Today is the first of May, 2013. It's less than two months before 2nd Mile Ministries begins its 5th Annual Summer Day Camp! I'm super pumped to be in Jacksonville this summer. The first summer that I lived in Jacksonville (2010), the camp was the main event. Everybody was hype (energized) and so many kids got to hear the gospel message. I haven't been in Jacksonville for a summer since that year and I'm excited to experience similar excitement as well as developments and changes made to the camp the past few years.
When the school year is over on June 7th, 2nd Mile has two weeks to plan different camp stations which include dance, arts and crafts, Bible lessons, music, sports, and challenge circle. Our camp director has been busy planning already and compiling lists of things needed for camp to run well.
Take a quick look at some things we need for camp.
http://www.2ndmile-jax.com/camp-summer-2013/
If you want to send any of those items, you can send them to 325 W. 22nd St., Jacksonville, FL 32206. Or if you'd rather donate online, you can donate at 2ndmile-jax.com and specify what you'd like your donation to be used for.
If you have worked at kid's camps before and have ideas for a fun Friday activity for between 50-60 kids, please let me know. You can email me at lilvollmer@gmail.com. Feel free to comment with ideas on this blog.
Prayer requests (which I realize I don't often offer)
-That our after school program leaders would continue to run all the way through the finish line of the school year without slowing up on discipline and educational-focused activities.
-That we'd make the most of whatever God provides for us this summer for camp.
-That the summer interns come energized and willing to serve and love the community.
-That Christ would be glorified and that'd it be clear that it is because of Him that any hearts would be changed for Him.
For your meditation and listening time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jjpK7Kn2IM
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Suffering Anyone?
It seems human nature to adapt to surroundings and people and search for the easiest way to be comfortable. My head hurts. Let me take something to get rid of this pain. Homeless people keep asking me for money. I'm going to walk on the opposite side of the street and pretend I don't see them. I had a long day of work and don't want to cook dinner. I'll get some fast food. There are many more examples of this in our daily lives. I just gave a few from my own life. (Well, maybe not the headache one. Not a big fan of taking pills.)
Being more comfortable is all around us. If conflicts with people arise, they can be unfriended with the click of a button, or avoided with silence. Adjust the seat. Add some sugar. Turn on the AC. Turn down the volume. Bigger car. Newer clothes. One more chocolate. Drop an unwanted call. The game is on. My show is on. That one show is on. How can I feel better? What annoyance in my life must I get rid of? Whatever the situation may be, our own comfort probably comes high on our priority list. Selfishness is something I battle all the time. I often ask myself, How can I be comfortable in this situation?
Us on staff have been taking classes where we've been learning a lot about the "ignored scripture" in "white churches" across the country. Forgive me if it seems I'm over generalizing this, but living in an urban neighborhood has opened my eyes to the culture in which I grew up. Last Tuesday, we talked about comfort versus suffering and what the Bible has to say about them. Turns out, God doesn't want you to climb the corporate ladder, make more money, seek comfort. This might sound like I'm saying God doesn't want good things for us. That's true. God says in Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Awesome! This doesn't mean He'll give you what you want, but that when you delight in God, He'll give you desires that are from Him. The importance of your desires will melt away in comparison with God's plans for you.
After learning in class that our involuntary actions towards comfort might, in fact, not be what God wants for us, I watched a Francis Chan sermon titled "Comfort and Suffering." If you'd rather watch the sermon instead of read the rest of this blog post, I won't be offended. Here's the link. He explains it much more eloquently than I ever could. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igtHC5wbfFE (Part 1 of 5)
At the beginning of the sermon, Chan makes it clear that he has no problem if the following week he has nobody in the congregation because of the seriousness and truth of what he was about the preach. He assured the church that this was not one of "Francis's radical sermons" but rather a message from God that he felt many in the church are missing or ignoring. What I love about it is that he shows one passage of scripture from each book of the New Testament that has something to do with suffering and how it is good.
Take a deep breath. I would encourage you to even pray before reading these. Perhaps everything you feel you know about what it means to be a Christian will be challenged. You probably have a strong understanding of how to become a Christian, but what then?
Not exactly the sing-me-to-sleep Jesus I grew up learning about.
Mark 8:34-36 "Then [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?' "
Is my life a living sacrifice for the sake of the gospel?
Luke 6:22-23 "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets."
People may hate, exclude, insult, and reject me and you may relate.....but is it because of my faith in Jesus?
John 15:18-20 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."
Have I been persecuted? I usually tend to avoid any opportunity for people to persecute me. I often focus on how I can get people to like me.
Acts 5:40-41 "His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name."
Again, rejoicing because they share in Christ's sufferings.
Romans 8:16-18 "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
A very powerful if-then statement. We are his children, heirs, if indeed we share in his sufferings.
