Online Baptist

by **matie-k** on July 20th, 2007, 9:57 pm

I recently got an email from an American friend down in Haikou where we used to live. There is a Chinese couple there named Brian and Carrie. When we first moved there, they weren't dating or anything, but while we lived there they started dating and got married and now have one baby girl. They're a very solid couple - believers, both excellent in English and had good jobs - especially her working for the government somehow. Anyways, as you know there's the one-child policy here, but they recently found out they're expecting a second child - sort of a big oops for them I guess! So, my American friend told me about it in an email, and it sounds like it's a huge disaster according to their families. Their jobs could be at stake, they will have to pay a big govt. fee (punishment!), and their parents are/were pushing very hard for an abortion and pretty much were making like their successful lives were over! So, they thought about it a lot for a week, and apparently the pregnant wife Carrie was even wavering on the decision whether to keep the baby or not even though she's a solid believer - the pressure from family is just that hard. It's not just that it will affect their immediate lives and family, but it will also affect their parents (the grandparents) because as people age here, it's sort of their children's job to take care of the elderly parents, and so the parents are always pushing so hard for their children to be successful and make lots of money so that they can live comfortably and in good standing among their peers in their old age. So, for the kids to lose jobs, have to pay a huge fee, etc...will then be a burden on the parents as they won't be able to have the ease of life they were hoping for in their old age...not to mention that every parent just wants their children to succeed in life in general. So, I guess after a week of wavering, they decided they would keep the baby - PTL! I'm sure much to the rest of the families chagrine. Now they will have to suffer the consequences (of the natural pattern of life that God put into motion!) of this decision by maybe even losing their jobs and also that big fee. I have no idea how much the fee is though.

Also, people here think raising children is just so so so hard - way too difficult to have two (gasp!) children, and I'm sure that's another reason for the pressure from family. Anyways, if you think of it, please pray for them as they will be going through the ringer over it all. I'm anxious to hear from my friend again to see how things will pan out for them. How horrible that such a natural life process that God set in motion turns into such a disaster.