Bonfire on the roof

Recipe for joy:

1. Take four beautiful cousins.
2. Add the excitement of new clothes.
3. Mix with a song and dance - practice this for 2 days in anticipation.
4. Put flowers for the hair (girls) and a big smile for the boy (the smile is infectious)
5. Whip up excitement with an evening bonfire - on the terrace of Ammama and Thatha's house
6. Add various spontaneous games in the mean time (like the train game on the left).
7. Sit back and enjoy!

We had a bonfire last night. It was Sarah's 37th birthday till 12 AM - when we celebrated Daisy's 40th (over skype).

A small fire under the egg-yolk moon. All of us together. A lovely evening of laughter and song - dance, drama and games.

The theme of thanksgiving kept showing up. Thankfulness that we are together. Thanks for how God is leading us as families. Thanks for all the mercies and grace we received over the year.

The kids did a lovely song and dance. Enoch singing and the three girl cousins doing a lively choreography.

In between two Swahili songs - a Rajan sibling reunion around an Oriya favorite (with plenty of laughter in between).

Later there was a play where a rag tag bunch acted out the 10 lepers who came to Jesus for healing. Where are the other 9? Asked Jesus (acted out by Enoch). The question remains with us... how many times over the

past year we have been like those 9 - quick to ask for help - and even quicker to forget once the help has been received.

And so the time in paradise continues.

As I type a good meal of rice, sambhar and fried fish is nestled inside me. The mid-afternoon nap beckons. Wonderful conversations are all around. The excited chatter of cousins colours the air.

Pax!