1 Corinthians 15:19, 30-32 "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men....And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day -- I mean that, brothers -- just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.' "
Choosing to endanger themselves. Not my desire as of now.
2 Corinthians 1:5-7 "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
Galatians 6:12 "Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ."
Jews justifying their fear of suffering.
Ephesians 6:11-12 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
This is a war! If life is easy, maybe the devil doesn't even have to worry about you being ineffective for the sake of Christ, because it's possible you already are.
Philippians 1:29 "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him"
Granted to you, as if a gift. It is a privilege to suffer for him.
Colossians 1:24 "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."
1 Thessalonians 3:4 "In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know."
Paul, Silas, and Timothy knew ahead of time that they'd be persecuted. Sometimes I know the conflict that will happen so I avoid stepping out in faith.
2 Thessalonians 1:5 "All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering."
1 Timothy 1:18 "Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight"
As Paul too fought the good fight without losing faith, Timothy is encouraged to keep the faith through whatever he might face.
This next one gets me thinking.
2 Timothy 1:8, 2:3, 4:5 "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.....Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.....But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
Reputation in the world's eyes does not equal the glory that will be revealed as a result of suffering for the name of Jesus.
Titus 1:10-11 "For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach -- and that for the sake of dishonest gain."
Some church leaders will preach whatever theology allows them to keep in a powerful and comfortable position in society. There's a church in downtown Jacksonville that gets their pastor a brand new car every year. Not the gospel.
Philemon 13 "I would have liked to keep [Onesimus] with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel."
Hebrews 13:12-13 "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore."
"Hey come on! Let's bear the disgrace Jesus bore!" Doesn't exactly get me jumping up and down excited.
James 5:10-11 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it."
1 Peter 2:19-21, 4:12-13 "For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a bearing for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.....Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
2 Peter 2:2-3 "Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping."
1 John 3:13, 3:16-18 "Do not be surprised my brothers, if the world hates you......This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
2 John 7 "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist."
3 John 9-10 "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church."
Jude 8 "In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authorities and slander celestial beings."
Revelation 2:10 "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."
"What you are about to suffer" suggests that there will be suffering. But in the end, when it really matters, the crown of life will be given.
If you've made it all the way down here, thank you for reading. Sometimes I can get long-winded on these blogs. I want to leave you with a video I just watched yesterday. If you've never experienced any kind of injustice or don't exactly know what that looks like, put yourself in one of these kid's shoes in this experiment. I hope you have the courage to click this link.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Parrish
Wednesday morning. Grabbed my basketball and heading for the court. Anticipating a long day due to early release from school, I wanted time to shoot around and relax my mind. I got only one block towards the court when I walked by a fence and a dog barked and ran up to me, looking angry. I gave a "How ya doin?" to the man outside and he replied with a "You play an instrument?" What? Strange coincidence because I went to school for music performance. "Yeah. I play the viola." "Well, come on over (pointing towards the open doors to his garage in the back), I just plugged in m' amps and the ol' geetar. Les jam." Realizing my plans to spend alone time were disrupted, I hesistantly told him, "Uh, sure let me go get it, I'll be right back."
Most of me really didn't want to go play, but this was a strange coincidence and I was curious what would take place. As I walked towards his house for the second time, I began to think of every worst case scenario I could. Could he be lying? No one knows where I am or what I'm doing. I didn't actually see any amps or guitars anywhere. What a strange casual acceptance of me being a stranger that he had. I was reassured and relieved when I heard the sounds of amplified guitar chords as I approached the house. The dog attacked me again with barks, but no bite. "Hey buddy, how are you?" in a high pitched voice changed his teeth-showing to tail-wagging and he let me pet him. I walked towards the back and entered the open doors of the garage, trying to get eye-contact so he knew I was present. I held out my hand. "What's your name?" "Parrish." "I'm Andrew, nice to meet you." He continued playing as I got my viola ready. No more words exchanged. Just music. The garage had junk in it but it was generally empty, just a shelf with various books, an empty fish aquarium, a TV, some other things, and a handgun. Yes, a handgun.
"You heard of Cat Stevens?" Not wanting to tell him that I know none of his songs, I said, "Yeah." Thankfully, he didn't ask me which songs I knew, he proceeded to play and I played in the background. "You are a nice young Christian man." How do you know about me? I thought. Then I remembered that a couple of weeks ago, we passed out flyers for our summer day camp on that street. We played and after that Cat Stevens song, he said, "Freakin' awesome." (except he didn't say freakin') I kept on playing songs he knew, Beatles, Neil Young, some others I forgot the names of. He asked me what kind of music I play. I told him that I play mostly classical. He asked me to play something, so I played my go-to, Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G. He was excited to hear me play and enjoyed the time that we got to "jam".
