There aren't too many signs in Jacksonville of seasonal changes, no spring flowers, no leaves changing colors, no fluffy white snow or bitingly chilly air. From about April through October, it seems to be either hot or very hot. There seems to be a bit more precipitation these months, especially with potential hurricanes and tropical storms. With Dorian working its way towards Florida...or Georgia, South Carolina, or North Carolina, the students of 2nd Mile have most of this week off of school...just in case. One part of the year that does yield a feeling of seasonal change is the beginning of a new school year. Some kids get bumped up to the next program in our Leadership Development Pathway, depending on if they go on to middle or high school. It is my privilege as a ministry worker to witness this growth and see relationships and trust build over the years. Let year nine begin!
Connect Middle School Program- The school year in Duval County began August 12th. I have a big prayer request. There are many middle school students that we've had in our programs over the years, but for various reasons, only about four to six have been available to attend Connect so far this school year. Pray for the knowledge of this program to reach many ears, that God would put a willingness, a need, and a desire in middle school students' lives to come to a place where they can have fun, grow, and learn what it means to live for Christ. So far, we've had Bible studies on Thursdays about the definition of the gospel, how and why to memorize Scripture, and we will dive into new subject lessons each month voted on by our students. On Monday nights, we hope to have a game night once a month, in order to chill out, invite new students, and just grow together as a unit. We have also started a Read to Lead program on the computer. Each student gets the opportunity to be the boss of a non-profit organization and they learn how to solve problems. They each get staff members that have different tasks and they learn how to lead and work together as a team. This last lesson had them figure out how to search for a missing child from a shelter after a hurricane struck his neighborhood. (This hurricane scenario was strangely relevant to what's been going on in the Bahamas). Please pray for more numbers at Connect. Those that have been coming have a special place in my heart. We have an 8th grade girl destined to do great things. Natural-born leader comes to mind. One of our 7th grade girls has had her grandmother and her grandmother's sister pass away in the past couple weeks. She has been having a rough time and might be questioning the goodness of God. There are a couple of 6th grade boys, new to this program, that have a ton of energy, can barely sit still, have huge hearts, but can get on other kids' nerves. There being a small number of kids has been great for having more conversations per student, however, we'd love to impact more students. I guess you could pray for discernment as well as this might be what God wants for the time being.
two:fiftytwo After School Program- We've been through two weeks of the elementary school program and so far, it's been a fun time. There are six new students, a family of three brothers and another family of three sisters. Each family has been great to get to know, seeing how they interact with each other reminds me so much of my siblings. The bond was strong, whether it was having fun or having arguments. Thankfully, there are a lot of 5th graders this year, seven to be exact. I'm excited to hopefully get to work with all of them once they get into middle school. Many of the students are behind in reading. They don't have the basics for sounding out, it's all word memorization at this point. They don't have the tools to accomplish all that the school district demands of them on standardized tests. Pray for a willingness to focus and learn how to read better. It breaks my heart to think that one day they won't be able to comprehend the Bible, much less, read it. If you know of any programs that have proved to help increase literacy, we are all ears. One of our students got tested last year to see what exactly he needed help with. The results were very helpful and specific, but the couple month long program costs like ten grand, not possible for families in Brentwood. When I went in to this amazing facility out in a nice neighborhood with personal tutors and computer programs designed to help students who were behind, I did not see one student that looked like our student. "The harvest is plenty....." as they say.
Personal Update- Max is eating and drinking now! Well, kind of. Successes from the last month include:
-Drinking water (from us dropping it in his mouth with a straw to him holding a sippy cup and sucking on his own)
-Putting all sorts of different foods in his mouth (from brats, to cheese, to bananas, to sausage, to apples, to popsicles, etc.)
-Spitting out his food without struggle (he used to just hold it in his mouth not swallowing it and not letting us take it out)
So, progress I guess. He's not swallowing any food yet, just kind of tasting and spitting. Please pray that tasting leads to swallowing food soon.
On vacation at the end of July, I got to play a couple rounds of disc golf with family...and my body did not shut down on me. Granted, I may have taken lots of ibuprofen, but I didn't lose sleep as I've grown accustomed to over the past couple years. I'm learning my aging body better, doing yoga more than I care to admit, and trying to make healthier decisions. Thank you for your prayers!
 |
| We had the most beautiful purple sky last week that included a huge rainbow (or "Wambow" according to Max) |
No comments:
Post a Comment