| THIS IS A VERY SMALL GLIMPSE OF OUR FRIEND RAY FORREST HE WAS THE APPLE OF HIS HIS MOTHER ROSE'S EYE. I DON’T THINK THERE WAS EVER A DAY THAT I WORKED WITH HIM THAT HE DIDN’T SPEAK OF HER, WITH A GLEAM IN HIS EYE AND A HEART FULL OF LOVE, SHE WAS HIS EVERYTHING. RAY WAS TESTED AT A YOUNG AGE AND FOUND TO BE GENIUS WHEN RAY WAS 4 HE WAS SITTING ON THE FLOOR WITH THE NEWSPAPER, ROSE SAID 2 HIS DAD LOOK HE IS PRETENDING TO READ RAY LOOKED UP AND SAID WHAT, MA YOU DON’T THINK I CAN READ, ROSE SAID WELL RAY YOU ARE ONLY 4. HE SAID OK WHAT DO U WANT ME TO READ. SHE POINTED TO AN ARTICLE AND HE READ IT TO HER. IN THE 80’S HE MOVED TO CALIF. TO BE A LANDSCAPER, BOUGHT A DODGE RAM TRUCK WHICH HE DROVE THE REST OF HIS LIFE RAY LOVE BASEBALL AND HE PLAYED SOCCER. I FIRST MET RAY MANY YRS AGO. HE HAD VOL. FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND FOUND OUT ABOUT MY PROJECTS HE SHOWED UP & SAID I CAME TO HELP, AND HE NEVER LEFT. AT CFE RAY DID EVERYTHING, EMPTY THE GARBAGE, UNLOAD ALL THE TRUCKS, RUN THE ERRANDS AND ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT HOW THE TARPS WERE TO BE HUNG. HE WOULD SAY YOU WANT THEM HUNG OR U WANT THEM HUNG RIGHT. HE WORKED EVERY DAY WITH US STARTING WKS BEFORE CMAS ON CHRISTMAS DAY THE LAST FEW YRS HE WORKED WITH JUSTIN MCROBERTS AND PASTOR ROB AT A LITTLE HOUSE ACROSS THE PARKING LOT PUTTING OUT THE THOUSANDS OF USED HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT WERE DONTATED. AND THEN MAKING HIS ROUNDS TO SEE WHO NEEDED A HAND AND THE 26TH OF DEC RAY WOULD SHOW UP EARLY TO CLEAN THE PARKING LOTS AND HELP US MOVE OUR EQUIP BACK TO STORAGE. A FEW YRS AGO HE GOT HIS MOM INVOLVED. AND ROSE HAS WORKED WITH US EVERY SINCE. THANK YOU RAY RAY ALSO WORKED WITH ME ON ANOTHER PROJECT "TEENS WHO CARE". WE PAINTED 17 HOUSES IN 11 DAYS EVERY SUMMER FOR THOSE THAT COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAINT THEIR HOMES. WE HAD 150 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PAINTING, SANDING & PRIMING THE HOMES. RAY WORKED W/THE TEENS EVERY DAY. TEACHING SAFETY FIRST THEN HOW TO DO THE WORK AT HAND. HE TAUGHT THE KIDS TO HAVE RESPECT FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR OTHERS. HIS MOM SAID: " He was what I call a silent warrior for the ones in need. On Thanksgiving he would appear for dinner at my home with the ones who had no place to go. He accepted them for who they were not for what they had...A good son who will always be alive in my heart and memories." ONE DAY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO HOME RAY DISCOVERED THE CROSSES ON THE HILL IN LAFAYETTE , WERE BROKEN. HE STOPPED HIS TRUCK AND STARTED REPAIRING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. HE THEN TOOK THE BROKEN PIECES AND MADE A CROSS OUT OF THEM AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. A REPORTER CAME BY AND SAW HIM AND WANTED TO DO A STORY, RAY REFUSED, RAY WOULD NEVER LET YOU GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR WHAT HE DID. HE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A PART OF LIFE, THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO HELP OTHERS. HE NEVER WANTED THE GLORY FROM ANYTHING HE DID, HE JUST TOOK PERSONAL SATISFACTION IN ALWAYS DOING GOOD FOR OTHERS HE HAD A HEART FOR THE DISADVANTAGED & THOSE WHO COULDN’T DO FOR THEMSELVES & HE ALWAYS HAD THAT LITTLE BOY GRIN. WE WILL MISS YOU RAY, NOT JUST THIS YEAR BUT ALL THE YEARS |