Out of nowhere, he shared his story with me. About where he's from (Pittsburgh), his family, his job, all of that. When he told the story about how his grandpa died by getting hit by a car, Parrish started to cry. I didn't know what to do, so I just kept listening, not knowing what this 52 year old man has gone through. He offered me a drink. Green tea was the only non-alcoholic thing he offered, so I chose that. He does jiu-jitsu (I believe) and has even been asked to teach classes for it. He showed me his driver's license and a more bloated and heavier man just months earlier. He was getting in shape. Sorry if these facts and stories are kind of directionless, but that's kind of the way they were told to me, no real flow, just jumping from one memory to the next.
Probably the thing that was most perplexing was that this man very clearly loved the LORD, being thankful for His grace and realizing that he wouldn't be where he was today if it weren't for God. He's amazed that with all the crazy stuff (he didn't use the word "stuff") he's done, that God would still love him. He quoted me his favorite scripture word for word and mentioned that he loved going to church and had some extra Bibles if I wanted any. He's honestly the first person I've ever met that talks with such love for God and what He's done, yet every other sentence he uses the f word as if it's just another adjective.
We finished off jam session with him talking about his 20 yr old daughter coming to visit him this weekend, a daughter who he hadn't seen in 7 years. As he talked about her, he started to cry again. Big heart this guy. He showed me his house. Almost everything he has, he found on the sides of the streets. He's so thankful for everything he has.
I hope to jam with Parrish again soon, since he has welcomed me over anytime. We finished by praying which he was more than happy to include himself in. Overall, it was a positive encounter and it made me wish I knew my neighbors more. I recognize faces and give friendly waves to people, but what are their names? What could their life experience show me about God, or even the differences in my life and their's?
You probably see your neighbors all the time, but maybe you've never had a long conversation with them. I sometimes find myself imprisoned by my schedule, not allowing for any real relaxed time to just relate to people. Please pray that I would be more willing to go past the "How y'all doin?" formalities and get to actually know people. Anyway, Wednesday provided me with a neighbor.
Who is my neighbor?
Most of me really didn't want to go play, but this was a strange coincidence and I was curious what would take place. As I walked towards his house for the second time, I began to think of every worst case scenario I could. Could he be lying? No one knows where I am or what I'm doing. I didn't actually see any amps or guitars anywhere. What a strange casual acceptance of me being a stranger that he had. I was reassured and relieved when I heard the sounds of amplified guitar chords as I approached the house. The dog attacked me again with barks, but no bite. "Hey buddy, how are you?" in a high pitched voice changed his teeth-showing to tail-wagging and he let me pet him. I walked towards the back and entered the open doors of the garage, trying to get eye-contact so he knew I was present. I held out my hand. "What's your name?" "Parrish." "I'm Andrew, nice to meet you." He continued playing as I got my viola ready. No more words exchanged. Just music. The garage had junk in it but it was generally empty, just a shelf with various books, an empty fish aquarium, a TV, some other things, and a handgun. Yes, a handgun.
"You heard of Cat Stevens?" Not wanting to tell him that I know none of his songs, I said, "Yeah." Thankfully, he didn't ask me which songs I knew, he proceeded to play and I played in the background. "You are a nice young Christian man." How do you know about me? I thought. Then I remembered that a couple of weeks ago, we passed out flyers for our summer day camp on that street. We played and after that Cat Stevens song, he said, "Freakin' awesome." (except he didn't say freakin') I kept on playing songs he knew, Beatles, Neil Young, some others I forgot the names of. He asked me what kind of music I play. I told him that I play mostly classical. He asked me to play something, so I played my go-to, Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G. He was excited to hear me play and enjoyed the time that we got to "jam".
Out of nowhere, he shared his story with me. About where he's from (Pittsburgh), his family, his job, all of that. When he told the story about how his grandpa died by getting hit by a car, Parrish started to cry. I didn't know what to do, so I just kept listening, not knowing what this 52 year old man has gone through. He offered me a drink. Green tea was the only non-alcoholic thing he offered, so I chose that. He does jiu-jitsu (I believe) and has even been asked to teach classes for it. He showed me his driver's license and a more bloated and heavier man just months earlier. He was getting in shape. Sorry if these facts and stories are kind of directionless, but that's kind of the way they were told to me, no real flow, just jumping from one memory to the next.
Probably the thing that was most perplexing was that this man very clearly loved the LORD, being thankful for His grace and realizing that he wouldn't be where he was today if it weren't for God. He's amazed that with all the crazy stuff (he didn't use the word "stuff") he's done, that God would still love him. He quoted me his favorite scripture word for word and mentioned that he loved going to church and had some extra Bibles if I wanted any. He's honestly the first person I've ever met that talks with such love for God and what He's done, yet every other sentence he uses the f word as if it's just another adjective.
