Back in Mil-Town!

So I am back in Milwaukee...well, Mequon, but same thing.

I had a wonderful time in Florida, and raised my first support!  I don't know if I said it before, but right now my financial profile includes a financial goal of $27,045 to raise.  This includes my housing, food, materials for teaching, travel, and, well, basically what I need to live for a year, plus to help support the English center.

So my very first support was raised, and I am on my way to doing more fundraising.  This weekend I will be speaking at St John's in Glendale to raise support during the bible study hour.  I will then return home to South Dakota to continue fundraising in my hometown.  Usually you fundraise there first, but because of dates of travel that was already planned, I did things a little out of order :)  If anyone reading this knows of any churches or individuals who would like to meet with a missionary to discuss support prayerfully or financially, then I will make it a point to contact them.

Right now I am in a class, of all things!  I returned back to my school to visit some friends and to meet with my placement councilor, and I decided to walk my former roommate to her class, and her professor convinced me to stay!  It is a lecture on how to lecture!  It may be helpful for me to sit in on this class, so it works out alright :)  They are peer editing at the moment, so I opened up my blog and am getting some work done!

I don't have too many more updates.  One thing I can update you on was my adventure in Florida: I went skydiving!  It was amazing, and I would love to explain it to you if you want!  It was such an adventure, and I would love to do it again.  I had a dream last night that I did it again :)  I loved it!  It's not the feeling of falling that you expect.  It is pretty much just a wind-tunnel feeling :)

Right now I am a bit sick.  2 nights ago I went to bed by 11:30 and didn't wake up until 11am.  Then, last night, I ended up going to bed at 10:30pm.  I cannot believe how much sleep I have been getting.  Even when I have nothing going on, I do not sleep that much.  So I have determined that I am sick.  So if anyone wants anything to pray for this week, please pray that I feel better.  You can also pray for safety in travel!  I am also in need of prayer for the fundraising process.  I was a little discouraged because the first church said no.  But I know that that is going to happen!  They still want to support me prayerfully, but just not financially.  I am ok with that, but it just brought to reality that it will not be a picnic raising the funds.  But I trust that God will bring me the needed support to do the work that He has planned for me to do in His Name!

Fundraising while Vacationing ;)

Russell, Katie, and I spent a night playing guitar and cards
together in Milwaukee!

So!  Last week I was in Milwaukee, and this week I utilized a blessing given to me in November: plane vouchers!  I had a horrible experience with a plane trip in November with a group from Concordia, and so we were all given a total of $350 to spend on a trip of our choice using the same airlines.  I used the tickets this weekend to go to Fort Myers, Florida, and spent a grand total of $25!



So now I am in Florida with my parents visiting some friends of ours!  I am so thankful for friends to stay with, for ample sun, and for the opportunities I now have to share about Macau.  I also had the opportunity to go to the beach and experience that again :)

I am making some contacts, and sharing my story as much as possible. :)

My parents and I walked across the bridge connecting Fort
Myers to Fort Myers Beach...and took a picture!

Next week I will return to the Milwaukee area, as I flew out of MKE, and will be leading a Bible study on Sunday about Macau.  I don't know exactly how it will work, but I will work with my contacts to get it all worked out.  I will be at St. John's in Glendale, Wisconsin to share on February 27th.  Let me know if you want to know how to get there!  I had lots of fun while in Milwaukee last week [got to tour wineries, spend time with great friends, see an international talent show, eat cafeteria food again (oh yummy...) and much more!!]  I cannot wait to see what fun is in store for me next week in addition to the fundraising!

Oh: more news!  I have been added to the LCMS World Mission list of missionaries, and my prayer card is now online!  Click here to get to the website, and type "ASMUS" in the "last name" box to find my prayer card.  The "Give Now" button is not up and running yet, but it will be there soon.

Carol, Lin, and me at the International Talent Night.  Don't
they look beautiful in their traditional Chinese dresses??

I don't think there is anything else.  Tomorrow I will complete one item on my bucket list: skydiving!  My dad and I are taking the leap together tomorrow!  We will be over beautiful Florida and will possibly scream the whole way down!  Haha, probably not, but wouldn't that be a sight...er...sound!

Right now I am going to go eat supper, and talk with the people I am staying with!  I am going off to small group later with my parent's old small group!

Until next time, adieu!

