Clarks: frustration

I guess that usually the blog is supposed to be a good news forum. But if you will suffer it, today I want to share my frustration and despair. Today is not a happy day. Today is a day when all my blessings feel like curses. The more I'm given, the more is required of me. And the more that is asked of me, the less I feel I have to give.
Someone - some of you, no doubt - would say that "it will pass" and that the troubles I feel are so serious and monumental today will seem like nothing in a day or a week or a month from now. Maybe so, but what about today? Why does today have to be suffered through? And besides, whether or not these exact problems are still hounding me a month from now or not, there will be next month's problems - and as the good book says, they are enough.
A curse - an illness - brought about our decision to seek house help, a maid/cook to come over a few times each week. Actually, the curse would not have been enough by itself. A blessing - the pregnancy - also influenced our decision; the idea being that Cec needed more reliable nutrition and I needed help to not be constantly doing dishes and sweeping. The curse seemed at the time to have a silver lining, in that it was the thing that pushed us to make the decision we'd been thinking of. The price, though, seemed prohibitive. Two other blessings - a part-time/temporary writing job for good pay, and a free mountain bike - came along just before the curse of illness, by the way. But before I could ride the bike [still haven't], the cold/flu struck me down; and now, the extra work... It is no longer a joy but a burden; it is no longer extra money - it is just what we need [actually, still a little less] to pay for the blessing [or is it curse?] of the maid. Without the money, we couldn't afford the help; but without the help, we wouldn't need the extra money, and I could be free to accept or reject the work offer without obligation. I guess I'd already accepted the work before the maid... I don't know...
I can't even think or write clearly b/c the maid, and Cecely, and the washing machine, and no telling what else are all demanding my attention - which ought to be focused, not on a gripy blog post, but on the freelance writing, anyway.
So... I'll just wrap this up...
Look, I may end up taking this post down soon after I post it. But I am going to go ahead and put it up here for now, and I would ask, if you're one of the people to see it, maybe you can just make a comment below and say a prayer above and just hope for the best. Today, I am frustrated. Sometimes this is how it feels to be me.

video of the apartment

I hope this works. This is a video of our new apartment. It is a little dark at times, but you can get the overall feel.

Jason is well.

Just a quick note: I'm feeling much better. I think it'll take a while longer for all the residual symtoms to fade, but yesterday and today I've been well enough to go outside. The fever is all gone -- I even scored a perfect 98.6 one time! It's mostly just a rattle in the chest at this point. I will say, though, that one time I had a "rattle in the chest" for about six months straight while living in Jingzhou, so it's probably not quite time to stop praying! Thanks to all of you who have been, and maybe next time I'll be well enough to write about something other than my health.

Beginning with Prayer

Cecely here:
We have had two times of prayer together so far. The first one was last Saturday. It was a prayer breakfast at the Clarks', and the Hardins had already scheduled some time with Alex, so they couldn't make it, so we had to call in some replacements: we asked Heather and a friend of hers, Bethany Bates, to come and help eat up the extra eggs and biscuits and bacon that Jon and his ilk missed out on! Anyway, after we ate, we prayed. We thank Him a lot for what He has already done, we pray about daily life concerns, and always we ask for more contacts and more opportunities. You can join us in asking for that.

Today we had another great time of prayer in the Davises beautiful new home. Again, we petitioned Him for contacts, "ways in" with people, discernment to be able to recognize those who will be willing to share the message, and we enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship, and then some good watermelon, grapes and delicious Josh-made brownies. Too bad Jason missed it because he was home with 100 degrees. But he called over there a time or two so that we would not forget that he was home missing out! And I did bring him some brownies, which sort of melted into a lump in my hot purse in the 104 degree heat (wow! the weather is even hotter than Jason's fever).

Clarks: Jason is sick

I've had a cold for several days. Apparently, it's Josh's fault... something he brought back with him from Shenzhen. He's just barely over it himself, actually.
Anyway, I'm not going to say much today. Just one thing... If you're healthy today, stop and say a prayer of thanksgiving. Whenever I have even something as relatively small as a cold, I realize how precious our health is.

This year and Last year

Lately I have been thinking about the difference from this year and last year. This year is much better! Why?
I think the biggest difference is that we have a home. Last year when we got off the plane we were told that we would be staying in a hotel for a while. I really tried not to grumble, but I could not even really unpack—we hand no place to put things. All of our suitcases were stacked in the corners of the rooms. I wish I had thought to take pictures. This year I unpacked all the suitcases the next day.

Last year we were pretty tired, but couldn’t stay cooped up in the hotel all the time, so we went out. We really needed to explore the city some. We did, and we got lost! I mostly remember that it was VERY hot. We all got pretty dehydrated, which did not help the jet lag! This year, we have gone out in the heat some, but so far we have not got lost. We know how to get around the city now.

Last year all the kids got sick! It was terrible. This year so far (knock on wood) we have been pretty healthy.

Last year, while we were still in the hotel, we did not even have a way to do laundry. We washed clothes at Josh and Yan’s place at least once. We also hand washed some things. We did not even have a balcony to hang the clothes so we hung them around the room and on a rack that we borrowed from Josh and Gao Yan.
This year, I was able to wash clothes the day after arriving, and hang them out, and the Ai yi helped wash clothes too.

Last year we did not really have internet access for several weeks. This year we got on an unsecure network for 2 days but now have our own internet, and a way around the great firewall! So we are able to stay in touch with loved ones on the other side of the world

Last year, we were in a dingy, dark, cramped hotel room and then we moved into two apartments across the hall from each other until they broke the hole in the wall. Once we were in the apartment, the kids slept on a mattress on the floor in the room next to us.
This year we came home to our bright and clean apartment. The kids each have their own beds.

Last year we knew no one (except our team) in the city. This year we have friends and even more possibilities. Jon has already picked his studies with Alex back up!

To me it is amazing to see the difference. This year is much better than last year. We are excited about the potential for the new year! Please continue to pray for us, that doors will be open and that we will find those seeking Him.

Clarks: Oh, so nice to be back...

Hangzhou... It's our home for these few years (Lord willing), and for that we are really thankful. It's a great place. The flowers -- Lotus blossoms -- are bloomed out on the lake; the air is warm and moist (euphamism for: hot and muggy); and the people, as always, are full of warmth and vigor.
I must say, however, that we loved our few short days in Chattanooga. Those of you who live there year-round are certainly blessed, as well. Great city. Fun. Friendly. And of course, there's the Greater Quitman area, including the twin cities of Higden-Greers Ferry, where we (and a few more than 1000 other people) call "home" in the most-lasting sense.
Every place unique. Each having its strengths and weaknesses. All places the Creator and Sustainer has given us to roam and dwell.
Which makes me think of Jesus: He got one brief chance to walk the face of the earth, and in those too-short years he never travelled more than maybe a few hundred miles (?) from his birthplace. He never walked around the famed West Lake; he never climbed Lookout Mountain and never traversed Missionary Ridge; he never went boating (much less skiing!) with Peter and the guys down at the Narrows.
And at the same time -- before there was time -- he fashioned them all.
He gives me (and surely most of you) the chance to cover more ground and see more sights than his earthly body and eyes ever did; yet we humble ourselves before him knowing that he is the one through whom all these places and wonders were made.
Go outside today, if you can, and say "thanks." I know I will.