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U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. The work that diplomats do has an impact on the world as they serve at one of any of the more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in The Americas, Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.

The duties of a Consular Officer include to provide emergency and non-emergency services to American citizens and protect our borders through the proper adjudication of visas to foreign nationals and passports to American citizens. We adjudicate immigrant and non-immigrant visas, facilitate adoptions, help evacuate Americans, combat fraud, and fight human trafficking. Consular Officers touch people’s lives in important ways, often reassuring families in crisis. They face many situations which require quick thinking under stress and develop and use a wide range of skills, from managing resources and conducting public outreach to assisting Americans in distress.

Blueberry picking


Michigan in the winter can be tough, but Michigan in summer is paradise with loads of different things to do. One of many popular summer activities is picking blueberries and currently it is definitely blueberry season.


So far this week the heat and humidity have melted away and we have been blessed with cool breezes and clear, blue skies - perfect weather to be out picking berries. On Monday morning, Mom, Dad and I headed out to Fennville, a town near Holland, to pick at Earl's, a farm in the country. Once we got there, we tied buckets around our waists and got right to work. The berries were huge and the picking was great - it was a challenge to drop them in the bucket instead of eating them.


Between the three of us we had three full buckets which amounted to about fifteen pounds. We plan to eat some, freeze some and make cobbler out of the rest. At Earls you can also pick other kinds of berries as well as shop at their farm market and bakery and get ice cream. We also picked up some blueberry donuts, homemade peanut butter chunk cookies and some tomatoes.


We finished the morning off right with lunch at one of my favorite places - Crane's orchard. It's also in Fennville and happens to be the place where the dessert for the reception is coming from. At Cranes you can also pick all kinds of fruit, go through the corn maze and enjoy homemade cidersicles outside. If orchards and fruit picking aren't really your thing, you can check out the many wineries in Fennville also known as Fenn Valley. There is some fantastic wine tasting to be had. If you are coming up for the wedding and have a little extra time to spend in the country, Fennville could be a fun choice!

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    Sarah Sanderson
    I am currently in Mandarin language training as a new diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. Sean and I depart for Wuhan, China in November 2019 for my first tour in consular affairs.
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    Grateful for my very tolerant, supportive and easygoing husband who's always game for a new adventure

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