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.
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
November/December 2022 - Better Together
Friday, November 11, 2022
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).
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!
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
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
Enjoying the smell of rosemary |
Ahmad showing Faith where to plant the cucumber seeds |
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
August 2022 - Grateful for Rest
Back to work! |
Monday, June 13, 2022
May 2022 - Slushies, Funnel Cakes, and Water Balloons
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!
Monday, May 9, 2022
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.
Thursday, March 31, 2022
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.It will look something like this |
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
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 |
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
January 2022 - Picture Stories
Me + game with dodgeballs = happy me |