July 2023 - Light of Mine

Summer Day Camp - Another year is in the books of "You ain't hype!" chants, bandages, paint-stained stables, smiles, sticky snack fingers, and all around God glorifying work. When you spend all day every day over six or seven weeks with the same kids, you get attached, and they get attached. I hope and pray that we see many of those kids again in some form, anything from signing up for our two:fiftytwo After School Program to waving to us on the street years in the future remembering fondly this summer they had.

A few highlights for me include:

-the 10-12 year olds removing rotten wood from our picnic tables, screwing in new boards, and painting them to look brand new.

-the joy on Max's face the first time he hit a bowling pin with a football during Challenge Circle (if you know, you know)

-noticing that for independent reading time, some students requested Bibles to read

-teaching so many kids and counselors how to play four square and them taking over the rest of summer.

-Zoo field trip!!!!!

BLOCK Middle and High School Program - Although we haven't been meeting our regular once a week like during the school year, we've gotten together a few times this summer and focused on just having fun. A planned Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp baseball game got rained out, so we went to see the new Spiderverse movie. Our planned beach trip got rained out, so we went to Dave & Busters instead. The past couple years have been a small group of kids, but I'm excited to have more kids signed up this year and I pray that they not only would actually show up in a couple weeks, but that they'd stay and continue to be regulars. Please pray that God would prepared the kids' hearts to learn and grow, and also that He'd provide the program with more adult volunteers. One key volunteer last year became a mom again recently so there is a hole that needs to be filled.

School begins next week, and as a father, I can tell you that I'm a little on edge that Max in changing schools. I hope it's a good fit for him, but more importantly, I hope he adapts quickly and doesn't get traumatized by this big change. Please enjoy the following pictures from the past few weeks.

Bible station, asked kids to draw what they learned this summer

Dave & Busters with BLOCK

Action Day with Mayo Clinic and church members, built a new garden bed

Max feeding Naomi the giraffe

The 5-7 year olds rehearsing This Little Light of Mine

We get to pet sting rays at the Jacksonville Zoo

Fellas working hard at constructing and destructing picnic tables

Train ride at the zoo!

The crew

 

June 2023 - It's Been a Minute

In 2022, I took a sabbatical in the summer and didn't get to see much of summer day camp.

In 2021, we attempted an in person summer day camp while socially distancing, which was...different.

In 2020, the pandemic made us adapt to an online form of camp, which was unfortunate but we made it work.

In 2019, we had no summer camp.

It was back in 2018 when we had a summer day camp that resembled anything to this current summer. We've had between 40 and 50 students come through this summer's seven week long camp already, and we are only half way through. Our camp's theme, Blueprint, tells of how we are created by God, and built for a purpose. Our three age groups, the Builders (5-7 yrs old), the Constructors (8-10 yrs old), and the Engineers (11-12 yrs old) each rotate different stations such as art, Bible, education, dance, music, sports and games, and my personal favorite and brand new station, the garden station!

I have the privilege of leading the garden station once a week and the Bible station twice a week. Being able to share God's love for these kids and be present to answer any ponderings about God that the kids may have is something I do not take for granted.

If you've ever stayed in Florida for the summer months, you might know that the weather is, well, unpredictable. It is very common that each day will have brief moments of downpour and then hot sunny skies minutes later. The weather seems to always be either too hot, too wet, too windy, just too, too something. Week 2 of camp kept us indoors for the whole week due to lots and lots of rain, preventing us from going to the garden. I quite enjoy thinking about the parallels between the unpredictable weather and the behaviors of the students. Their personalities seem so out of our own control, yet beautifully unique nonetheless. The kids have learned the various jobs that one must do to maintain a garden, why flowers are important to a garden, and where certain vegetables were growing in the garden. I had low expectations for how exciting the garden would be for them, but they've loved it. I've never seen a kid so excited to take home some overripe okra to show their parents.

