papa jon's birthday.

Happy Weekend friends!

The end of this week has been busy, busy around Arbre de Vie.

We were all busy trying to get everything ready for Papa Jon’s 30^th birthday celebration!!! 30 years old. Whew!

All week long Katinka and I have been secretly having all the children make cards for their Papa. We were quite successful with this task and we have a note from each child to prove our success!

((love me some adolphe.))

Friday morning while the kids were home for their lunch break, we decorated the gazebo area for the festivities. A big banner with letter pennants hung from the ceiling that said, “BON ANNIVERSAIRE PAPA!” All of the kids blew up balloons and we hung those up behind the banner. I must say, it looked pretty good for some string, paper and balloons! The chalkboards were all written on and sweet messages had been left all over for Jon to find when he arrived. The children just couldn’t wait any longer, so they huddled around Nonga’s phone and sang/screamed the Happy Birthday song to Jon in French and English. When Jon and Ashley pulled up to the center, the children and staff bombarded the moto! They sang again to him and wished him the happiest of birthdays.

After a hearty lunch of rice and a boiled egg (this is one of my favorite dishes so far), the kids went back to school for the remainder of the afternoon and Ashley, Katinka and I headed back to Jon & Ashley’s apartment to make Jon’s birthday cake. Jon tagged along and brought Hubert too because he was home from school sick. I found some inner bravery and decided that I would drive my moto from the orphanage to Jon & Ashley’s apartment. It’s a decent distance away from the orphanage and I had never driven that far…I said I would feel comfortable doing this if Jon would ride with me to instruct me. He graciously obliged and off we went. I think I did pretty well. (Jon may beg to differ…) I made it the entire way to their house through the busy market area of town, through some speed gates and over lots of bumps and rocks on the dirt road without so much as one minor freak out. I would say that equals success, don’t you?

Katinka made the cake. I mixed the batter. Ashley worked diligently on Jon’s big birthday surprise! Jon and Hubert snuggled up on the couch and watched the final Lord of the Rings movie. When the cakes were in the oven I found my way into the living room and watched the rest of the movie with them. Tough job but someone had to do it!

Jon and Hubert left to pick up a treat for everyone for the birthday dinner. It’s this thing called “cha Changa”…and it’s basically mystery meat mixed with peppers and onions, wrapped in a paper thing and grilled. Looks like a hot dog, kind of, but you take the paper off and eat the crumbled contents inside. When we got to the centre Jon was already preparing the cha changa for everyone. The kids were SO pumped for this treat! I was brave and tried some…it was actually not bad. Very, very spicy though. Mouth on fire and sweat pouring down your face spicy.

((jon with the birthday treat.))

((see? sweaty spicy. whew!))

This is augustin, who is quite possibly the happiest boy in the world at the very moment this picture was taken. He looked up from eating his cha changa and said, “If I could have this meal with a coke every single meal, I would be the happiest man in the world.” his smile says it all…

The children put on quite a show for their Papa’s big birthday celebration. They sang and sang. Danced and Danced. Sang some more. It was the best.

((30 lifts for 30 years.))

After the children were done showering their Papa with love, we lit the candles and all had cake. It was quite good! Katinka did an excellent job. Louisette gave Jon all of the cards from each of the children. And then I had brought a few cards and gifts over with me from people in the US for Jon to open. The one from Ashley’s mom and dad sang and lit up…the kids were mesmerized by this! It’s amazing the things that I just feel are normal are so foreign to them. And the things that are so normal to them are so foreign to me. I am loving discovering their normal though.

((pretty girl and the birthday boy))

Then it was time for Ashley’s gift to Jon. She had been working all week on putting together a gift of messages from all of Jon’s family and friends wishing him a happy birthday. This was the sweetest gift and I know Jon will treasure it forever. It was the best idea! She worked so hard on it and put so much love and effort into making it the best. It was A little piece of home to help him celebrate in Africa. perfect.

((jon admiring ashley's sweet gift.))