June’s Excitement

It’s been a pretty big month for the Speed family.  We are now a family of 5!  We spent the first week of the month in the area where our son’s founding orphanage is located.  We did lots of paperwork, visited official buildings and basically figured out how to do life with a 2 year old again.  It was quite wonderful.

We also have another “new addition” to the family – meet our new cart!  It’s a neat tradition around here that when long term volunteers move on they pass down their precious treasures to the ones staying.  We hit the jack pot this time as a sweet family gave us a set of wheels.  Not that we mind walking, but when it gets cold again and we have to lug groceries back from the village we will be overjoyed at this gift.

One of my favorite things about this “job” is taking the kids on field trips.  And this month we got to go on the best field trip ever!  I have been hearing Pastor Jonathan and Pastor John and Judy talk about the zoo where you are the ones in the cage and the animals are free.  Look how excited we were to be going!

And look how CLOSE these animals are!!  If you would like to see how much fun the kids had check out New Day’s post at http://www.newdaycreations.com/foster/album/zoo0617/pic.html

In addition to all the fun, it’s pretty hot here right now (think upper 90’s).  With public dumpsters, animals everywhere and public “restrooms” I have been thinking a lot about fragrance.  It’s unavoidable.  I am reading in 2 Corinthians and it turns out, it talks about this very thing; well, it talks about fragrance.  “But thanks be to G-d who always leads us in triumphal procession in Ch-ist and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.  For we are to G-d the aroma of C-rist among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.  And who is equal to such a task?”

So I’ve been asking myself a lot lately, “What do I smell like?”  Do I smell more like one of the dumpsters or am I a pleasing aroma to the One who made this journey possible?  No matter how my day is going, am I smiling at the families I pass by?  Am I smiling at my own family?  And if I’m not, I need to remember, I’m being led in triumphal procession…am I following?  I may not feel equal to the task, but I need to remember it’s not me doing the work anyway, I just need to follow.

So I’ll ask you what I ask myself, “How do you smell today?”