Happy Birthday Stephen!

Stephen (left) and Mark circa 1965

The youngest of my four brothers was born on October 8, 1964. I remember the day well. Grandma walked into her living room and told all of us that Stephen had arrived. I was so angry at my mother for not providing a sister for me. I vowed I would put ribbons in his hair and dress him like a girl. No one was too worried about the threats of an almost 10 year old girl.

Ours was a busy household over the next few years. Mark and Stephen were collectively called the "Little Boys" and I was their surrogate mother. I was adept a bathing, diapering and feeding the babies. Stephen was only seven years old when I started college and I enjoyed his perception that I was pretty well perfect! (seven year olds are pretty perfect too)

Shortly after I was married, my parents and three younger brothers moved to Mexico. The picture on the left was taken about that time. I am in blue and Stephen is in brown. I missed his adolescence and most of his adulthood. He did stay with us for six months one summer in Canada after he finished high school. So Stephen has remained my baby brother for all these years in spite of his age.

Last year I visited his home in San Pedro, Coahuila, Mexico for the first time. He is very busy in missions work, pastoring a church, providing chaplaincy services at the local prison, running a soccer team and English school, and serving the poor in their community and the neighbouring city of Torreon. Most recently, he is mentoring our daughter who moved there last year. She thinks he is a terrific uncle.

Stephen with his family
Elisa, Timothy, Marcela, Peter and nephew (on right)

Little boys do grow up and Stephen's own family is growing fast too. His three children are fluently bilingual in Spanish and English and are very talented musically and academically. His wife Marcela works hard along with him and is a gifted bundle of energy too.

Stephen and my parents returned from a trip to Chile last week. They travelled widely in their two weeks there and were impressed with the natural beauty of the country. Mom was telling me that the Chilean people call the youngest child in the family "gua gua" which is pronounced "wa wa". The people they visited kept asking if Stephen was her "wa wa".

Happy Birthday "gua gua" Stephen!