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| At my wedding as a middle schooler |
Student focus- This is Diallo. I've known him for a while. Met him when he was in 4th grade in our 252 After School Program. He was an usher at my wedding when he was in middle school. He is now a junior in high school. It's crazy to me just how much he has grown. There are many stories like his in this neighborhood. Kids who have been in 2nd Mile for years and have stuck around Brentwood for a long time. Many of our students move away and there is a very transient nature in the neighborhood. I don't get to see Diallo quite as often as I used to, but it was encouraging to see him out on his porch and willing to come help out at our recent Action Day. He has a busy high school schedule and can't be around as often as he'd like. Pray for opportunities to invest in his life spiritually and relationally these next two years he has in high school.
Growing Leaders- Every Friday, our after school program takes a break from working on homework and does some sort of Fun Friday activity. This past Friday was the first time ever in 2nd Mile's history where a Fun Friday activity was partly planned and led by a previous two:fiftytwo After School Program student! Challah (now in 9th grade) taught our kids how to make slime, which is always a crowd favorite. She has been volunteering at the program either once or twice a week. She helps tutor and teach kids about how to be great students. Na'veh (standing next to Challah), who used to come to our Connect Middle School Program, also assisted Challah in leading the Fun Friday activity. Both of these girls have been regularly attending our LEAD High School Program on Tuesday nights. Pray the God uses these girls in many more ways to bring the love and presence of Christ to those around them.
Open Court- This past Friday was also 2nd Mile's first time doing Open Court. At North Pearl Baptist Church, one Friday per month, we open up our gates and let anyone who wants to run 5-on-5 basketball to do so. We sold chips, pickles, gatorades, soda and also had cards and games going on inside. I haven't played full court basketball for a few years. It was exhausting but lots of fun. It was especially fun seeing shots being made as literal lightning fill the distant sky. Hopefully these nights catch on and more people get introduced to 2nd Mile, the church, and others in our programs.
Voices of Health- If you are on facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, or have an email, YOU CAN HELP US WIN $20,000!!! Every day, from October 1st through November 9th, you can vote for 2nd Mile Ministries. The organization that gets the most votes wins. We've focused on Health Education heavily the past five years, giving kids healthy snacks every day, teaching about exercising, food labels, and eating healthily. If you have been keeping up with the blog, I'd love for you to help us out. If you have an email, facebook, twitter, and/or LinkedIn account, you can vote up to 4 times (once on each platform) per day. You can vote here to get started!
Could you commit to voting daily?
