Joe and Heidi White: A quick update on what's been going on

The Fresno Unified School District serves 90,000 meals a day. They work hard to make them nutritious. In fact 85% of their produce included in each meal comes from local sources! We visited their facility to learn about the meals the kids in our neighborhood are eating.

We also wanted to understand why the zip code we are living in has a lack of availability of fruits and vegetables in our local convenience stores and supermarkets.

We got a private tour and saw all the food being prepared and packaged to be sent out to elementary schools across Fresno. We wondered if Jackson was in there somewhere. On the way home we said a prayer for all the kids in our neighbourhood who would be eating these meals that day. We prayed, "Jesus, you fed 5000 hungry people in a day…and today you are feeding 90,000 kids across Fresno. Thank you for loving our city."

We are trying to listen to our city….to understand the forces at work within it. We are learning that to love a city…you have to work to understand it. Just like a relationship. There isn't love without understanding.

But here's a quick update: We plan on moving into our house early next week…something we are really excited about. We have been meeting neighbors, sharing vision across the city, and trusting God for big things…

Big things like: purchasing an abandoned property to turn into an urban farm that will provide access to free fruits and vegetables for the 920 homes of Jackson.

Big things like: Volunteer at the local elementary and begin to invest our lives into the heart beat of this neighborhood and starting an early childhood education program and tutoring club for little kids.

Big things like: Planting a spiritually vibrant neighborhood focused church that will start in our home and end up in a school -- a church that preaches Jesus and meets the practical needs of our neighborhood.

Thanks for following our journey, friends.

Love you,

p.s. for our weekly blog readers…an update: we just got a check in the mail for the month of January. Remember the story Joe tells of the the 5000….God did it!! Thank you cards are coming. We love you. Thank you for loving our family and taking care of us. If you'd still like to support us, visit: www.supportthewhites.com. Your support will help us accomplish incredible things.