Freedom Rings for Mario

Head Line

Mario is Back!  Mario is Back!  Mario is Back!


In a story that only God could write Mario is free and back in my office and on my desk!  PTL! The father of the two boys showed up yesterday with Mario in hand.  I am absolutely thrilled beyond words.

To bring my new readers up-to-date, Mario was given to me in April of 2010 while I was on a mission trip to Colombia.  Mario was a gift from a little girl whose home is at the sewage lake for the large city of Cartagena, Colombia.  Raynell and I visited her home and she took a liking to us.  She told Raynell that I looked like Mario (I had a red shirt on) and she gave it to me.  Out of her extremely limited resources she gave a gift to me.  It touched my inner soul like nothing before.

I brought him home and put him on a table in my office to always remember the little girl and my trip.  Well one day not long after a couple of boys visited my office with their dad and as it would be they decided Mario would be fun to play with at home.  So off he went, stolen out of my office and I was heart sick.  I spoke to the dad about Mario maybe a month ago. I told him how I came to have Mario and how import it was for me to get him back.  Never heard a word from him.  I was just telling the story to some friends on Thursday night.

Just in time to celebrate the 4th of July, Mario has been set free and he is home. I am rejoicing. Now the 4th of July has even greater meaning to me! Yes, Connie I am going to put Mario into a glass case so he will remain safe and free in my office for decades to come. Thanks for the idea! Both Raynell and Connie told me I was going to get him back.

Mario has significant purpose in my life, he is a symbol for me, a daily reminder to me of how blessed I am and how great the need is to free children from the bondage of poverty.

Mario was first a gift from a little poor girl that lives in conditions like none of us have ever experienced.  A gift from God to remind me to help Freedom Ring For The Poor.  A reminder to all of us that we have the ability to help. Our life has purpose and meaning.