From Neighborhood to Mountains

Our day started the Jackson Neighborhood as participants in a Serve Day. This was a gathering of neighbors and volunteers to clean alleys and renovate dilapidated lamp poles along Platt Avenue.

We are so thankful our kids enjoy being a part of the good work happening in our neighborhood. Uncle Jameson said at one point, "I was working with your kids...and they are amazing! They work really hard, take instruction, and don't stop until the job is done."  We've seen the same thing -- we are proud of the people they're becoming.

After our Serve Day under a blue sky and cool temps...it was time to head to the hills. The season is changing from winter to Spring (which in the valley basically means early summer). But the hills are still green and the wildflowers are in full bloom 

We enjoy going to Tollhouse Rock just outside of Fresno. In an hour or so...we are in multi-pitch granite heaven. On this particular trip, we took our housemate climbing for her first multi-pitch experience! She did amazing! 

It takes about 20 minutes from where we park on Hang Glider Slab to hike down to the base of the climb.

The first pitch of Tollhouse Traverse starts a couple hundred feet off the ground and follows a large left-leaning groove/crack system to the top of Cap Rocks. It's easy and very aesthetic. 

The foothills in the southern Sierras are beautiful this time of year. It feels like a privilege to spend time in these hills. 

Every good day in the mountains needs a summit shot! 

The day started with us serving Jesus in our neighborhood, and the day ended with Him serving us in His creation.

These are good days! 

What's up?

Do you wonder what we do for work now?  

Sorry for the blogging delay....internet friends.  I just checked our metrics and it says that we still have hundreds of unique visits every day -- undoubtedly people googling information on rockclimbing destinations and trip reports -- our virtual living room is full of those.  

But back to basics - what are we up to?  

We have planted a church in a neighborhood called the Jackson Neighborhood in Fresno, California.  We are a church that is starting a non-profit to meet specialized needs in our neighborhood with specific care and a small business to employ neighbors with barriers to employment.  

Here is a list of 9 things we are doing alongside neighbors nearly every day in our neighborhood.  There are actually 21 things happening weekly....but I don't want to bore you:

1.  Saturday Sports- 2 Saturdays a month we play sports at Jackson elementary with the children of our neighborhood, give a short message about Jesus and meet our neighbors.   
2.  Good News Club- Every Thursday from 2:45-3:45 we meet in a Jackson elementary school classroom to share with children that Jesus loves them.  So far 20 children have said "yes" to Jesus at Good News Club.
3.  Care Fresno- A group of young adults are intentionally living in the Jackson neighborhood to meet neighbors, lead tutoring clubs and live out the Gospel with neighbors.
4.  Volunteering at Jackson Elementary- Each week we help students with homework, volunteer our time to help teachers and serve our neighborhood elementary school.
5.  Volunteering at Roosevelt High School- Each week we are present on the local high school campus as coaches and during the lunch hour to develop relationships with the students.
6.  Neighborhood Care- There is a group of neighbors rallying together to beautify our neighborhood by painting the light posts down each street.
7.  Holmes Park- Weekly we are playing basketball with young adults at our local playground, Holmes Park.
8.  Christian Club- Every Thursday during lunch we lead a Christian club at Roosevelt High School to tell high school students about Jesus.
9.  Sunday Service- Our weekly services are going well and we would love to invite you to join us this Sunday at 4pm as we gather together to worship Jesus, learn from His Word and get to know our neighbors.

If you're in the area...come join us sometime!

....and pretty soon...the blog will be back to normal with regular updates! 

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Church planting is….

What a strange journey we've been on.  We left the comfort of a stable salary and now live every month by faith, just like Jesus' own disciples were called to do (Luke 10).  We live trusting that God will call our friends and family to provide enough money for us to do the work that God called us to do.  He called us to start a church in the Jackson Neighborhood.  A church for people who don't like church, a church of neighbors who would focus on three things:  Jesus, people, and place.  A church that started a small business to employ people in our neighborhood with barriers to employment, and started a non-profit that would meet our neighbourhood's specific needs, and a gathering that would meet weekly at Jackson Elementary to hear Jesus' incredible message as it relates to all of our lives in the Jackson Neighborhood. .    

We think the church needs to get entangled with the neighborhood. We think the church needs to love it local and invite imagination for how to announce Jesus' incredible message. We think church is about family and local community -- our church isn't above our neighborhood, we are a church of our neighborhood. We think the the church is the incarnate faithful presence of Jesus and called to demonstrate the gospel by serving the 923 homes of Jackson. And we think the church is called to dwell beside our neighbors because that's what Jesus did for us.

