Turning 26!

Yesterday, October 7, was one of my favorite days of the year!  It was my birthday and I turned 26 years old.  This makes birthday number 2 overseas, and although it was difficult being away from family, in addition to my family who helped me celebrate via Skype and packages, I have developed a great "overseas family" who made the day special!

Prior to reading this, you must promise not to judge the health benifits or lack there of of my birthday celebration(s).

Have your promised?

Okay, then you may proceed! :)

The morning began with birthday pancakes.  I got the recipe off Pintrist and there is actually cake mix and sprinkles in it.  You stack them up like a cake and then put in candles.

Being Sunday, I went to our Gathering of Believers.  Someone from the States must of taught them how to celebrate people's birthdays, because every week anyone with a birthday or anniversary must go to the front and be sung to.  I must say, I've never been sung to by that many South Asians before!

For lunch, we ate at a very good Chinese buffet in town.  Although there were no crab ran goons and egg rolls, all the food tasted wonderful!  It was a great time to visit with friends...

 And open presents!

Then I had a surprise, as you can tell by the look on my face.  "Someone" had told the waiters it was my birthday, so here they came with a cake...

And singers with guitars to sing "Happy Birthday" to me!

While I was at church a box was delivered to the flat. The women of my home fellowship of believers in Missouri had sent me a box, and incredibly, it arrived on my birthday!

The ladies were so thoughtful and sweet to send those things and write many cards of birthday wishes and encouragement.

See the card display.  There are even cards from a class of kindergartners who are learning about serving Him overseas!  They are so precious!

That night, we watched a movie that the ladies' class sent, called October Baby.  I won't give away the plot line of the film, but I will say it was very, very, very good!  It had a great moral message, story line, and acting.  The lead character in it also shared my birthday, October 7, which was fun.

I Skyped with my parents in the morning and then the night of my birthday.  They, my grandparents, and a dear lady from Missouri had send some special things in a box that I saved to open with the over Skype.  Mom and Dad also included a birthday banner that is gracing the wall of our flat and some pink 2 6 candles that I used in a cake.

I also enjoyed checking Facebook.  My favorite post was from my brother: "Did you know? 26 is directly between the square of 5 (25) and the cube of 3 (27). there are 26 letters in the alphabet...duh, a rubics cube can always be solved in 26 moves or less, Caesar and Cleopatra got married in 26 B.C. and today, or yesterday, depending on the Timezone, you are 26 as well! Happy Birthday!!!!"  He is so funny!



Today, I celebrated with some more friends at our bi-weekly fellowship.  They were so kind to fix some of my favorite foods and decorate.

We had biscuits and gravy, grits, egg casserole, and cinnamon rolls.  (Remember, you promised not to judge.)

 Some special people made a beautiful, very chocolaty cake!

 Note the headband, a gift from my grandparents!

Make a wish!

That wasn't quite all the celebrating though...

A week before my birthday, some friends that live up north came down to visit.  While they were here, we had a pre-birthday celebration.  We went to one of my favorite restaurants in the city that serves very tasty food in a modern feeling setting.  It really doesn't seem like you are still in South Asia when you go in there!

My friends told them I was celebrating birthday, so they brought a huge piece of cake and all the staff sang to me.

 Look, they even spelled my name right!

Father, thank You so much for the wonderful days You have given me.  Thank You for the special people You have placed in my life to gave of themselves and helped me to celebrate my special day.  I am so blessed by You!  Thank You for your overwhelming love for me, that is conveyed in the thoughts and actions of these special people.  You are so good to me!