All the Way to the Middle Kingdom 🇨🇳📚🛄🛫🔜

Pearl River, Guangzhou, China

Yes, you read the heading correctly. I'm moving to China. The Lord has opened door after door and illuminated my path brightly that this is to be where I begin the next season of my life.

Guangzhou, China (aka Canton, because of the large Cantonese population there) is where I will be hanging my hat for the next year. Aside from my never having heard of Guangzhou before, and I'm guessing, unless you've spent some time in China, that you likely haven't either, it is actually the 3rd largest, most populous city in China on the tails of Beijing and Shanghai. I'll be taking up residence, teaching English as a Foreign Language, for a full year, to students ages 3 to 17, in this sprawling port city perched along the Pearl River Delta in the Guangdong province of the hot and humid southeast about 75 miles from the booming metropolis that is Hong Kong.

My company EF English First, under the larger umbrella of EF Education First, was ranked by The Muse among the Top 15 Companies With Missions That Will Inspire You Every Day at Work; and then yet another time, check out #2 on this list Top 10 Companies That Will Make Work Inspiring, Not Soul-Crushing. Our mission sets us up to break down barriers by opening up the world through education.

Founded over 50 years ago by a young, dyslexic Swedish man, Bertil Hult, who always struggled in school, yet quite effortlessly picked up English upon traveling to England. Hult quickly discovered traditional classroom-based teaching was not always the most effective, leading him to start a small company which combined language learning with travel abroad. At age 24, Bertil Hult accompanied 407 Swedish high school students to the UK to learn English during summer break. Since those humble beginnings in the 1960's, EF has truly grown into a world leader in education. Education First hosts over 580 schools and offices in 116 countries, across all seven continents and opens up inspiring possibilities every single day, turning dreams into international opportunities by offering every imaginable way to see the world, experience another culture, learn a language, or earn an academic degree through language learning programs, educational travel, and cultural exchange programs.

So why my decision to move? Sure, that's a justifiable question. As if the inspiration were not enough... One word could sum up my influence: Change. In another word: Opportunity. I'm turning 40 at the end of this year (spending my New Year's Eve 40th birthday celebrating with my visiting Momma in the vibrant, neon-lit urban center Hong Kong!) and I've been feeling as if my life wouldn't be too far-harmed by a bit of rejuvenation. A little shaking up with an extraordinarily exciting idea. And, ya know what? Our Lord is so faithful. He never fails to hear our deep cries and incline His ear and answer His beloved children. His answer for me was China; to dust off my long-retired English teaching certificate and add on a TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) by taking a few online classes and then just saddle-up and brace myself for the adventure of a lifetime!

I'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to travel around Asia. To visit Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia the Philippines and yet best of all to explore the far-reaching mountains and rivers and forests and seas of colossal China itself! My company provides us with a paid 10 days of annual leave, as well as 15 days of national holidays! So I am just raring all systems a go, beyond ready to get out into the great wild yonder and explore God's great creation that we call Earth and make a few discoveries of my own on just how small and meaningful our lives are in comparison to the vast picture of Creation and our interconnectedness.

My exact departure date is pending the finalization of my Visa authentication but our aim is for me to commence training somewhere between June 25 and July 11th. I yearn for your prayers. Prayers for provision as I branch out on my own for the first time in a while, prayers for my precious Momma, my best friend, who I have been taking care of since my Dad passed away in 2013, and extremely fervent prayers for my stamina and health, as some of my medications are not available in China, and my only option is to ride a two-hour train to the border of Hong Kong each month, cross through customs and proceed to get my prescription written by a Doctor and filled by a pharmacy there, and then return on a two-hour train back to Guangzhou. (Yes, that's legal!) I'm up to the challenge though. And thank God I love trains! But I'd love to know my great US of America tribe was praying for me while I'm away.

Lastly, just as a quick mention, some very precious people have been asking how they could sow into my trip. Honestly, your prayers and your presence at my Moving to China Party on June 16th, are all I could ask or need from you. But for those who keep insisting, I would not want to rob you of your generous spirit.  You may donate to my PayPal account at PayPal.me/JulieESykes . Other than that, 1) Pray, pray, pray and 2) Stop by my house on Saturday, June 16th after 3PM so I can hug your neck and say my farewells.