Familiar

The smells are familiar and somehow comforting, not that body odor is a good scent, it just holds a different meaning now. It represents a time in my life where I am so dependent on God, so far away from home and family that my only option, the best option is to press into Him! And so I press in, anxious for comfort and I receive it, from the people here, from teaching, from worship times and from friends who carry that ever present scent J  Things are going well. We will begin teaching in two weeks time and until then we have just been exploring, figuring out where things are in town etc. As we wait for classes to begin I find myself growing restless, ready for something to start all the while frustrated that I can't just rest and be content in this slower season. It reminds me a lot of my time first starting out in Malawi, I was ready to hit the ground running but sometimes life functions at a slower pace, especially in Africa and so I try to remember to take it all in, to have relationships first and tasks second, to observe and unwind as we gear up for classes to begin. Maybe slowing down isn't all bad after all. I am thankful for the visiting professors and missionaries who have lived many of their years in Burundi and are now passing on their wealth of information to us, so much can be learned from them about culture and tweaking our expectations to meet the needs here in Burundi.  I am thankful for friends both here and there who have been a support in this season of transition.  And I am thankful that even though I have hoped back and forth between continents a few times in the last couple of years that each time I return there is still that same scent that brings comfort; that reminds me of where I am.

---

Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.