Youth Service Day

Last weekend Emily and her Americorps team held a community service day for her junior citizen club. They went around the neighborhood planting flowers and picking up trash. Emily will be able to update you more on how this went since I left to play in a golf tournament, but I have noticed a reoccurring trait among our kids, they like to serve. When I came downstairs on Saturday morning to go pick up the kids I found Mario, DeAnthony, and Lacinda sitting on the porch waiting for me. " We didn’t want you to leave without us Mr. Johnny,” they said. They want something to do and jump at the opportunity to get out and work in the community. Now this is in direct contrast to the attitude of most of their parents and adults who seem happy to stay in the house and make little or no commitment to the community. I think over time the surroundings and situations of the poor can get to them and hope is all but lost. That’s when people turn to alcohol, drugs, sex, and other things to kill the pain. I guess our hope is to somehow harness this young optimistic energy of the youth and build on it so that in spite of what discouraging things take place in their lives they can remember the joy of serving and not give up. We hope that these kids will be the ones to rise up and become leaders here in the community.

I'm realizing more and more that we are only rookie's here and don’t completely know or understand the cycle of poverty in which we are living. I’m sure with more time we will learn better methods in mentoring them but for now we just hang out with them and pick up trash together and teach them to read. Hopefully love can defy all odds.
-Johnny






Mario Urkel


Jeremiah Urkel


Shauntay Urkel


Mr. Farmer Johnny Urkel



Steve Urkel

Race Day

5k (3.1 mile)Times:

Emily 32:31

Johnny 29:31

Waiting at the starting line.

The race was run last Saturday in near 90 degree heat. What a fun time we had. Johnny and Emily were both happy with their times considering the hill that they ran up in mile 3. The kids didn't attend the race but are planning to run in the next one which is 2 weeks away. We met up with Jon,Lori, Dylan, Eric,Erin, and Amy at the race. Our friend Ruth was visiting for the weekend from the delta and decided to run with us. Sarah came along to cheer and take pictures. After the race we drank water and ate banana's. Jon Bakker ran the race in 20:42 and finished 3rd in his age group, he got a medal.

Emily, Ruth and a man who should be wearing a shirt.





JB coming down the home stretch




After the 5k there was a one mile fun run for kids. They said anyone could run it so Jon and I did it cause we're just crazy like that.

Fun Run!


While we were out on the coarse Dylan and Eric went to Hal and Mals and had a little race of their own.


Come visit us and you too could have the joy of running in the Mississippi heat!

Run from The Sun

Chillin' on Antioch porch. Left to right- Dixie, Lorian (Grandma), Becki (mom) Karah and Emily


So Emily and I have been training for this 5k run (Run from the sun.com) that is this weekend for about the last month and a half and I've been keeping the kids informed on my times. Last weekend after sharing with the kids about my morning run I got the idea to ask Mario and DeAnthony if they wanted to go to the YMCA with me and run on the outdoor, one-mile loop. They got really excited and yesterday after the program was over we , plus Jeremiah, put on our "running clothes" and headed for the Y. They had decided to take it easy during playtime at the after school program to save their energy for the run. We started off slow to pace ourselves but Jeremiah decided to be the hero and took off in a dead sprint. After half a mile he was dead and Mario, DeAnthony, and I blew past him. We ran our first mile and they were still with me. We ran our second and Mario took a slight lead. On the third we caught Mario and decided to finish together. I could'nt believe that they stayed with me the whole way and we did end up sprinting in together at the end. We ran it in 28 minutes! At the finish we found Jeremiah sitting under a tree listening to Ms. Emily's iPod. I'm going to encourage Mario and DeAnthony (BoBo as we call him) who are brothers to train with me more often. I think they could really compete and win races at their age level. Not only would this make them feel pretty good about themselves but it would also give them some purpose.

The weekend before last we had a visit by Emily's parents and Grandma. It was great to see them and to show them around our new surroundings. I unfortunately got sick on the second night they were here and was feeling pretty bad for most of the weekend. We took a trip to New Orleans and saw close up the devastating effects of the hurricane. Emily got sick the day after they left and spent all of last week in bed with strep throat.
Hilarious! Its always fun when the " incredible" Becki Martin is around.


Dave goes BIG in New Orleans


Lunch in the French Quarter

Last Friday night we held a Parents Night for the children of the after school program. (Fitting that Ms. Emily brought her parents) We had pizza and watched a movie. The goal of the night was to make contact with parents and to let them come and see where they kids are hanging out everyday. I've been thinking that if we really want to have a lasting, positive impact on the children we must not only reach out to them but also their parents. I wanted the parents to know that we respect their dignity and want them involved. We had a great turnout and look forward to doing it again in the future.

This week is crazy at the Perkins Center. We have 70 plus volunteers here from Seattle and California. Our house is full and even the clubhouse where we meet for after school is occupied by a group of guys, forcing us to meet on the enclosed porch at our house. Its fun to have these people here once you realize that theirs nothing to be stressed about. I have to tell the neighborhood kids at the park what's going on because I can tell that they are thinking, " what are all these crazy white people doing here‚?". The groups really get a lot done which allows the staff and myself to do what we do.

Plan your visit to Jackson today!