January 2025 - The dark spot by the liquor store

When I used to take shelter in the dark spot against the outside wall of the liquor store, that's where God got my attention.

God's light seems to be brightest in the darkest places. I got the privilege to talk to one of the parents of our 5th grade students at Brentwood Park for church. 

Oh yeah, church. I grew up going to a big church every Sunday and kind of felt lost in the sea of the giant congregation. My circle was very small. People would drive in from all over, fellowship for an hour and a half, then return home. We started going to The Ville Church a little over a year ago, after bouncing around to a couple different churches after Max was born. One thing I've really appreciated about this church that I don't think I've seen others do, is that once or twice a month, church service goes outside the four walls and into the neighborhood. We either do church in the garden, church in action (street cleanup, different work projects, helping neighbors' lawns), or church at the park.

Last Sunday was church at the park. We listened to a short message, prayed, then broke off into groups to walk the streets of Brentwood, praying for and praying with the neighborhood. On this walk, I ran into Corey, a once 16 year old kid who I played basketball with back in 2010, now about 30 with a full beard but the same youthfulness in his eyes. In my our prayer group was Andre. An older gentleman from the neighborhood and father to one of our after school students.

I was homeless for years. I've slept in the park, at bus stops, behind the liquor store. When I started going back to church, the things I was used to doing didn't have the same pull as they did before. I knew I couldn't keep living the same way. My spot was in a dark spot, you know, where you can see out but no one can see you, by the liquor store. God saw me though. Surprisingly, that was my safe place, where I could get my head right.

He would go on to say there were times he wanted to go back to his old ways, back to the darkness, but the prospect of getting custody of his daughter changed that. Even when she was as young as 6, she would call her dad to make sure he was okay.

"Hey Harmony. I'm gonna sleep on the street tonight."

"Sleep on the street?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna wait by the bus stop to come see you."

"Do I need to ride my scooter down there to get you off the street?"

"I'll be safe, don't you worry."

Andrew, he told me, she was that light in my life to keep me going. Her name is so perfect for how she has been in my life.

We continued to talk, well, he continued to talk and I just listened and clung to every word. I left wondering why we don't do church like that every week. It makes so much sense and seems to resonate with verses from the Bible about going two by two into the world, about bringing the gospel to others, about loving your neighbor, verses that didn't really have hands and feet at past churches.

Sometimes you can tell which relationships will last, which ones will continue, but other times, people come into your life and stay that you had no forewarning of their importance to your future life. Some verses I've been committing to memory lately are very powerful. Romans 12:9-12 "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

I encourage you to think of someone you can give love to today, someone you haven't thought about in a while, or even a neighbor you see on a walk. Pray for them, be genuinely concerned for them. Seek nothing in return. I was deeply impacted by going outside my comfort zone, and God will show up if commit that time to him.

End of 2024 - What of the future?

hey Andrew i know it's late but how do i become a man of god?

I received this text in December from a former student, someone who I've known since he was five. Strange to say, but he is a 20 year old man now.

You got time for a phone call?

This didn't seem like a question to answer over text. We talked and I was amazed by the wisdom he already had, understanding the importance of this type of decision. He remember a lot from what we taught him growing up in our programs and new that the way he was living didn't match with the way he wanted to live.

I'm hoping to have many more conversations and get him to church. Our schedules haven't linked up yet, but I'm excited to see where God takes this relationship.

Another former student...

I leave for the air force in January so if you guys are ever free I would like to see yall before I go

I've often wondered what would happen to our students after high school, since our programming and staffing is limited. I feel blessed to still be in contact with some of the original students who are figuring out adulthood. I'm proud of the students who followed through graduating, who took chances with college, who've experienced different aspects of the workforce. I get encouraged when I see students turn up at church, or talk about a church they've been attending, or come back just to visit and say hi.

