Feasting Celebration!

My birthday was wonderful—praise the Lord! The night before the party Nate and I were busy setting everything up for the two Levitical birthday feasts. We had balloons everywhere, thanks to our co-teacher Rachel, who jumped in to help us puff.

The classroom was set like a party with tablecloth, plates and balloons. Students were pounding on the door waiting to enter class. They couldn’t wait to get to this fun class! Then finally the feast began, or should I say the seven feasts began.

The students thought we were having a party for me, but I surprised them and celebrated all their birthdays. Each of the seven feasts from Leviticus 23 were celebrated for five minutes. We would celebrate each student’s birthdays in the order which they happen in the year, just like the feasts were celebrated in a certain order for the year.

The Feast of Passover was first celebrated as Nate took them outside to explain their job. The student came back in to announce the meaning of the feast and then served the item to all their classmates and their beloved teacher!

Since we don’t have a lot of lamb here, and we don’t have rams or bulls I had to be creative. There was a lot of feasting including flour and oil, so that reminds me of several breakfast foods (these classes were in the morning).

Here was the menu:

Feast of Passover—sparkling grape juice and little unleavened cookies (I finally found a store with some German sparkling grape juice! What a hunt)

Feast of Unleavened Bread—donuts (the kids loved these—only 5 pesos each)

Feast of Firstfruits—pancakes (with syrup, you can’t go without that!)

Feast of Weeks (later known as Pentecost)—rolls (if only we had some lamb)

Feast of Trumpets—Nate played “Happy Birthday” on his trumpet for me and then we had a cake (flour and oil) with farm animals on top (pictured). Do you know how hard it was to find those animals? Finally after searching everywhere I found a Halloween section with dinosaurs and then I came upon a lamb—Farm animals (subtract the pigs)! Perfect!

Day of Atonement—they fasted and then the students we honored surprised everyone by throwing red beads like confetti to symbolize the blood that was sprinkled everywhere. Presents were also given just like offerings were given (Presents should be opened after class)

Feast of Tabernacles—fruit

Thank you to all who gave me birthday wishes! I was so encouraged and blessed by you.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the breath of life and for Your salvation!