I didn’t think I would love my birthday on the race. I was sure it would be a hard day, full of “I wish I could be at home” moments.
But I was lucky enough to be with the whole squad on my birthday.
We were all staying in a sweet home, learning about Indian culture.
Here’s how it went.
I woke up at 6:30 to sweet Megan bringing me coffee in bed and giving me a hug.
She knew I loved coffee & that there was a tradition of having it served to me first thing.
Thanks for knowing my heart, Meg.
Then, Suze, Cami, and Sara walked with me to get Starbucks.
Double coffee, oopsie.
On the way out the door, Sara handed me a birthday note and some cute hair ties as a gift; I’m learning that it really is the little things.
Suze bought my drink, and they sat with me and celebrated me just by smiling.
Sara bought me a chocolate cookie with chocolate drizzle (for breakfast).
And we went home.
We had breakfast, traditional Indian food, and went downstairs for a time of worship.
Following worship, Maria (our host here in India) opened the floor to pray over me and told me the Lord wanted to celebrate me on my special day.
She sat me down in a chair up front.
She gave the squad a chance to celebrate me and prophesy over me.
She prayed an intentional and bold prayer.
I felt deeply known by Maria, a woman I had met only two days before.
She declared words of life over me and over this year. And then she opened the floor.
Squadmate after squadmate, my church spoke words of life over me and encouraged me.
Hannah Beth is bold.
She is kind.
She is intentional.
She speaks words of life.
She enters into hard things.
She has a heart of worship.
She has the spirit of Esther.
The Lord is bringing her into royalty.
He crowns me and calls me his daughter.
Hannah Beth is an obedient daughter.
She is wrapped in a purple sash.
One after another, they spoke words that lifted my spirit and drew me in to the Father’s arms.
They encouraged me in the rest of the race, in my coming marriage with Grant, and in my relationship with the Lord.
I felt deeply known and loved, again.
Following worship and training, we went into the town to shop!
In order to operate respectfully in the culture here, we needed to buy Kurtas (long tunics that are worn with leggings).
We went to the mall, and shopped for a couple hours, swooning over the many colors here in India.
After shopping, I sat with Suze (shmooz) and Brook (bok), and we just talked about the beauty of being a team leader.
We shared what it looks like to serve and lead from behind.
We talked about how intentional we must choose to be in pushing deeper with our teammates.
We celebrated one another and thanked the Lord for this chance to travel together.
We stopped by Starbucks for a final coffee (oops), and then headed to a CUTE restaurant called Prost.
This restaurant has some American foods, and some Indian foods.
It was DELICIOUS.
Maggie and Megan grabbed the microphone, and started announcing to the whole restaurant the type of woman they see me to be.
A kind woman.
A Proverbs 31 woman.
A thoughtful, bold, considerate, funny woman.
They sang happy birthday to me and brought out a yummy brownie with a candle.
I was surround by (almost) all of my squadmates, being totally celebrated and adored.
I felt so loved and known, one last time.
The church was surrounding me and making me feel at home, though incredibly far from home, loving me deeply and well.
I came home and got to chat on the phone with Grant for a while.
I read my birthday letters from people at home as I sat on the roof of the house, overlooking the city.
We processed through how, if it’s the Lord’s will, I’ll never spend another birthday away from him after this year.
I miss home.
But if I were home, I would miss this.
There are things about home that I crave.
There are things about the race that I’ll crave when I don’t have it, too.
I wish I could have spent my birthday with the people I love from home, but I am beyond thankful for this day in India.
Thank you, N squad.
Also, I love and miss you people in the US more than I can explain.
See you soon,
All my love,
Hannah Beth