To finish off 2024, 2nd Mile had our annual Christmas party which includes an outdoor family movie with popcorn and hot chocolate. In an effort to grow leaders from our programs, our Christmas flyer was designed by a high school student, our Christmas movie was voted and picked by the BLOCK program, the lights were strung up all around our outside courtyard by BLOCK, decorations were made and hung by our after school program students as well as desserts baked. Students and their families came and enjoyed a well-deserved fun night for all the hard work from the school year so far. It really does seem unfair that my job is basically building relationships and essentially growing my "family".

I saw multiple kids cry on the last day before winter break because they were going to miss the program. Maybe this year's kids are a little more on the sensitive side, but I'll take those tears any day. You can really sense just how far a little attention, concern, and love for a young person can go in their lives. Not knowing what's going on at home, to be a little consistent respite has been a blessing.

Each December, we seek to invite people to give an end of the year donation to either help fund something specific or to bolster our ministry's financial health going into the next calendar year. This past December, we raised about $80,000! A good portion of this will help in our home campaign. Since I've had people ask recently, the home campaign is currently in the architecture phase. We hired an architect to do more detailed plans which include not only the measurements for the rooms, but also the plumbing, the electrical, sprinklers, etc. Thank you to everyone who has given towards the new building. We're excited to eventually have our own place.

As we look to 2025, here are a few ways, a few items that our students would absolutely enjoy receiving.

-Small foam dodgeballs (ours have lasted many years but are slowly coming apart)

-Soft soccer balls (we currently use an old volleyball, but it got kicked onto a roof)

-Soft volleyballs (our volleyball got kicked on a roof, remember?)

-Various wii games (like Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, etc)

-NIV Bibles for teens (especially girls, we have mostly girls in our programs)

-kickballs/4 square balls (we use these a lot)

-Different colored construction paper

And if you're feeling generous:

-A big speaker with a microphone

-VR system (which will be nice when we move into our new building.

If this interests you, you can either send items to

2nd Mile Ministries

1650 Margaret St. Suite 302 #339

Jacksonville, FL 32204

or directly to my place

3646 Brentwood Blvd

Jacksonville, FL 32206

Have a blessed 2025!

Our first boys day, went to the park to play kickball

Some gingerbread fun before the Christmas party

October 2024 - Muscle Memory

Since March 2020, the pandemic has pushed me back into running. Eating a sleave of Oreos each night was beginning to catch up with me, and I knew I needed to more regularly and consistently exercise. I remember my first run. (Run for like 5 minutes, stretch, then see how far you can run). For someone who did track and cross country in high school, but then took like 15 years off from running, I could only run another 4 or 5 minutes before getting winded. I was at an unfamiliar running path, in unworn running shoes, wondering what I was getting myself into. With such a low benchmark for the next time I ran, my goal was, just run a little farther than I did last time. Each day got a little easier, the route more familiar, and pretty soon I was extending workouts, speeding up workouts, branching out to new paths and streets.

15th Annual Family Fall Festival - Smiles everywhere, some with more wrinkles than others, laughing, dancing, playing, enjoying the cloudless October day. Candy was won, hot dogs consumed. A time lapse of the parking lot would show emptiness, shadows shrinking, and then a quick explosion of activity, 40 or so vehicles, hundreds walking around, then emptiness again, growing shadows. It happened so fast which was sad, but it also seemed to happen so automatically, which was a huge unforeseen blessing. Many participants had lots of past experience with the event, and it sort of, just, happened. Setting up and cleaning up occurred with what seemed like the ease of pushing a button on a machine. With 15 years experience (and a pandemic speedbump), the Family Fall Festival has been able to expand what we do, and be more efficient in how we do it. Here's to looking for ways to branch out to bigger things for the next year.

As the students grow, as they continuously add on to the number of hours spent in our building, we see them mature and grow in understanding of themselves and right from wrong. We scatter the seeds, water, and leave the rest to God. And as someone who spends hours in our garden, not all seeds sprout, despite constant attention. Sometimes weeds choke them out, stray cats dig them out, some get not enough water, too much water. As we learn and grow ourselves, we still never quite know what words, activities, or actions will stick with a kid years down the line. It is my goal to daily affirm these kids as fellow humans with good days and bad days, but always with an attentive God by their side, desiring their hearts.

