Jacksonville, Day 3

We got back to work today, a little more tired than yesterday from our work, ultimate frisbee, and a few competitive games of spades. Today brought a few more conversations with people from the neighborhood. As a result, we've heard some good reports about the reputation 2nd mile is developing in the community. We heard going in that some people have praised their efforts and asked where they get all the "nice white people." Today we heard firsthand from a lady who stopped a couple of team members, and hearing we were with 2nd mile she glowed about the wonderful things they bring to the neighborhood. this supports our thoughts that while we may not get to preach the Gospel directly, we are supporting the long term health of the team here and helping them open doors for Gospel conversations.

At the school where we volunteer in the afternoons, we also got high praise from one of the principles and several teachers, even though we just gave a little time to move boxes into storage. It amazes me that even small gestures can have such striking impact. One small church that 2nd Mile has partnered with has commented that they have been a breath of fresh air, and though the initial partnership was hesitant, they have had such a change of heart that they are offering a building which they cannot maintain as a rent-free base of operations.

Today sparked not only a greater appreciation for 2nd Mile but also a greater conviction that this Brentwood neighborhood looks a lot like some of the neighborhoods in Rock Hill. We spent a fair part of our downtime dreaming and considering how God might use Manchester and other churches to reach into the lives of people along the Saluda Street/ Cherry Rd. corridor. Those discussions were intensified as we spent our evening devotional looking at the host Scripture that reveals God's commitment to justice and the poor. With those verses ringing in my ears, I'm more convinced than ever that 2nd Mile may be a long term investment for our church. There are plenty more chances to send teams either for work projects like the renovation of the proposed building offered by Pearl Street Baptist (they hope to get the building in use by the Spring) or through service and relationship building (there is a particular need for people who can counsel some of these at risk teens through the host of challenges they face). 2nd Mile probably won't ever be a bedrock or primary ministry for us, but it's a fantastic secondary opportunity to see long term how the Gospel will bear fruit, and it gives a unique opportunity as a training ground for what God may call us to do in Rock Hill. It's impossible to be a part of this and not be excited about what God will bring. So, as we did tonight, we dream, pray, and delight at the hope of Christ's redemption to others.

Jacksonville, Day 2

Well, today we began our trip in earnest, and it's been what I expected, if not exactly what I hoped for. Overall,this promises to be a rewarding trip, with much to think on and be excited by for weeks to come.

After breakfast and quiet time, we headed out to do street clean-up (trash, mowing, edging; etc.). It started out a tad rough because lots of the equipment we had on hand is.... well let's just call it temperamental. Fortunately, Les Unruh and Eric Ness are excellent field repairmen, and by the end of the morning had more equipment running than we needed. Our goal for the week is to fix up sections of 2 roads that run on either side of the 2nd mile ministry house. Even with the challenge of initially doing all the edging without aid of power tools, I think we're on target to get it all done. In the afternoon, we shifted gears and went to a local elementary school, where we cleaned up their stage, which had been getting used as storage for old books. I think we will continue to be there the rest of the week doing similar service projects.

It may not seem like much, but as Eric very wisely said, our aim really can't be for major breakthroughs. We're really just support staff who help provide credibility and opportunity for the 2nd mile staff who do the real and hard work of building relationships and trust long after we're gone. And it's important to remember that this Gospel ministry, but it is not the Gospel. The Gospel is the message of salvation through Christ, and we may never get to share that message. What we do is show redemption applied, that the promise of the Gospel is true, and that is an exciting opportunity.

The Challenge for me is that I love the deep conversation, the grand story of someone's life and how God is speaking to them, but so far we haven't really had those. We stand out as outsiders, and people are polite but not in general terribly friendly. They genuinely appreciate our presence and work, but we probably won't have those big conversations. I hope we do, but it's more important that we can stand out enough for Ruth or Marc or the rest of the staff to have those down the line.

Two guys that have really stood out for us have been Earnest and AJ. They are local guys who hang out with the gang here a lot, so we've had some chance to goof off and talk a bit. I'm hoping for more opportunity over the course of the week to know them more.

a Few random things I've enjoyed learning so far-

1. One of the interns here is the daughter of our district superintendent

2. I am not old, but playing frisbee with these guys, I am reminded that I am not as young as I like to think.

3. Rachel is now a quarter of a century old.

4. Eric cannot dance, but he plays a pretty good game of spades.

Jacksonville-Day 1

So an opportunity arose recently to be part of a team from Manchester going to Jacksonville, FL for a service trip with 2nd Mile Ministries. Their aim is to reach into one of the poorest sectors of Jacksonville through relational ministry. I didn't think it was going to work out to go based on cost plus work scheduling, but a few weeks ago, Telly encouraged me to consider going with Chris (our roommate). Apparently, God liked the idea too, because my store manager gave me the week off, and to top it off, the church's giving covered the cost of everyone on the team.

So, 7 of us packed up and headed down this morning. The team here is pretty sweet. We spent the evening with 2 of the staff members, and a house full of interns. It's been great to learn all kinds of new things about the team, and get to hear stories from our new friends (one of the interns is the daughter of our EFCA district superintendent).

Most of what we've done to date has been settling in... basic orientation and a tour of the area. In some ways, it's not that unusual... rough neighborhoods here look like rough neighborhoods in Rock Hill. I think the thing that strikes me the most is how much of the neighborhood is empty. Condemned buildings abound. I am curious how the community will react to us. I keep hearing that we stand out in an awkward way, since we're the strange white people. Growing up with Mom and Dad involved in a camp for minorities and having the examples of so many relationships crossing racial lines, it seems really odd for me. I feel at home here as much as anywhere. I'm interested to see how God leads conversations over the course of the week.

For now, good night Rock Hill and hello Jacksonville!