The River Church Community

For the past few years, The River has hosted a Bible Camp for kids in San Jose’s Washington Neighborhood.  It happens to be where I live.  And this year, I was grateful to be able to serve in it.  My Job: to work with the kids in the River’s community garden.  It was blast.  We learned about seeds, soil, plants, compost/mulch and even planted a hummingbird and butterfly garden!!!!  When the kids learned that we were adding poop (i.e., steer manure) to the ground to make the soil better they were overjoyed—who knew poo was such fun! 

And now as I walk the streets of my neighborhood, I see the kids I worked with in the garden.  It is wonderful.  We wave and smile.  And I look forward to next year when we will be able to do it again.  Even today, as I watered some of our newly planted flowers, one of the mother’s I met during the camp approached me.  We talked about the garden and now she is going to have a plot.  She loves to garden but she does not have enough space where she lives. 

This is why I started the garden.  And now it seems that its purpose is being fulfilled.  7 local families and 3 River members have plots.  30 at-risk kids at Washington Elementary School have weekly garden time.  Two other organizations (BUG and La Mesa Verde) use our garden for trainings and have plots of their own.

This is why I love my job.  I have seen urban blight transformed into garden blessing simply by digging some soil and inviting others to dig with me.  I have seen the kingdom of God come to earth with the swing of a pick and the thrust of a shovel.  Together we have made good soil and sit overjoyed as it produces fruit…30, 60, 90 fold.   

Tony, River Pastor and Garden Dirty Disciple