Birthdays at Kudjip

When someone experiences a birthday on Kudjip Station they are subjected to various celebratory indignities. They are often made to wear the Dooley's birthday-cake hat. But they are always made to listen to a medley of 5 songs. I don't know how the medley started. Maybe someone knew a song that got added to the super-traditional one. Eventually others contributed their favorites, and they were all sung in sequence. The fourth one in the group comes from us; it's what we sang to our kids every birthday since they were small. The last one was written by some of the MKs here in the past. It always catches newcomers off guard, because it ends without resolving to the tonic chord.

The medley is dear to our (Judy's and my) hearts, because it's how we first met most of the missionary family here. The day we arrived, we had lunch with the Radcliffes, served on their veranda. It was 5 days after my birthday, and 7 days before Judy's. After lunch the Radcliffes left us waiting on the veranda while they went in to prepare desert. A few minutes later the whole missionary family came filing out of the house singing the medley (although in those days it consisted of only 4 songs), and bringing us a birthday cake.

Today it was Dr. Steph's turn. Scott Dooley brought the hat to our weekly Friday morning teaching conference. At the end of our meeting we sang the medley for her. In the meantime, Gail Dooley took balloons to the Maternity ward (Steph's ward), and prepared the patients. After the meeting, several of us hustled to the ward to catch photos (and the above video) of the event. The ladies jumped right in to "Happy Birthday to You", but knew several verses that we weren't expecting, so none of us sang them. It was awesome to hear 20 or 30 ladies singing in English but with their PNG accents, in near-perfect unison. As they got to the name in each verse, it was a carefully articulated "Doke-Tah Stef-Ah-Neee".

The look on Steph's face said a ton about why she is here. The looks on the faces of all those patients spoke a world about how well she has shown the love of Jesus here. No question. Steph has now assumed the place of most loved missionary in Kudjip.

This is the medley. Maybe later I can grab an audio recording.

A happy birthday to you, a happy birthday to you,
Every day of the year may you find Jesus near,
A happy birthday to you, a happy birthday to you,
The best one you've ever had.

So today is your birthday, that's what I've been told.
What a wonderful birthday, you're one more year old.
On the cake there'll be candles all lighted for you,
And the whole world is singing, "happy birthday to you."

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Stephanie,
Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, happy birthday, we love you.
Happy birthday, and may all your dreams come true.
When you blow out the candles, One light stays aglow,
It's the love-light in your eyes where-ere you go.

This is your birthday song!
It isn't very long.