Dear Diego,

Thank you for the picture of you! I’m excited to see you growing up.

I’m writing this on June 20, 2014, so happy birthday again! I visited my mother last week to celebrate her birthday, which is also today. I was glad to see her.

My church also had a birthday. This year is the 70th anniversary of my congregation. We celebrated on June 8, which was also Pentecost. We had a special service with a guest speaker, lots of music, and lunch. I’ve included photographs of lunch and the big cake. The picture in the icing is a drawing of our sanctuary.

Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the church. The Holy Spirit first came to the disciples on Pentecost (Acts 2). I just learned how God’s fire goes all through the Bible. God speaks to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3.2). Later, God appears as fire on a mountain (Exodus 19.18). When the Israelites made the first tabernacle, God’s fire went into the tent (Exodus 40.34). When the Israelites made the first temple, God’s fire went into it (1 Kings 8.11). Then at Pentecost, God’s fire came to each of the disciples (Acts 2.1-4). All of God’s followers are the living temple now, and the fire of his spirit is in each of us.

All the best,

— Garrett Mitchener