So it begins...

Greetings,
Stephen here. This is the first entry for our blog chronicling our adventures teaching overseas.
This past Saturday (Jan 22), Kayla and myself were offered teaching positions at QSI Shekou, a "suburb" of Shenzhen, China, next to Hong Kong.
Honestly, Kayla and I never thought that China would be where we ended up. I have always had a heart for Eastern Europe/Central Eurasia and Kayla's heart has been for the Middle East. At first, we felt that it would be Almaty, KZ, but that didn't work out. We were told, by our recruiter, Mr. Larry Philpot, that the openings in Kaz had been filled, but that there were other options that had in mind for us.
I did some research on what other jobs were open, and discovered that the only place that had jobs for the both of us was in Shekou. The first thing I did was watch the video that QSI Shekou had made highlighing the school. When I watched it, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace about it, and even a strong desire to be there. I sent the link to Kayla and she watched it separate from me, and had the exact same response. It was then that we knew where the Lord was leading us. It had never really crossed our mind of going to China!
We had a few more talks with Mr. Philpot before the interview, and before we had even begun our trip to Dallas for the interview, we knew that the job was ours. Without hesitating, we took the jobs! We'll both be teaching I.E. (Intensive English), which is the international equivalent to ESL.
Since then, I've been on China-mode. It's all I can think about! We've discovered various blogs from teachers there in Shekou who have highlighted their trip and experiences there. I've been in contact with a teaching couple there, doing everything I can to figure how life is going to be in Shekou. They've been beyond helpful and gracious by sharing the information we need.
I think it's going to make the rest of this year incredibly long. It seems that when you want something to come, time hits the brakes hard. It's good, though. Kayla and I will be soaking all of the teaching knowledge, tricks, methods, and strategies before we go, as well as all the Godly fellowship we can get a hold of too.
Anyway, that's all I got for now. More to come, I'm sure, especially as we get closer to the middle of August, when we leave!

Stephen