Third Born

Eight years ago, we had just moved to Honduras with our two small children and began the process of pioneering a base for Christian Light Missions. We were full of plans and visions and dreams... and mercifully ignorant of the fact that we had just enrolled in the Missionary School of Hard Knocks. No one had prepared us for all that pioneering would entail- from finding a temporary place to live (since the house which had been purchased for us was still occupied by the previous owners), to learning where to shop for groceries, to dealing with the High Expectations which only fellow missionaries understand... It was a time of excitement and adventure, to be sure, but also one of testing and humility, as God held us up to His Light for all to see what we were really made of. At least, that is how it felt to us! In the midst of all the changes of culture, language, climate, and roles, our son Anthony was born- a blessed confirmation straight from the heart of God. The feeling I distinctively associate with his birth is one of overwhelming gratitude... that in spite of falling so far short of my own lofty expectations, God chose to give us this precious baby simply as a token of His love for us! It was like God was saying, "Here- I just want you to know that regardless of everything else you're feeling, I have high hopes for you. And I'm giving you this child just to show you how much I love you!" I love celebrating the births of all our five children, but the memories surrounding Anthony's arrival into our lives are among those I ponder and cherish in my heart. I find it difficult to buy gifts for the middle child... Anthony is not into weapons and all things wild like my other boys; playing Legos and chess in a quiet corner would be his choice of entertainment any day. We finally settled on a smaller version of the classic, multi-purpose Honduran tool: a machete. A special package from Grandma, a trip to the lake, and some time spent fishing completely satisfied the birthday boy.

A true Brechbill-at-heart, chocolate cake is the standing birthday order, this time with peanut butter frosting and balloon shaped candles, thanks to "Mimi"!