November/December 2022 - Better Together

 No frosty grass, no falling white, but plenty of lights, anticipation, and joy have filled these past couple months in Jacksonville, Florida. We've experienced moments of generosity, wonders, and inexplicable joy and I'd like to share a few of them with you.

As We Gather Program - This virtual program for seniors meets a few times each week and does activities together to combat loneliness and a lack of technological knowledge. Occasionally, they will go on field trips. In November, a group of about a dozen members came to our nutritional garden and were given a demonstration on healthy eating (a chef made oatmeal with fruits and low sugar), a nurse came and talked about how to reduce risk of strokes, and a demonstration of some simple tai chi exercises helped target the physical, mental, and emotional health that sometimes gets neglected in our lives. There was much enthusiasm at how simple the recipe was, how accessible the tai chi movements were, regardless of ability or mobility, and the general beauty of God's creation in the garden. Members were given different bags of seeds to take home and start their own tiny gardens if they wanted. I've learned and experienced just how healing it can be to the hustle and bustle of life to just stop. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly. Taking in mindfulness of the moment, and pushing out the stress and worries of life and letting God carry it. He's strong enough.

Outdoor Family Movie Night - This was perhaps my favorite event of the year, but not just because of what it was, but because of how it came to be. A few months prior to this event, a class from JU (Jacksonville University) came to 2nd Mile to hear our Director talk about poverty, making a difference, showing up in communities like ours. After the talk, a student (Blake) and I got to talking. He was clearly enthused by this talk and even bought one of our 2nd Mile t-shirts. He said he worked at Texas Roadhouse and said they sometimes sponsor different kind of fundraisers or events. He gave me his card and little did I know at the time, but he got a call to provide hot chocolate and snacks (pretzels) to the movie night. Texas Roadhouse, thank you. 

One of the pastors in our neighborhood works at Zaxby's (a chicken fast food restaurant for you non-southerners) and they've been generous with 2nd Mile in the past with meals, sports equipment, etc. They offered to provide chicken meals to everyone who came out to the movie night. They also provided some much coveted sweat tea. And sidenote, just a few days ago, the pastor contacted us and said they were coming to provide presents for the kids again and their team came decked out in Christmas gear and delivered their generosity with big smiles. Zaxby's, thank you. For the movie night, another local church donated two boxes of Christmas lights for the event to give it a little more flair. The Ville Church, thank you.

We had about 45 people show up to watch Home Alone (most we've had), and they sat and enjoyed the hot chocolate, pretzels, three types of popcorn, candy canes, sweat tea, and chicken meals. Thankfully, it stayed relatively warm in the upper 50s. When the movie was over, we had some good conversations with members of the community about ways they'd like to see the neighborhood improved and fun events they'd like to be a part of in the future. Having a loving and tangible presence in the neighborhood is something that 2nd Mile has been about since the beginning in 2003 and listening to the neighborhood is a huge part of this effectively. I'd assume that having a loving tangible presence in anyone's life would include a lot of listening and serving as well.

North Pearl Baptist Street Church - I've heard it said in a sermon that sometimes true humility is hard to find because it won't be easily seen, unless you look for it. Or, once you become aware of your own humility, it sneaks into becoming pride. 4003 N Pearl St. has been the location of 2nd Mile's programs since Summer Day Camp 2010. Thank you Jamison for attended their church services that summer to convince them to trust us with their building. The church members there are on the older side, lots of wisdom, experience, and love emanate from their members. I remember when they used to come together on Wednesday nights for Bible study, and not open in a circle of prayer, but in a circle of song, singing an old school hymn in three part harmony. When the members see me, they always asked about my wife, and now my son. They cooked their famous-in-my-mind ribs and collared greens for our wedding rehearsal dinner. They've held clothing drives, community fish fries, and they sure know how to bless people with anything extra they may have. You can truly see how they put God and others first in their service and I wanted to take time right now to just acknowledge their importance, not only in my own life, but in the life of the community. They recently had their annual fish fry (after a couple years hiatus) and the neighborhood showed up. I so appreciate their trust in having us use their building throughout the week for the past 12 years and hopefully many more. They are a great representation for the word, humility. Their church truly feels like a second home to me, the place filled with memories of kids passing through, coming back. Although I don't know exactly what heaven will be like, but sometimes I imagine that these "mansions" in John 14 that are being prepared for us by God will incorporate different pieces of meaningful places from our lives, except so much more perfect and meaningful.

Anyways, I hope God blesses you this Christmas with family and friends. It's been a joy to celebrate Advent each night with my little family and anticipate God's active part in reaching out to us through his son Jesus being born on the earth. See the lights, and be reminded of the light of the world lighting up the darkness (John 1:5). See the star on top of the tree, and be reminded of the star that was followed to that manger. When you open your gifts, be reminded of the love of the giver more so than the actual gift. Cherish any memories you can make. Cement them into your hearts and minds. If you're alone these holidays, extend a hand to someone and let them know you're thinking about them. As I type this, I have some cozy jazzy cheesy Christmas piano music on, so it feels very right to say this. Merry Christmas, God bless you, and may he fill your next few weeks with joy, warm hearts, and peace.