We finished off jam session with him talking about his 20 yr old daughter coming to visit him this weekend, a daughter who he hadn't seen in 7 years. As he talked about her, he started to cry again. Big heart this guy. He showed me his house. Almost everything he has, he found on the sides of the streets. He's so thankful for everything he has.
I hope to jam with Parrish again soon, since he has welcomed me over anytime. We finished by praying which he was more than happy to include himself in. Overall, it was a positive encounter and it made me wish I knew my neighbors more. I recognize faces and give friendly waves to people, but what are their names? What could their life experience show me about God, or even the differences in my life and their's?
You probably see your neighbors all the time, but maybe you've never had a long conversation with them. I sometimes find myself imprisoned by my schedule, not allowing for any real relaxed time to just relate to people. Please pray that I would be more willing to go past the "How y'all doin?" formalities and get to actually know people. Anyway, Wednesday provided me with a neighbor.
Who is my neighbor?
Monday, April 1, 2013
Relative - Part 2
Virginia L. Vollmer (otherwise known as Grandma Jenny)
(Feb. 26, 1922 - Mar. 1, 2013)
She made it to her 91st birthday, and now she is born into forever. Knowing she believed in Christ definitely made her passing less heavy. From what I remember about her, she was very sweet, funny, and caring. She seemed to always be quick witted and knew how to make you smile. I remember visiting her in Texas when I was about seven. She had a pool, two dogs which she and my aunt Kris loved very much, and I can remember her taking us to a craft store where my brother and I got a ceramic that we took home to paint. I got a ceramic fish which I painted red with yellow and purple striped fins. I remember when we visited her in Colorado, I played the viola for her and my aunt, and they just wanted to listen as long as I was able to play. It turns out Grandma Jenny loved to listen to Andre Rieu, a Dutch violinist. I used to love watching him play with an orchestra playing behind him. The music just made me feel happy. I can't think of a better word than happy to describe it.
I have a pretty big family. My grandma had eleven children. I grew up with so many cousins around the country that I still struggle to remember their names and which aunt and uncle they belong to. I don't have too many personal memories of encounters with my grandma, but the one I remember most and probably will remember for a long time was back in the summer of 2007 when we had a family reunion in Avon, Colorado (near Vail). Grandma and I were talking about Andre Rieu and then she asked me if I had any special lady in my life. At the time I didn't and she started to give me some elderly wisdom on not rushing into anything and being patient. I was 19 then and she said there's no shame in waiting even into your 30's. Even though this advice wasn't exactly mind blowing, it was very special to me because it was just me and her.
As I think about other relatives in my family, I realize how blessed I am to have gone to so many family reunions on both sides, seeing people that, despite not seeing you that often, still express their love and kindness.
For the last couple weeks, I've walked up and down streets in my neighborhood here in Brentwood cleaning and handing out flyers with spring break teams. It amazed me that day after day, I'd see someone from the community that I recognize. Most often it was someone I've played basketball with before. "You still hoopin'?"
"Yeah, I'll be out there Sunday at 2:30."
Smiles were exchanged as recognition of intertwined lives occurred.
After church service two weeks ago, my friends and I stayed a little while to talk and a couple came up to me to say hi. The husband remembers me from a men's Bible study we were in. Later in the hallway as we were leaving, another man shakes my hand and mentioned that whenever he sees me he gets excited because he gets the impression that I'm passionate about missions. It's amazing how just being in a community for a while breeds recognition and relationship, even if that wasn't the original intent. I'm excited to get to know more and more people by name at the basketball courts, on our block, and at church. Sometimes the amount of people that surround me overwhelms me, but I know that God has me interact with the few that I do for a reason.
I want to leave you with one of my grandma's favorite songs by one of her favorite musicians. If you are reading this and you know her, let this song not only remind you of her heartfelt life, but of God who she dwells with for now and eternity.
Andre Rieu - Amazing Grace
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Relative - Part 1
Wow, what a week! There were 39 people from Clemson University that drove down to Jacksonville for their spring break to help and serve the Brentwood neighborhood in whatever way they could in one week. This larger group made it hard for me to imagine that I'd be able to connect with all of them, since they'd be split up in different morning and afternoon groups. My mornings consisted of going into North Shore Elementary with 11 people from the group. I was worried that this large quantity would be difficult to shepherd into different serving possibilities.
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Two weeks ago, I had one of the worst nights of sleep in my life. I woke up in the middle of the night, freezing, curled up to get warm, didn't occur to me to layer up in clothing, and when I couldn't bear it anymore, I put on a second sweatshirt, a second layer of sweat pants, and tried to get back to sleep. My head was hurting, my body was experiencing chills, and I was praying for God to alleviate the pain just enough so I could sleep. Not a big burdensome request, right? I knew full well that God could heal me at any point or he could choose to allow me to go through the pain. The help never came, and I don't remember sleeping much that night.
