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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.

Another Chinese wedding gift


Everywhere Sean and I go on campus people are very curious about us and our lives. The employees always want to know where we are from, what we do, how much we make, etc. Most of them have become casual acquaintances that we chat with when we are in their restaurant, buying drinks or snacks in their store or getting our hair cut, but others have definitely stepped the relationship up a notch.

Take the copy ladies for example. There are two places that I go to make copies - the exacting and precise copy guy who refuses to speak Chinese with me (he wants to practice his English) and makes copies for me if I need less than 100, or the copy ladies who do the high-volume copying for the foreign language department. We have started hanging out and now if I want to make copies I have to budget at least an hour when I head to their office.


They want to chat about everything: what shampoo I use, my family, Sean, my wedding . . . We converse in rough Chinese and English and we have to use the dictionary a lot. It's fun though and I've really enjoyed getting to know them. Last week they surprised me with a pillow as a wedding gift. Apparently they have all been working on it during their downtime at work. I was totally surprised! They also said that if I ever need/want anything from China they would be glad to send it to me.

Looks like today's project is going to be boxing up pillows and sending them on the slow boat to Michigan - should take about 2 months and is hopefully pretty cheap!

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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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