My birthday

It started with a gorgeous view of Fuji san as I walked from the bus stop to school at 7:30 in the morning. Then, teachers and students surprised me throughout the day with gifts, treats, shouts of "happy birthday!", and my only class of the day burst into song as the teacher cued, "ready, go!" Sayaka, a first grade student (like 10th grade) is always the last to leave my class, having some question or comment for me. For a few weeks now, our conversations have been about birthdays, what kind of sweets I like, and the exact date of my birthday. As I was opening the door to enter the teachers' room, I heard her gentle voice, "Sala?" And she presented me a bag of homemade cookies. Another first grade student, Uechan, has a crush on me (and isn't shy about it). As I sat at my desk finishing lunch, he & four of his buddies walked up to me and Uechan said, "Sala-sama?" [which kinda means "her majesty":) ] In unison, they all said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SALA!" and gave me candy & chocolate. I made them go out to the hall for a picture 'cause they're so cute. I love these guys. They're not angels in the classroom, but they're kind-hearted, funny, and constantly keep me on my toes. After school I went into the city for dinner with a group of my dearest friends: some ALTs and a couple girls from church. We feasted on a 4-course French-Italian meal, complete with cake and more gifts (I'm spoiled, I know!) Three of us had a sleepover at church so we could be ready to cheer for Kiku at her baptism Saturday morning! Late-night fun...

Saturday morning, my posse, dubbed the "Gorgeous Glorious Girls" at Kiku's baptism
The entire weekend proved wonderful, memorable, and fun. It reminded me of God's beauty, both in nature and in people. It's exciting to wonder what this next year holds. I honestly have no idea what events I'll have to reflect on in a year, but that energizes me and makes me smile, knowing I can rest in His hands.