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Dear friends and family

It is the middle of the first week of classes so there is not much to update you on as work has taken over. I have now given 6 hours of lectures and directed 2 three hour laboratory sessions all in 3 days! Then today Darleen met with 8 professionals who anticipate going to Loma Linda and want to improve their English. She was highly stressed in anticipation but found it very enjoyable. We have several dignitaries mostly from LL arriving tonight for a Board meeting the next two days then they leave Friday! I don't know how they can make wise decisions while experiencing jet lag. We are invited to go out with them for dinner tomorrow evening. I have been scheduled (Nov. 23)to give a grand rounds here at the hospital on medical education. I have chosen to use the material that Dr. Werner gave us for a seminar in LL a couple of months ago on writng valid multiple choice examination questions. I need to start preparing the midterm exam so will close for now.

Darleen writes - One of the nicest things for us here is to hear from you and to know that you are being provided for by God. There seems to be people, people every where people. When you cross the streets or ride the taxis and see how the people need to go and go and go it is simply overwhelming.

We enjoyed going to be with our Chinese brethren here. They don’t have room for everyone because they have to meet in two rooms and a hallway under the church. Our friends here told us that Adventists are not really welcome to meet in that church. The lady who has been translating for us has been an English teacher, now retired. She stands most of the time from 8:45 to 10:50 and then she had a talk at an afternoon meeting.

We walked along the river the first Sabbath afternoon, not huge crowds but everywhere they are tearing down and building. Yesterday we walked at West Lake where there are supposed to be singing orioles but we don’t think we saw any. There were sparrows a little different from ours and some other dramatically marked larger birds. Beautiful flowers and trees and crowds of people and much smoking. There were many boats on the lake, large and small. Their historical sites require tickets to enter. There is always noise ­ horns ­ where we are there are trees mostly below us so we can hear the birds during the day. Fireworks both day and night to drive away the evil spirits. We have since learned that the old generation wants to consult the almanac (astrology) to determine the best time to get married, to move or open a business, etc and for all of these events and more the shoot off fire works.

We have a small washer in our apartment and two driers upstairs. I guess that is enough for this time

Love, Paul and Darleen