interesting as in my own country we can buy anything using card even if its only $1!

2) I highly recommend getting yourself a money card just for your travelling money so to protect your bank accounts from being hacked. But also I would carry a spare card like a credit card incase you lose your money card. My money card was through – cash passport. I got mine through my local bank. You can top up as you go and change different currencies. Just remember that sometimes it takes a few days for the money to be converted so make sure you have enough money and transfer from your bank account in advance. https://global.cashpassport.com

3) When your out and about and you don’t want to carry a big back pack, I recommend a small pouch bag that you can wear over/across your shoulder (so that no one can steal it off your arm) and have your money and passport in the inside of the bag-not in any front pockets. I found mine so good and helpful when I didn’t want a backpack.

General Tips:

1) I don’t recommend carting around 2 suitcases even if one is a small one. Just one suitcase and one backpack, or a super large backpack that holds everything. I guess it also depends on how long your traveling for but you have to remember that you have to transport your luggage from venues and modes of transport. Have locks on your luggage that are security locks too so that no one can tamper with it.

2) Search packing tips on Pinterest as they have some really good hacks. I also got some great ideas of things I wanted to see and knowledge about countries from there as well. www.pinterest.com

Go for it! You will learn so much about yourself, your capability, self-discovery and strengthen your faith with God by total reliance on Him. Make sure you stay connected to God, the One who created you, by reading on the airplane through books, apps etc. You can also do this on the train, bus, in a park etc. Download sermons and have them on your MP3 player/ iPod to maintain Spiritual food while on your journeys. Pray always without ceasing!!!

I hope these help and have a wonderful time :).

Much Love.

There it was! The same universal, worldwide sign, so recognisable and even though the words may sometimes be in another language, I can still tell what it reads. It was my church family on the other side of the world. With great anticipation and excitement, I walked across the street and stepped in the doors to fellowship with those of like faith, my brothers and sisters in Christ, on the other side of the world. I walked in, sat down, no one came near me and no one spoke to me. Suddenly someone approached me and sat down. This was nice I thought, only to have them ask and gesture for me to move along the pew so that their friends could sit next to them. When I was unable to move any further as I had reached the end by the heater, I received a dirty look because this now meant that there wasn’t enough room for all their friends to be able to fit and they wanted me to vacate my seat. The sanctuary was so full that day that there was actually no seats left for me to even move to as some members were having to stand at the back due to it being all full. Throughout the service I kept on getting glared at so in due course when the service ended, I quietly got up, walked out of the church unnoticed, and off down the street the way I came.

One of the most exciting things for me on my ‘big trip’ was this moment, where I was about to go to a church in another country other than my own, but only to come away with questions, disbelief, and amazement. This was only one of my experiences.

What do you think of your church? Is it a friendly church? Welcoming? Hospitable? Or do you feel that it may be only because you already know people there and have friends that attend? How would a visitor feel about your church whether they be a member from another church or someone off the street?

These were just some of the questions that I started asking myself during and after my big overseas trip. Growing up in the church, I always knew people. Through attending youth camps and other church gatherings, I developed great friendships with others in different parts of the country. Whenever I visited, they would welcome me into their church, introduce me to other church members and plan social events. I always felt welcomed! I was really excited to visit other churches in different countries and to experience their church as every country may do things slightly differently even though we share similar beliefs. It would be the first time that I was the observer and the visitor that no one knew. Unfortunately my thoughts were only to be completely changed.

Now don’t get me wrong, not every church I visited was lacking in hospitality, as I did have great experiences also and met some really great people whom I still keep in touch with. I am truly thankful for those amazing memories and great experiences. But I can’t say the same for all the churches I visited. Now thankfully I am someone who doesn’t mind spending my day of worship to myself in another country and I don’t rely on others to do that for me. I am also someone who doesn’t get offended easily so these experiences haven’t changed my faith in God and I still 100% believe in the faith. This experience was great and has taught me a number of things and made me question, what is my church like?

Now I am not saying that you all of a sudden have to open up your homes to every visitor who walks through the door, but i know that if it was someone else who experienced some of these receptions and a lack of interest or welcoming, that this could’ve really affected them. I looked the part of a well-groomed Christian all dressed in my best. But I wondered if I wasn’t, would people have made more of an effort, thinking that they could convert someone or win a soul to Christ? But because I was already a Christian, does that mean that I didn’t need that welcome?

We have no idea where other Christians or non-believers lives are headed and what they have been going through. What if I had walked away from God and just decided to try and come back, so yes I looked the part because I already knew about dressing right, but I walked into a church as unfriendly or as rude as I experienced. Would that person have stayed or become discouraged again?

We need to remember the principle spoken about in Matthew 25:31-46, when Jesus was talking to His disciples about how others are treated, which in turn was showing how you were treating God:

“The righteous will answer Him, saying ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see you a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothed You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” (vs 37-39)

The key point we need to remember is:

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, You did it to Me.” (vs 40).

We know this verse but how many of us stop to ponder it and its meaning. If you keep on reading from verses 40-46, you will find out how upset God is when others are not taken care of by those who know God. Just like the verse above, Jesus also says:

“Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” (vs 45).

As God’s followers, we are called to care, look after, welcome all those whom we come into contact with, as we are a reflection of Christ to others and we may be the only Bible some people see, through our actions and words.

So I want to encourage you to take a serious step back and look at your church. our churches should be one of the happiest places to come to as we are all coming together to worship our Creator with the amazing truths that we have. We are a helping and healing ground to all that we come in contact with. What can you do to make your church more welcoming? or what can you do personally even if other members won’t get on board? What you do or don’t do will have an affect on others lives.

Let our churches be praised for being the inviting, welcoming place that new or old comers love to dwell as we dwell in the presence of God.

Much Love

Sash

Shame It Needed To Be Said

She was on holiday and called in to your church to worship, but oh dear me,
No friendliness was shown, so after the service she left immediately.
She wasn’t impressed, and no doubt God wasn’t either, for it’s His church, you know,
And His church isn’t exclusive, so back again she’s hardly likely to go.

She had the whole day to kill, could’ve done with an invite to lunch, some friendship,
But no one seemed to care, and why lack out the front door she was soon seen to slip.
And no one feeling guilty — some witness, I must say — so why’s anyone there?

Well, for the little good they’re doing; and I thought that Christ we’re supposed to share.
Oh, she visited another church to worship. Was it yours? Fared better there,
Because at least one person responded, maybe you, but I still thought, “Oh dear.”
Only one person? And how many others were there? Yes, what a tragedy,

So I guess they might as well shut shop, for why would Christ want to be there? Or me.

By Lance Landall

(www.poetrywithamission.co.nz)

Category: Travel

Guide to traveling for the single Christian girl.

Visitors, will they be back?