Random Information

So many people are asking me for information, and are so excited for me!  I want to say thank you for sharing in my excitement about this new adventure in my life!  I have included tons of information nicely wrapped in a blog post :)


I have also heard many people say that they would like to help me financially, and I am thoroughly blessed!  God works in wonderful ways!  Speaking of helping out financially, I am currently fundraising!  Right now I am in Wisconsin for various reasons, one of them to get my diploma (which I got today!) and another is to get the word out about my missionary call to Macau.  I want to share my excitement with as many people as possible, and to spend some time with friends in the process.


My trip to Wisconsin yesterday was not uneventful.  For those who do not know, 6 years ago (in February) I was involved in a roll-over van accident with my youth group.  This was at mile marker 11 on I90 in Minnesota.  We were on our way home from a ski trip in Minnesota, and we hit a patch of black ice sending us spinning and into the ditch.  Everyone was alright, but we were all shaken.  So: back to yesterday.  I watched a van roll onto its side on that exact patch of interstate.  It was very close to the same date, too.  It was scary for me to watch, and I stopped to help them out.  Turns out there was nothing I could do to help, because nobody was hurt (thankfully!!), and all they had to do was figure out how to get out of their seat belts without falling, and to get out of the van.  There were multiple vehicles that stopped to help, and eventually they got into someone's truck to wait for the tow truck, and the rest of us were on our way.  I said a prayer of thanks to God for their safety, and literally thought about it for the next hour or two.  It made me think: wow.  God has us here for a purpose.  The car accident that I was in 6 years ago could have taken my life: but it didn't.  God has a greater plan.  I don't know what this plan is, but it's something!  I am excited to be a part of God's plan, whatever it may be.  Right now, I think it is to be a missionary in China, and I am ecstatic to take part of this adventure!


Now that I have some information about this adventure, people are asking me all sorts of questions!  Here is a list of some of the frequently asked questions.  If you have any other questions, post it as a comment and I will answer!


FAQ


Q: How long will you be in Wisconsin?  
A: Well, I am here for sure until February 27.  (I will be gone from the 16th through the 22nd, but will be back from the 22nd-27).  On that day, I am leading a bible study at one of the local churches, and am going to stay until then, possibly longer if the opportunity arises for me to fundraise more.


Q: When are you leaving for China, and for how long?  
I am going in August 2011, and will stay there for 1 year.  I may choose to extend, and if the field accepts, then I will come back for a month (around July) to raise funds once again so that I can return to China the next year.  


Q: Is there any training you will go through?
Yes.  LCMS-World Missions has orientation for all of their GEO missionaries in June.  I will be going through that, and learning how to teach English as a foreign language.

Q: What can I do to keep in touch and "join" you in China?

A: To extend the opportunity to join in this adventure with me.  You have already joined me in one way by reading my blog!  Another way to join me is through prayer--I will need a lot of it!! (See prayer requests at the bottom).  Finally, please pray about becoming a financial partner with me.  If you feel that God is leading you to share in this way, let me know, and I will get a fundraising letter to you, and/or visit you in person!  I will be updating my blog both before my trip and during my missionary service, keeping you up dated constantly.

Q: What are you going to do in China?

A: My title is a Relationship Builder through EFL.  I will be teaching English as a Foreign Language to the Chinese speakers.  The age levels will vary, as will the class sizes.  It will range from kids to adults, and 1-2 person tutoring sessions to larger classes.  This will account for about 15 hours a week.  I will spend another 25-30 hours a week leading Bible studies, spending time with students, helping out with various activities, and doing...well...relationship building!  I hope to take Chinese classes while I am there as well.

Q: Do you speak Chinese?

A: Not yet!  I am learning slowly.  I need to learn Cantonese and Mandarin...not sure which I should learn first.  Mandarin is more useful in China as a whole, but Cantonese is the main language in Macau and the Guangdong province.  All students supposedly learn Mandarin in school, but I don't know how well they know it, or if vendors and others around will know it for me to use in daily life.

Q: Do you know people over there?

A: Yes!  I know a couple people over there currently!  Some are returning to the states (or other locations) before I get there, but I believe there are some that I know who will be there when I am.

Q: Do you have any prayer requests?

A: YES!!!!!

Prayer Requests: 

• For the fundraising process to go well, and for my needed support to be raised.
• For the people and missionaries in Macau.
• For my safety as I plan to travel a lot: both fundraising and actually going to China in August.
• For my heart to be open to doing the work that God has planned for me.
• For there to be ample opportunities for me to share God's love, both at home and abroad.