There's Nothing Like Number 32

32 

- the revered number on my Varsity basketball jersey, 

the product of 2 and 16 (my softball number and my sweet 16), 

my lucky number, favorite number, 

the number of years I have now lived to tell my stories 

My 32nd Birthday was the best I've ever had. My 16th birthday now takes second place. When I turned 16, my mom planned a surprise party for me, and indeed I was shocked to open up my garage door to find it packed with family, friends, food, and presents. The amount of people, the scheming of the surprise, and way I was thoroughly blessed made it nearly impossible to outdo. Until now. 

Sbussa, the brilliant heart
behind the surprise

For my 32nd birthday, one of my girls, Sbussa, planned, schemed, organized, and executed a surprise party of a lifetime. It started with none other than one of the biggest loves of my life: basketball. 

It's not uncommon for the girls from our home to cheer me on at basketball games. But since we've had vehicle problems and we've moved out of town, it's been nearly impossible to arrange transport. I wasn't expecting much of a crowd for our basketball game, and I was too focused during warmups to notice a massive group of people filing in for the game. But when I hit my first three-pointer early in the game, a roar mixed with girls screaming and men hooting sent tingles up my spine, reminding me of the years I played in high school and how exhilarating it was to hear a crowd on fire. 

I had one of the best shooting nights as our team battled back and forth with our rivals until the sweaty end. We finished the game with 60-56 nail-biting win! But even better than the win was looking up to see the crowd full of faces I love - faces from the girls home, faces of friends, and faces of my past students cheering me on. I felt like a celebrity walking out of the gym into a crowd full of hugs. But it didn't end there. While the crowd said good game and goodbye, I waited with my teammates to watch our men's team play and then wait for our awards. After getting our medals and trophy for winning the tournament, I headed home. But suddenly, a couple teammates needed a ride, and suddenly they forgot something so we had to turn back, then suddenly someone had to use the rest room, and so on and so forth until I was delayed a great deal in getting home. 

When I finally got to the door of my apartment, I was greeted with screams and a room packed with people and decorations and music. I was so shocked, I stayed outside the door for almost a minute. Looking around the room, I started tearing up: it was filled with the people I love and cherish most - my girls, the aunties, my women's basketball team and men's basketball team, and my students and friends from African Christian College. These three groups of people (girls home, basketball team, and ACC) are three areas I have poured my life into, and here there were all TOGETHER IN ONE ROOM for one purpose: to celebrate me. I was so humbled and honored, and of course I embarrassed myself by crying. 

All this was made possible because one girl. This special girl had a dream in her heart to bless me to an extent that it would cover other pain from the past. Indeed, if you've been following my journey, you know that last birthday was the worst, as umntfwana wami ran away on my bday bringing lots of pain and heartache and confusion (and never returned - except for a few stop in visits to hi for a moment a leave again). But as the Bible says, "Love covers over a multitude of wrongs." This verse became very real for me on my 32nd bday as it completely covered over the pain and memory of a year ago. Now all I can think of is that small room that once felt like a tomb being filled to the brim with love love love love love. I will never forget this for the rest of my life. 

They even made and decorated my bed! :D 

Dancing was of course one a main event of the night

I had no idea 60+ people could fit in my little apartment :)

My fam <3 td="">

But it still didn't end there!

The surprise party was actually two days before my real bday. On my real bday, a group of girls surprised me by having pooled their money together and buying me an outfit! They bought me jeans and nice shirt and of course had me model it around. It was PERFECT. Seeing them so happy also was a huge gift. 

Posing with my new jeans and shirt from these
beauties who pooled their money together for me <3 td="">

I got a phone call that day, that while I was at the girls home, umntfwana wami had come to my apartment to wish me a happy bday and waited for me all day until it was dark and she had to go home. Although I didn't get to see her, I heard her voice and her sincerity of both love and regret. She showed up a few days later to meet someone else who became special on my 32nd bday. 

For 31 years, I've been single. I've gone on dates, been in a painful pre-dating relationship, but I've never had a boyfriend. I've spent 31 Valentine's days as a single lady, and I've experienced myriads of love not limited to romance because of this singleness. And I wouldn't trade this for the world. Yet, it doesn't take away my desire for a husband, my daily prayers for a man after God's heart first and my heart second, and my hope for a future family. Umntfwana wami had prayed that on my 32nd bday, God would send me a man who loves me like He does. She was shocked to find out when I met her a couple days later that this is exactly what happened!

On my 32nd bday, a man of wisdom and passion for sharing the gospel, who loves the Lord (almost more than I do ;) ) chose me. So, for the first time in my life, I am no longer a single lady.   

Bday gift from the new man in my life