Resurrection!

Our past few months have been filled with stories of resurrection and examples of how badly it is still needed...

5 Loaves Farm - Starting at the end of March we began work creating a market garden on multiple vacant lots in the neighborhood.  Numerous visits from Tapestry Charter School students ranging from 2nd graders to high school seniors helped us get things growing.  Raspberries, herbs, and pumpkins make up the bulk of what has been planted so far.  A hoop house has been donated to us, which we hope will be set up by this fall.   With that constructed we will be looking to grow salad greens for local school lunch programs and restaurants.  Two young guys who live in the neighborhood will be interning with me this summer to continue this work.  The farm is part of our church's efforts to bring economic, environmental, social and spiritual justice to our community, by reclaiming unused vacant land, providing neighborhood youth job training, and participating in the redemption of the West Side of Buffalo.

The House - I've never worked so hard in my life!  But our once abandoned, and nearly gutted, house is now fully occupied and looking much better.  We just finished insulating and a work crew of volunteers from area churches will be siding the house this week.  Multiple neighbors have commented to us about how our house used to be the nicest house on the block.  Well, it's resurrection is underway and starting to resemble some of it's former glory.

GRACE After School - Whether bringing together the two families in our home, neighbors living next door in the neighborhood, or the diverse set of kids that attend our after school program, creating a reconciled community that begins to resemble the resurrected body of Christ is a hard and messy process.  The kids got to experience some amazing things through our program this year, but we also have a lot to learn about how to really teach the kids how to live into the kind of life Jesus desires for them.

So, exciting progress has been made, but much work still remains as we reclaim the vacant lots to create 5 Loaves Farm, or redeem our once abandoned home, or teach neighborhood kids about the reconciled community Jesus desires us to become.  May we all be encouraged and challenged as we see resurrection taking place in our lives and the in the world around us!