Max enjoying a night of lights at the arboretum

Radishes are coming soon! (hopefully)

Ahmad teaching chemistry to 252 students

William and David at our movie night!

October 2022 - Plentiful Harvest

Here's the 252 crew. students ranging from Kindergarten to 6th grade, grown-ups ranging from high school to, well, my age. Each kid has so much glow emanating from them. I want to know more and more what God sees when he looks at each one of them, full of wonder, life, laughter, frustrations. I've enjoyed getting to know these kids this year. They have yet to frustrate me (which I'm sure will happen at some point). 

They are always so excited to help with anything we throw at them. Pull weeds, sweep the path, water these beds. A couple weeks ago, I wondered why vegetables weren't growing so well. A neighbor and myself discovered our irrigation system's batteries died and the plants may not have gotten daily water like we thought for perhaps longer than a month. Face palm. With seeds of cucumbers, squash, spinach, radishes, carrots, and some wild flowers, we hope to see the positive effects that a working water system has on their plants.

I'm hopeful that a partnership with the Brentwood Library will prove fruitful for both parties. I met with the branch supervisor to discuss how we could help each other. The above picture is an initiative the library has started, not even knowing there was a nutritional garden three blocks from them. Beginning a seed library while sharing books on planting will hopefully "plant the seed" for people to want to start growing themselves. We hope to utilize a little library at our garden to promote reading as well as encouraging visitors to check out more books and stories about plants and gardens at the library, and the library is willing to promote any events we have at the garden in the future.

    

I have to shout out my BLOCK students. Cordell and Lydia (left, 9th graders) and Quran (right, 8th grade) have been so faithful in attending the program. The three of them have been in 2nd Mile programs a combined 19 years throughout their lives. Their friendships have grown and I'm excited to see where their personalities and passions take them in their lives. Cordell is already starting to learn how to drive, and it seems like yesterday that I saw newborn Quran being carried around by her mom back in 2010. Crazy. This past month, we've harvested sweet potatoes and baked them, we've choreographed a dance together with absolutely zero dancing experience, and we've explored the river walk downtown for a nice getaway. I pray that these shared new experiences will help them grow in courage, in confidence, and in wisdom.

Once every month, I take a personal retreat day, or a PRD. This is a chance to reflect on the past month and how I've been doing with my life goals. Honestly, my current life goals have become slightly vague like, "Be a good husband." "Be a good dad." "Be conscience of eating and exercising." It's hard to grade myself each month when it all seems to fly by and the days tend to meld together. In October, I spent my PRD at Hanna Park very early in the morning when really nobody else was there. We usually come here to either go to the beach, play on the playground, or I play 9 holes of disc golf in the woods, but this time was different. I walked an unfamiliar path around one side of this lake, finding hidden trails that were new to me, but seemed well known to others. The water was like glass, the birds were oblivious to human presence, I even saw a gator slowly floating near the shore. These moments where I feel absolutely alone on the earth alongside nature are the most healing for my brain. The stress of everything going on outside of this park seemed to reveal the minute importance that it truly was. Each step, each breath, reminding me a my creator and my savior. Getting to interact, serve, and love people for a living is a huge blessing and privilege I realize. If you have a day to yourself in the next month, turn off your phone, go out to nature as early as you are able, be safe, and just soke it in.

We had our annual Family Fall Festival on October 21st. We had somewhere between 500 and 600 people attend. The music, the dancing, the food, the community vendors, and the neighborhood showed up for a safe and fun experience with games and candy too. Max loved it. Despite not being able to eat much candy, he loved winning candy for his mom and dad (how sweet he is). I do feel that 2nd Mile is growing in connections and partnerships with other organizations in our community. I do hope that these relationships will translate into some real felt presence and service by our neighbors in the community. Please pray that we never lose sight of our purpose to love and serve those that live here. I think there are times when people and organizations can fall into the trap of feeling well-known and important but their influence is no longer about others but about themselves. Lord, keep us humble. And lastly, thank you to those who donated for water! It was a huge blessing for all who attended!!

The last thing I will share about October is about these two knuckleheads. I've known Ferrell (bottom left) for 13 years. 13! He is now technically an adult. I've known Christian (bottom right) for almost 9 years. Whenever we have an Action Day, these two come help almost every time, and we grab lunch somewhere in the neighborhood afterwards. I've got a real love for these two, much like I feel Jesus's disciples must've had for each other when do ministry together. Ferrell has already spent much of his spare time working and saving up for his matte black dodge charger that he's wanted for years. Christian is super smart and has probably my favorite sense of humor. These two's bond is stronger the brotherhood, it's too hard to explain, and it's a blessing to witness. After we ate lunch, they wanted to come back to the church, after doing manual labor for 3 hours, and just play some basketball.

