Adventures of a Three Year Old

 Elsie Jayne has "made" three years.  This is how the birthday is stated where we live. Not she is three years old today...but even at the tender age of three the accomplishment of actually LIVING to this point is stated.  What a love gift from Jesus that he has blessed us with this precious girl...this life of promise and hope and beauty.  We are delighted to share with you a bit from Elsie Jayne's third birthday celebration.

The day began with her choice of breakfast. She chose mandazi and tea.  These are locally made little donut-yummy-bread-cake-things! :) 

 She also got to choose what friends could come and she chose our beloved watchmen!  Uncle Simon and Uncle Joel are dear dear family friends!  Here, they are pictured entering the world of Skype, as we got to talk to Aunt Katy Beth during our birthday breakfast!  This was an AMAZING cultural moment, as two Ugandan men talked with an American living in Hungary!!!  Talking in real-time...it was more than most of us could get our minds around!!!

My dear friends Eva and Jennifer surprised us with a party at the office during their lunch break!  We went to take them a birthday treat, and they had soda and presents for all of us!  Eva is a lawyer and currently works for a non-profit group attempting to support women who are in abusive or un-supported situations.  Some of the stories she shares with us are heart-wrenching. She is speaking up for the voiceless though, in this culture and making a difference for Jesus!

We came home for a birthday lunch of beans and rice! Again, the birthday girls' choice! :)  It's her favorite, still!  We had, thanks to Aunt Cricket, the yummiest box-made birthday cake with store-bought icing! THANK YOU AUNT CRICKET!!!

Elsie Jayne was THRILLED with the lollies (suckers) she got in a package from America as well as a new dress and the best birthday surprise...

 Her Nyanya (Joanna's mom) reading her favorite book, Cinderella, to her on a CD...so now anytime, she can sit down and read with Nyanya...and we have heard this book, 100 times since Wednesday! :)  THANK YOU NYANYA!!!

 

 As if two candles weren't enough, we had to go for the third on the third birthday and we had a joint party again with our friend Keziah Wright.  She made 5 years this week...praise Jesus!!!  The party was a princess theme, so Kezi's mom and I got the girls princess dresses and the other party-goers all dressed up for fun too!

The daughters of the King of Kings that are pictured here are from Uganda, America, New Zealand, Zambia, Germany and England!

Thank you Jesus for Elsie Jayne. 
Thank you all for your prayers and love for this little lady...what a blessed life she has, to have SO MANY carry her to Jesus each day! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!