The XM ChallengeEllen’s Birthday Cake – The XM Challenge https://www.rickbergen.net Help Plant 1,000 Churches Fri, 07 Nov 2025 23:01:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 169531157 Ellen’s Birthday Cake https://www.rickbergen.net/?p=96 https://www.rickbergen.net/?p=96#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2013 13:48:00 +0000 Rick Bergen http://www.rickbergen.net/2013/02/03/ellens-birthday-cake/ One day some of the leaders here were discussing the most defiant, difficult, adolescents who consider themselves part of us. Tatu’s name always comes up in this group. He can make the most benevolent leader see red. He has no problem going against the flow. His sister Ellen’s name also used to come up. But Ellen has changed, and become one of the favorite kids. One observation I have made about these siblings, they never seem to tire. They can run, play soccer, play volleyball, they never tire out, the mid-day sun does not seem to affect them. Nothing seems to affect them and they have no fear. So it appears. If you would say, “This sounds like really good raw material with which to raise up pioneer church leaders”, I would say you are right.
The day after we got back from Altamira was “Girl’s Group” evening in our home. And it was Ellen’s birthday. One of the church ladies made and decorated a birthday cake. This is the first birthday cake Ellen ever had. Bella says she saw Ellen’s eyes moisten or glisten when she looked at the birthday cake and realized it was for her.

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