Have a great Thanksgiving in a couple weeks. Thank you for your prayers and support in this ministry that is helping to mold and shape lives. For God's glory!
 

September 2022 - Bonds, Strong Bonds

 I've never been a school teacher, but I'd imagine that getting a new group of students each year can feel simultaneously sad and exciting. Bonds you made the year before become memories, slowly fading, and a new batch of kids are there to be watered. The occasional interaction teachers have with former students, either in school or out of school, either the next year or years into the future when they're all grown, I'd imagine these are the unexpected and blessed interactions that validate a teacher's underappreciated career.

One of the best parts about 2nd Mile Ministries, is the fact that we get to watch students grow year after year in our programs. Those bonds get to continue each year that they return through our doors. However, since March of 2020, something happened in the world that disrupted this flow. It hasn't quite felt the same in ministry since. With the destruction to the Sanibel Island causeway (look it up) from Hurricane Ian last week, cars can no longer drive freely to and from the vacation spot. It felt like a destruction and disruption of a pathway that kids would go from our After School Program into our middle and then high school programs.

This school year, I've experienced glimpses of getting back to where we were pre-pandemic.

Tuesday, September 6th, about 3:30pm: I'm by myself shooting some hoops at the church when I hear shouts of, "Mr. Andrew!!!" coming from our rented van. Three of the students who had been in the program last year ran through the church to the back door to come outside and tackle me with hugs. I was happy to see them, but I was not really prepared for their excitement to see a familiar face. With faces changing so often each school year, teachers, classmates, it feels good to know that 2nd Mile can be a pillar of familiarity and equilibrium for the returning students. In contrast, "Who are you?" came from the little brother of the veteran students, probably confused as to why his big brothers came up to me so excitedly. Hopefully he will get to experience the growing bonds with us as well.

BLOCK Program - This is my fourth year leading the middle and/or high school program. The numbers have been low, partially due to losing connections during the pandemic and students moving away, but as we've been meeting in person more and more, I see friendships growing between the students. I hope to allow for shared experiences to create memories that will only strengthen these friendships. With our shiny new van, I'm hoping to go more off-site to do new things. Having only met three times so far this school year, we've left the church twice. The first time, we drove to Standard Feed, a place where gardeners and farmers come for seeds, feed, and in some cases, baby chicks, rabbits, or other birds. We picked out seeds to plant in our garden. The kids chose cauliflower (gross), cucumbers, carrots, and squash. The second time, we drove around Brentwood and did some vision casting, writing down things we saw that we liked, things we didn't like, and ideas we had for improving the neighborhood. We did the same thing for our garden. The students liked that there were lots of  restaurants, corner stores, and churches. However, they agreed there was too much trash, too many stray cats/dogs, and too many abandoned houses. Ideas were to fix up the houses and clean up the trash. My prayer for this year is that we'd get more students, that each kid that walks through the doors feels loved, challenged to lead and grow, and would ultimately enjoy coming each week.

Two:fiftytwo After School Program - The day that 252 got to go to the garden was one of my favorite days this year. We created jobs for the students to do at the garden, and they were all excited to do them, no matter how mundane or boring the tasks may have seemed to be to me. Two planted seeds, one weeded, one got vines off the fence, one trimmed the grape vines, one trimmed the sweet potato plants, two watered the beds, and one was photographer. The below pictures were all taken by Zavier, 5th grader. He took dozens of great pictures, but below are my favorites.

Another thing I love about 252 this year is Talking Circles. Once a week, Mr. Fred comes and leads a discussion on whatever the kids want to share. The purpose is to be able to open up and talk about how to deal with emotions and certain situations that come up in their school or home life.

Please pray that bonds would be created with students. Please pray for Ahmad, the 252 Director. He's doing an amazing job and the kids love him, but he is also working full time and in school so I'm sure his energy gets depleted quite regularly. Please pray for BLOCK, for the right students to come that want to learn and grow. Please pray for our Family Fall Festival coming up in a few weeks. Follow 

Checking out the animals at Standard Feed

Watering squash seedings with Willie

Enjoying the smell of rosemary

Ahmad showing Faith where to plant the cucumber seeds

 

August 2022 - Grateful for Rest

I've learned a lot about myself this past summer, and I've learned a lot just in general about life. These things I've learned may not be revolutionary to those older than me who've experienced feelings of aging, frustration, lack of control, but for me, I'm learning to adjust, to accept, and even embrace these new findings. I was on sabbatical for six weeks this summer, a luxury that I'm fully aware not every person has the privilege to experience in their work lives. Every five years, staff of 2nd Mile get to take some time off, as working in our specific kind of ministry can often be grueling, frustrating, and wear us down like a steady stream of water over a rock. I'll be honest, it was very difficult for me to not be there to help at Summer Day Camp as our young camp director flew solo for the first time with only the help of others his age. But knowing that it was important for me to check out, and let them learn from their own experiences, successes, and mistakes, it made it easier to temporarily say goodbye to work life. 

