I sat in my car at 8:30am, parked right across the street from the downtown Jacksonville library, waiting for the doors to open at 9. I lucked out with this parking spot and also received a perfect vantage point of the entrance of this huge historical building. There were two homeless people sitting right at the entrance. Clothes tattered, sitting with their bags. In the other direction, the square. A nice green space where many others were gathered. I assumed they were homeless as well, given the time of day and sitting on either grass or concrete. 9 o'clock neared and the time's magnetic force slowly drew many from the square towards the entrance. A good thirty to forty people got in line and it was my turn to emerge from my car.
I was reminded of my time in downtown Milwaukee in 2009 taking part in a poverty simulation. Kicked out of our living quarters at 6:30am during some of the hottest days that summer, we immediately searched for shade, and after a couple hours, we walked ourselves to the downtown Milwaukee library. Why? AC. Bathrooms. Water fountains. A soft place to sit. Although I wasn't in need of a computer, I saw that the free access to the internet was another welcoming amenity for those without a home.
As I walked to the fourth floor to an empty cushioned seat to write out this blog, a subtle stench of mildew, body odor, and grime met my nose as I walked past many who already began their computer searches, social media posts, and video games. A smell that would've preceded prejudice and disgust now triggers compassion and understanding in me, wondering what brought their lives to this exact moment, this exact location in the world. Every person in that building has as story, perhaps one of drama, trauma, maybe few friends, maybe no mama. Working the job that I do, I wonder what each person was like as a child. What struggles were they oblivious to, which ones did they put a mask over growing up? What if that child walked through our doors at 2nd Mile? How do I nudge their trajectory just one fraction of a degree towards Christ, towards their best future self?
I'm aware that I haven't written a blog in a while, and rather than being tempted to feel guilty or lazy, I recognize that it's a result of having too many things to share, not too few. A book can't be written with all the things God is doing, because he's at work all the time. I will attempt to share the highlights.
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| BLOCK student finding her voice |
This past summer, we had 11 interns train to lead our Trailblazers Summer Camp. They would plan lessons and lead stations, and they would be group shepherds on days they weren't leading a station. These high school and college aged students were all recommended by teachers and staff, all went through an application and interview process, and did two weeks of training leading up to the first day of camp. This is the best I've felt going into a summer camp for many many years. It reminded me of my summer internship back in 2010. Ten of us from all over the country, even one from Jamaica led the first ever summer camp at its current location.
I could talk about each intern, their personalities, their skills, their weaknesses and how they grew throughout the summer in great detail. One of our BLOCK students, now a 12th grader, who joined 2nd Mile ten years ago, led the drama station, teaching students how to act with different emotions and characters. From a quiet 2nd grader to a more outspoken senior in high school, she has not only grown in leadership, but has grown in recognizing her own growth, and that's a positively dangerous thing. She has big things ahead of her. Another intern, a recent high school graduate, actually was just recently hired part time as our After School Program assistant. We had three middle school students, all former campers, take on a junior internship, helping with many behind-the-scenes things at camp like filling up water bottles, sweeping, emptying trash bins. Each student is on a journey, and I'm very grateful to be part of the vessel, the greenhouse that assists in facilitating this growth.
As the school year has already been in full swing here in Florida for almost three weeks, please pray for our two:fiftytwo After School Program, where 20 students (13 brand new) will begin their hopefully long 2nd Mile journey towards adulthood. Please pray for the BLOCK Middle and High School Program, where over 15 students (5 new) will learn more about who they are, who God is, and who God made them to be. I'm excited to see the growth. I'm excited to point them towards positive futures where they thrive and help others thrive as well. |
| Max enjoyed our camp field trip to the Jacksonville Zoo |
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| Camp in the garden! |
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| BLOCK went to the Art Walk and took advantage of some free tie-dye |
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