One of our Home of Hope girls is pictured in both photos above; the second photo was taken a few days after the first one. What a difference a few days can make!
We go to Dhaka twice a month for grocery shopping. We try and do any errands we need done in part of one day and then have a day of rest before returning to the Home of Hope. We do enjoy the constant electricity and water while in Dhaka, along with being able to have more western food choices.
This particular day, we had made 3 or 4 stops all within a 2-3 mile area, but due to traffic and road conditions, it had taken several hours. Our last stop was the grocery store. Normally they do EVERYTHING for you, but they were short of help, so Rick was helping to sack the groceries along with the clerk. We were not unhappy or grouchy or mad, but since we had been shopping and running errands for the last few hours and we were tired, we weren't as talkative as normal. The cashier looked at Rick and said your mood is off? We looked at each other and thought, "Huh??". Then I realized he thought Rick was unhappy or in a bad mood because he wasn't openly jovial. Rick assured him he was fine. As we were leaving, Rick said to me, Evidently his filter is off. What clerk calls out a stranger because he is not openly laughing and smiling?". We have laughed many times since then about this. It did make us think, though, about the perception others have when our attitude isn't what it should be. Lord, help my attitude to not be so affected by my circumstances and for my mood to be on so that others may see You.
-Elaine Pardee