Cecely's Comments on November 1st

Cecely here:
This is a cool misty day, the first of November. We are really feeling at home here, settling into a routine a bit, which is more than welcome. The neighborhood is starting to feel like our neighborhood. We see aquaintances outside while walking or going to the store, and say, "ni hao", and we meet up with some of our friends on a weekly basis, like Wei, our landlady, or Hong, the friend we met one day while walking after supper. Those relationships are strengthening, and beginning to feel like friendships, with ebbs and flows, times of receding and deepening. Please keep these relationships in your thoughts, that we will have wisdom to guide our discussions and choices in our times with them.

Also, more has been developing with Elaine. We have set up a weekly time to meet and study, but she called last Monday to cancel, saying she had a friend coming in from out of town, but before she hung up she added that she had invited the other ladies in "her group" over on the previous Friday, and they had all had a discussion together! I felt so glad! That is the very thing we have been pra-ing about when we think of her. That gave me real encouragement that she understands where this all needs to head, and so I feel so thankful.

We are also still enjoying our classes quite a bit, and recently got news from the school that we can reschedule our classes on Christmas day. We had been hoping to be able to cancel them altogether, but this is at least somewhat of an improvement. Anyway, at school we continue to get closer to some key students that seem promising, and I have begun studying Chinese each friday with a Chinese major named Joyce who is a really sweet girl. Keep her in your thoughts, please, as we spend time together, and please also be keeping me in mind as I try to study the language. Lately it has been much more of a struggle. I have trouble forming sentences in Chinese. I felt great for a while, then plateaued big time and it is just such a rough patch for me linguistically. And also please remember Wei Na and her boyfriend, the one Jason went to Starbucks with that night. They are a great couple who we will probably hang out with again in the future. We would also like to begin to make friends with a certain co-worker named Bob, and his family, so pray for us to get an opportunity to do that.

And also, we continue to go and visit at the hair salon. Last time we were there the subject of them coming over to visit us came up yet again, but something about their time schedule ususally stands in the way, so just please be asking that if that is supposed to happen, it will when it should by His timing.

It can get frustrating waiting for the next step in all of these relationships to happen. We are accustomed to moving a little more quickly than this, but we have been challenging ourselves to be patient and let things develop a little more naturally (and hopefully more sustainably) in these cases. It takes not only patience but discernment. Please just be lifting us and our contacts up.

In addition to all that I have said, I want to add: thanks for sending us here with a great team! We love our team members, and it is helping more than words can express to have them here. Last week me and Yan and Jen went together to get foot massages, and then have dessert at Pizza Hut, and it was just a fabulous night, very refreshing. And it is so nice that I already know these ladies, we are not just having to get to know each other on the field. So we are friends who know each others strengths and struggles, and we start from that point, able to sympathize and listen to each other in an educated way. Just a big blessing.

That's all for now. Also, thanks for sending Jake and Shelley. We look forward to seeing them soon!

posted by Cecely