Happy First Birthday Zoe

Well we definitely ended our week on a very special note.  We got invited to Zoe's first birthday.  Last year this team, Derek, Bob and Pastor Paul came down with another team to build Nelson and Flo a home.  Flo was very pregnant at the time of her new home going up.  Zoe was born on August 14th and we dedicated the home and Zoe on August 16th. One year later we were back up there in Colonia Udias to celebrate Zoe's birthday.  We were wondering why there was very little folks in church on Sunday morning but the ladies of the church were cooking a great big feast at Franscica's home for the birthday party.  Interestingly Nelson was in church, tired but in church just the same.  After church he went home to continue with the decorations of the festivities ahead.  There was a lot of time and love put into this first birthday.  Derek, Bob, Pastor Paul and Jacob helped with getting the birthday party ready for 60 plus people who were coming this afternoon. Bob was busily wiping out the chairs as Derek was sitting them out.  The little boys of the community busily blowing up the pink and white balloons incorporated the help of the North Americans.  Bob was tying the balloons off as Jacob, Mike, Derek and Pastor Paul were hanging them from the tree limbs.  Nelson and family members were busy getting the birthday table just right.  Then here came the best entertainment of all hanging the pinyata.  Pastor Carlos got involved in this task as they tried several locations before completing this task.  They brought Zoe up to the pink castle where she was given a wand to bust the pinyta.  After different age groups attempted it they finally let her cousin Jose get up there and finish it off.  Jose waited patiently for his turn as now he is the oldest of all the children. We knew Jose when he was five years old.  This family has been a big part of our lives our nine years in Honduras. One thing I observed this special day is how Jacob engaged beautiful with the children.  Jacob was not one of the team members last year.  So all this was very new to him.  But he became part of this family very quickly and the children loved interacting with Jacob.  What an awesome example again coming from a young person.  How we can all learn from our youth. This was a beautiful way to end an amazing week.