It didn't occur to me until about a week ago that I had been approached three times by three different people who were asking for money. They were all different in their manner of talking yet I had no money to give. All said they were trying to get $8 so they could stay at the rescue mission either for the night or the week (I can't remember which). One man had just moved to Jacksonville, was walking his bike next to us, said he was able to secure a job but wasn't getting paid until the end of the week and would be forced to sleep under the overpass for a third night in a row. When I told him I had no money on me, his look was unforgettable. It wasn't of anger or frustration towards me, but of defeat, coming up short, worry of another inevitable freezing night of trying to make it to the next day. He was thankful for the sunny day, the warmth, and was very kind in his demeanor towards us. Sure, he would get paid at the end of the week, and he found a food kitchen so he was well fed, but shelter, a safe and warm place to sleep, that was what he desired most. He went on his way, no doubt searching for any available money floating around. My one bad night of sleep, compared to this man, was only relatively uncomfortable.
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Back at North Shore, two in our group willingly helped organize books in the library, two more willingly helped the main office photocopy, laminate, and cut paper, four more willingly entered classrooms to help different teachers with anything they needed (grading papers, cutting paper, reading to kids, loving on them), and the final three willingly decorated the hallways spring and Dr. Suess themed. Here's an example of their self-discovered expertise.
Although much of the school didn't know there were spring breakers in the building, it didn't take long for them to just see the impact they were making. "I wish y'all could come back all the time. Y'all are just wonderful people for helping us out," said Ms. Busbee, the main office lady. I know these Clemson students felt loved. I was very encouraged this week by their eagerness to do anything and everything asked of them. At no point did any of them wonder, "What am I supposed to be doing right now?" and I thank you God for that. They made my job so easy and free of stress.
In the afternoons, I led a group of seven in "beautifying" the neighborhood through some landscaping. I've done this job before, so the experience definitely made the leading part a lot easier. I remember my first time leading a landscaping team, I had no idea what I was doing and I had to be the voice of direction for what needed to be done. I didn't know what an edger was, or what a weed whipper looked like, or even what kind of gas goes in a lawn mower. The afternoon team was excited to pick up trash, rake leaves and bag 'em, spread mulch, pull weeds, root out trees, trim bushes, load and unload tools from the truck. They were excited to work hard and get dirty as the neighborhood gets clean.
Yesterday, the last night the Clemson was here, they all asked the staff members to come up to the front so they could ask us what scriptures help us keep going as we live in this neighborhood long term, relative to their short week-long stay. Afterwards, they crowded around us and prayed over us, then asked their own group questions of what God has been teaching them throughout the week. Every time a new student walked to the front and shared, my heart was encouraged and I became more amazed at how complex and big God is. The inside of their hearts became exposed to the whole group to hear, stuff I would've had no idea had been going on. By the time all the sharing was over, the students were given time to say their goodbyes and talk to us one more time. Most everyone I worked with, at the schools and with street clean-up crew came up to me to hug and thank me, even though I wanted to hug and thank them for all they've shown me this week. Neither side could take credit for such a great week, it all goes to the Lord. There's something about meeting your siblings in Christ that is just encouraging.
Even though this recharging happens only one month out of the year, it has really blessed me in reminding me that God is working here, he is using us in bigger ways than we can even see or believe, and it is all for his glory, not mine, not 2nd Mile Ministries'. This month, relative to the rest of the school year, is not something I want to get used to, because ministry can be draining and slow, not energizing and muscle-flexing. This week has been great, it's hard to put into words. I hope you are encouraged by this. If you want to hear more, I'd love to share. Just send me an email. lilvollmer@gmail.com
Blessings
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Two weeks ago, I had one of the worst nights of sleep in my life. I woke up in the middle of the night, freezing, curled up to get warm, didn't occur to me to layer up in clothing, and when I couldn't bear it anymore, I put on a second sweatshirt, a second layer of sweat pants, and tried to get back to sleep. My head was hurting, my body was experiencing chills, and I was praying for God to alleviate the pain just enough so I could sleep. Not a big burdensome request, right? I knew full well that God could heal me at any point or he could choose to allow me to go through the pain. The help never came, and I don't remember sleeping much that night.
It didn't occur to me until about a week ago that I had been approached three times by three different people who were asking for money. They were all different in their manner of talking yet I had no money to give. All said they were trying to get $8 so they could stay at the rescue mission either for the night or the week (I can't remember which). One man had just moved to Jacksonville, was walking his bike next to us, said he was able to secure a job but wasn't getting paid until the end of the week and would be forced to sleep under the overpass for a third night in a row. When I told him I had no money on me, his look was unforgettable. It wasn't of anger or frustration towards me, but of defeat, coming up short, worry of another inevitable freezing night of trying to make it to the next day. He was thankful for the sunny day, the warmth, and was very kind in his demeanor towards us. Sure, he would get paid at the end of the week, and he found a food kitchen so he was well fed, but shelter, a safe and warm place to sleep, that was what he desired most. He went on his way, no doubt searching for any available money floating around. My one bad night of sleep, compared to this man, was only relatively uncomfortable.
