A NEW PILOT

When I dreamed up The Firehouse Dream, I admit, I thought it was only for the youth of Maywood. Last year, our mentors challenged me to dream bigger, and to partner with Jesus. They had sensed that maybe this concept was so much bigger than Maywood.

If I’m honest, I rejected their words….or more so…put them on hold. You see we had just overcome our contractor not completing the work we agreed to, being out of thousands of dollars that we had self funded. I was devastated….and I didn’t have the emotional capacity to begin to imagine that this concept could be that much bigger.

Well, now a year later, and a little more removed from those feelings, their words have played over and over again in my mind…..”THE FIREHOUSE DREAM is so much bigger than Maywood.” What did that mean? How could it all work…a flood of questions followed.

I love how God speak though.

Over the last several months, I’ve been meeting with photographers, who have shared with me either that they were teaching a photography class at a school in their community, or wanted to…but a major area of concern was that they didn’t have access to DSLR’s to teach the students well. After my 3rd conversation with someone….is when I began to process with the Lord, and wonder if this is what He meant that THIS was bigger than Maywood. The goal has always been to partner with other talented creatives to teach workshops, but within the context of it being here in Maywood. Instead, I’ve been wondering…what it could look like to partner and provide the tools needed for creatives to lead workshops in their own communities. In the communities they are invested in. So that it’s local community members creating change and opportunity from within…

I will say I don’t have it all figured out. But I pitched the idea to a fellow photographer, who is also my SIL. And she was blown away by the idea, and that we could partner in that capacity.

So just last week, we launched our pilot.

I know with expansion comes challenges. So we will evaluate and process through how to make it work, should we decide to move past the pilot phase, as well as, figuring out all the other details like how I would best support the team, create curriculum, and more.

All this to say, I’ve already had communities and organizations reach out asking if I’d lead a workshop/course in Pilsen, Garfield Park, Austin, and more. I recognize I’m one person, and can’t do it all. but instead if I can partner with other photographers who live in the community and encourage them to give back, then how amazing would that be?….and I can only imagine the greater impact we would be able to have.

So friend, we’ve expanded….and I’m excited to see what’s going to happen next!

Cheers to growth, and new opportunities.

Jasmine

Co-founder/Executive Director

Imagine with God

I often talk a lot about taking the time to imagine with God on my personal IG: @authenticadvenureco. There's something really powerful about entering into the state of imagination in partnership with God....it's when limits get taken off, and so much more. Over the last year, I have been journaling and imagining with God, and it's where I have found Him moving in ways bigger than I could ever think of. Honestly, it's helped me to take the limits off of who I think He is, as well as to be aware of the limitations I’ve placed on myself.

I imagined with God last year that we would be a family that travels. And in 2019, we traveled the most we've ever traveled before... and what makes it even more special is that every trip was fully paid for except for one.

I also imagined that the Firehouse Dream would be fully funded for our first year, and in Sept of 2019, we were.

I imagined computers, digital cameras, having a DTG printer and more being available in our space, and friend, yesterday Jeremy, my husband, picked up an Epson large format printer that was donated to us....where we will be able to print large sized prints for our future galleries right here in the comfort of the firehouse.

 Y'all this was something that wasn't on our radar for at least 5 years down the line. 

But today I'm reminded that we serve a  BIG GOD who moves in powerful ways. I'm reminded that I wrote this down, and imagined what felt impossible, to now seeing it becoming a reality!

 So friend! I pray that you would imagine big and wild ideas, dreams and goals with God. 

 And when life feels hard, I cling onto Isaiah 43:19- "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."

Until next time,

Jasmine

co-founder/ED

New Beginnings...

Photo by: Karina Mora

It’s crazy to think it’s been 18 months since moving into the firehouse. We’ve been doing a project at a time as we continue to self fund the renovations. We came to have a strong conviction over the summer, that since we live here, and personally own the building, for the sake of transparency and accountability that we would DIY, and hire out the renovations with our personal funds. Our goal is to only live here 2-3 years, which means we are halfway to our goal, as we develop the non profit. While that is still the desire, we have our hands open for it that’s not the case, and we have to live here longer.

I’ll be honest that this is a goal that at times feels impossible to me. In the beginning of 2019, my husband, Jeremy, stepped out of his full time job to go after his calling, which is leading people through a raw worship experience. This year has been a year of leaning in and trusting God for provision, not just over The Firehouse Dream, but for us personally too! To see how God has connected Jeremy week by week, month by month has been insane. To see provision come through beyond physical dollars has been nothing but God. I share all this because I long for those who have followed our journey from the start, or if you are new here, that you would see that if God is working and moving through our yes and obedience, He can do it for you too!!!

I won’t lie though….we’ve hit lots of up’s and down’s with the journey. Between a shady contractor, to our inspections changing with new and more work to do, and more. Through it all though, we’ve been clinging onto God, knowing that He has us, and that the firehouse belongs to the kingdom. Our time frame may not be His time frame, and so we wait patiently….

However, in the meantime, I have continued to foster deeper relationships with other community members, organizers, and nonprofits, like: PP4H, Best of Proviso, Township, Trustee Cup Productions, Dream Chasers, and more. I truly believe there is power in numbers, and in collaboration. There’s also been others here doing the hard work for years, even decades….and so I’m here to honor and partner with them.

And lastly…which I think this is what I’m most excited for….I’ve also have become the photo club sponsor at Proviso East. I just met with some of the students yesterday (Dec. 18th, 2019) as we planned and dreamed up what the rest of the school year could look like. My goal is to continue to listen, and build trust, as I begin to teach them how to see and control light.

So friends, this is the latest update with where we are at, and I’m beyond excited for all that 2020 will bring us!