Let's Get Physicals... Physicals!

Hi,

Week two has been just as busy if not more so than the first. In fact, we are actually in our third week now as I write this. It is Tuesday at 2:38 p.m. for me, but most of you are tucked soundly in your beds getting a good night's sleep at this hour. That is still so strange to think about. We did get to Skype for a moment with Mom and John Campbell this morning. It is amazing to me that we have this free technology that allows us to keep in touch with them and get some virtual face to face time. If you Skype, our account name is CooperCorner.

Let's see, last week we attended two Bible studies... one on Wednesday and one on Thursday evening. We didn't understand much of anything that was going on at either study, but were encouraged by what we witnessed. The Wednesday night study is for believers who want to learn more. They are studying through the Old Testament and are now in Exodus. The Thursday night study is for seekers (two of which were baptized after the study!). They watch a video that is mostly in Chinese, but the speaker did say one phrase in English that caught my attention... "In order to understand God, you must stand under God". I thought that was cool and true and was thankful for words in my native tongue. We will be hosting our own seeker's group that will be a combination of Chinese and English speaking in our apartment beginning Monday, September 14th and ask you to join us in prayer that it will be successful.

We are busy with language school every day from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Already it has been very beneficial as we have begun to learn some basic phrases useful for everyday communication. Additionally, we feel like we are receiving a solid base on which to continue to build our comprehension and retention of this difficult language! Our teacher is very good and a lot of fun. Please pray that we will pick it up and that it will be a tool that will help us get to know the Chinese better and share the Gospel in their language.

What else? Oh, we are close to getting our Visas for six months. We just have to go to the U.S. Embassy tomorrow morning and get a copy of our marriage license and Nash's birth certificate stamped in order to verify that we all are in fact related. Before that Susan and I had to get physicals. That was quite the experience! First of all we took an hour taxi ride (both ways) to what is apparently the only clinic in Beijing that does physicals for foreigners only to realize that we didn't have enough money to pay for the physicals and that we shouldn't have eaten the delicious donuts from New York Donuts for breakfast. So, we returned Monday hungry, but financially prepared and took care of that. The process was streamlined, but strangely invasive considering the language barrier. We had to undergo a battery of tests that included having our blood pressure, height, and weight measured, taking a vision test, opening our mouths wide for some kind of crude ent test, enduring an Electrocardiogram (ok, so it wasn't as bad for me), receiving a chest x-ray, and having blood drawn. Whew! At least that is behind us. We are hoping that we don't have to repeat in six months when our visas are up for renewal!

Well, I think that is probably enough for this week. We miss you all and keep you in our prayers.

in His Love,
John, Susan, and Nash