November 3, 2007

Well, it's Saturday which means that the main doctors and head nurse are off today. Yet, the head nurse still came to visit us twice with her husband and brought me flowers. Also, one of my main doctors came to see me with a friend who is a doc in Beijing.

Every nurse and doctor who comes to our room asks to see our family. We are so grateful to Jessica (Ricks) Bybee who took our family picture last June! These pictures have sure helped to keep our spirits up. We look at them all the time! All the docs and nurses are amazed at how large our family is! Here in China each couple may have only one child. If they have more than one child they will lose their jobs and be subject to fines throughout the child's life.

Our new friend, Jessica, (whom we met through Jimmy and Jau Fang) who lives in Hainan told us, "I am very happy because I have one daughter, but you are even happier because you have six children!" She says that she wishes she had had three children. She says that now that she is in her 40's she realizes that she could've found another job and that she could've paid the fines. She is an amazing person. Her father was killed in the cultural revolution. Her mother fled the city with Jessica and her 3 siblings. They took up residence in the countryside where her mother, as an unskilled laborer, worked 2 jobs to support the family. Her mother taught the children that they should get an education. Now Jessica and her siblings all have advanced degrees. Jessica actually got her MBA at Cal State Fullerton in California. When she came to the USA she did not speak English well. She studied every night until 2 or 3 am trying to learn English at the same time she was studying her MBA coursework. She has been so good to us – she says she likes to help us because so many people helped her when she went to the States. When we first arrived in Hainan it was raining very hard because a typhoon had just passed through. Jessica wrote me a note that said, "We always think life just likes the weather.. For you, it's raining now, but we believe that sunshine will come to you again, and you'll be moving forward. Get well soon. With love and Blessings, Jessica's family."

We feel so blessed with wonderful friends here in China and back home. I looked at the temple calendar and was so touched. I couldn't hold back the tears. Thank you so much! I will be forever grateful!

~Sheryl