So on February 15, 1996 a ledgend was born. Nah, I’m kidding…sort of.
Gosh. 22. It doesn’t seem right, but let me tell ya I had a great day.
I’m staying in Kumakwane, Botswana- a village just outside of the capital city, Gaborone. Located on the edge of the Kalahari desert, it stays pretty hot and dry here. Last Thursday, however, which just so happened to be my birthday, the Lord showered us all day long with a cool rain. (One of my favorite things).
Peace and joy filled the air. My team and I spent the morning sitting out on the porch reading, talking, and drinking tea/coffee.
For lunch we walked through the wet sand to the local cafe (where I’ve been working this month). There we all sat around a table eating, laughing, and watching the Olympics (the only update I’ve had on the outside world in a long long time). Ha.
Our evening was very much similar. We simply hung out around the house talking, more laughing, and reading.
For dinner we had my favorite- fried chicken, corn, and sweet potatoes. Oh! And cake! Our host, April, makes some of the best, most delicious cakes! She blessed us with a chocolate cake with chocolate icing topped with blueberries and raspberries. Served with a cold glass of milk, it was sooo good!
Last, but surely not least, my team gave me a birthday card. The notes inside made my heart sing, but the card itself was painted up by my teammate Kelsey. She created the most colorful card that said “happy 22nd birthday Kristi” but she painted 22 cats all along the border! (I love cats).
In fact, a couple cards were opened that evening. My parents sent me off in October with a card to save and to only open on my birthday. I sat on my bed with the biggest, most dorky grin as I read over it with their voices in my head.
There was also a letter from my goob of a friend. It wasn’t specifically for my birthday, but a group of my friends wrote a bunch of letters for me to open throughout my journey. One for each of the eleven months. I usually open them towards the end of a month, but I got excited and it was my birthday. Ha. As I read through it I just couldn’t contain the laughter and goofy smiles. Memories of all of them just started flooding my mind. So sweet!
The Lord blessed me with another beautiful year, a loving family and some pretty awesome friends, and all kinds of great, sweet memories.
This year I was bummed that I couldn’t spend this day with my family and friends back in the States, but I realized something as my team celebrated throughout the day. The Lord has given me a family in my team.
Our community has started reflecting the Lord. We encourage, challenge and empower one another, and hold each other accountable to being the women God designed us to be. But our team is also a resting place- a safe haven. It feels like home when we’re together.
Clearly, though, this isn’t because we’re a group of super amazing people (I mean we are, but that’s not the point). Ha. The reason our community is the way it is, is because we each so greatly value seeking the Lord. It’s because we individually have personal, intimate relationships with the Lord that we can have a Christ-like community. It’s because of our personal relationships with Jesus that we can build each other up with love and humility. Because that’s what Jesus does.
To my family and friends reading this:
I MISS AND LOVE YOU! You’re all running through my mind everyday. I cannot wait to see you all again soon. Thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout the years!
