2. Jara has been an amazing daughter and a source of many blessings for 12 years.
3. Jara was a surprise addition in our lives 12 years ago. We chose to surprise her with a low key “party”, a fun filled day, with a few of her close friends and acquaintances here in Spain. While we got Jara out of the house for a little while in the morning, Lora and Laila were able to transform the ordinary into something more special. Thanks to a generous donor we were able to buy some decorations and table wear to make the day stand apart from any other day.
4. Jara fills our lives with joy. Because of her sweet and joyful presence, we fixed all of her favorite things to fill her up. Jared fixed her French toast for breakfast. We had “pizza bites”, salad with her favorite toppings, fresh bread, and corn for lunch. We had baked cinnamon peaches and vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream for her birthday dessert. We had baked potatoes for dinner.
5. Jara loves her email account which enables her to maintain her relationships with friends and family back in the States. So, we coordinated for Jara’s friends and family to flood her email in box with birthday greetings, encouragement, and blessings. Because Jara has touched so many lives with her laughter and smile, she was blessed to receive over 65 EMAILS AND ECARDS!!
6. Jara is a great big sister. Because of her loving heart, Laila wakes up at 6am with excitement to secretly make Jara’s birthday present…an act of love.
7. Jara is a good friend. Because of her kindness, her friend, Micaela, chooses to come celebrate her birthday, spending the whole day (2-9pm) with her, despite the fact that Micaela speaks very little English and Jara speaks very little Spanish…A friendship that continues to grow without words!
8. Jara is an excellent student. Because of her diligence, her Spanish teacher wanted to share in her special day with her, giving gifts and being an important part of the surprise planning getting Jara out of the apartment for the decorating to begin.
9. Jara has sweet spirit that loves the Lord. Because of her light, she effects all those who know her which is why Hermes, a young man Jared is discipling, wanted to come be a part of her birthday celebration as well as the other people with whom we spend a lot of time.
10. Jara loves to Skype weekly with her grandparents (and other family and friends when they are available). Her grandparents were sure to call very early State time (5-6am) to give their birthday greetings.
11. Jara has a servant heart, constantly serving her family, friends, and any group which she is involved. To speak her love language, we showered her with acts of service throughout the day and eliminated all of her normal daily responsibilities. Others even got involved in serving Jara, one example, a friend at the church and one of Jara’s bilingual summer camp instructors, Zoe, dropped by to help and decided it necessary to wash all of the dirty dishes (one of Jara’s main responsibilities) created in preparing the food for Jara’s special day.
12. Jara loves her family…WE LOVE JARA! Jara’s only desire for her birthday was that we spend the entire day together. It was our pleasure and blessing to fulfill that birthday wish. We ate, watched a movie, made use of the gymnasium upstairs in the center to mess around in, and, in general, enjoyed a day of praying and playing together!
Such a testament to her heart and His Spirit within her, she does not desire the tangible things of this world that rust, rot, and melt away with time, but, instead, Jara desires to build and strengthen the relationships that God has given her by giving and receiving love…HIS LOVE, by serving and honoring…HIS WAY. 12 years of Jara blessing our lives with her love, her sweet, sensitive and discerning spirit, her joy and laughter, and her light. We are certain that you too are blessed by her in the time that she has been in your life…evidence is in the love poured out to her on her birthday!
Thank you, God, for the precious gift of Your daughter!
