Today Claire turns twenty-two. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE!! I cannot think of a better way to celebrate this girl than highlighting a few moments of our special trip to visit her mission in Australia at the beginning of this month.
Yes, we finally made it back there. And oh, I have so much to say about that coming soon.
Two of my Favorite Things About Claire
But for her birthday, today, let’s talk about two of the things I love most about Claire:
Her light.
And the way her “welcoming response” wraps up the whole world with love.
Claire has this unique brand of welcoming that can’t be matched. We saw it in full force our first full day when we got to go to the two Chinese wards (church congregations) where she served the majority of her mission.
Claire was a bit stressed because we took a wrong tunnel (there are SO MANY TUNNELS in Sydney) and we were late.
But I wouldn’t have changed that for the world when we peeked in the back of the chapel and everyone’s faces just looked over and just LIT UP. It was the sweetest thing…pure love right there.
I love that it was testimony meeting and that Claire got up and shared such a beautiful testimony at the end. I couldn’t understand it, of course, but could feel it deep. Claire’s brand of happiness is so magnetic.
There is nothing in the world quite like watching your daughter light up with 10,000 gigawatts to be reunited with these people she grew to adore, and to watch them melt into her love.
This “family” she has created. The stories of her changing their lives. And knowing that they changed hers even more.
The light filled up that first church building as well as the next one:
We’d better zoom in on her expression:
There we go. Can you just feel that love?
Going both ways? Over and over again with so many people to love.
That’s my birthday girl for you.
And it’s not just in person. It’s over the phone too. She takes time to call me and Dave and check on us and make us feel seen.
It’s such a beautiful gift.
Claire’s Ability to Endure
One other quality I want to highlight about Claire on her birthday this year is her ability to endure. To look at hard things and buckle down and do them.
This mission visit was especially special and such a payoff since Claire’s mission was not easy. It was filled up with lots of tough and tears right alongside the glowing things.
So it was amazing to walk these streets with her. To think about all the people she touched. The ripple effects of her doing something that was really hard.
And how it transformed into so much light.
Whether it’s the ups and downs of a mission or some super challenging college classes (boy she is working so hard!) or working to find a balance in life with so many different moving parts, she looks whatever it is in the face and gets to work.
It’s so inspiring to watch.
She has a will that just doesn’t give up. There’s no mountain too high for her and God to work on together. And she knows it.
Deep down.
Sunshine in the form of a girl
What is a birthday post without some growing-up photos?
These ones remind me that Claire is honestly sunshine in the form of a girl.
Love you forever Claire Bear!
Happiest Birthday Today!!
XOXO
Happy Birthday Claire! You are glowing and beautiful inside and out! Those you served will be forever grateful for your sacrifice!
I agree Tammy!
xoxo
Happy Birthday to Claire. I hope she’s having a great day. 🎂🎈🎁🎉🥳
I think Claire has the most wonderful smile & also when she’s laughing.
She shows pure joy in most things & I think this is lovely.
I remember watching her talk from when she came home from her mission & said how hard it often was. I really admired how she kept going despite it being so hard. Well done Claire, you did great. x
Thank you Julie! I agree, her smile is the best.
XOXO
happy birthday to your daughter. really neat to see her church mission in a Chinese neighborhood! did she give her talk in Mandarin? very cool! it’s clear she has a real community there.
Yes she did give her talk in Mandarin! She was mostly strictly Mandarin speaking as a missionary and it was so fun to see her talking away with all these people she loves and who love her so much! So fun that Dave understood it all from serving his own mission Mandarin speaking as well. And it was so great that everyone was willing to translate for me.
XOXO