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Back at North Shore, two in our group willingly helped organize books in the library, two more willingly helped the main office photocopy, laminate, and cut paper, four more willingly entered classrooms to help different teachers with anything they needed (grading papers, cutting paper, reading to kids, loving on them), and the final three willingly decorated the hallways spring and Dr. Suess themed. Here's an example of their self-discovered expertise.
Although much of the school didn't know there were spring breakers in the building, it didn't take long for them to just see the impact they were making. "I wish y'all could come back all the time. Y'all are just wonderful people for helping us out," said Ms. Busbee, the main office lady. I know these Clemson students felt loved. I was very encouraged this week by their eagerness to do anything and everything asked of them. At no point did any of them wonder, "What am I supposed to be doing right now?" and I thank you God for that. They made my job so easy and free of stress.
In the afternoons, I led a group of seven in "beautifying" the neighborhood through some landscaping. I've done this job before, so the experience definitely made the leading part a lot easier. I remember my first time leading a landscaping team, I had no idea what I was doing and I had to be the voice of direction for what needed to be done. I didn't know what an edger was, or what a weed whipper looked like, or even what kind of gas goes in a lawn mower. The afternoon team was excited to pick up trash, rake leaves and bag 'em, spread mulch, pull weeds, root out trees, trim bushes, load and unload tools from the truck. They were excited to work hard and get dirty as the neighborhood gets clean.
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| The community garden we helped make look perty last week (this is in between a before and after picture) |
Yesterday, the last night the Clemson was here, they all asked the staff members to come up to the front so they could ask us what scriptures help us keep going as we live in this neighborhood long term, relative to their short week-long stay. Afterwards, they crowded around us and prayed over us, then asked their own group questions of what God has been teaching them throughout the week. Every time a new student walked to the front and shared, my heart was encouraged and I became more amazed at how complex and big God is. The inside of their hearts became exposed to the whole group to hear, stuff I would've had no idea had been going on. By the time all the sharing was over, the students were given time to say their goodbyes and talk to us one more time. Most everyone I worked with, at the schools and with street clean-up crew came up to me to hug and thank me, even though I wanted to hug and thank them for all they've shown me this week. Neither side could take credit for such a great week, it all goes to the Lord. There's something about meeting your siblings in Christ that is just encouraging.
Even though this recharging happens only one month out of the year, it has really blessed me in reminding me that God is working here, he is using us in bigger ways than we can even see or believe, and it is all for his glory, not mine, not 2nd Mile Ministries'. This month, relative to the rest of the school year, is not something I want to get used to, because ministry can be draining and slow, not energizing and muscle-flexing. This week has been great, it's hard to put into words. I hope you are encouraged by this. If you want to hear more, I'd love to share. Just send me an email. lilvollmer@gmail.com
Blessings
Saturday, March 9, 2013
This is Madness!
One week ago today, we at the ministry began what will be called March Madness. Every March, spring break teams arrive and get exposed to life in an urban area and help out with various parts of what we do. This year, we have three groups coming; one from Northwestern College in Iowa, one from Clemson, and one from Blackhawk Church in Madison, where I attended for a few years in college. The team from Iowa arrived, we greeted them at the airport, and I began to wonder what the coming week would entail. A year ago, we had a group from the same college and two of the team members returned. It was a fun reunion. This week, the ten members of the team split up to volunteer at two of the elementary schools in the area during the mornings, then they have discussion during lunch time, then in the afternoon, they split up again and volunteer at the two:fiftytwo after school program, and two others in the area.
What has been different about this spring break experience is that our ministry's director needed to attend a conference in Chicago for most of this week and those responsibilities moved to Marc, and his responsibilities moved to me. Now, I've done his job before when he's been away so it was nothing new to me; what was new was the fact that I'd be doing it for five straight days and I would need to incorporate the special guests into the program that week. New tasks included pairing up the students with the adults for homework time (sounds easy but when you need think about which kids shut down when they are with certain adults, it becomes a difficult jigsaw puzzle), having conversations with only the kids that are misbehaving (this can lead to feeling like every day was rough), prepping the announcements for the volunteers and the students that day (if you know me well, you know talking in front of lots of people ain't my thing), and communicating with parents when a child's behavior needs to be communicated, good or bad.