Builders (Max top middle)

Engineers (hopefully some future BLOCK students)

Looking back on those first years that I was at camp is when I see the biggest differences in my current life. Although the job is very similar to all those years ago, I've had some of the coolest life giving experiences this summer. What I mean is, way back in 2010, I met a bunch of kids in the neighborhood, had an amazing summer of camp, and had no understanding of what ripple effects that summer would have for the future. One kid in particular, a six year old girl full of smiles, would years later be the flower girl in my wedding, would this summer come back to camp to help volunteer and help out my son, who is now six years old, at camp. Max absolutely adores her whenever she comes through those church doors and it makes my heart happy.

Me back in 2010

Her 13 years later (top left)

Thank you for your prayers. If you have a minute, could you take a minute to pray for camp? Please pray that God would open hearts and minds to His love and truth. Pray God would raise a generation of students from the Brentwood neighborhood who love God, and love others.  I'll pause for you :)

Thanks!

Enjoy this last picture of Max at our water day covered in shaving cream. Love this kid!

I want an ounce of this kid's happiness

 

May 2023 - Another Year in the Books

I like numbers.

Looking back:

two:fiftytwo After School Program-

    -12th year completed

    -17 students this past year, (12 new students)

    -95 students in all those years

Middle School Programs - 

    -10th year completed

    -134 students total

High School Programs -

    -6th year completed

    -58 students total

This year I've felt old more often than I can remember. Kids that were 5 years old back when I met them in 2010 at camp are now graduating high school. This past month of ministry had some great moments. Probably my favorite time in May was at our Action Day in the garden on a Sunday. We've done this before, had the Ville Church give a quick message amongst the vegetation and then had the congregation pulling weeds, but this time we finally put our grill to good use. The youngens did a scavenger hunt for different plants and items in the garden. The more comfortably dressed adults did some weeding and mulching. Other prepped the food. The block was out and about as well wondering what was going on at their street. Neighbors enjoyed our spare hotdogs and got to have a few conversations with them. I look forward to the next church in the garden where we can potentially bring in the neighbors.

Another highlight for me was our recent trip to St. Augustine with the middle and high school students. We ziplined over some alligators on a ropes course and even though a couple of the students weren't able to finish the course, there was an overwhelming sense of pride in their overcoming their fears. The training was a lot of information, and for students who don't often trust their full body weight to some unfamiliar gear and a 30ft drop over a cement parking, I'd imagine that'd be a huge leap to take. Super proud of them. 

I was reminded the last week of school just how fast the year had gone. I feel like I was just getting to know the kids and now they are out for summer. Luckily I saw that a few of them signed up for camp so the loss will be short-lived. These kids have so much life in them. Everything new to them seems exciting. Every mundane task we do, they are eager to help and participate. Any place we walk, they are close to follow. I don't take this job lightly, as I know that every action, every word, every emotion I show, I want God to use for his glory. Over the years, I've felt more patient, less ticked off by frustrating behavior. Maybe I've seen it all? Maybe I'm too tired to deal with it? Maybe having my own kid forces me to be more slow to anger and quick to listen?

With our 14th year of Summer Day Camp coming up next week, I can't believe the quantity of fun that has been had on our courtyard, the number of cheers, the laughs, the singing, the dancing, the praising God, the playing. I pray that it is a sweet sound in our Lord's ears. Please pray for our campers (excited to include Max this year), our summer staff which will include high school students, and the parents of our kids to feel loved and blessed this summer. If you're interested in contributing to camp in some way, you can sponsor a kid at camp. You can go to 2ndmilejax.com and donate up to $200 for a full sponsorship, $100 for a half sponsorship, or $50 for a quarter sponsorship (or any amount you'd like). And if you're unable to give at the moment, please send God some prayer for us, for strength, for focus, for wisdom, for good teamwork, for God's love to be poured out into our hearts.

Ziplining crew

David and Daliyah building a ball rack

Our last day at the garden for the year

Church in the garden was lit!

Kindergarten graduation is now a thing. Love this boy!