 The following are the main things I learned about myself from sabbatical (this is more for me to reflect and look back and may not be that enlightening to you): 

1. Developing new habits is difficult. I made a chart indicating things I wanted to accomplish every day, like drinking a whole thing of water, exercising, having a quiet time, memorizing scripture, intentionally feeding Max food, doing something creative for myself, etc. Over sabbatical, it became clear which things were already habits (the things I did most often) and which things seemed to be a struggle to not only do, but want to do. I watched a video that said accomplishing smaller goals helps to increase momentum in turning new things into habits. For example, if I only have 45 minutes of time to exercise, but exercising normally takes 60 minutes, it's better to do 15 minutes of exercising (one fourth of goal) than to not exercise at all.

2. When things happen that derail my plans or even my routine, I get super closed off, frustrated, isolate myself from others, and find it takes a long time to get back into a rhythm. The last two weeks of sabbatical, my family was fighting various illnesses. ER visits, prescriptions, bodily fluids, chills, coughing, fevers, groggy and sleepy selves. Not exactly how I wanted to spend my last days that could've and should've been for myself. I like feeling I'm in control, but unexpected stuff that happens often leaves me feeling super down. I know that those difficult things are only temporary and that God will get us through. However, I sometimes feel clenched, bracing for the next unexpected bad thing, refusing to make movements towards progress and momentum.

3. Reviewing my past has helped me make sense of who I am now. I'm amazed at technology that can take a ratty old black and white photo from a hundred years ago and can sharpen and colorize the images, or increase the frames per second on an old video, bringing to life the "way back in the day" and distant. Missi and I are currently watching "Lost Cities" on Disney plus where high tech radar is taken of old cites, uncovering where ancient civilizations once were. Excavations take place, revealing broken pottery, animal bones, tools, and a glimpse as to what life was like for a certain group of humans at a certain moment in time. These discoveries seem to bring to life not only what once was, but what currently is. I can see the similarities between 21st and 1st century living. Families are valued, animals, safety, creativity, longevity. Shows like this help distinguish what is really important in life and what clearly isn't. I read through some old journals of mine from college and was recently reunited with thousands of basketball cards I collected as a kid (thanks Mom and Dad). Through the journals and the cards, I see how God used those times to build into me who I am today. I think my love of numbers and statistics and categorizing my life came from sorting these cards as a ten year old. 

4. I gravitate towards the (hypothetical) idea of living a simpler life, like out on a farm or something, and having no internet or technology, emphasis on hypothetical. I think working in the garden and being around God's creation has me imagining this alternate life sometimes. When I'm alone on a disc golf course, walking out in the woods or in a great open field, silent except for crunching leaves under my feet or the occasional chirping of birds, I feel closer to God. My niece recently got married in the middle of the woods, on land that they own (I believe). I'd choose small house/big land over big house/small land any day. Lord, let me get back to a clearer mind, one that rejoices in your creation.

 Prayer request: In February 2022, we ordered a brand new van with the help of generous donations. That van was scheduled to come mid-June. June came and went and the van was rescheduled not once, not twice, but three times to arrive, "ready" for pickup. School in Jacksonville started August 15th. The twofifty:two After School Program starts September 6th. The van is not here yet. Why not just keep using your old van until the new one comes? Well, as of the last two weeks of summer day camp, the van no longer turns on. I was in the van one time where the whole thing turned off...while we were driving! Please pray that our new van comes in time for the after school program's start date. Our backup plan is to rent a van until the new one comes. If it comes to our backup plan, would you be willing to give generously towards renting a van? We won't know for how long we'd be renting, but this is an unexpected expense for us. We have faith that God will provide, and we pray that you will be used by Him to give.

Back to work!

May 2022 - Slushies, Funnel Cakes, and Water Balloons

Well, the blog title pretty much sums up the highlights for the past month and a half. As the school year reached its end, we closed out the first "normal" school year in a long time, and even then we still battled with consistent attendance due to some illnesses. In some ways, this year felt a little like started over with the elementary school kids. Almost everyone was new to 2nd Mile, the 252 director(s) were new to 2nd Mile, and another year is already in the books.

The last few days of school, we had a massive water balloon war and enjoyed apple pie and a movie. To celebrate the end of the year, the students from 252 and BLOCK had independent field trips to Adventure Landing Water Park and I had the unique privilege to chaperone two days in a row. There's something about being able to instantly quench the Florida summer heat waves with water waves, water slides, and a lazy river. To have the feeling of weightlessness while being rocked back and forth, up and down by the cool water is just such a great way to forget your worries, responsibilities, and relax.

With the after school program director getting covid last minute, I took five boys and one girl alone with two other volunteers. Some of the kids had never been to a water park before. It's always fun, especially now as a dad, to see kids experience new firsts and have a great experience. Pizza, slushies, hamburgers, and fries were the popular items for lunch. Most of the kids spent most of their water park time in the lazy river, not really understanding the lazy part of the name, and would go around as fast as they could. The wave pool was enjoyed by the boys as well, all a little too inexperienced to swim on their own, all wore life vests and pushed off into the somewhat deep waters.