As a church we are going to focus on three things:  Jesus, people, and place.   And even before our launch (January 2016 @ Jackson Elementary) incredible things are happening in each of those areas.  We are hosting 3 parties in the neighborhood….because we love our neighborhood and enjoy spending time with neighbors.  We are currently renovating a dilapidated workshop in our neighborhood and turning it into a place where neighborhood teenagers could be paired with Christian mentors who are skilled woodworkers, welders, and artisans. Could those teens hear about Jesus and acquire skills that could be immediately transferable when they reach the age of employment?  Also, along with some neighbors we are in the process of buying an abandoned house and turning it into a house of hope for the neighbourhood - a place of Kingdom work and a statement that Jesus makes all things new….even ugly and abandoned things.  And our launch team is growing….in fact….6 of the team members have left their full-time jobs to become donor supported missionaries, like us.  They've been called to an unstable adventure, filled with certain struggle, persecution, temptation, and trial (Acts 14:22; John 16:33)….but they have been CALLED.  We understand that….we were called too.  But for them is a special provision:  Jeremiah 29:11.

We have an incredible life, an incredible job, an incredibly hard calling…but it's our JOY.  

And amidst all of this…we are still having fun!  Look below:   

Thanks for being a part of our lives!

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Palms and Prayers

As we walk through our neighborhood we see that our streets are lined with very tall Palm trees. Whenever I see them, I find myself praying, "Lord, raise up new Jesus followers to stand tall like these trees." For me, every palm is a prayer.

But Praying is easy….waiting is hard.

I love palm trees because Palm trees bend they don't break.  When I pray for new Jesus followers to rise up like those Palms, I am praying for durable Christ followers who won't break under the pressure of their culture to conform to its ideology, its morality, and its "wisdom."  I pray that they will face the storm and bend, like Jesus did as he washed his disciples feet... and not break, like Jesus did not break when confronted with death.  

Every palm is a prayer and I want God to answer my prayers.  Soon.    

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Stunned. Dream Bigger.

A successful urban farm in Detroit.

Six months ago, we felt the Lord impress a question into our hearts.  The question goes something like this:   

"Can we turn an abandoned property in the Jackson Neighborhood into an urban farm which can produce enough fruits and vegetables for 920 homes in the Jackson Neighborhood?" 

I've shared this question with many people over the last number of months with mixed responses.  We see many people's eyes glaze over because it sounds idealistic and unrealistic.  Others….especially non-Christians are intrigued that a Christian or a church would think that food insecurity and healthy eating are "spiritual" issues which merit a church's attention.

Yet, there have been some who have applauded, encouraged, and asked us to continue to press deeper into our question and seek solutions.  Some of these visionaries have even pledged to donate to the purchase of an abandoned property and another recently agreed to help us work out the correct zoning required.

And yet…sometimes we doubt.  Did God really put this question into our hearts?  Is this really a realistic dream?

It was in the midst of doubt that we had a conversation today with a neighbor who lives directly across the street.

"Hi! When did you move into the neighborhood?  She smiled and quickly responded, "Oh, a month ago."  We inquired further, "Why did you move here?"  She thought for a moment, her eyes glancing to the ceiling before returning to us, said, "It's strange, my partner and I are from Los Angeles but we felt compelled here."  It was that word, "compelled" that caught my attention.  "Are you Christians?" I asked.  "No" she said.  Our conversation changed to the topic of what compels us.  We shared our hope of turning an abandoned property into something that can feed and bless our neighborhood. We saw her eyes light up.  She said, "That's exactly what my partner is currently researching!  It's his passion and dream.  In fact, he is already working with some guys in Fresno who are doing it.  We should do dinner and talk more!"

We were stunned. They live right across the street.

…Blog readers.   Dream big dreams….because there may be someone out there who has dreamt your dream long before you and knows how to turn dreams into reality.

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We're in!

It was only our first day in the neighborhood.  We were moving furniture from our Uhaul to our house and at the threshold of our front door when we heard, "Howdy neighbor.  Your house looks great!"

We turned to see an elderly hispanic woman with a full smile welcoming us to the neighborhood from her car in the middle of the street. She must have been driving by and seen us moving in.

