The night before my birthday I stayed in the dorms at HLIS. My dorm roommate Irene was the first to sing me “Happy Birthday” (at 12:01am)

The necklace Irene gave me the morning of my birthday

Irene and Angela gather flowers for chapel

Arranging the flowers

The kids wait outside for chapel to begin

What will one day be the new chapel. Now they just use the mess hall

Kids are universal:-)

Tag, you’re it.

The office at HLIS

Where I sometimes check my email

Heading to morning chapel

The 5^{th and 6th graders put on a skit}

Well done.

Singing about God’s love

Principal Lavai offers a few words

Afterwards, I sneak into the library to talk with my parents on IM (yay for the school having internet again)

The school bus then takes me back to Mambis

Later that day we wait for the body of Sam, the husband of my friend Agus who died in Port Moresby a few days earlier

Waiting for the body. With my baby birds dying earlier that afternoon, there was a lot of death on this birthday

The body arrives

More and more people will arrive as the day goes on until every bit of ground space you see is covered

On a happier note, that night the Bells (an Australian couple who live up the road) join us for a birthday dinner

Julie is such a great hostess

Dr. Steve, you make me smile

My birthday cake, celebrating 24 years of life

Me and our British med student Laurence

Blowing out the candle

Enjoying chocolate cake, ice cream and strawberries—all of which are a special treat here:-) Overall it’s been a good birthday.