Return to China 🇨🇳
On November 26, 2023 by Keturah HaferkampWe are very excited to announce that our family plans to travel to China soon. We plan to be living and working in Shenyang for the Spring 2024 semester.
On April 21, 2023, K was selected for a teaching fellowship with the US Department of State. The State Department Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs selects approximately 200 Fellows each year to send to various parts of the world for cultural exchange, language teaching and soft diplomacy.
Our family is humbled, delighted at and grateful for this opportunity. We are thankful for our workplaces which have graciously supported us, and for our church, family and community who have loved us and cared for us throughout the very challenging visa process. The process has been long, exhausting, full of unexpected delays and surprises, but we are full of thankfulness for all who have been part of the long process with us. We are thankful for so so many who have helped us to endure the delays and brave the discouragements.
The original fellowship contract was to begin in August 2023 however the State Department has been gracious in granting a delay request, and we look forward to our entire family experiencing this opportunity together. We are so glad.
Things we are excited about:
1. The food. We really enjoy authentic Chinese food 😋
2. Getting to know a new city
3. Exploring new ways of teaching writing with new colleagues
4. Project Development in language teaching
5. Living near South Korea
6. Visiting the Pearl Buck museum!
7. We love traveling, meeting new people and learning about culture 💯
Things we are not so excited about:
1.Time change and acclimating…jet lag
2. Political tensions
3. In-country medical evaluations in order to finalize the visa process 🙃
4. Will we be able to find good tacos?
5. Winter cold ❄️🥶❄️. The weather will be similar to Chicago.
6. Air pollution! 😷
7. Missing our friends, family, church, coworkers and our fireplace