March 2024 - Blooming

The metaphor is clear. The darkness and cold of winter melt away, and the light and warmth bring forth new growth. Birds sing, flowers start to bloom, the light stays awake for longer, and those who hibernate come out to play.

March 2020, we hosted our usual spring break teams from various colleges around the country. Teams with a number anywhere between a dozen to a hundred came to serve the neighborhood and learn about communities like ours and God's heart for them. Then the pandemic began. Our first college group packed up and went home to Iowa. The next college group called us up and cancelled, much like many organizations and events around the world. Since 2020, we have not hosted a group for spring break, we've been in a sort of winter, if you will. Fast forward to the beginning of March 2024, Ball State (from Indiana) came to Jacksonville for their spring break. Although 2nd Mile Ministries was not their main host, we were able to facilitate one day of community projects as well as some educational discussions during lunch. We are hoping and praying that this was the first of many future college teams to come, like when you see one flower pop open, in anticipation of many more to come.

Back in the fall of 2023, Jacksonville had a few days off from school due to vicious wind storms. An unexpected result of said storms, a neighbor's tree was uprooted, fell over our garden fence, knocking over a telephone pole which dangled cables and exposed wires over our little tool shed. After many calls with the electric company, a tree removal company, and the telephone company, it seemed like a standstill where nobody wanted to accept responsibility for anything, no action was made, a box unfilled on a checklist that seemed to be in a forever hibernated state. "I can't remove that tree with those wires there." "I can't remove the wires with that tree there." Complaints were filed, requests were made within departments, but no movement. Finally, just a couple weeks ago, a bunch of people came with the proper tools, chopped the overhanging branches, removed the fallen pole, and installed a new one. Finally, some peace, no more wondering if, but now, remembering when. This has significantly improved how the garden looks, and has helped build positive momentum in getting things planted and improving the overall look of the garden. Where vegetables, flowers, and herbs and beginning to grow, bloom, and sprout, the look of the garden is as well.

Our after school program students and our high school workers went to the garden in March and planted pumpkin, okra, mustard green, and collard green seeds. With a fixed irrigation system now in place, these beds will get water automatically every morning, and are already beginning to sprout. The kids were excited to take home some aloe plants as well as sample the chocolate mint leaves in the garden. Every subsequent time we go to the garden, the more enthused the students are to help in any way they can. They also love finding snails, caterpillars, and worms. I'm excited to see whether or not the seeds they planted will bring forth successful produce.

I've learned that with some seeds, they sprout best after a dormant period where they either hibernate in the ground, or are refrigerated for a short while. They are then "woken" up and can be triggered to begin their growth. There are times at the BLOCK middle and high school program that I feel ill-equipped, unknowledgeable, and unconfident in how to direct the program. Do I focus on just fun activities? Do I solely focus on the Bible? On life skills? Leadership development? It's hard to know which Fridays will "hit different" and which ones are duds. In the past 5 or 6 years that I've been over either middle schoolers or high schoolers, this year has been my favorite.

I know all the students relatively well, many from summer day camp, and others from our after school program. Two of the BLOCK students work part time for us. Some of our activities are suggested and even planned by the students. There are lots of cool stories from the year, but I feel that some of the most impactful times are just when the students hang out as a group. During Duval County's spring break, BLOCK met up and took a field trip downtown and simply walked by the river, listening to different bands, watching street performers and just being. At the end of the night, a normally timid group of teens and pre-teens were unironically dancing together to some "We Are Family", a moment I'll cherish from this year. I also introduced spray paint art to the students, a hobby I've had for a while. Lydia, a sophomore and 2nd Mile veteran, was unsure at first at how well her painting would turn out. She was super thrilled with this medium that she asked if we could do spray paint again some Friday. Now, she may not become a professional spray paint artist for a career, but I've seen a once shy, timid, and unsure 2nd grade student, who had low self-confidence become one who others look up to, one who has tried new things, one who found her voice when she works with younger students. If that isn't a beautiful thing, then I don't know what is. I can see her making big impacts wherever she goes in life.

February 2024 - Building something bigger

Fifty years from now, Lord willing, I will be 85 years old. Regardless of where I am, I hope to look back at my time at 2nd Mile and see that Brentwood is left in good hands, is thriving and emanating the gospel so vigorously. I can see the organization being led by current students, their kids, maybe even their grandkids, and they will eventually forget the name Mr. Andrew, but will continue to speak of the love of Christ, to show love and kindness to those that live here, to maybe even playing the same games taught for years outside in the courtyard.

