A Month of Birthdays

To many, the month of September may seem just like every other month.  It has 30 days, usually includes a crisp in the air and falling leaves (in some parts of the world!), and means "back to school."  But here in Dar, we’ve discovered it’s a popular month to be born in – and celebrating these birthdays is a LOT of sugary fun!

It started with our housemate Kate's birthday, who was actually born in August… but who we’ve adopted into the month of September none-the-less. 

Then came Delicia’s birthday.  It was about this time that my housemate Marie got asked to make a wedding cake – and wasn’t really given a choice to say no – towards the end of the month.  So we decided we’d better get practicing!

We ended up going out to eat for her birthday, which was a lot of fun.  It’s a place where you can look out the window/open air holes and see the ocean coming right up to the building where you’re eating.  Very peaceful, very beautiful.

Then came Marie’s birthday.  We’re nearly twins, with birthdays 4 days apart and her being one of the closest people to a real sister that I’ve ever had!  Her mom got sneaky and sent presents, a card, and REAL mix-in-a-box cake with my parents back in July!  I had fun wrapping the presents and being the elf on this side of the world… and watching her tear up with surprise when she saw a hand-written card from her mom that morning!

Mama Christianson, I know you sent wrapping paper... but I'm pretty sure it's still in the bag that's lost in the Indian Ocean.  Or somewhere.  Glad you sent the handkerchiefs so I could get creative and use those instead!

For our birthdays, we decided to do game nights.  But since I had the chance to house-sit for a neighbor in a super-quiet area of town, I thought it would be nice to go there the weekend before.  Here are a few snapshots, including one of Marie and Erin carrying a cake for me in an open bajaj over holey dirt roads… trying to make it all in one piece without losing the cake in their laughter!  The bajaj driver’s comment – you girls sure are happy!

Marie had a bunch of people over to our house for Mexican on Friday, and we enjoyed fun games and lots of laughs as well.

Bananagrams, yeah.  It's a bit addicting... and I love getting new people excited about it, too!

On Friday, the day before my birthday, my kids made me laugh a lot when they refused to let me into my classroom.  I think the entire staff knew it was almost my birthday as they stood at the entrance to the school, waiting to block me on my way in.  One student’s witty remarks included, “Miss Lucas, you just can’t go to your classroom!  I don’t know why, but you can’t go up there.  You should stay down here and play with me on the playground instead!”

I tried to imagine dropping my backpack with my computer and plans on the ground, running over to the jungle gym, and climbing up the ropes with my kids… with kids walking into the school and many parents accompanying them!  Somehow, I just couldn’t make myself do it.  Instead, I begged for permission to go to the other side of the building, where a friend teaches first grade, to hang out instead.

They let me, after making me promise to cover my eyes on the way.

I gave the kids my keys, made my way up to the grade one classroom, and felt a bit sheepish as I laughed and wondered what they were up to.  Just before the bell rang, I received an invite to come back as they were “ready for me.” 

When I walked into the classroom, they all jumped out from their hiding places to surprise me.  Singing happy birthday, they led me to the door where they had all signed a poster.  And a few other girls showed me their posters outside which stated, “warning! Best teacher evers birthday!”

Saturday came and I nearly forgot it was my actual day of birth, after all the craziness of the week leading up to it.  I got to sleep in at the quiet, peaceful house I was housesitting, and got lots of great hugs from friends.  I got to visit a local craft place where disabled Tanzanians make beads and other crafts to sell and support their families.  Then off to home, where Erin had asked for a lovely lady to come give her a pedicure at our house (which she does to help earn money for school fees for her daughter.)

Erin surprised us all with a gift of a pedicure for our birthday month!  I had to laugh when Stella asked if she was doing ok – I had two prior experiences, both before weddings I was in, to compare it to.  But it was lovely, and I’m still amazed that my feet are actually this white after living in Tanzania for so long!

The night ended when many friends came to join us for a birthday meal at the same wonderful place we had gone for Delicia’s birthday.  It made me think back to other birthday meals I’d been surprised and blessed with in the past few years – and thankful for the amazing friends and love God has surrounded me with the world over!

While it’s always a bit hard – and weird – to celebrate birthdays far from “home,” it is good to know we have a God who takes care of us along the way… and supplies our every need in and through amazing people around us!