April 2023 - One=A thousand=One

Imagine if your life lasted one thousand years. If you're 35 like me, that's nearly 30 lives of what I've currently lived. If you're 50 years old, 20 lives. Think of all that would happen in your life--all the work, all the laughs, all the people you'd meet and build relationships with. There could be probably hundreds of books written about each person's 1000 year lifespan. In 2 Peter 3:8 it says that, to God, each day is like 1000 years, and also 1000 years is like a day. He sees the intricate details of a child tripping and getting back up just as easily as He sees civilizations rise and fall. Slow motion and time lapse.

If I try to wrap my head around everything that God holds in His hands in a moment, my brain sometimes turns off at the shear scope of it all. However, my desire to see what God sees often gets piqued. First Corinthians 13:12 says, "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." That's crazy to me. Not only are we fully known by God, but one day we will see Him face to face and we will understand fully the wonders and mysteries of Him. Do I strive to know God more and more on earth, or accept that I can't know everything and rest? The times I sit back and rest, God whispers His presence and draws me in more and more.

Ok Andrew, what are you going on about? Well, something's happening with Open Court and I can't explain it. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's just a coincidence. I've had visions of people in the neighborhood coming together and having a good time regularly, playing basketball, playing games, just being around each other, living life. But many of the Open Courts this year have seemed lackluster, and low attendance. But since praying back in February for help from God, knowing I'm not good at advertising or recruiting, God sent a group of young guys that same day, as they walked by the church asking if they could play basketball. These same boys have been back each month since, inviting more as they come. Last Friday, we had more people playing basketball than we've ever had. I couldn't just turn my brain off at the strangeness of it. Maybe it was a one-off. Maybe that many won't come again, but for one night, it felt like heaven. Andrew, it's just people playing basketball. Oh it's so much more than that, I can't explain it. Students from the after school program were there, the program director was there, an original 2nd Mile student from 2003, a former intern from 2010, former summer day campers, and that group of new students. It felt similar to my wedding when special people from different moments in my life came together for one event. Do I remember the song playlist from the reception? Not important. Did I play well at Open Court? Honestly I don't remember and I don't care.

What did God see last Friday? I feel like I got a small glimpse. I'll admit, there are many moments at work and at home that get lost on me and I don't see the point in the monotony. Here are a few moments from April that God sees as a thousand years, and I haven't quite seen through His eyes yet. 

 

During trust falls during Talking Circles, all I see are smiles (none forced)

Rod (interned with me in 2010) made a surprise visit to hoop

Destini (4th) and David (3rd) plant peaches and cream corn seeds

Look at the last 24 hours of your life. Where do you see His playing a part?

February and March 2023 - Better Together

 When so much happens, it's difficult to process everything as a succinct whole. But there have been many meaningful moments in the ministry within the past couple months that I refuse to overlook. Forgive me as this may seem like a laundry list of "things" but I'm hoping that in doing so, a glimpse of God's heart will be seen.

two:fiftytwo After School Program: We threw paper airplanes off a high staircase outside. We harvested carrots and competed on who could find the largest one. We did another paint pour activity like last year and they all turned out great. We made birdfeeders out of huge pinecones, peanut butter, and birdseed (the cardinals loved them). We planted seeds at the garden (bush beans, peanuts, eggplant, basil, jalapenos, bell peppers, and mustard greens). We had good conversations in our talking circles. We diffused conflicts with kids. We communicated better with parents. We collected books about plants, vegetables, and gardens for our new little library at the garden. We chose to do an activity dissecting owl pellets to see what they last ate, following a whim from a 5th grader who said she wishes she could be an owl. We learned how to introduce and conduct ourselves when being called in for an interview. And all of this is just on the few days per week that I get to see. I also know that on days that I'm not around, we have a program director who is a full time teacher, finishing his college courses, is president of his fraternity, simultaneously coached a basketball team, and used to be a student in 2nd Mile when he was in high school. We also have a high school student that goes to Andrew Jackson High School (right next door to the church) who has been committed all year to come each day and not only help assist with what we're doing, but has also taken more of a leadership role in planning activities and making sure the church looks clean. I believe she is getting the Summer Day Camp Assistant Director job. Super pumped to see her grow into that.

