Last, but certainly not least

Hi folks. It's been a while. Been a busy, but good few weeks in Columbus.  I'll talk about that in the next blog, but for now I want to share a few more special peeps from Birmingham.  If you were not included in a special post here on the blog, know that you are so special I couldn't quite group you! 

For the first of the last. Precious Sanders Morris. 

Many of you have heard me talk about going to play with Sanders.  I met Sanders last August through a UAB connection and he quickly became one of my buddies!  I had the opportunity to play with Sanders three days a week through the Fall and Spring. This little munchkin is a miracle! If you met him you would never know it, but he was non-verbal a year and half ago.  After much therapy and hard work he now talks to ANY and EVERYone. 

I had the opportunity of doing some home exercise activities with Sanders to help with his coordination, handwriting, etc.  Sanders and I had a COMPLETE blast every time! We made pancakes, built airplanes and spaceship all out of some puddy. We played in shaving cream with all kinds of food coloring. We swung of swings, played in rice and beans, and his favorite color is green. Just couldn't help but rhyme right there!

All of that to say, I sure do miss that sweet boy.  Don't worry I still get to talk to him every once in a while. Last week he informed me he has a surprise for me down stairs (the room we played in).  I can't wait to get back to Bham and find out what it is!

The last day I went to play Sanders I told him to work REAL hard today because it was my last day.  He said "I know" and something about a "3 yr old boy". Throughout the day he kept mentioning a "3 yr old boy". I didn't have the first clue what he meant but acted like I did, of course.  Well when we went upstairs I found out more about the "3 yr old boy". 

Little did I know, his sweet, sweet parents wanted to say thank you for the time I spent with Sanders.  So they contacted a mutual friend and found out the organization I go to Haiti with (Haiti Outreach Ministries for anyone else interested).  The Morris' sponsored a "3 yr old" little boy to go to school for the next year in my honor. 

This is Steeve the "3 yr old" boy Sanders was talking about. 

Thanks to the generosity and kindness of the Morris' family Steeve will now have the opportunity to attend school.  Tears come to my eyes once again as I look at his picture.  The Lord somehow used me to share a little piece of His heart with Sanders and his family and in return one of His precious children has the opportunity to defeat the cycle of hunger, poverty, and crime.  Praise Jesus!  Mr. and Mrs. Morris will never truly know how much the gift blessed my heart. Praise the Lord that we as believers are taking an active role in looking past ourselves and seeking after the heart of the Lord in caring for our brothers and sisters around the world! These wonderful parents also have Steeve's pic up in the house so they pray for them each day.  May their prayer be answered in abundance! Thank you again Ben and Rebecca. 

Now for the second part of this post, sorry again for the length, but these have been in my mind for almost a month now and my fingers have finally reached the key board.

Two more people I was greatly blessed by in Bham are my dearest roomies at 716 crest lane, or should I call it Casa de Margarita?  That is Margarita as in Margaret but I like to call her Maggie, OR Shlittle (she was my ZTA little), OR Maintenance Maggie (seeing as how she was the perfect landlord and fixer of all things broken!).

For a little info on Maggie: she is quite creative, thrifty, jolly, and is studying to be an Occupational Therapist also! Now for the second roomie, Mamie.  First a little confession, when I found out Mamie was moving in I was a little irritated. Maggie told me 2 days before spring semester and said she was "wonderful".  Well FYI Maggie says everyone is wonderful. So I wasn't quite convinced and in my mind was thinking "this is going to be so awkward". Now let me just tell you, I WAS WRONG, REAL WRONG.   Mamie McIntosh (isn't that the cutest name ever?!?!) is amazing, wonderful (maintenance Maggie wasn't lying), and quite possibly perfect! I knew she would be the perfect 3rd roomie when the first night we were already in deep convo about Jesus! That was the first of many nights that this sweet friendship blessed my heart. 

It's crazy to think that in a 5 short months we all became so close. The Lord himself orchestrated this living situation to bless us all uniquely and personally. Miss them mucho!  But I'm 100% confident that I will forever consider these two some of my dearest friends.

Maggie brought this pic home and it couldn't have fit more perfectly so on our last night at home we had to snap a pic with it! The brunette, blonde, & ginger!

Well if anyone is still reading (which I'd be surprised if you are) I will posting again soon about Columbus.  I have an exciting adventure planned in my head for the weekend and will share with you next week!