Snap back to reality, February 2024, the students in Block re-entered the building for a second time this school year, this time with no wooden pallets to contest for space, an even more blank slate to envision a future. Students wrote down their ideas for how to best utilize the space for future programming and for what would best serve the community. We returned to the current 2nd Mile location, and began to draw up plans like little architects. Some fun ideas they came up with were a meditation room to calm down, a computer lab, and a movie theater with a popcorn machine and vending machine. Groups then combined ideas and, using a shoebox, made dioramas of how the building could look. This was one of my favorite activities of the year. I can't wait to carry them along on the journey to a completed building. Quick update, we currently getting professional drawings made up to work out what is actually possible in the space, answering code related questions, renovation cost questions, etc.

At two:fiftytwo, February was our music month. In teaching the students about rhythm, pitch, and dynamics, I learned that the most engaging lessons were not the ones where I share my knowledge of music, the math behind notes, or even the emotions I get when I play, but rather letting the students make the sounds, create the rhythms, and touch and feel the instruments themselves. They got to try a keyboard, my viola (with extreme supervision), boom whackers, a kalimba (thumb piano), a cajon, and a guitar. It's fun to see which kids really get into which instruments. Are there any future musicians in our program? Who knows?

As students are currently on spring break as I write this, please pray that the students stay safe, that they are eager to come back and gather together, and that parents are given the strength, patience, and energy for a week that is more like a trial run for the upcoming summer.

Next month, I'll hopefully have some great updates about our summer camp. Spoiler alert, we've already hired two people for the summer and plans are already under way. Super excited!

Future architects?

Future contractors?

January 2024 - Hit the ground running

As we enter into 2024, we reunite with students coming back from a long winter break. Often times, we kick our time off with some added fun, usually in the form of a field trip or two. January also saw the return of Open Court, taking the previous two months off due to holidays and "cold" weather.

The two:fiftytwo After School Program got piled into our giant van and drove to the end of Pearl St. to a park near the St. John's River. We were definitely full of energy and taking over every part of the playground with excitement. Getting to spend time with students outside the four walls of our church always brings future memories and future conversations of, "Remember that one time we...." Our high school workers took on more leadership roles as they each planned an outer space activity for our January space focus.

The BLOCK Middle and High School Program started off the year with arcade games and laser tag. We also harvested some carrots from our garden that they planted in September and baked a carrot cake with them. I've been super impressed with not only how these students have embraced everything new we've done, but also how they've been growing in relation to each other. I can see friendships growing, no one kid is not included with the group, and everyone genuinely gets along, which has not often been the case across these many years of ministry.

Park field trip, high school BLOCK student in middle

Open Court returned, most people to come!

Getting on our game face for laser tag

Carrot cake!

New building, exciting things to come!

November and December 2023 - Alley Oop

Game 5. 2021 NBA Finals. Series tied at 2 a piece. Bucks up by 1. Suns ball. Under 25 seconds to play.

Ever play the worst case/best case scenario game? What's the worst thing that could happen? What's the best thing that could happen? My mind tends to hang out in the worst case scenario world.

Devin Booker is looking to score for the Suns. He doesn't see Jrue Holiday come to double team and strip the ball from him. The worst case scenario of the Suns pulling ahead is eliminated. Holiday leads a fast break but only has to keep possession until the clock runs out. Giannis sprints down the floor, looks at his teammate and points to the sky. Holiday lobs the ball towards the basket, Giannis catches and throws it down, all while being fouled.

The Bucks lost the first two games of the Finals that year, but this play marked the changing winds of that series.

Why do I share that story other than to talk about the Bucks again? I think that when looking back on the past two months of ministry, I can't help but think about how unbelievably clutch God has been. When thinking about raising $300,000 for a building, having never been done in our history before, yes it is nice to imagine what success looks like, but it's almost too easy to assume it won't happen. One thing I realized when looking back at those few months was that our faith got stronger and more resilient the less we knew how it would happen. When things are so out of our own control, I believe that is when God wants us to get the ball out of our hands, and trust him to complete the alley oop dunk.

In case you do not follow 2nd Mile Ministries on facebook or instagram, we got the building! Our building campaign is set up into two phases. Phase 1 was to raise $300,000 by mid November to purchase the building. This phase had a quick deadline, and boy did God use unexpected places to bless us. Phase 2 is to raise another $300,000 for renovations with no deadline, a lot less stressful if you ask me. Currently, we've given the old owner some time to clear out the building so we can make plans to get to work.

At 2nd Mile, we've been blessed to win some grants that help fund a good chunk of our program expenses for the next few years. At the two:fiftytwo After School Program, students have weekly Bible lessons, weekly social and emotional learning exercises, special guests sharing about their careers, talking circles, and a monthly focus like science, art, cooking, etc. The students also have written job applications, conducted job interviews, and have little jobs at the program to get paid "money" and go to the "bank" or "store" and learn about saving and spending. At the BLOCK Middle and High School Program, students took some career quizzes online to see what jobs could fit their passions in the future, they went downtown to paint the scenery, constructed ginger bread houses, and helped plan, advertise, design, and decorate for our Christmas party. I wish I could spend separate blog posts about each activity we've done, because I feel that each of them plays a small part in who these kids will grow to be one day.

