Eric's Beijing Diary

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Rachel called me Friday. Today I took the subway to Chegongzhuang and went to her wedding. The wedding took place at a government office. I don't particularly favor forgoing a church wedding, especially since Rachel is a Christian. But the situation in China is such that some people decide the formal wedding is just too expensive. In America, you go get a marriage license and then a marriage certificate at the church. The pastor is legally authorized to marry people. You can get a court wedding in the States, but it does require a separate ceremony. But in China, when you register, you don't get a marriage license, you get a marriage certificate. Eason forked out 9 RMB (about $1.25) today. They filled out the forms, had a brief interview, took an oath and were legally married.

Somehow, a government office just doesn't seem like the best place for wedding, so I asked Rachel if we could go somewhere else afterward. We went to a small restaurant and had a delicious meal of boiled mutton and cow stomach. None of us had ever been there before, but Eason sniffed the place out. It wasn't a fancy place, but the food was good, and we had a very pleasant conversation about the importance of building a family on a solid foundation. I really encouraged both of them to focus first on finding a church home. My heart really goes out to dear Chinese young people like this who have the same hopes and dreams any young couple could be expected to have, and perhaps a few more obstacles in trying to meet them. But Rachel and Eason were full of optimism about their future. Fortunately they are living in a China that has a lot more opportunity than the China of their parents or grandparents. Rachel has spent some time in Canada, and they are thinking of going there, but ironically, Eason, as a systems engineer, has much better options here in China. This is because there is so much new infrastructure being developed here. The government has been laying a 20,000 kilometer trunk line. That means a lot of jobs for systems people like Eason. In the end, though, a young couple can find no greater insurance for the future than simple trust in a God who never forsakes His own.