We yelled back, "Thank you!  What's your name?"  She replied enthusiastically, "Lana!".  We walked over to her car, now idling in the middle of the street outside our house.  I asked her, "Are you a Christian?"  I'm not really sure why I asked that….it just kinda came out.  She replied, "Yes!  Praise the Lord.  My husband is actually an evangelist.  He's not with an organization or something….he just tells people about Jesus all the time.  His name is Jose.  And crazy as it sounds, a strange thing happened 2 weeks ago.  We were being prayed for at Church and the person praying for us paused, and said, 'God is going to give you a Church'.  We don't know what this means….but we are waiting on God to find out."

Our hearts leaped.  We wanted to tell her our story….our whole story.   It's a story about how God interrupted our lives and asked us to adopt a specific neighborhood and seek it's wellbeing by planting a neighborhood focused church.  A Church that was going to preach Jesus and meet our neighbors practical needs.

We asked her to dinner, and soon, after we are unpacked, we will have Lana and Jose over for an evening of food, laughter, and story telling (they live just a few houses down the street).

As we parted ways, she raised her hands as if to wave and said, "I am so excited you are here.  Welcome to the neighborhood.  God wants you here".  It felt like a benediction.  God was welcoming us on our first day in 'the hood", and he was also commissioning us…."God wants you here", she said.

That was day 1.  I wonder what day 2 or 3 or 1000 will look like?

Stay tuned.

---

p.s. For all of you who love to keep up with our family….here is a picture of Elizabeth playing the piano.  She LOVES doing this all.day.long.  She sings and plays her own little songs.  Could this become a passion for our little 5 year old?  

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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.

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Sundays

Sunday's are a bit of conundrum for our family.  We haven't moved fully into the neighbourhood yet….we are close….but still unpacking boxes, doing work on the inside, and still very much in transition  -- getting health insurance, car insurance, new drivers licences, etc.  Our whole lives we've attended a church service on Sunday mornings…but now what?  We have many churches we intend to visit over the next two months to connect with pastors who will help us understand the city.

But in the meantime….what do we do on Sundays?  For the last two weeks we have spent a couple hours praying through every block of our neighborhood (8 mi/ 12km), reading scripture, singing, and meeting some neighbors along the way.  It feels a little "hokey"….the voices in our head say, "really, a church is just going to emerge out of some prayer walks and conversations?"

But you see, it's because we have big vision that we have to pray.

Our big questions motivate our big vision.  Questions like:
1.  Can we empower a group of neighbors to purchase and turn an abandoned property into an urban farm which can produce fruits and vegetables for our entire neighborhood using aquaponics and hydroponics?

2.  Can our family show Christian hospitality to 350 families in the next six months and see the Lord grow a community of people who together seek the Shalom of our neighborhood through a vibrant Jesus centred, neighborhood focused Church?

3.  Can we serve Jackson elementary by starting an early childhood education program and after school tutoring program?

And so on Sundays we pray…and maybe soon, others with join us, and together we will believe God for big things in the Jackson neighborhood.

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A Short Story - Our first day in the neighborhood

It was only our first day spending time in the neighborhood.

…and we met a new friend named, M.  Barely into her 20's, M is a single mom trying hard to love and care for her kids.  The father of her child is in jail for planning a murder that a gang in the neighborhood carried out.  As we listened to her story, we were amazed that God was giving us an opportunity to peer into the neighborhood through her eyes.  She told us of many kids and families she knows who are hungry, families who don't have running water because their parents can't pay the bills, and neighbors of hers who don't have winter coats.  "There are lots of needs in this neighborhood" she said.

She told us that the challenging parts of the neighborhood are drugs, alcohol, child neglect & abuse, prostitution, and teen pregnancy.  But she didn't say, "hopelessness."  Contrary, she said that there were many people…good people…who love this neighborhood and are seeing it's renewal.  M is one of them.

As M spoke….we felt our hearts enlarging.

Our hearts are actually small…but when you let people in, they make your heart bigger.

She said, "We've tried going to church before...but the churches we visited are far away and it's a lot of gas to get there."  We are wondering if it was for people like M and her friends that Jesus sent us here.    

Our hearts are growing for this place.

If you'd like to consider joining our financial support team or receive our newsletter, please visit www.supportthewhites.com .  Your financial and prayer support are what allow our family to dedicate our lives to making life-long followers of Jesus by planting a neighbourhood focused church in the Jackson neighborhood.
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