Clarks settling in and pressing on

Cecely here:
We are feeling settled in and at home here in our new apartment. It feels pretty warm and cozy here, which is a blessing since we had been warned that we might be colder in this apartment that is only one flight up, as opposed to our previous one, many more than six actual flights up. There are three small heaters here and one big one though, and they do well to heat the space. We don't run them all the time, of course, but enough to feel warm and comfortable in here most of the time. Also, our bed recently got more comfortable, as well, which was a very welcome relief. When we got here there was only a base "mattress", which was a hard base that you would set the actual mattress down on, sort of like the boxed springs in America, but more just like a hard plywood-feeling box mattress when you lay down on it. We knew that from the back aches and fitful sleep the first two or three nights that we would have to add something to it to make it more comfortable. On Monday, we went out shopping for dishes (the dishes we were using over in our previous apartment actually belonged to the landlady, so we left them behind) and a mattress. We found some dishes we really liked, but after a day of running around all over town, didn't find a comfortable and affordable actual mattress. The best we could do is ask Metro to order a correct size memory foam bed pad, and they said they would call us when it came in, and we wouldn't have to pay until we came to pick it up 3 or 4 days later. We were glad to have found the dishes anyway, and we headed home, as that evening I was hosting a ladies fellowship, pr-yer and Book reading time. We had a good turnout for that, and me and the five ladies were all with heads bowed in prayer when Jason got a call in the other room from our landlady liaison here, informing us that there was a 4000 yuan German mattress down in the storage area on the ground level below our apartment! She apologized, though, that it was so soft, warning us that we might not like it. Obviously, that is why the owners had removed it from their bed and stored it down there, prefering the comforting plywood bed feeling of the old hometown, perhaps???? Jason reminded her that we are Americans, and so it probably could not be too soft. She laughed and said she'd come over and help us to get it out of the storage area. It made for an interruption in our pr-yer time, but the ladies who were over here helped us move furniture out of the way of the mattress, get it up the stairs, etc. And when we had it safely up here, we resumed our pr-yer time. I think the ladies in the city (this particular meeting included ladies from W3, although the RJ ladies had had their own self-initiated meeting earlier that day as well!) are getting closer to one another. They really seem to enjoy sharing their struggles and providing listening ears to one another. I am greatly encouraged by this. Also, they welcome Seekers in gladly, and I sense that the Seekers greatly admire the spirit of love and sharing that they witness among us. Please keep this in your thoughts as much as possible, because I know that He can do great things from what is happening among our ladies here in Hangzhou.
Thanks so much for the care and concern you have shown to us. We watched our senders video this afternoon and thought of you and the loving way you took care of us in Chattanooga and how you made our parents and grandparents feel comfortable and cared for. We love and appreciate you very much; and what you have done makes the work possible and able to thrive. You truly are our partners in this work!
With much love,
Cecely (and Jason) Clark