As we enter the year 2024, look for updates on building progress, new added roles to 2nd Mile, and new projects at the garden and at our programs. 

Kids surprisingly got really into these career tests

Dereon (6th grade) building an edible house

BLOCK painting downtown (go to block_brentwood on IG for more)

3rd grader made Moses parting the Red Sea

 

October 2023 - A chance to grow in faith

We have $160,000 raised for the home campaign! Praise God for how he's provided thus far. There is still $140,000 more to go. In this last week of raising money, I'm trusting God for something beyond my understanding. As I wonder where this amount will come from, I lean into him, holding fast as if to the main mast of a ship in a storm. How did Peter, a fisherman who probably knew what falling overboard a boat would be like, have the kind of faith to step out onto the water where Jesus was? Yes, he saw the incoming waves and began to sink, but at first, steps.

Currently, our incoming wave is this deadline, this $140,000. I'm not oblivious to what a wave can do in the middle of the sea. It's been very tempting to lose heart, to fear, to want control over the situation, to know exactly if and how this home campaign will succeed. But I trust God. How do I get peace in this situation, perfect peace? By keeping my mind stayed on Him, because I trust in Him. (Isaiah 26:3).

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7. In this moment typing, I feel peace.

A couple cool things that have happened in October in 2nd Mile that I want to highlight. First, our middle and high school students planned, designed, built, and ran a Family Fall Festival game this year! With the simple prompt of Turn this disc golf basket into a game, the students all had creative ideas. The eventual winner was a cookie monster game, with discs designed like cookies. After researching and designing, the following week, we all put it together. Below are the creepy before  and the not-so-creepy after pictures. Two of the students sacrificed their Saturdays to volunteer most of the Family Fall Festival, ensuring that families enjoyed playing and received their candy. Second, two of the high school students, who have been in 2nd Mile programs a combined 13 years (!) got the first opportunity to get hired at our after school program to help with the littler ones. Normally shy, they've taken this responsibility to heart and it's been great to see their growth not only over the years, but even recently. Getting to see their faces when they got the first paychecks of their life was awesome.

Just as the sad disc golf basket was given vision and a plan and was built and used...

Just as the two high schoolers have been given vision of their growing responsibilities...

Just as Nehemiah assessed the ruins of his people and made a plan, a request, and did rebuild...

We too put our vision for a permanent home to work, hoping and praying to see God fulfill our request.  

Would you prayerfully consider helping us out? If you've made it this far in the blog and God has prodded your heart to give at all, I pray you consider what you can give in faith. Don't think about the incoming waves of deadline and amount left to raise (obviously there is a deadline though), but be open to if God wants you to partake in building more permanent walls for 2nd Mile.

If interested, click here to go to our giving page on our website. And you have my permission to share this blog. Please do.

Check out block_brentwood on instagram for more

The Beacons are Lit! 2nd Mile calls for aid!

 

In the lifetime of 2nd Mile Ministries, it has never had a permanent home. Ever since 2003, 2nd Mile has been conducted at the park, in the living room of a ministry house, a no-longer-used firehouse, and is currently in the rented basement of another church. Having a specific focus on the Brentwood neighborhood for 20 years, we have seen tremendous growth in relationships with local families, other local organizations, and nearby churches. It is quite humbling to have former students and their families return with fond memories of the ministry and all the love that was shown.

A rare and special opportunity has been dropped in our laps. Just a few blocks from our current operations, and directly across the street from our partner The Ville Church, a building has gone up for sale. The seller is from the neighborhood, actually had memories growing up playing basketball at our current location long before 2nd Mile existed, and is happy and willing to sell the building to an organization that will benefit the neighborhood.

The housing market has been crazy the past few years. Prices have gone up. I get random calls from out of state people trying to buy the house I live in. We are slowly turning into Mr. Potter's world from It's a Wonderful Life where less and less people in our neighborhood own their homes, rent has gone up, and people are forced out, some to the extreme of homelessness. So when we heard that a building of that size was being sold for $300,000, knowing that the seller could get way more from other businesses, we felt we had to at least put it before the Lord and weigh in on if this would/could be our future home. We're not sure when another opportunity like this will come about.

We've had a city inspector, private inspector, general contractor, structural engineer, and roofer all look at the building. The bones are good. Because it's an old building, there will be renovations and some repairs to be made. Right now, we need to raise about $300,000 by November 15th, 2023. Wow, that's a large amount. I'm well aware. That deadline isn't much time. Again, I know. This is the biggest ask in the shortest amount of time in our 20 year history as an organization. In all honesty, the seller has given us a lot of grace and time to have first dibs on the building, as there are others licking their chops, waiting to poach the building. We've raised about $35,000 already. The total estimated price including renovations would be approximately $600,000, but the purchase price is $300,000.