With Maximus being in the program as well, it is an interesting dynamic of treating him just like everybody else, with no special treatment, even though in my heart, I want him to do everything right and well all the time. Pray that the things I've seen this ministry do for students over the years would also impact Maximus in the same ways. With many teachers across the country (in Jacksonville too) quitting in the middle of the school year, I can't imagine how that might effect a child's trust in people sticking around. Please pray that our willingness to stay, our willingness to invest in their lives and love them is felt and taken to heart. I'm amazed what I get to do for a job. Thank you God!

September 2024 - Outside the bubble

The days fly by. Sometimes I forget what has happened in the last month. Days blend together. Interactions with others come and go. Just trying to keep going on the perpetual treadmill, careful to walk straight and keep the pace. 

I find myself most stressed when I don't surrender everything to God. God, you can have these hours of my life, but not those hours. I'll sacrifice this part of my life, but not that part.

The past few weeks, I feel unworthy to stress about the little things, because I've encountered so many that have been going through way worse. The two hurricanes that came through Florida caused schools in Jacksonville to close on two separate occasions, disrupting the routine and apparently making me parent nonstop; there were people who lost their lives, homes, livelihoods in those storms.

I saw a friend crying in church whose friend had died that morning.

I know someone whose sibling got convicted for something that will ruin the next chapter of his life.

I saw an older thin man late at night by the church looking on the street for any scraps of food or change.

I'm grateful that I get to work at a place that has been a safe bubble for so many over the years. However, I'm not oblivious to the pain and hurt that can easily be found in the corners of our community. I'm reminded that my "routine", however used to it I've become, is probably doing more than appears on the surface.

In September, we partnered with the Center for Children's Rights and had a mental health day at the garden for the community. My guess it that we probably had between 30-40 people.

At 252, kids enjoyed themselves making slime, painting hexagonal stones for our garden path, making it look just a little more inviting to walk amongst the plants.

BLOCK's monthly theme of "Who I Am?" allowed students to be creative with making Open Court flyers by themselves, which we'll utilize throughout the year. They also took a strengths finders test and painted self-portraits.

Getting the students to know who they are in God's eyes and how they can impact their community is the hope I have for their future, because I see God's heart in that. I believe God wants them to see how their redeemed lives can be used for his glory.

Please pray for me not to ignore what's outside the bubble, to be present where I'm supposed to be present. Please pray that God would show me his heart once again for his people who often get ignored that are right in front of me.

August 2024 - Taking Root

In our compost at the garden are growing some very interesting plants, interesting because nobody knows how they got there. Obviously, some seeds made their way into the compost and starting growing, but papayas?!? In a summer where not much work had been done in the garden due to the hot weather, these particular plants thrived, perhaps because of their "rich soil" location. I really want to move them to a more convenient location in the garden, one that still allows us to utilize the compost, but because they are already big and starting to flower, relocation would be devastating for the plant. Underneath the two or three healthy papaya plants are some tiny ones trying to make their way up to the sky. Now these plants can be moved and replanted in a new location. Will they grow? We never know, but we know that certain plants like certain areas of the garden better, dependent on shade, water, companion plants, etc.

It seems that there's a tipping point where the plants seem to experience a growth spurt, to adapt to the bed they're in, and produce to the best of its ability. They level up to where they require more attention and love in order to produce the most fruit (or vegetable). We do what we can, water, prune, weed, and God provides the growth.