The day after, we had five middle schoolers going to the exact same place. The differences in ages and personalities really showed between the two days. One student showed up without swim clothes because they didn't want to get wet. This required a little more creativity to make sure everyone had a good time. Fortunately, Adventure Landing also has go-kart, an arcade, mini golf, and laser tag. The kids went more for slushies and funnel cakes for lunch items (I know, healthy right?). I enjoyed racing these kids with go-kart, who, in just a few years, will have their own licenses and be out on the roads with me in real life. I'd say 30% of our time that day was spent in the water, while the rest of the time was kept dry. I pray that the field trip would be a memorable one for our students, especially the ones moving on to high school in the fall.

As Summer Day Camp 2022 (year 14) started today, I'm reminded of my first experience at SDC 2010 (year 2). Most of us were college age, putting on a camp, not really knowing what we were doing, but came out of it transformed, having grown in the love, instruction, and will of the Lord. This year, most of the helpers are college or high school aged, while I get to see a new generation learn and grow in the Lord, in service, in leadership, in influence, impact, change for the better. Please pray for those young adults to serve faithfully. Please pray for the kids that come to feel loved, accepted, and have a great time!

Lastly, please pray for me. Starting next week, I'll be taking most of the summer weeks off to refresh and recharge for this rewarding yet exhausting work I've had the privilege to be a part of the last 10 years of my life. I will be back at 2nd Mile August 1st, but until then, pray for my parenting, my marriage, my spiritual walk with God, that they would get more attention and passion than they have normally been getting. Feel free to send me a text, call, or email to see how I'm doing. I will have plenty of time to talk.   :)

Until August, have a blessed summer!

April 2022 - Undoing the Secret Garden

 The months all tend to blend together. Things from last week feel like months ago, and things from months ago feel like yesterday. The end of the school year is fast approaching, and the excitement of the summer months is barreling forward.

BLOCK Middle School Program - All are uniquely made and loved by God. Our middle schoolers are still learning and growing in who they are and their understanding of themselves. We took some personality tests in order to affirm each person's special attributes and not belittle them. I used to think that in order to be useful, I needed to fit a certain mold, a certain personality type of which I often felt that I fell short. It was encouraging to see them start to see their worth and possible place in the world. In the middle of April, we attended The Stomp Experience, and performance of different step groups from various fraternities, sororities, and alumni from different colleges. The atmosphere was super upbeat and the energy was wild. Even students in the audience would get up in the aisles and do a step routine to the dj's music. For more video, you can check out our instagram page @block_brentwood. Probably the most impactful part of BLOCK this month was a viewing of The Passion of the Christ. It was the first time the students have seen anything like it and the mood was heavy after the movie. There was frustration at seeing the unfair treatment of Jesus, anger, disgust. We then discussed if this changed what they thought about Jesus. A couple students said their love for Christ grew, knowing that he went through all that for us. Admittedly hard to watch, The Passion will no doubt be something they can look back on remembering the brutality and intense love of God.

Finally, one of my favorite art projects in a long time, we did some paint pouring. It's difficult to make this project look bad at all. It's pretty simple and the results are awesome. We've even done this with our elementary school students and they also turned out well.

With one month left of BLOCK, my prayer request is that they'd leave the school year knowing that they were cared for, loved, and that their hearts are desired by God. We had a small group of committed students this year and we hope and pray that the number grows next year.

Action Day(s) - With all the preparation from previous months for making improvements to the garden, those plans materialized into actual materials and action. We received two grants allowing us to buy lumber, a grill, a little library, cement pavers, paver base, garden signs, shears, and lots more. We were lucky to have multiple action days the past few weeks in order to try and get these tasks done. We received help from volunteers from the Mayo Clinic, current and former students, and The Ville Church. The hours we got in volunteer work also help contribute to the number of dollars that these grants award us. There's something special about having a vision, then making it happen. It's like painting on a canvas. You can have an idea, but until you get the paint, the canvas, and the brushes needed, it just stays an idea. Taking one step closer to your goal, no matter how small, helps steer momentum towards completing it.

2022 Vision Dinner - When there's no pandemic, 2nd Mile usually holds an annual Vision Dinner and a rummage sale to help raise funds for our Summer Day Camp and other supplies. Our last Vision Dinner was back in 2018 for our 15th Anniversary of our ministry. We planned a dinner for 2020, but as you might already suspect, it got nixed. On May 21st, we will have our vision dinner. Tables are being filled, plans for the evening are coming together. We trust that God will provide the rest for us and I ask for one of two things from you, if possible or desired. One, if you'd like to make a one-time donation to 2nd Mile in order to help out our Summer Day Camp, the cost to have each camper there for a summer (total cost divided by number of students) is usually a little over $100. If willing, you can make a donation to 2nd Mile donation to help with camp. Two, we believe in a God who responds to our prayers so would you, could you pray, even right now as you are reading this, that God would display his abundant provision at our Vision Dinner.

