Halcyon: The Past Few Weeks in a Nutshell

Hey guys!

The past few weeks have been so BUSY! And they are constantly staying busy. Both the Hubby and I have to force ourselves to breathe and find some time to relax in the midst of the chaos. Since I've been remiss, I wanted to take the time to update you guys on the things that have happened since I last blogged.

I got a job! Whoop-Whoop! :) And it's so fun! I'm now working as a Content Writer for a marketing company called Leadflow. I love it; the hours are great, the pay, the people, it's definitely been a huge blessing. Plus I research and write about different cities and communities, so I feel like I'm learning so much. I've actually been there for a month now and it just feels like time is flying!

The next thing is, I'm going on vacation next month! It took a lot of planning and money, but we put the effort into making it happen and God blessed us with not only the finances, but the time as well. I'll let you guys know the destination soon. ;)

Brendon and I are trying to eat better. We have a few medical issues going on right now and a better diet would just help with those problems so I'm currently on a low-carb diet. I don't know if I should call it a diet or not, because I'm hoping to make this a lifestyle change...but anyways, I've lost a few pounds in the past week and a half since we started so I'm super excited about that! I thought about posting before and after pictures a few months into it, but I don't know if I'm brave enough. We'll have to see....:)

Brendon and I are still heavily involved in going out with a small team on Thursday nights to feed the homeless. We've really developed relationships with these guys and sought them out (on the streets, under bridges, in abandoned buildings, in the middle of the woods, everywhere!). There's so many people in Downtown Jacksonville that need help and they are so thankful for any kindness that is extended to them. One guy we met made the coolest shelter out of palm fronds and it looks so camouflaged in the middle of the woods, here's a picture:

Here's a video of what it looks like when you go inside:

He even had a shower that he made with a huge drum that he would fill with water, but they took it down because someone working on the property told the homeless in this part of the woods that they were being evicted because construction was about to start. That's why they started packing up a lot of their stuff. The owner of this camp, Jeff, was really creative and came up with a lot of resourceful things that I never even thought about! Some of the people that we've met have been homeless for up to 20 years! That's just so crazy to me!

I'll add pictures from last Thursday night as well. We don't normally get down there until about 9pm and stay till midnight, but since it was Spring Break, I didn't have class and we got there early. It was nice seeing their shelters and getting to talk to them in the daylight!

Jeff's tent sits on 8 pallets that keep it elevated and dry. He even added the shutters as a nice touch.

His tools.

Brendon and Jeff talking.

Another camp nearby. The green tent is their bathroom.

Their makeshift gate.

Firepit that they made out of bricks.

An old tank made into a shelter.

It was a steep climb getting to this camp so they made a makeshift bridge out of odds and ends.

Another camp we visit, the guy who lives here is named Magic.

We love this man. His name is Wild Bill!

Tonto and Brendon.

There were a few homeless people sleeping on the stoops of the church.

Ministering to Hector (not positive on his name), a homeless man we've met with a few times before.

And this is Benny! He's the one I wrote about in my blog post: http://angiejohns.blogspot.com/2014/02/benny.html

This picture is a few weeks old, but we found a fire in an abandoned parking garage we call "The Love Shack". It was most likely from a homeless person who made a fire trying to stay warm, but it go out of hand so they left.

So we're continuing with this ministry and we absolutely love it and the people love us too. It's such a blessing to be able to help them. Alright, so for more current events. Well we are looking to invest in homes. We want to purchase a few more homes so that we can rent them out. I went to look at one yesterday and it needs new carpet, but that's about it. It's in great condition and it was a foreclosure. Here's a picture and a quick video of my walk through.

Can you believe it was only $18,000? We're still praying about whether this one would be a good investment, but I'll keep you updated!

Oh, Brendon took me scouting last weekend. We went to a nearby park/forest (not sure what it's title was officially), but it was G O R G E O U S. I was amazed at how beautiful God's creation was. Sometimes I think, "I can't wait to travel to Italy or Ireland and see the beautiful scenery," but then I realize that there's so many beautiful things here in Jacksonville as well. Here's some pictures from our adventure.