Our momentum in relationships with students and their families really took a hit during the pandemic. Some moved, others scattered, but all were somewhat distanced socially. We did virtual programs for a year, mostly with students that wouldn't stick around. As we began to get back to in person, it felt in a way that we were starting over with relationships. The people on staff were changing, new people would come and go, constantly changing, distressing 2nd Mile as though a plant itself. With a few years of programming under our belts, we've seen not only a growth in the number of students in our programs, but also in its depth, seeing students begin to get more comfortable and familiar with us again. To our surprise, some students from before the pandemic would begin to pop back into our lives, requesting to volunteer or chaperone or donate or sign up relatives to our programs.

As these new students begin to build consistency and time spent in our doors, I've seen some amazing friendships, character building, and knowledge of what it means to be a leader in their community. Each and every day, my family grows, and I'm truly blessed to be put in a position, to have a job that allows me to be in close proximity to those who are often disregarded, dismissed, ignored, or rejected by society.

It's a beautiful thing to see the light switch on in a student's life, where they learn more about themselves and God, their place in the world, where they are no longer living to survive but in order to thrive and elevate those around them.

Please pray for the 20 students in the Two:fiftytwo After School Program, up from 14 last year.

Please pray for the 14 students in the BLOCK Middle and High School Program, up from 8 last year.

Please pray for the progress and momentum of our new building as we seek to get final renderings and price points for certain renovations.

Please pray for me. I dare you to text me some encouraging Scriptures, as God has used that so directly in my life. I would appreciate it.

Summer 2024 - Longer Phrases

 As I sit here in this office, I can hear kids joyously playing with games, bouncing basketballs, and interacting with guest speakers. I could tell you which kid is talking inside, shouting outside, and whether or not things are getting out of hand or just "happily loud" just by the way my body is responding to the sound waves. In week 6 of 7 of camp, tempers flare more easily, structures and schedules get less tight, and there's an overwhelming sense that the daily grind will be over soon. I finish each day feeling the mental and physical toll that my mind and body take influencing, teaching, inspiring, affirming, protecting, and loving the kids. It's very easy to remember the negative or the things that need to improve for the next day, but let me take some time right now to jot down some positives from camp that I often overlook. Do you ever overlook the blessings and focus on either what went wrong or what could go wrong? I've had no time to really reflect on summer camp because it has been GO GO GO since June 17th.

-Almost every time I ask a kid to help out with something, they are willing and excited to do something "special"

-LJ went from being bossy during 4-square to showing more sportsmanship when he or others get out.

-Ava sacrificed her Zoo Field Trip to watch over her sick little sister until they got picked up early.

-A'Jah helped clean up so many broken water balloons after everyone went inside after water day.

-David always offers to wash off the paintbrushes after a messy art lesson.

-Trinity saw a often bullied kid sitting in the corner of the courtyard crying and went over to make sure he was ok.

-When I told a 5 year old that I was feeling tired, they gave me a hug, saying, "Aww."

-Chance always raises his hand when we need volunteers to pray for the whole group.

-Kids who spent the first couple weeks of camp completely silent and sitting by themselves are now sitting with others and making friends.

-Juju, who had previously helped with camp as a high school student the past 2 summers, is now the camp director and doing a great job.

As another summer of camp comes to a close, we leave not knowing whether this is the last time we'll ever see a kid or if they will surprise us by coming back next year. The longer a student is with us at 2nd Mile, the more they're equipped to be leaders in their community, the more they know about God and themselves, and the more their lives are poured into to reach their God-given potential.

(A few weeks later)

Today, the first school bells ring in Duval County, and Maximus is now in 2nd grade. I'm excited to see our former and new students in our after school program starting next week, with Max included. I always wonder what Max's experience will be like, having lived his whole life in Florida, in Brentwood, growing up in the ministry. I'm convinced God will use Max's unique experience to His advantage. Looking back now at summer camp, I remember the grind, the sweat, the after-camp naps and I'm looking forward to a little respite in the school year.

Please pray as BLOCK begins this Friday, adding new students from camp, that they will feel welcomed, that they will feel as though they fit in and belong. As our programs grow, I pray the touchpoints don't get watered down. Pray that God's word would impact not just their minds but their hearts as well.

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.