It became very easy for me to wonder if the spring break team could sense my lack of experience with these new tasks. Heck, maybe they just assumed everything that was happening was how it normally is. I hope that's not what they though, especially after a day like Thursday. We had one student yelling, and I mean YELLING at one of the staff members, and she had to be moved to the hallway to calm down. As I was in the hallway with the other staff member, trying to figure out why all this was happening, it turns out that back in the main area, three more students decided they were going to be difficult. I had conversations with those three and was actually surprised by how calm I was able to stay. Where I could have taken this rare crazy day personally, I did not. Where I could have been worried that our week-long guests were judging our ministry, I was not. After a long week of craziness, the weekend is here, and although my responsibilities have lessened, I cannot rest. In the past two days, I've had the chills, a cough, headaches, the sweats, and a terrible night's sleep. If you could pray for my health, I would be very grateful. I hope in the coming weeks, I'll have a more detailed account of the spring break teams and all that God has been doing through these experiences.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Liberty and Justice for All?
I start off by apologizing for the inconsistent blogging this past month. Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Justice Conference in Philadelphia for a couple days. The day before it started, however, three other staff members and I went to Washington D.C. to stay overnight with someone we knew. I've never been in that area of the United States before and was excited to see as much as I could with the short amount of time we had. It was cold. For someone barely learning to adapt to Florida weather, I thought this temperature switch was cruel. There was wet rain snow stuff falling but the anticipation of seeing buildings and monuments I've never seen helped keep my mind off the frigid air. Lincoln Memorial. check. Pose with the Washington Monument. check. We even walked by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, built in 2011. Walking in a city with so much history made me feel like I was walking outside of time. If you've ever seen the movie National Treasure, I definitely felt very tempted to "steal the Declaration of Independence." Also, just closing out Black History Month, King and what he stood for has been on my mind. Part of his memorial, a long marble wall with some of his famous quotes were portrayed from various speeches he made. My favorite perhaps, TRUE PEACE IS NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF TENSION; IT IS THE PRESENCE OF JUSTICE. (1958) I have to admit, if there is tension, or conflict, or injustice, I'm more apt to turn my face away and pretend it isn't there than to actually fight for rightness. I flee from trouble and don't want to disturb my comfort.
The Justice Conference was in Philadelphia, also a place with lots of American history. If you hear of people fighting for justice, maybe thoughts of Civil Rights activists or picket-signs flash in your head. Maybe your impression is some over-zealous complainers who should just accept that life will never be perfect. At the Justice Conference, many speakers came and informed the 5,000 people attending of their stories of justice and a proper approach to fighting for it. More importantly, we were shown lots of scripture on God's justice and righteousness. Often in the Bible, these two characteristics of God, His justness and righteousness, go hand in hand.
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." -Psalm 89:14
"For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face." -Psalm 11:7
"The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." -Psalm 33:5
"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion." -Hosea 2:19
"'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the LORD." -Jeremiah 9:23-24
Obviously this subject is important to God and I'm trying to figure out what that means for me. Probably the most powerful moments for me at the conference were during one of the 15 minute breaks. There were booths to many ministries with tons of information about them. It almost seemed like a shopping center for your broken heart's desire to serve. Lots of people talking, laughing, sharing great stories, positive chatter. Then I saw a closed-off tent that people could walk through. I wasn't exactly sure what was inside but the outside had a wooden sign that read "27 million slaves", the number believed to exist today. As I walked in, there was a sign that showed four pictures of girls between 6 and 13 years old. Next to the pictures were descriptions of their "experience" and how much certain things done to them would cost you. It was a menu typical in places where sex slavery occurs. 6 through 13! Well, that set the mood for this very slow and somber walk. A red light bulb hung from the ceiling, as a symbol for the "red light districts" where sex slavery occurs. To the right of the tent, on the floor lay a tattered mattress with a tattered blanket and a tattered stuffed bear as a symbol for where a child's life is tattered. Further down the tent, a broken mirror with a story written of how a child who refused to obey her "master" was thrown into a mirror as punishment. Even further down, an open wooden box rests, maybe 4ft by 3ft by 3ft, with a story written of an orphan who was promised food, kidnapped, stored in a shipping crate with three other girls, thrown overboard when the "cargo" was being check on deck, recaptured, and sold into slavery.
The fact that this is happening makes me mad. I can very easily be filled with hate. Sin is a big problem, not just to point at in others, but in ourselves as well. A quote from the conference that will stick with me was, "People are more willing to fix the world than they are to fix themselves." I don't have a problem, just everyone else does. Everyone makes mistakes, but only those other people have to pay and repent.
Yes, I am overjoyed that Jesus has redeemed my life from the pit and crowned me with love and compassion. I am grateful for all the blessings He has given me and the ways He has provided. I just look at Matthew 25:31-46 and wonder where the church is? I was encouraged to bump into a pastor from the church I grew up in. He said he wanted to learn how to communicate justice to the congregation, a topic seldom preached on in today's church. In a consuming world, I can see why not. In a capitalistic country, I can see why not. In a "move-up-the-corporate-ladder" nation, I can see why not. I refrain from making totalistic judgments on all churches, but many have missed a huge part of Jesus' teachings. If justice was discussed in a sermon I saw, it never came across as vital in a Christian's life. It just seemed like a small slice with justice toppings in the God pizza when in fact it is an ingredient (k)needed in the whole dough.
