Me and Bea go to church

Finding a spiritual home for our African friends has been a journey in itself.
 In talking with Mama N and reviewing family photos it was revealed that Mama N is a Presbyterian and attended church regularly in Africa. Many vans pass through her apartment complex picking people up for church. She let them all pass and seemed to be waiting for the right place. I wrote to churches in her behalf. No one answered. I wrote to my friends asking for a Presbyterian church that we could visit. I got an answer from a very dear one. Julianne invited us to Decatur Presbyterian and off we went one Sunday morning in March.

We must have been quite a sight. A Jewish woman with her texting red-headed teen, Mama in full African dress with a baby tied on and Little E over my shoulder fighting to get a look at all that surrounded him.
The church bells rang as we exited my beat up old truck and the look Mama N had was faraway.
Her eyes glazed, mouth open........ memories flooding. This was the fabric that was going to hold her together. A place to feel prayer and hope for her family. Her disabled boy, the family she left behind, her beautiful baby girl could become part of a new world where she would find love and support.
Of course I was an emotional mess and Bea, well she took it all in.
It took about 5 minutes to realize that Little E and baby C were not going to sit quietly in the pews. We left Mama N with Julianne and schleped over to the childcare.
Thats another story in itself...........

Stand up Little E

Little E spends a lot of time on the floor. He cannot hold his body up and he desperately wants to interact with the world.
I remembered from my work that there is a place where they fix old rehab equipment called Friends of Disabled Children and Adults. I called and asked if I could get a stander, a walker, and an adapted bike.
These folks are not only providing an incredible service, but the warmth in which they provided me with support was another overwhelming emotional moment for me.
They called me to pick up a stander and waitlisted me for the rest of the stuff.

I loaded up the stander in my truck with the help of two charming gentleman, one in a chair himself.

Maria and I hoisted Little E into the stander and placed a desk with toys on top in front of him. Sheer delight and time for play. We could not stay long enough. He loved it. Thanks to Bea and Molly for keeping the little one busy so we could work with E.

Adding her own form of stimulation, winding up the children into a frenzy that only Bea could create!!!!