My Birthday in El Salvador by Kayla Titko '15

I never thought I could have a birthday as special as the one I spent in
El Salvador. The only gift I was expecting was my sister to wake me up at 5:30 a.m. while singing “Happy Birthday” to me. Not only did this happen, but so much more.

On the morning of March 18, we traveled from San Salvador to La Laguna to celebrate Mass in Padre Rafael’s parish. It was up in the mountains and we took some very curvy and steep roads to get there. During Mass, Father Rafael called me up in front of the whole congregation and told them it was my birthday. Suddenly, the whole church was singing “Happy Birthday” to me in Spanish and that moment alone would have made my birthday more than I expected, but that was not nearly the end of the celebration. Towards the end of Mass, a little girl came over and hugged me. This created a chain reaction and just about every child in the church walked over to me and hugged me, because it was my birthday. This brought tears to my eyes and I could feel my throat getting tight. The love that these people were showing me, a stranger, was unreal. At the end of the Mass, many more parishioners passed me on their way out and hugged me and wished me a happy birthday. I will never forget one little old lady who came right up to me, grabbed my shoulders, and sang “Happy Birthday” to me, in a key that I have never heard before, but it was beautiful. She filled my heart with so much joy in that moment.

After Mass, we attended a presentation at a coffee cooperative, and afterwards a little girl named Blancavictoria presented me with a gift and told me that she hopes I live 100 more years. The gift was a purse that was woven out of bright yellow twine and a sucker. The thoughtfulness behind this gift was unimaginable. That night we went to Mass in another town, and it was a repeat of the morning. The whole congregation sang to me and hugged me. I felt as though my birthday was a national holiday! I received more hugs that day than I have my whole life.

I will never forget my 19^th birthday. The impact that the people of El Salvador left on me will last a lifetime.