BLOCK Middle and High School Program: We learned about meditation and practicing good mental health. We started reading one of my favorite books, Kai'Ro (modern take on Pilgrim's Progress), and started acting out the scenes in a dramatic fashion. We planted seeds at the garden (collard greens, zinnias, and marigolds). We did a self-esteem worksheet with character traits that we either were proud to have, wish we didn't have, or wish we did have, seeing how each person is uniquely made. We thought of places that we would love to be and painted them on glass. We went to a Jamaican restaurant and tried jerk chicken and oxtails for the first time. We planned Open Courts and played a ton of games together.

Open Court: We have Open Court once a month. We had kids from the neighborhood come out and play basketball. We saw lots of laughter, competition, and comradery. We recorded fun videos for social media. We gave out pizza and chicken wings to the tired and sweaty. We had a former 2nd Mile student donate money to the concession stand so kids that didn't have cash on them could get a snack or beverage. We played Guess Who?, chess, checkers, Clue, Uno, Zilch, and Jenga. We bought new speakers to blast music at the events.

Nutritional Garden: We harvested carrots, kale, squash, and radishes. We weeded beds to get ready for sowing. We, (I) rescued a kitten (check out block_brentwood on instagram). I collaborated with a few neighbors near the garden to plan what we should grow and where. We also met with the local Brentwood library to see how we could promote each others' events. We decided that at the garden, we'd encourage visitors to check out some gardening books from the library as well as get seeds from their free seed library and the library would promote any Action Days or encourage people to visit the garden. We had students from the programs plant seeds and learn about spacing, depth, companion planting, and the importance of flowers for pollinators. This picture was one of my dinners this past month (yellow squash, carrots, and kale, all from the garden). We had many volunteers come through at one of our Action Days and did so much more.......

Action Days: The first one was in collaboration with The Ville Church. We cleaned up so much trash on a street just a few blocks from my house. It all just kind of collects at certain pockets of the road (ditches, empty lots, around the bend with no sidewalks, outside the corner store, bus stops, etc. What probably would've taken me a week to do by myself, it took like 25 of us just a couple hours to get it cleaned up. The second Action Day involved three groups--a church group from a different city that used to be involved with us years ago, some volunteers from the Mayo Clinic, and the University of North Florida Navigators. Totaling about 30 volunteers, we split off with half going to the garden and half doing work near and around the church. At the garden, we were able to get rid of 1400 pounds worth of concrete slabs that we've been trying to get rid of since before the garden came into being. We weeded everywhere. We got vines off the fences. We installed a little library for visitors to enjoy while they come chill. Got rid of lots of leaves, trash, and huge sticks stuck in our mulch. Back at the church, we got vines off the fence (we can finally see beyond the fence), two giant shelves were built, branches and trash were removed from the courtyard, games were organized, the bookshelf was organized. With fewer staff at 2nd Mile, God has truly blessed us with many hours of labor and sacrifice.

I would say, overall for February and March, we expanded the minds and experiences of our students, we brought people into the neighborhood from the outside to help with some needs we had, and the neighborhood was a slightly cleaner and more active place to be. I feel that the work God has allowed us to do in the neighborhood can only continue to grow. As long as our trees are planted by streams of living water can we experience the fruit, the growth, and the thriving. I pray that the neighborhood can experience that for themselves more and more. Lord, keep us vigilant, resilient, and aware of you.

January 2023 - They are precious in his sight

I gotta shout out a few of the kids in our two:fiftytwo After School Program.

