Chicago Adventure

Dear Readers,

Chicago was a success. It was all very anti-climatic, as I had suspected it would be. We waited in line at the consulate for an hour, then I went up to the window, handed the lady my papers, she glued my picture to the paper with a glue stick and said, "That's all."

I said, "Oh, I don't need to sign anything?"

She said, "Nope."

And I said, "Thanks."

And that was it.

I had a great little day trip to the city with my dad. We walked around a little (the consulate was in the HEART of downtown) and saw the river and the Trump Tower. Then we went and got authentic Chicago Hot Dogs. YUMMY!

Then we drove back to Indianapolis. It was a crazy little trip.

Now I just wait 5-7 business days and I should have my passport back with a lovely visa stamped inside. That is the last piece of the puzzle that is "getting me to China." Even if I don't have anything else, I can at least get into the country. :)

As far as fundraising goes, here's an update: I've raised about $400 which is AWESOME! That's about 10% of what I need. The expenses are mounting! So if you are thinking about donating, that's be awesome. If you're in Colorado Springs and you need a baby/house/pet sitter in the next 3 weeks, I'm your gal! I will work for donations. Hit me up. Seriously. I'm also a little bored.

Much love,

Stephanie

Pics from Chicago:

Big building.

My dad eating a Chicago dog

The GPS on our rental car. Called NeverLOST. And we were!

Visa Tales

Dear Readers,

When it comes to getting a Chinese visa, you're options are limited. Since I am a resident of Colorado, my passport, visa application, letter of invitation, and fee must be HAND DELIVERED to the consulate in CHICAGO. At first I was like... well... how am I supposed to do that?

Turns out there are people you can hire to take all your stuff there for you. So do I trust someone I find on the internet to carry my PASSPORT around and take it there for me 1 month and 1 week before I am supposed to be entering China? No. Not really. But that's my option.

Well, guess what. I happen to be writing from Indianapolis, Indiana where my sister, Sarah, just moved. My dad, her, her cat, and I drove all the way from Colorado here in a Uhaul earlier this week. My mom called yesterday and said, "you do realize you are 3 hours from Chicago..." Needless to say, she is overnighting my passport and my dad and I are taking a day trip up to Chicago on Friday where I will PERSONALLY hand all my visa stuff to the nice people at the consulate.

I feel much better about this.

PLEASE pray for smoothness in this process.

Blessings and Peace,

Stephanie

PS: Here are pictures from our trip!

Putting Sarah's little car on the trailer. It stayed on the whole time.

Milo and Sarah. He slept most of the time, but also clawed my ear once. Good cat.

Crossing the very full mighty Mississippi!

First Update!

Dear Readers,

Thanks for hanging in there. Here is my first official update post. I am finally done with my Junior year, so I have time to really focus on the fact that I will be in China in about 6 weeks. This is REALLY exciting and REALLY freaking me out a little bit.

I have a large to-do list, which is slowly getting checked off. Along with this to-do list, I have a growing list of prayer requests. Here is a hybrid of those lists for you:

-Visa. I got a letter of invitation yesterday and will be submitting my application for a visa in the next couple days. They don't have to have a good reason to deny me a visa, so pray that everything goes smoothly and everyone is in a good mood when they get my form.

-Funds. I have already been blessed by the donations I have received so far! So amazing. However, the costs are adding up quickly. This is my first time raising and managing my own funds while going abroad, and there is a lot more to pay for than I expected.

-My little arms. I got 4 shots yesterday (and still have to go in for one more in 28 days too) to get the needed immunizations to stay safe while in China. They hurt. I'll be fine though. I think. Haha.

Four shots all together.

Two on each arm.

-Developing lesson plans. I will be creating 8-1 hour lesson plans including flash cards, games, activities, etc. I am excited, but it is a daunting task looming ahead.

-For the rest of the teachers, native English speakers from all over the world, who are going through the same thing as I am right now.

It is all coming up soon. It's been great to spend the last week home in Colorado with my family. I am excited to celebrate my sister's graduation and my parent's 25th wedding anniversary this Saturday. Being here has been very restful and good for me after a crazy semester!

My parents eating the 25th anniversary meal we made for them.

Here's all of us at CSU.

I decorated Sarah's hat for her. It got a close up on the jumbo-tron. I'm finally a famous artist!

Me and my sister!

Thanks so much for all your continued support.

Blessings and Peace,

Stephanie

Support Letter

Friends and Family,

I hope this letter finds you all well! This summer I have the amazing opportunity to travel to China to teach English in summer camps. I am so excited and feel so blessed to be going abroad again. It has been four years since I spent the summer working and serving in Poland and, as it is a passion of mine, I am excited to have the chance to experience life in another culture.

I will be working with an organization called Daybreak:Asia (DaybreakAsia.org), an organization committed to promoting social entrepreneurship and ethical business practices in China and internationally. Understanding that China is and will continue to be a leader in the business world, Daybreak hopes to positively influence the younger generation so they will grow to value these principles in their own lives. I will be teaching English at two camps in the urban Beijing area then at a charitable, free camp in a poorer, rural area. I will be in China for about seven weeks.

This opportunity came at a great time for me. I am able to use this experience to meet the internship requirement for my Developmental Psychology degree. The camps are designed to be an immersion experience--the students will be learning English by experiencing camp as it would be in a native English speaking country. I will be teaching an emotional health and wellness class and have the opportunity to share the knowledge I have been learning in my university classes as I world toward a degree in Developmental Psychology with the high school students in China.

I am excited to get to build relationships with my fellow teachers (all university students from the United States and the United Kingdom), students (Chinese high school aged students), and the camp counselors (university students from China). I hope He will use these relationship to spark conversations during which I can learn from those I meet, understand the world better, and share the love I have come to experience in His Son.

Fundraising Information

Because this opportunity is so great and I will be able to count it toward academic credit, I have decided to take out a student loan to cover whatever money I do not raise. However, any money I raise toward my trip will obviously be a huge blessing for me now and in the future. Once I arrive in China, the experience is for the most part, all expenses paid. I do need to cover costs for a passport, visa, ticket, insurance, and other expenses that have come up in the process of getting to China. I have broken down these expenses more in a table. I am hoping to raise around $2,755.

If you would like to contribute toward this experience, you can mail cash or checks to:

Stephanie Murrow

3465 Monarch Pass Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80917

Expense

Passport: $138 (Actual)

Visa: $130

Plane Ticket: $2,214

Traveler’s Insurance: $178

Backpack/Luggage: $159 (Actual)

Other Packing Expenses: $100

Traveling Expenses: $50

TOTAL: $2,969

Prayer Information

I believe prayer will be a huge part of this summer: the preparation, travel, experience, and beyond. I am excited to get to work with other followers of Christ while I am in China and would appreciate any prayers for:

Preparation: guidance while preparing to travel abroad, development of lesson plans, for physical health, emotional and spiritual preparation

Travel: safety, clarity, and good conversations on the way

In China: that He will put all pieces together for His will to be done and that the Son would be experienced often

Beyond: that relationships and conversations will continue beyond this summer.

Thank you!

I cannot express my thanks to you enough. I feel extremely blessed and privileged to be able to have this experience and do not take your support and sacrifice for granted.

I cannot wait to share with you the stories of how He is faithful before, during, and after my trip.