On the topic of sex trafficking, the first time I heard that child prostitution was happening in the world was during my time working at the Christian bookstore where we were selling CD's called "Freedom", a compilation of artists who performed songs about justice. It raised money for the International Justice Mission, an organization that fights against human trafficking. I bought one to support the cause, not really getting it for the music. Few movies have made me cry, but only two songs in my life, that I can remember, have ever made me cry.
Here's one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9rdKoCqGY
Please pray whatever God is putting on your heart right now. If you're indifferent, ask him why you are. If you're feeling a hurt, cast your anxiety on him because he cares for you. He is the maker and perfecter of your heart. He desires both justice and righteousness. Do you? Please pray that I would desire them more than I do.
The Justice Conference was in Philadelphia, also a place with lots of American history. If you hear of people fighting for justice, maybe thoughts of Civil Rights activists or picket-signs flash in your head. Maybe your impression is some over-zealous complainers who should just accept that life will never be perfect. At the Justice Conference, many speakers came and informed the 5,000 people attending of their stories of justice and a proper approach to fighting for it. More importantly, we were shown lots of scripture on God's justice and righteousness. Often in the Bible, these two characteristics of God, His justness and righteousness, go hand in hand.
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." -Psalm 89:14
"For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face." -Psalm 11:7
"The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." -Psalm 33:5
"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion." -Hosea 2:19
"'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the LORD." -Jeremiah 9:23-24
Obviously this subject is important to God and I'm trying to figure out what that means for me. Probably the most powerful moments for me at the conference were during one of the 15 minute breaks. There were booths to many ministries with tons of information about them. It almost seemed like a shopping center for your broken heart's desire to serve. Lots of people talking, laughing, sharing great stories, positive chatter. Then I saw a closed-off tent that people could walk through. I wasn't exactly sure what was inside but the outside had a wooden sign that read "27 million slaves", the number believed to exist today. As I walked in, there was a sign that showed four pictures of girls between 6 and 13 years old. Next to the pictures were descriptions of their "experience" and how much certain things done to them would cost you. It was a menu typical in places where sex slavery occurs. 6 through 13! Well, that set the mood for this very slow and somber walk. A red light bulb hung from the ceiling, as a symbol for the "red light districts" where sex slavery occurs. To the right of the tent, on the floor lay a tattered mattress with a tattered blanket and a tattered stuffed bear as a symbol for where a child's life is tattered. Further down the tent, a broken mirror with a story written of how a child who refused to obey her "master" was thrown into a mirror as punishment. Even further down, an open wooden box rests, maybe 4ft by 3ft by 3ft, with a story written of an orphan who was promised food, kidnapped, stored in a shipping crate with three other girls, thrown overboard when the "cargo" was being check on deck, recaptured, and sold into slavery.
The fact that this is happening makes me mad. I can very easily be filled with hate. Sin is a big problem, not just to point at in others, but in ourselves as well. A quote from the conference that will stick with me was, "People are more willing to fix the world than they are to fix themselves." I don't have a problem, just everyone else does. Everyone makes mistakes, but only those other people have to pay and repent.
Yes, I am overjoyed that Jesus has redeemed my life from the pit and crowned me with love and compassion. I am grateful for all the blessings He has given me and the ways He has provided. I just look at Matthew 25:31-46 and wonder where the church is? I was encouraged to bump into a pastor from the church I grew up in. He said he wanted to learn how to communicate justice to the congregation, a topic seldom preached on in today's church. In a consuming world, I can see why not. In a capitalistic country, I can see why not. In a "move-up-the-corporate-ladder" nation, I can see why not. I refrain from making totalistic judgments on all churches, but many have missed a huge part of Jesus' teachings. If justice was discussed in a sermon I saw, it never came across as vital in a Christian's life. It just seemed like a small slice with justice toppings in the God pizza when in fact it is an ingredient (k)needed in the whole dough.
On the topic of sex trafficking, the first time I heard that child prostitution was happening in the world was during my time working at the Christian bookstore where we were selling CD's called "Freedom", a compilation of artists who performed songs about justice. It raised money for the International Justice Mission, an organization that fights against human trafficking. I bought one to support the cause, not really getting it for the music. Few movies have made me cry, but only two songs in my life, that I can remember, have ever made me cry.
Here's one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9rdKoCqGY
Please pray whatever God is putting on your heart right now. If you're indifferent, ask him why you are. If you're feeling a hurt, cast your anxiety on him because he cares for you. He is the maker and perfecter of your heart. He desires both justice and righteousness. Do you? Please pray that I would desire them more than I do.
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