Birthday Celebration

I had the privilege of taking Ember, Kiikzhan and Moldir to the Savva orphange this past Sunday. Every month the youth department goes to celebrate birthdays from the previous month. Since half of the department is on vacation I got to be the designated driver.

When we arrived the kids were waiting for us and greeted us warmly. It was great to see so many familiar faces. Before the birthday party we played games and I discovered that it's not that easy playing soccer in heeled boots. I opted for a card game after about 15 min. of running around.

The added fun was that it was my birthday that day and Ember made it a point to let everyone know. We celebrated the birthdays of 13 kids ~ games, dancing, prizes, gifts and cake made the afternoon special for them. I must say, that it was the first time I have ever done the "chicken dance" on my birthday!

On the way back to Taraz I thought a lot about these kids...in a few years what will their lives be like? Will we have made a difference in their lives? I believe the answer is "yes"...a hug, a word of encouragement, a small gift, taking the time to reach out, really listening to hear what isn't being said...loving unconditionally. So, on my birthday I was thankful that I could walk hand in hand and bring a smile to someone else's face. That was the best present of all!