Thank you for reading this blog. It's consistency helps me reflect on God's goodness even when I sometimes forget the good with the bad.

March 2022 - Created creators

" 'Then God created man in his own image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all creation, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  Genesis 1:26-27

Even in the room I'm sitting now I see the life of man-made things. The wooden table I sit at now was once sent to a furniture store, built in some factory, cut down from a tree that grew in some forest, first created by our Creator. The curtains above our windows were once sent to a store, woven and dyed in some factory, used from some thread from somewhere in nature, first created by our Creator. Our printer, our microwave, the TV, couch, floors, roof, all made, constructed, manufactured, built and bought by man. Thinking about mankind as miniature versions the ultimate builder has been a beautiful thought. Why do we make unless it was in us to make? If we have been made in his image, and he created all things, we too have it in us to create.

I've enjoyed my March at 2nd Mile. Normally we have mission teams from colleges come for their Spring break, which I really do enjoy, but this year we had the year off from college visitors. With no after school program, I took that time to indulge in an alternate life as what I'd imagine an architect or a landscape designer does. We've received a couple grants this year specifically for improving our garden. A couple improvements we are looking to make our updating our old and rotting raised garden beds, creating a walking path with cement pavers, and as well as adding a few unique touches (a grill, a little library, a water fountain). Where these would be placed was up to me and I got to play around with locations best fit for these additions to the garden. It makes me wonder what the Garden of Eden would have looked like at the very beginning. It was probably perfectly planned out, everything in bloom/fruit, no rotting, no death, enough food for all creatures, enough shade when it was hot, enough open space for the sun to shine down. Needless to say, in the upcoming months, we hope to improve not only the functionality of the garden, but also its aesthetics.

Back in early February when the BLOCK Middle School program was painting our picnic table completely white (to be later spray painted), Devaric, an 8th grader, was painting some of the basketball court lines and his mind was working. "We should paint more of the basketball court." Why hadn't I thought of that before? With permission from the church's pastor and a lot of paint, we made plans to execute this vision from this middle school aged young man. Originally, we were going to just paint the lanes one solid color. Not if Devaric could help it. It was great to give him and the others creative freedom (within the boundaries of the "paint", the area under the free throw line). He sprinkled every color of paint we had onto the unusual canvas, like he was a chef adding a little salt and a little pepper to his masterpiece. It's fun to think of how God knitted us in our mother's womb, perhaps with a dash of joy, a pinch of compassion, a sprinkle of wonder. That will be an unbelievable conversation one day. (More pictures are on instagram at block_brentwood.)

Be on the lookout in the future for how we will use our creativity on an even bigger canvas, hopefully in the next couple months. 

Prayer requests (because God responds to us):

-That the relationships being made and built continue to grow towards a love for God and others.

-That all the programs, and fun, and activities would not distract from the importance of knowing God, ourselves, and others.

Praise report:

-We ordered a van!! A huge thank you to anyone who donated over the new year to help us upgrade. Our old 2010 Chevy Express has had many issues in the past few years and a generous donor picked up a big chunk of our remaining costs. Hopefully by June, we will be finally enjoying some working AC in the hot and humid Florida summer.

It will look something like this

February 2022 - Building Bricks

Well, February came and went didn't it? Already March, Jacksonville weather already wanting to act like it's summer, and this school year will be over before you know it. Despite the seemingly speedy month, it was packed with lots of memories. Max turned 5 (we went to Disney), Missi finally got surgery (she is currently recovering according to plan), and students have been getting creative with music and art at 2nd Mile. BLOCK's February verse of the month was Matthew 22:37 which says, "And Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" We learned that we can praise God and show love many different ways, the obvious ways being praying, going to church, and reading the Bible, but also in everything that we do. We can praise God for all the colors, for all the plants and animals and all His creations.

Two:fiftytwo - Out of our closet at home, I brought our dusty unused keyboard to the church. The plugs didn't work, but luckily there was a battery option. After cleaning and installing a bunch of AA batteries, the lights came on, and out came sound. With nearly 200 instrument, rhythm and song options, kids have been requesting to play the keyboard during their free time. Seeing them work out different rhythms and made-up songs reminded me of times I would do that growing up. I often forget how sponge-like these kids' brains are for knowledge and new experiences.

BLOCK - One of my favorite things I've learned to use in the last decade is spray paint. You can get a much brighter, cleaner, and expressive product in a much quicker time frame. I saw street artists knock out quick futuristic outer space paintings effortlessly in 5-10 minutes and my curiosity was peeked. What I love about my job is that there are so many opportunities to not only lean into the things that I love, but I can also pass down those passions to others. Last month, we painted on canvases using tape and acrylics. This month, we painted one of our two picnic tables outside completely white, then followed it up by taping and spray painting it with many vibrant colors. I think the kids may have enjoyed it too much. There were so many layers of spray paint by the end of the evening, but it turned out pretty well. Stay tuned for next month to see how this taping and painting style progresses, as one of our 8th graders got to fulfill a vision he had for our basketball court.

