On the eve of my 21st birthday, I find myself unable to do homework. Not surprising because this is an exciting time, but it's for a different reason than the normal excitement that birthdays bring. I find myself thinking of Bulembu and each of the children that reside there. I wonder how many of them have had their birthdays this week and if any of them share a birthday with me. For birthdays in Bulembu, the children are given a doughnut as their present. It would be very hard to find an 8 year old child in the US that would be happy with one doughnut as their present. But these children - these amazing children - are overjoyed at the fact that someone is celebrating them. Some of these children come in without knowing their birthdays. Some of them have to be estimated because there is no record. Either way, birthdays are not the focus of their lives...the family is. Birthdays are more than presents and cakes and party hats. Birthdays are the celebration of someone's life. In Bulembu it's the celebration of someone's life along with the celebration of life in general. These children have hopes and futures and that is definitely something to celebrate more than once a year.
So as I look on to the next stage of my life, I am thankful for my life and where God has led me and where He will lead me in the future. I am overjoyed at the fact that I had the opportunity to fly 8,000 miles to encounter some of the most amazing people I will ever meet in my life. And as I turn the infamous 21 tomorrow, I say a happy birthday to my family and friends who reside in Bulembu. I celebrate your lives daily because my life was impacted by yours and I am forever grateful. <3
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