A New School Year, A New Phase of Life, A New Life

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We had an amazing summer in the US, and were very sad when it came time to leave family and return to our home in China. It is always an emotional time, but we are joyful to be where we are supposed to be.

When Emily and I returned to China, we knew that we had a challenge ahead of us. Over the summer, Emily had been accepted into Jimei University to study Chinese, and the school had sent the official paperwork to our address in China. Well, that created a problem. Because we didn't have the original paperwork, we would be unable to apply for a student visa for Emily and she would have to re-enter China on her tourist visa. When we arrived back in China, we weren't exactly sure what the process to make that change would be, but I anticipated that at minimum we would have to visit a US embassy within China and at most we would have to travel out of country to make that change.

We got the visa!
Administrative Building at Jimei University
At the first opportunity we had, we visited the school to discuss the situation with them and figure out how to take care of the problem. We left the meeting confused and frustrated. As one would expect when living in a foreign country, it can be difficult to navigate the red tape. However, in China, it is difficult even for nationals to understand the laws and processes since there is a certain amount of intended ambiguity in government processes. So, we turned to a Chinese friend who called the school representative and clarified the situation for us. We were to get Emily registered with the local police (as is common for all tourists upon entering the country) and get her through a medical examination (also a common requirement).

First Day of Class
By Friday, we had completed those tasks and were standing at the Immigration Office trying to get Emily's visa switched, hoping and praying it would work. We got her picture taken, got the appointment with the official, and got the visa approved without any questions! It was an amazing work.


After that, she just had to take a placement test and she was on a new path as a university student. So, much of our time was spent getting her prepared for school including figuring out transportation. With her continuing to live at home, she will travel to school either by city bus or by scooter, which can be quite exciting as she will be traveling during rush hour every day.

Now, she has been in classes for a week, and finds herself studying with students from France, Russia, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Sweden, and the US ranging in age from 19-30. With having studied Chinese in high school and having lived in China for two years, the classes are starting out easy for her but are going to quickly become more challenging I am certain.


For those of you who know us, you may have noticed that I didn't mention Sandy, and that is because she didn't return with us because she wanted to stay for an important event. Summer Rose Rittenhouse was born to Cassie and Randy on 9/19/19 at 1:19 measuring 19.5 inches and weighing 6 lbs 14 oz. I'll let the pictures close out my blog.

Randy, Cassie, Elijah, and Summer Rose

Summer Rose and Grandma Sandy

Summer Rose on a quilt Grandma Sandy made

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