Fragrance of Christ

Here's a picture of my students and I at the Chang Zhi school.
It is traditional for foreign teachers to give their Chinese students English names. So I named all of my students the first day of class. Strong, attractive names like Brunhilda, Boris, and Gertrude. j.k.
I did entertain the idea of naming them Biblical names but most of those are multi-syllable and difficult to pronounce. I thought it would be funny to imitate some large home-school family's I know and give all 25 students names that started with "J" or "L". Ah, but roll call is not a good time for tongue twisters.
Lucy! Linda! Leanoard!
So in the end I just named them after all of you, my family and friends. =)
It's shocking how they have taken on your personality traits in my mind. (power of suggestion?) Some of them wanted to change their names - much to my chagrin - to Rain or White Lilly. I told them they could call me "Mother Moon Child" and we could all wear tye dye and celebrate woodstock. But they didn't get it.

They did give me a lovely Chinese name though, which I am very thankful for. It is Xiao Fong, which means sweet lovely small fragrant flower. I like it.
I pray God will help me live up to it and be a sweet fragrance to the people here. It reminds me of the verse 2 Corinthians 2:14 "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." That is my challenge for all of us today: friends, let us be the fragrance of Christ to everyone we encounter.