Zavier, a 5th grader, has shown tremendous growth in his second year with us. We've had many conversations about leadership, responsibility, and humility. He is quick to follow directions and understand how things are run with the program. He is always offering to help clean up sports equipment, always absorbing the little nuggets of wisdom that we sometimes feel go unheard, and he takes great care and focus on the things that he cares about. For example, when we go to the garden, he volunteers to take pictures. Thinking he just wanted to get out of pulling weeds, I was surprised to see how creative he got with the photos. Most pictures you see in these blogs of the garden were taken by Zavier. Another example, he loves basketball. He practices his skills and often challenges me to 1on1 to try these new skills. When he wants to learn a new skill, he asks for help. He is extremely driven, has a great sense of humor, and has the respect of many of the other students. To the right, he is pretending to be a barber and acts like he's cutting his little brother's hair. Other boys lined up to get their hair "cut". I'm excited to see who Zavier grows up to be. He's at an age where he seems very teachable and willing to grow.

Faith and Daliyah, two 2nd grade girls, are two of the kindest kids in our program. They do their homework during homework time, hungry to understand new things. Daliyah has mentioned that when she grows up, she wants to lead two:fiftytwo and plan fun activities. Daliyah, the job is yours when you get older if you want it. Faith is a quieter leader as you might not even realize that she has cleaned up trash, sports equipment, or supplies, until you notice her quietly carrying lots of stuff. She doesn't seek out praise and is very attentive to what's being said. Every Wednesday we have talking circles and at the end of that time, everybody goes around and does a G.A.P. (a gratitude, an apology, or a praise for someone that's in the circle). I've heard multiple adults in multiple weeks praise Faith for paying attention and keeping on task. What personalities these kids will have as they get older, only God knows.

This year I learned that Victor, a 4th grader, is very creative and loves art. Well, most kids love art, but Victor is actually really good, and gets lost in his drawings and paintings. This is his second year with us, and last year we focused a lot on his reading which was at a much lower grade level than where he should've been. In can be easy to focus too much on a kid's weaknesses and not see the gifts right in front of you. Sometimes I get frustrated when I can't make progress with a kid's reading or understanding, even my own kid. I hate to equate helping a kid learn with frustration and stress. Victor and I bond over different ideas and it's great to see the moments where he helps the younger kids with reading or other homework.

Here's a thought. Everything you've ever seen, ever heard, ever learned, or ever experienced in your life, at one time, it was the first time you've ever seen, heard, learned, or experienced that thing. The first time on a swing set. The first time living on your own. The first time eating chicken noodle soup. The first time seeing a frog in the wild. I'm in the unique position to be able to expose the students to new things. At the BLOCK middle and high school program this past month. We "painted" with light and learned about long-exposure photography. (Check out our instagram @block_brentwood for more awesome pictures.) We went to the local park, played some tennis and tried out pickleball for the first time. I hope to take them ziplining for our end of the year field trip, which will be a scary yet unforgettable experience for them I am sure. We also have a challenge snack each Friday. If you eat this (blank), you get a bag of chips, or a honey bun, or etc.  Usually the (blank) is a vegetable or a fruit, which I'm surprised at how few of them have eaten. For example, some high schoolers have never had bell peppers or raspberries before. Wild.

I'd like to end this blog to talk about Amazon Smile. This is a program that Amazon has created to help shoppers link up with non-profits and different charities so that their purchases will make Amazon give a donation on their behalf. We've learned that sometime in February, Amazon Smile will no longer exist. A HUGE thank you to those who've designated 2nd Mile Ministries as their organization of choice when shopping on Amazon. How you can continue to help with Amazon, I'm going to share our Amazon wishlist. Hopefully this Amazon wishlist link will work. It's a small list as we are trying to build it out with things we may need for summer camp. Currently there are some sports equipment things, kids Bibles, ball racks, and art supplies there. If you want to buy something, you can ship it to my house at 3646 Brentwood Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32206 and I promise I'll take it to work with me and not keep it for myself haha. Thank you for reading, for the prayers if you remember to pray for us, and for the support over the years.

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!