Headed To London With My Mom: Laaaawd What Did I Say "I Do" To?

Hey Mafia Miracle Makers!

I hope your Turkey Day was stuffed with joy, laughter, and a plate that needed two hands to carry. I have been doing a whole lot of reflecting this week because honestly… this year has felt like one giant trust fall into God’s arms.
And I am grateful He keeps catching me.

So, can I tell you the five things I am especially thankful for this year?

But first...just in case you are new to the mission of Move-In Day Mafia...

You should know, we are a "mob" of volunteers who move in and deck out door rooms of HBCU students who have aged out of foster care. Plus, we take care of them for four years with monthly care packages. You can check out our work at MoveInDayMafia.org

Now...my gratitude list...

1) I am thankful that I GET to lead Move-In Day Mafia, even when I am afraid and feel unqualified
Because the assignment is bigger than my comfort. And y'all remind me that obedience is where miracles hide.

2) I am thankful for every Mafia Miracle Maker who believes in the mission
You show up like family. Not fans. FAMILY. The kind that rolls up sleeves and makes sure no scholar feels alone.

3) I am thankful for my team that covers me and is patient as I grow into leadership
They watch me wobble sometimes… and still cheer like I stuck the landing.

4) I am thankful for our corporate partners who don't just invest in Mafia financially but also put boots on the ground
They do not just sign checks. They show up in dorm rooms with drills, shelves, and work gloves. That is partnership.

5) I am thankful for our scholars
Their perseverance. Their grit. Their dreams. They are why my feet hit the floor every morning, determined to keep going. They make it all worth it.


London Calling
Speaking of miracles…

Before I was ever “Founder TeeJ,” I was just a woman with a wild idea from God and zero nonprofit experience. Amber has been the wind beneath my wings from the very beginning. She brought the corporate strategy, the structure, the language, the wisdom… all the things that helped Mafia go from “dream in my heart” to “miracles in motion.”

So when she asked me to officiate her wedding… in London… I held the phone like, "What in dee entire hell? Do you know me? What in the world have I done that you would want ME to be your officiant?

I don't know how she got her hubby-to-be, Alex, on board, but he is down for this crazy idea, too.

Laaaaawed…they want me???

Everybody I've told...their first response...THEY BUST OUT LAUGHING...IN MY FACE!

For six months, I have been texting Amber like, “Hey, just checking if y'all have come to your senses yet.”

Apparently… they have not, cuz at the time of writing this, my mom and I are on this 8-hour flight to London Heathrow.
So here we go.

And no, I am not practicing with a British accent.

But I might say “cheerio” if the anointing falls. 😜


A Walking Miracle Named Weez

Mafia Miracle Maker, yesterday, I had literally just told my graphic artist, Lorraine, “I do not know what I am supposed to write for Friday,” when my phone rang.

It was my friend, Weez of over 30 years from Howard.

​My ace. My day one. And a HUGE champion of not just Move-In Day Mafia, but of me...period.

Weez tells me she went to the doctor, and they thought she had kidney disease.

But the Holy Spirit whispered to her, “No.”

So she pushed for more testing. And because she pushed, they discovered a rare condition that I can't even pronounce...that only 1 percent of the population has.

1%!

And!

They told her they usually only find during autopsies!

And yet...they found it because the Holy Spirit told her to insist on more testing!

Thank you Jesus...My friend is going to be alright!

Her anesthesiologist asked her “Who are you that God loves you this much for us to catch this in time?”

​My friend is a walking miracle, and I have another thing to be thankful for!

Watching miracle upon miracle unfold with our Mafia mission has taught me one key thing...

Miracles follow motion.

If I had waited until I felt qualified, Move-In Day Mafia would not exist, and 109 students at 28 HBCUs would not have received decked-out dorm rooms.

Mafia Miracle Maker, yes, I still get scared. I still feel unprepared. I still question whether I am the one for this assignment.

But I keep moving anyway.

And when you move, God starts revealing resources you did not know existed. He starts sending people you did not even know to ask for. He starts turning whispers into wins and closed doors into VIP entrances.

So, as we are officially into the holiday season, this message is not just about me. It is about you.

If there is something God has been nudging you to do. Something you keep telling yourself you are not ready for. Something that feels bigger than your budget, your background, or your confidence.

It's time.

Start small. Start messy. Start scared.
Just start. And watch God show out.

Now… speaking of miracles showing up…

Giving Tuesday is on the horizon, December 2nd, and we are kicking off a campaign that makes me cackle every time I say it out loud:
#KeepTeeJOffThePole.

Yes, that is the name, because if we do not lock in long-term, predictable funding, your girl might have to twirl for tuition and body roll for basic needs.😜

Our goal: 1000 monthly Mafia Miracle Makers by the 2026 move-in season, so we can plan for new scholars at more HBCUs.
Whether you have $3 or $300 or $3000 to commit to as a monthly seed into the upcoming move-in season, could you please consider your budget?

Every level of support says you believe miracles are still in motion for our scholars.

Join the movement here:
👉 MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate and select the monthly option.

When you back a divine assignment, God multiplies the miracle.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, Mafia Miracle Maker. I am truly thankful for you

Hug yourself for me, and as always, like, comment, and share!