But God didn’t disappoint here. First there was a wedding!
The kids from down the road did a great job dressing up one of their brothers
and sisters and celebrating together. I was blessed to be their “photographer”.
Over a cup of chai I opened a care package from Laura which
was a mixture of Easter candy (oh how I love my peeps!) as well as a few
birthday surprises. I walked with Mama Clemens and my newest American teammate
back to Mama Clemens duka (or shop) to buy oil and eggs to make cake and ended
up staying for awhile (not really a surprise anymore), sharing a soda and
talking about birthdays, getting married (funny topic for sure), and laughing a
lot. I love sharing moments like that with the people here and it made it all
the more special to do so on my birthday.
When my teammate and I returned my Kenyan mama was preparing
dengu (or green grams) so we thought it was a good time to fry some ugali
Kikuyu style! I made some ugali and let it cool. Then we worked as a team her
making some cakes and dipping it in an egg mixture of egg, tomato, onion and
garlic and then putting it on the chapati pan with some oil. I then was in
charge of not burning the pieces, flipping when they had reached perfection and
removing to enjoy. There was some definite hesitation and maybe some lack of
faith but they were a hit!
After lunch it was to the kitchen to prepare cake! For the
last (too many years to count) I have had a funfetti cake on my birthday.
Thanks to so many of you from home I was fully prepared. My Kenyan Mama has
done a great job teaching me how to bake over a jiko so I was on my own this
time. We created our “oven” using a piece of tin and some sand. I mixed the
cake mix and put it in a sufuria and then covered it and put more sand and some
coals on top. Perfection doesn’t begin to describe how well BOTH cakes turned
out! Seriously, perfect.
After baking we enjoyed a few minutes of relaxing outside
under the mango trees before our weekly praise and worship church service.
After Church it was back to the kitchen to begin preparing tacos! It was a team
effort, I was pouring with so very much sweat but it was so worth it!
We prepared two types of chapati (white and brown flour),
two types of beans (refried and black), two types of meat (chicken and
hamburger), and two types of rice (Mexican and white) with onions and tomatoes
to top them off. Pretty sure even as I took bites I still had a smile on my
face, I was in heaven. I managed to eat two but that was forced… how in the
world has my stomach shrunk living in Kenya??
We were so stuffed after dinner it was a joint decision to
clean up first before cutting the cake…I may have been the motivator in that
verdict, I really had no room left!
After dishes and filling a few yellow junkins of water it
was not only time to enjoy cake but also sleep! The cake was just as perfect if
not better than any cake I’ve had cooked in an oven. The pink frosting (thank
you Laura!) may have persuaded my taste buds a bit though. J Seriously such a
special day and so glad to share it with so many different people here in the
village that I get to call home for this time.
God has done so much in this last year I couldn’t stop
praising him for what He had accomplished. A great last few months in America,
not only leaving on my faith departure date but doing so fully supported (you
all are amazing!), getting a few months of coast life mixed with some Nairobi
breaks, a beautiful thanksgiving that included a turkey, stuffing and my
favorite, sweet potatoes. Christmas was a special time to remember Christ’s
birth and gave me a renewed spirit for why I am here, 3 consecutive months in
the village, getting my own classroom of kids and so many more memories and
adventures that it would take too long and you might fall asleep…
But really, I am so incredible grateful to be here. I know
its hard, especially during my birthday and holidays alike to be separated from
family but I know without a doubt that this is where I’m suppose to be and this
is what God has created me to do. Knowing that so many of you are apart of my
team through finances and prayers I know I’m not here alone. (That and so many
of your pictures hang in my room that even though I don’t hear your voices I
see your smiling faces so often!)
Happy Birthday to me! Who knows what next year will hold??
