Meet My Neighbor Monday

Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.  ~Rod McKuen

This is long overdue! I have now been in San Antonio for over a month and I continue to meet so many wonderful people every week.

                                               Alyssa (Left) and Jessi at a '70s themed Chi Alpha event

This week the spotlight is on two new sweet friends, Alyssa and Jessi. I picked them both this week, because I had the pleasure of hanging out with them tonight when they came over for dinner. I wanted to celebrate them both.

Alyssa is a sophomore at UTSA and is studying Art and Communications. She hopes to one day be a graphic artist. Alyssa grew up in Houston and enjoys being in college only a few hours away from home. She lives in a house here in SA with 3 other girls... all four of them are truly amazing and I have had a blast getting to know all of them! Alyssa you are a blessing.

Jessi is one-of-a-kind! She manages working full-time and being in ministry full-time. She is a college women's small group leader and leads a weekly small group with 14 or 15 girls in it! She also tries to squeeze in one-on-one time with each of the girls. I don't know how she does it. Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpen iron, so one man sharpens another." Jessi's life serves as such an example to me, her faith sharpens my own.

-M

Meet My Neighbor Monday

This week's spotlight is on my friend Amy!

Haven, Johnny, and Amy

     I met Amy in December when she and her family stayed with Jen and I in Colorado while they were passing through town on their way back to Texas. I knew I liked Amy then, but I knew we would be friends when she asked what she could get me from Sonic the week I moved here! Amy is fun, an optimist, and she has a beautiful singing voice. She also values the relationships in her life and that she sees the best in others.

     Amy grew up in Austin, Tx and went to college at Sam Houston State. She and her husband Johnny lead the Chi Alpha college ministry team here at UTSA. They love Jesus and college students and they are a natural fit in this ministry. I am in awe of the way Amy handles both the responsibilities of ministry and parenthood. she is an amazing mom to an 18 month old. She handles life so gracefully and sets a great example not only for college age women, but for me as well.

Psalm 139 is one of Amy's favorite passages
"... You chart the path ahead of me
and tell me where to stop and rest.
Every moment you know where I am.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You both precede and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head..."

Meet My Neighbor Monday

                                                                       Valorie and Josh 
The last two weeks in San Antonio have been a  whirlwind! I've unpacked, had a job interview, been job searching, worked on my resume, and sent out my resume. I have figured out were all the important places like Sonic, Target and church are. I have also been swimming, gone to my first Chi-Alpha meeting, and had a few dinners/lunches/coffees with new friends. The highlight though has been meeting some of the incredible people in this community. I've decided to feature one of my new "neighbors" ever Monday in Meet My Neighbor Monday.

This week's spotlight is on Valorie!

Valorie is the very first person I met in San Antonio when I rolled into town on August 3rd. She is also physically my closest neighbor as her bedroom is across the living room from mine. She is my new roommate! Valorie is sweet, thoughtful, and soft spoken. When I first arrived, she was waiting at our apartment ready to help me unpack my car. She has been so helpful in showing me around and introducing me to various people. Valorie moved to San Antonio a couple of years ago after going to school at Sam Houston State in Huntsville, TX. She moved here to attend nursing school and is now a nurse at a local hospital. She has been very involved in college ministry and loves spending time with the college aged girls form UTSA!

Tonight I made dinner for Valorie and her boyfriend, Josh. We also enjoyed a sampling of delicious cheescake for dessert and are now watching a sweet but cheesy movie called Letters from God.  I'm thankful to have already made great friends.

Our cheescake sampler. Delicious.