Thursday night, we had a feast. It was my birthday, and so we decided to give everyone a big chicken dinner. Partly because it is Bengali culture, but mostly because what could be more fun than giving 75 people who eat meat twice a month an extra special meal? It turned out to be even more fun than we expected. There was such a spirit of excitement and celebration, and since Thursday night is the beginning of their “weekend,” we were celebrating a week of school and studying being finished as well as a birthday and a good meal. I loved helping serve everyone dinner. We all ate together, and then I served everyone bread pudding for dessert. (That was the mom in me trying to shove more nutritious eggs and milk into their growing bodies.)
I knew the party would be fun, but what overwhelmed me was the generosity of the kids. Many of them made me cards and delivered them throughout the day. After evening devotions, they presented me with a pound cake and flowers and a wrapped gift, and all sang to me before we went in to eat dinner. I knew I would enjoy giving to them, but I was really surprised at how much they enjoyed giving to me. It really is better to give than to receive; I am humbled that these kids who have so little compared to me, know that truth so well.
