the fragrance of hope

we're sitting at a cafe waiting to catch our night train back to bangkok. we've been traveling for the past ten days in northern thailand, making our way through chang mai, burman, and chang rai. between each town we've traveled to, we've spent time with girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking,  some who are still in it, and with kids at an orphanage.   a while ago someone asked me what hope smells like and since then i've been thinking a lot about it... unsure if i'm familiar with it's scent to say the least. but being around these young girls and children, it seemed like the fragrance of hope was poured all over us.   at first i was anxious to meet them, afraid that i would be brokenhearted by their stories.  but instead, i found so much joy and hope in their new lives at the shelter and orphanage.  it was definitely a place of redemption... where lives have been given value and dignity restored.  i was riding on the top of a truck with one of the kids from the orphanage and chad.  we were on our way back from visiting another orphanage and driving through the beautiful mountains when the little boy fell asleep on my lap... and as i was clasping on to the rail with one hand and holding him closely with the other, hope filled my heart because i knew that he was safe and his life would be looked after.