Check out block_brentwood on instagram for more pictures of the completed table.

Open Court - This night is steadily becoming one of my favorite each month, the night that the courtyard lights turn on, and we play. A majority of the people that come are former students at 2nd Mile or people I've seen walking past the church that ask relentlessly about getting to come play. This past month, there were even some unexpected people who showed up to hang out. Braylon, a former after school program student who has moved in recent years, and Challah, a high school senior who also happened to be our flower girl way back in 2014. I'm reminded of the 75th Anniversary of the NBA (of course) and how at the halftime show of the All Star game, the team of the 75 best players in history gathered in one place. Interviews of some of the players afterwards depicted this momentous occasion as "heaven-like" and a culmination of all they have loved and worked towards in their careers. I'm not saying that seeing a few students from the past is exactly like this, but each time I see someone unexpectedly come back through those church doors after many years, there is an incomprehensible joy and sense of purpose in what we are doing in Brentwood. I took many videos of Open Court, but not many pictures, and I am not skilled enough to figure out how to put them on this blog. The only picture I managed to capture was our basketball net obliterated by all the shots made in our pickup games and knockout tournaments. I gotta get a new net. 

Max update - For those who've been along for the ride the past 5 years, I'm happy to share that Max is beginning to willingly try a variety of foods and is eating more quickly and in more abundance. The next step will be counting calories and making sure his weight stays in a good place. Hopefully we can begin to reduce tube feedings before the next school year. Keep him and us in your prayers.

Anticipation of his 1st Disney trip

January 2022 - Picture Stories

Divide a piece of paper into four quadrants. Find an object to draw. Top left corner, you have 10 seconds to draw it. Top right corner, draw the same object for 1 minute. Observe three details you were unable to draw in the previous pictures. Bottom left, you have three minutes to draw the same object. Observe three more details you were unable to draw in the previous picture. Finally, bottom right, you have 10 minutes to draw that same object. A 7th grader, Daiyona, drew this picture of one of our ping pong paddles and I think you'll agree, this activity does a great job demonstrating that the more time you take doing something, the better the result. Last week during the NBA All Star game draft, LeBron James was asked what charity he was playing for. He said, "I am very proud to announce that I'm playing for the Kent State I Promise Scholars Program. These are my kids that are now at Kent State that started the I Promise program in 3rd grade and now they're in college. They've been awarded full time scholarships, their room and board is taken care of, and these are kids that come from the same walks of life that I came from in Akron, Ohio. For them to have an opportunity to graduate college, to be on a college campus, for them to have an opportunity to have dreams that they didn't even believe or their families believe, this is something that I've envisioned for a long time and for it to become a reality. Now that I'm up here playing for my kids that've been a part of my program for so long, it makes me extremely happy." Seeing a vision that will take a long time and then executing it, man! What a feeling that must be for him.

These simple canvases are part of a larger vision. As the middle school students learn this specific style of painting with tape on these small 8 by 10s, they are being set up to use this experience to transfer this style of painting to spray painting onto one of our picnic table outside, which will eventually, hopefully lead to painting an entire fence at our Nutritional Garden. We taped the canvases first, with straight lines, curved lines, thick, skinny. What I love about this project is that even students who declare to themselves that they stink at art, the results turn out pretty well. We only had about 30-45 minutes to work on these, but they turned out great! I can't wait to see some of the middle school students begin to realize that they can make a difference, even a visual difference in their community. Students have a greater capability of igniting change than we may realize or give credit for. I want to shout out what the Evac Movement has been doing lately. They are in Jacksonville, made up of young black men living for change. Please take a few minutes and watch how they made national news by getting creative with NFTs, Evac Movement NFTs.

Back in 2016, 2nd Mile would meet once a month for Walk it Out at a local track, encouraging others to get out and live physical and  healthy lives. This transitioned in 2017 to Open Court which would meet at Brentwood Park to catch more families and kids in the community. Come 2018, this transitioned to Open Court at North Pearl St. Baptist Church (where 2nd Mile is located). We open up the space once a week in the summer time to anyone who wants to play basketball outside or games inside. There's music, food, and the atmosphere of competition. During the school year, we aspire to have Open Court once a month, depending on the weather and scheduling. January's Open Court had a small attendance, due to the fact that it was in the low 40's and was raining pretty hard. Regardless, we held a Connect 4 tournament inside. I'm pretty good at strategy games, but it was a tall task to get past Ernest (left) and 8th grader Devaric (Daiyona's sister). I can see maybe three steps ahead, but they can see like five or six. This pic is the championship game, of which Ernest made quick work. Ernest has been around 2nd Mile since the beginning (2003) as a teenager. With a steady full-time job, we shouldn't see Ernest around as much as we do, but he always makes a point to stop by and make sure the staff and students are seen (and maybe to take down the occasional kid in a game). Don't ever change Ernest. You are loved bro. I had the privilege (and some luck) of seeing the Packers play the Saints for game 1 of this NFL season with Ernest.

