We have been able to work a lot of things out, and after realizing I was suffering from a rather intense bout with depression, acknowledging, asking for help, and lots of prayer is helping me work through it...while getting the marriage certificate was a lot more mafan (trouble) than we expected and we had to deal with a minor incident involving corruption in the government office we needed to work with, everything worked out and we are happy to be officially married...now we are focusing on the rather last-minute planning of our celebration this summer!
(here it is! 9 yuan to get both our copies..haha)
The day after we got it, people started referring to my "husband" and he first introduced me to someone as his "妻子“ (wife). The whole thing has been confusing for all the foreigners who know us, who are unsure as to whether we are married now or will be married in July. The best answer? We are married now, and July is just the Chinese way of celebrating.
This whole getting married in China thing is waaaay different all around, through the whole process, than anything I expected when I was younger and thought of what my wedding would be like. But then, I never expected to meet a Chinese husband and live in China...never in a million years did I think that would happen actually....it wasn't on my radar. But I do love the fact that God always takes me to the most unexpected places, and while it has been far more challenging than I would have expected, I also consider myself unusually blessed.
So, while I will wear the pretty dresses and tell our story in front of family and friends in a couple of months, I'm grateful to be legally tied to the person I've already committed before God to. As my hubby happily mused today, "Our God is really amazing...to put us two out of the whole world together."
I'm thankful.
