Birthday Girls!!

A very special day!

July 22, 2006

Today we celebrated three birthdays for three very special little girls! Rita-16, Dionicia-11, and Aidinha-6. They each received invitations for their party, and have been asking me about it all week. I've been looking forward to it as much as they have!

Dionicia just arrived last week. Her mother died and her father left her and her brother. So they came to live here. She has never had a birthday party before. She was grinning from ear to ear the whole time!

The girls were given princess treatment today, because they are so special and wonderful. Each girl got to choose fancy clothes to wear (from my bag of special occasion clothes). They opened their gifts to find hair bands, chap stick, candy, stick-on earrings, and beads with string. Just what little girls love! We had spaghetti and salad for lunch on glass dishes with forks, and pop poured in glass cups. (Here they eat with plastic plates and use their hands)

We made pretty crepe paper flowers, played "Pass the parcel" with a present wrapped in layers, and in each layer they got either a candy, or a task (like jumping on one foot or singing a song). After unwrapping the last layer they found a colorful new jump rope, which they were thrilled to play with. We played other games, and they ran around the big yard chasing balloons and laughing. Afterwards they sat quietly drawing pictures and writing on paper, while eating cookies, and absorbing the attention of missionaries, and a sweet Mozambican dorm parent.

It was so fun separating them from the 400 children living here, making them the center of attention and celebrating their lives. It is amazing to show these girls God's love for them! Every day is just such a joy. I love it!

God has made us each the center of HIS attention, and he just loves us so much! What an honor to be called sons and daughters of God! Let's live like it!

Bless you all richly.

With love and joy,

Anna Coumos

Following Jesus in Mozambique, Africa