Our garden has a very special place in my heart; however, it is not always in the condition that the eyes of my heart can see. I close my eyes and I see garden beds overflowing with ripe fruits and vegetables, leafy greens that you could pluck off and make a salad right then and there, places to sit, relax, and meditate. I can see many colors of food so diverse that you can't help but be drawn into it from the outside. When I open my eyes, especially in the wintertime, I see many empty beds, lots of leaves scattered, fallen from the neighboring trees, collected over months. A few weeks ago, I was invited by Ms. Brenda, a participant in our As We Gather program for the older people in our community, to come visit a community garden being run in Springfield, a neighboring neighborhood to Brentwood. Created in the back alleys to some nice houses, I couldn't believe what I saw. In January, I saw so many plants growing. Every plant was either good or great, no runts, no rotting, no disease. My eyes weren't shut, they were open. It had seating, it had shade, it had strung lights, it had life! It also had a couple people devoted to caring for the garden as their full-time job, but still. It reminded me of college when our viola professor would occasionally bring in a famous violist to our class to play in front of us. I was equally in awe and embarrassed. I was in awe that a viola could sound so good and slightly discouraged at the difference in our skill levels. I loved the viola after all and it brought me a lot of joy the way I knew to play. This well-maintained garden was equally as inspiring as it was daunting. I didn't know a garden could be so "fruitful" and I wonder if 2nd Mile has the ability to be just as devoted and rigorous with our garden. Thankfully, we've received a couple grants recently that are 100% for using in our garden. Hopefully I will have updates in the future for how our garden will slowly transform into something not just in our minds and our hearts, but in reality.

Me + game with dodgeballs = happy me

Music demonstration at 252

 

Life grows in the winter (December 2021)

You're 8 years old. You're given a $100 bill and told you get to spend it on anything you want in Walmart. What do you get?

We had the privilege of getting invited by a Cops and Kids initiative where a cop walks around the store with a kid or two and helps them picks out presents for themselves. $100 (including tax) was their budget. We arrived in the Walmart parking lot, the kids got their names checked in, they were given a juice box and a snack, and waited in line as patiently as they could to be escorted by a cop to pick out gifts. In my group, I went with an officer and three of our After School Program students. Jon, a 5th grader whose football team made it to the championship tournament in all of Florida, went straight for the football gear (an arm sleeve, mouth guard) and some nice new headphones. Philipp went for some nerf toys. Victor, a 3rd grade boy, had a difficult time thinking of what he wanted. Jon and Philipp had almost already maxed out their $100 before Victor got picked anything.

Me: What kinds of things do you like?

Victor: I want to get a gift for my mom?

Me: That's nice of you. What do you think she might like?

Victor: A pancake maker.............and a candle.

Philipp: Oooh, I'm gonna get a candle for my mom too!

I see this a lot in this neighborhood. When given an abundant supply of fill-in-the-blank, generosity is almost second nature. It was very touching to witness, and he did find that pancake maker and a lavender-scented candle. Naomi, our 5th grader, took the longest time because she used that $100 to do her Christmas shopping for her mom, dad, sister, and two brothers.

This is the first time we've taken a field trip to a store to have the kids pick out toys. It was encouraging to me to see a few of the kids in the beginning of the shopping a little tense being walked around by a stranger, let alone a cop. Philipp's first words when we started were, "I don't really like cops, they're scary." I've gained a lot of empathy for this response over the years and hope and pray the kids are given the right wisdom and instruction on how to behave around cops while being black. I pray they understand their rights, they understand the fear that cops may have just because of the way they look and also the power that few may use to keep them down. I grew up seeing cops as all nice people that will hand you baseball cards if asked. I understand that my experience is very different than others here, and I definitely have no right to tell them that their experiences, history, or defense mechanism is wrong, or less than.

Another cool partnership we've had over the years has been with Zaxby's (a chicken restaurant for the non-southern readers). They've given us laptops in the past and this year they hooked us up with basketballs and kickballs (pictured below).

We had another Action Day in December and it was unusually warm (yes, I know Florida is normally warmer in the wintertime than other places, but this year it's warmer than normal). If you have any experience with gardening and enjoy it a lot, you get to plant things all year round. The types of things you plant will vary, but there are things that can grow in Florida in the wintertime including onions, kale, collard greens, and many types of herbs. We had about 20-25 people come out to help weed, plant, and clean. We are hoping to do more neighborhood events in the future to encourage the neighbors to use, enjoy, plant, meditate and know that they own this garden, they can come enjoy it as their greenspace. Studies show that well kept green spaces have a positive effect on mental health and have a ripple effect of less crime near these places. Pray we receive this grant we applied for that will allow us to build new garden beds (ours are rotting after many years of use) and make it look even more appealing to passersby.

For those wondering, our big ask for $30,000 to help towards purchasing a new van is at around $26,000. Thank you for those who have donated! God is faithful!