Hearty Forty

Celebrated my 40th birthday surrounded by family and friends, young and old...

Since many of my friends in the mission celebrated their 40th birthday in the recent years. I was expecting to do so together with them too. Never imagined it to be any way/where else...

Celebrating this special birthday at home was very special to me this year. I decided to have an "Open House" celebration from 10 am to 6pm, with different batches of people coming at different times.

My first guests were my parents in law. My mum in law called a few days earlier to ask what cake I'd like to have on my birthday. My all time favourite Super Moist Chocolate cake came to mind and she brought a huge cake with her that morning, together with many more... a few trays of cheese tartlets and a huge container of pandan jelly/pudding.

Friends from school, my colleagues, also made their way to our home, after some complications... Nurul, Su and Rhenil cooked the Bolognaise sauce together with me since they wanted to learn how to do it while Rob entertains my father in law, or was it the other way 'round??

Had lots of fun with this bunch! They brought along a Chocolate Brownie cake, another huge cake from Secret Recipe. We were at Secret Recipe together one Friday after a stressful week at school and the brownie saved our week!! Rhenil remembered how much I enjoyed it and got 1 for me for my birthday. How thoughtful!

Shaz, another colleague, arrived with another cake plus her new boyfriend... So, that's number 3! (I mean the cake...). It was another lovely chocolate cake from Strawberry bakery which she once described to me at school some months ago... Lisa prepared a lovely Filipino dessert with mango. It was a hit!! My mum in law looked on attentively as Lisa prepared it, with the intention of expanding her dessert recipes...

Then, the birthday song...

My boss and his whole family arrived with another cake, the 4th one. Liang Yoong had once baked this lovely chocolate cake which I tasted at school and she remembered that I liked it. I am indeed so moved by the thoughtfulness of all these new friends who remembered small details which meant so much!!

In the meantime, Bernie and Michi, our guests from Germany, also joined the party. They are planning to be in Malaysia for 3 months. They will be helping out in an Orphanage in Kiulu in the coming week. Bernie helped in serving the waffles that afternoon. So, we had a taste of the German waffle recipe from a German waffle maker by a German herself. How more German can this get....?

My family and friends were the next to arrive. It was nice to celebrate this special event with them. Somehow, there are no pictures of my mum, my sisters and my classmates. Hmmm, the cameraman must have been busy eating...

Just as I was saying goodbye to my friend, Jackie, a "loud" group came in singing Happy Birthday! They were the most energetic group of the day - The Lifefire University ministry leaders.

These were the bunch who were the loudest, ate the most and made the day extra special for me by honouring me with a wonderful gift. The gift of the realisation of God's faithfulness. As I looked at each of their faces while they were singing to me, again, for the 2nd time while presenting their gift to me, I was struck by the reality of savouring God's goodness in the gift of these young people. I left the German youth a year ago and never dreamt of being surrounded by Malaysian youth just 11 months after making home here again. The life and energy they bring just sparked me up with gratefulness to God. I was almost in tears...

And guess what they gave me as a gift? Their faces printed on a mug!!! God, you're amazing!!

The party ended with a story telling session. They dug out our photo albums, most probably trying to find some love letters but found photos of us in the mission, before we got married. It was nice recalling the stories again and giving them the picture of life in the mission, literally... Many questions arose among them and it was a pleasure to give them some answers and ask them what they are looking for in their lives... Always looking for opportunities to express my vocation...

A great start in becoming 40. Looking back at beautiful memories and holding on to God's promises for the coming season...