Since I like numbers, that's:

2 gifts at $50,000 = $100,000

2 gifts at $25,000 =   $50,000

3 gifts at $15,000 =   $45,000

3 gifts at $10,000 =   $30,000

3 gifts at   $7,500 =   $22,500

2 gifts at   $5,000 =   $10,000

3 gifts at   $2,500 =     $7,500

18 gifts                 = $265,000 remaining

I know we serve a big God. I know that God will use this building to glorify His name in Brentwood. God has been in the neighborhood before 2nd Mile. God doesn't need us to complete His mission. But time and time again, I've seen Him make such beautiful things in our neighborhood even more beautiful. I've seen Him lead students to want to live lives serving and helping others.

We've already had students tour the building. Regardless of the outcome of raising this money, the future of Brentwood will be influenced by those already here. We did some vision-casting, imagining the endless possibilities for a hollow, cubed-shaped canvas.

Please consider giving. If you don't feel like you fit as one of those 18 people in the numbers above, we will look at any donation with great thankfulness. If you want to hear more about the building, the process, the ministry, future plans, I'd love to tell you more. I'm an open book.

You can either write a check to 2nd Mile Ministries and send to 1650 Margaret St. Suite 302 #339, Jacksonville, FL 32204 or you can go to 2nd Mile Ministries and make a one time donation there.

Vision casting at potential new building, currently being used by a company that makes wooden pallets

August 2023 - His Ways Are Higher

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8-9

A new school year. A new after school program director. A new normal. Going into mid August, we knew that our after school program director was going to be new, as was the case the previous two years. We hired someone. School was starting in two weeks and things were looking up. She had lots of good ideas, but seemed a little distant, like something was off, like she had one foot in the door and one foot out. She had been contemplating moving back to Georgia. Long story short, she resigned, the after school program was beginning in like 5 days, and we had no new good leads. No former applicants that really fit the position. It's moments of surrender like these where God has been teaching us to rely on him when we can't see five feet in front of us.

In steps hope. I mean, in literally stepped Hope, a now early 20-something who had a couple siblings in our after school program years ago, even volunteered at the program herself for a bit, has lived in Brentwood almost her whole life, literally grew up next door to 2nd Mile, and on top of that, couple her sons in our Summer Day Camp this past summer. And, oh yeah, her dream job is to do something in community development. She inquired about the job after we had already hired the previous director so no application was made by her at the time. We put the job opening back out into the world and I don't know if an application, interview, and hiring has ever happened so quickly in my time at 2nd Mile, not just because we were in a time crunch, but because there was something almost divine in that whole process. We seemed to come out ahead of where we had been before.

two:fiftytwo After School Program - So the school year began, we have 14 amazing students, 9 of whom were either at camp or in the program last year. They all go to the same school. Nine of them have a sibling or uncle in the program. Hope is doing a great job planning lessons, activities, and getting used to the kids. We hope to focus on social and emotional learning, Biblical learning, academic excellence, as well as having fun. Luke 2:52 says, "And Jesus grew in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and men." We pray these students would grow in so many ways. The girl in the picture below is Aminata. She is our first ever bilingual student and is much stronger in French than English currently. Her family doesn't speech English well so it's been very cool seeing her act as a translator for us. Here she started a water color of a sunset which would later show a mosaic of water and a boat. Cool kid. 

BLOCK Middle and High School Program - Since the pandemic began in 2020, we've lost a lot of momentum with this particular age group, and in many ways, has seemed like a restart period in the history of 2nd Mile. We tried a virtual program which had its challenges, we went back in person in 2021 while socially distancing ourselves. Already a month into the school year, I'm excited to see veteran students building on what they've learned as well as five new students who got to know us at summer day camp. It can be difficult for a completely new student to stay committed to coming to these programs that are voluntary. I've been encouraged that these students have the shared experience of camp that made the transition to BLOCK so seamless. My plan with these students is to teach them about Christ, how that applies to their lives, learn life skills that they don't get taught in school, and teach them how to be leaders. Please pray that they would be excited to come each week, that their attendance stays consistent and that I'd be sensitive to what God has for this program. Below are the five new students helping lead Open Court by playing/learning/teaching cornhole. Cool kids.

So if you ever think of us, think about a growing family. Think about a neighborhood making deeper connections with itself. Think about roots growing deeper and wider. Think about God infiltrating these open hearts and minds and creating something beautiful now and in the future. Think about God's perfect timing, God's perfect plan, and God's generosity with his love and grace.