I could not have thought of a better way to kick off my golden year than to be here in Uganda with such good friends.
Today has been the best birthday I have ever had, but not because of any presents or extravagant parties, but because I felt so seen and known today, in ways I have never felt before.
To start the day, a small group of us went tubing on the Nile. It was such a good time to just unwind. We also got to eat a TON of pineapple on the river, which was some of the best pineapple I have ever had! After that, we came back to our house and got to fellowship a little bit by use hanging out and playing cards. We then went to a pizza place to celebrate not just my birthday, but 2 others! Andrew and Will also got to partake in the celebration since their birthdays fall right before and right after our travel days to Kenya. We then got home and I was surprised by a cake (that was surprisingly good!) and a card signed by my team and the other team that is here with us, team Olive Tree.
I wasn’t expecting too much from my birthday on the race. Since everyone is on a tight budget with tight schedules, I wasn‘t expecting anything grand for my birthday, and I was okay with that. The fact that we got to float down the Nile and eat pizza and birthday cake far exceeded my expectations, and I am so grateful to have been people who cared about me enough to do the little bit they could to show that they cared.
On top of that, I was completely BLOWN AWAY by friends and family who wished me a hapa birthday over social media. Church family, Sweet Adeline sisters, old school friends, and even people I have met while on this trip sent the sweetest things, and I just want to thank you all for continuing to keep me in your thoughts. Being away from home for this long, it is easy to think that you have been forgotten about, but I feel more loved than ever.
I know it has been a while since I have posted an update about my tags, but I want to let you guys know that these tags mean so much to me. On just about every travel day, someone has commented on them and said “Wow, you have a lot of people at home who love you”, and I get to tell them just how true that is every time. Your thoughts, prayers, and support have been more impactful than you know, and I cannot say thank you enough for all that you guys have done. The enemy tries to steal, kill, and destoy. He wants us to feel alone and forsaken, but we can combat that with love. We can kill those lies by reaching out and showing love through our prayers, our words, and our actions. The love you guys have is powerful, and Satan is trembling at the light that you all carry through the love that you show everyday, to me and to others. So thank you for being faithful and loving so well. You are an inspiration to me and a reminder of how I want to love others every day while I’m on this race.
