Birthday Blessings

With our trip to Palau so close to my birthday, I decided not to plan anything once back on Guam. I mean, really, what could top that? My birthday fell on a Sunday this year so I decided we'd have our regular Sunday... church then golf. It's a pretty awesome day to begin with, but a bunch of things came together to make this day even more special.

Oddly enough, in our congregation of only 200 people, there are two others with my same birthday. Both Jeff and Gregg are lay pastors and have been leading services since our pastor left in December. In fact, it was Pastor Jeff who helped us discover our same birthday coincidence when we played one of his icebreaker games where you have to line up in order of your birthday. All three of us were February 26th, which I find funny since I have only even met one other person in my life with the same birthday. Last year we all celebrated by going out to dinner with our spouses. This year Jeff informed me that he was preaching and Gregg was assisting... followed by, "So what are you going to do on birthday church?"

I decided to sing a song. Jeff introduced the service and explained our birthdays saying, "This service is brought to you by the people who were born on February 26th." So during the offering, I did a solo with my friend Kevin on guitar. I sang JJ Heller's "Your Hands." It was nice getting to introduce my favorite song to everyone (listen to it - it's beautiful!). And stepping into the spotlight for a few minutes totally saved me the trouble of hitting up karaoke for my birthday :)

The flowers that Sunday were given in honor of our birthdays, and my mom had even called from the States to help arrange that. The birthday boys insisted I take them home where they have been sitting on our kitchen table for the last week. Gorgeous!

After church I had a little business to take care of. Sean Harlow, the missionary from the Philippines who we've been working with to set up our trips, was visiting Guam that weekend. We'd had a barbecue at my house a few nights earlier and we got to show him around the island, which is always fun. So we used the opportunity with him here to have a trip meeting, where I got to make an extremely exciting announcement. At the beginning of the month, I applied for a grant that would cover the expenses related to our actual mission work in Manila. In addition to hanging out with babies, we plan to run a medical clinic for the street children, do fix-up projects around the orphanage, and lead a nutrition presentation and provide healthy meals at a nearby youth camp. I had found out just before leaving for Palau that the Frees Foundation had awarded us the funding! So on my birthday, I got to make this surprise announcement to our team about all we were going to be able to do now having received the funding to make it possible. Everyone is really excited :)

We left church and headed to Windward Hills golf course (with birthday buddy Gregg joining us!). We played the same course on my birthday last year, and I scored my best round yet... 100. I couldn't believe how well I was playing the first few holes... then then the next few holes... then a few pars... I managed to get my best score yet... a 94... my best by 3 strokes! I also somehow managed to beat Nick and Gregg...? Must have been that extra dose of birthday magic. I always love playing golf, but it's extra awesome to have your best round ever, especially on your birthday!

So my birthday itself was quite wonderful. But the reason I was glowing all day was because of YOU GUYS! A week before my birthday I sent a message out to close friends and family asking for contributions to our mission trip in lieu of material gifts this year. I wasn't expecting many gifts as it is, but I figured since relatives still insist on sending them, I might as well let them know where my heart is this year. I was absolutely. floored. by the response. Each day for a solid week+ I went to the mailbox and had cards to open with the most personal and encouraging notes... and contributions immeasurably more than what I would ever have expected. And money aside, it means so much to me to have the support of so many friends and family members. I think I teared up reading every single note, even the ones that just said, "Happy birthday." It was more than that... it was a joyful birthday. Better than any party anyone could have thrown or even the best golf round of my life (although that was a nice bonus).

And I had an extra special card to open on my birthday, even though we get no mail on Sunday. Nick read the email too and knocked my socks off with his donation. I was overwhelmed... to tears. In fact, I'm tearing up just recapping this, thinking about everyone's gifts. I was absolutely blessed on my birthday this year and cannot thank everyone enough for making it immeasurably more special than I ever would have dreamed.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

And as if this week couldn't get any better... my sister is here!! Peyts-Island has officially become Peyt-Sis-Land! The blessings continue...