Happy Birthday Craig……Do you know when you were born?

Today we celebrate Craig’s birthday with our staff (minus one) with his favorite chocolate cake recipe he grew up with as a small boy.  Our staff love this cake and look forward to it for their own office birthdays during “tea time.”  Every day around 10:00 am, Kenyans around the country drink chai (tea with milk and sugar).  Even Nathan and Aaron get it at their school.

We had a great discussion of the cultural differences in celebrating birthdays.  In America, birthdays are a big deal.  We often gather with loved ones, choose our favorite foods and most likely get at least one gift.  Although it is now changing with the younger generation, birthdays in Kenya are not typically celebrated at all.  Most of our staff celebrate their children’s birthdays, but probably not their own or their spouse.  One of our staff members only celebrates his birthday in our office!

Many of the older generation might not know exactly what day they were born.  “I was born during the famine of 1960,” for example.  Birth dates were simply not documented since many were born at home.  Birth certificates have only been required since 2010.  If you really needed it (most likely as an adult), you would just go to the local government office, tell them when you were born (or pick a date closest to what your parents remember), and they would give it to you – no questions asked.  Our staff were intrigued that not only do we know the exact date, but we also know what time, how much we weighed, and how long we were.  Why is that (smiles)?

I thank God and Craig’s parents for raising such a godly man.  He is an amazing husband and father and my life is blessed because of him.  It was an extra special blessing to celebrate with our staff.