My Kenyan Birthday

The Kenya Diaries (vol. 23)

July 13, 2006

Ania's Turn

Today is my birthday! Hooray!

I went to the convent today for my birthday. Mama said I was their guest of honor. Sr. Ploxeda and I walked over together. When I walked in the door Rex came running over to me, and he was wagging his tail! I was happy to see him, too. I played with him for a while and took so many ticks off him I lost count. I didn't like that part very much.

Then I went to see the cows with one of the sisters. I pet the babies and fed them banana tree leaves. They were so cute!

Then it was lunch time. We had ugali, sukuma wiki, milk, beans and potatoes. Then the sisters sang "Happy Birthday" to me. We were all laughing and having fun. Sr. Ploxeda gave me a beautiful picture of Mary with her Immaculate Heart surrounded by a crown of thorns. Then it was time to walk back to the school.

Mama said this: When Ania returned from her afternoon at the convent she was glowing. It was obvious that she had a wonderful time with the sisters, and was treated like royalty.

Mama made my requested birthday meal of chipati and green beans, while Daddy made cheese omelets. Then we had the choc balls for dessert. Everyone sang "Happy Birthday," and I blew out my one candle. In our family everyone takes a turn to honor the birthday person, so we did that for a while. Then I opened my gifts of a cheetah scarf and yarn in the colors of the Kenyan flag (green, red and white). We used the yarn to play cat's cradle before going to bed.













I had a very good birthday! Thank you Jesus for loving me and blessing me with a Kenyan birthday! Amina!




July 14, 2006
(Feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha)

Today Andy was going to travel with Fr. Johannes to his home village in Nyanza Province and not return for three or four days. Andy was ready quite early, but due to several unforeseen circumstances, the trip got postponed until tomorrow. It would have been an all day ride in a matatu, and to travel past dark is not safe. I am glad it got postponed.

I walked into Rongai to purchase a few items and e-mail from the post office. With my business concluded, I began to walk back to the school. My usual route took me right past the boda-boda drivers, with whom I always succeed in avoiding eye contact. Somehow this day I was not successful. One driver caught my attention and I paused. He turned his bike around in the direction of the school and grinned a big grin.

"To the seminary!" he exclaimed.

I turned to look at the other drivers, made the sign of the cross, and agreed. Everyone laughed except me.

It actually wasn't so bad after all. When he pulled up to the seminary, I gave him a 20 shilling piece and waited for my change. He said "Thank you, Madame?" I looked back at him and saw Jesus standing before me and nodded my approval of his keeping the change. His whole face lit up and he exclaimed, "THANK YOU, MADAME!"

While we were eating dinner, the topic of Ania's birthday came up. We were trying to figure out at what time of day did Ania really turn eight years old yesterday.

"At 5:54 p.m." I said with all confidence of a mother who remembers the details of her child's birth. But then I realized the time difference, so I started to calculate what time it would be in Kenya. Let's see, we are seven hours ahead of U.S.A., so Ania turned eight at 12:54 a.m. on July 14.

What an awesome thought! Blessed Kateri is my patron saint and confirmation name! I knew when I had Ania, that I missed her feast day by one day. God continues to reveal the most amazing things to me, and I am so blessed by his goodness!

Later, at prayers, Andy asked us all to take a few moments of quiet time and listen to Jesus. (See my initial recalling of this story here). When he asked Philip what Jesus said to him, Philip replied that we need to go to church every day that there is church available to us. About five minutes later Fr. Johannes knocked on the door and said he was about to say Mass, and would we like to join him? Needless to say, we all got out of bed and attended Mass in our pajamas.

Today has been such a wonderful day full of wonderful surprises. Thank you, Jesus, for a day full of your richness! Amina!