Week 3 - A surf session we'll never forget
We had such a great time surfing in Jacksonville, Florida, the previous weekend that we decided to head back the very next week. This time, we were able to bring a crew from VSM along with us. We were also joined by my friend Raven from South Carolina.
Raven and I met years ago through the skateboarding scene in Greenville. At the time, I was serving with Greenville Skate Church (now known as Shelter Skate Church). Raven had grown up in a Christian home and knew about God, but he didn't truly know Him or have a personal relationship with Him. Because of that, there was some tension between us. Raven wasn't a fan of me or the way I was living out my faith.
A few months later, everything changed.
Raven surrendered his life to the Lord and began attending Skate Church regularly. He started joining the small group I led after each week's message, where we spent time digging deeper into Scripture and having honest conversations about faith. Before long, we had become close friends. Since then, we've had the opportunity to serve alongside one another in several skate ministries across the country. One ministry I'll share more about later is Camp Good Buddy, a faith-based skate camp in Colorado that has impacted many people's lives.
Recently, Raven moved to Columbia, South Carolina and was therefore able to join us surfing. He hopped in the van with the VSM crew and headed to Jacksonville for a surf session. The morning started like any other great surf day. The stoke was high, everyone was having fun, and the waves were "perfect" (it's all about your perspective!).
Like me, Raven didn't grow up around surfing. Before this trip, he had only surfed twice in his life. This would be his third time. The conditions couldn't have been much better for a beginner, with semi-clean 1–2-foot waves rolling in. After about an hour or two in the water, a few of us paddled in to grab some water and take a short break. Raven had recently “scorpioned” (severe arching of the back in which the feet or heels tap the back of the head) while trying to catch a wave so he was ready to came in also with Jacob, one of our friends from Jacksonville. As they walked up the beach, Raven stumbled a few times before eventually collapsing. His lower back and legs were in severe pain.
At first, we assumed it was just a bad muscle cramp. Raven sat down on the beach while he and Jacob caught up on life for the next 20 minutes or so. But when Raven tried to stand back up, he immediately fell back to the ground. Jacob and I helped him to his feet, but he couldn't support his own weight. Within minutes, he lost the ability to move his legs altogether.
We flagged down the Ocean Rescue team, who quickly came to help. They secured Raven to a backboard, called paramedics, and he was transported by ambulance to HCA Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville. The rest of us followed behind.
As much as the VSM crew wanted to stay with Raven at the hospital, they had to return to Brunswick because of ministry events they were scheduled to lead that day. Thankfully, they were able to come back and visit him several times throughout the following week.
Jacob, Cassie, and I stayed by Raven's side that first day. His family lives in Pennsylvania, and much of his community is spread across South Carolina and other parts of the country, so we wanted to make sure he wasn't alone. I stayed with him over the next couple of days until his family was able to arrive.
Those first few days were incredibly difficult and filled with uncertainty. Doctors ran numerous tests but found no broken bones, fractures, or head injuries. They determined that Raven was experiencing spinal shock. At that point, they couldn't say how much function he would recover. For the foreseeable future, and possibly for the rest of his life, Raven was considered paralyzed. He remained in the ICU for a week while doctors continued to monitor his condition.
Then, after about three days and a ton of prayer, something incredible began to happen. Raven started regaining sensation in his legs. As the week went on, he slowly recovered movement and began to regain control of his muscles. Each small improvement brought renewed hope. By the end of the week, Raven was transferred to Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital—one of the nation's leading rehabilitation centers for spinal cord injuries (which just happened to be next door).
This week marks the beginning of Raven's recovery journey. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as he begins this next chapter. Please stay tuned for weekly updates as we continue to share how God is at work through it all.
After Raven's family arrived at the hospital, I headed back to Brunswick to reconnect with Cassie and wrap up a few projects we had planned with VSM.
One of those projects involved some welding. My brother, Grayson, had loaned us his small MIG welder to travel with on the bus, and it ended up being the perfect tool for the job. I had the opportunity to work alongside Aiden, one of the VSM staff members who oversees the lawn care ministry. Not only did we get the project completed, but it was also a great chance to continue building our friendship while teaching Aiden the basics of welding.
The second project we were excited to tackle was building skateboard racks for the girls' house. During our tour of the property earlier in the month, this need immediately stood out to us. There are 10 girls living in the house at the moment and they all have at least one skateboard. The problem being; they had nowhere to put them. So we wanted to build some racks that would store their boards neatly. Cassie and Hannah, another VSM staff member, jumped in to help with the build. In just a few hours, we had the racks assembled and ready for stain. Unfortunately, it was time for us to leave the following morning before we could finish the project. Hannah volunteered to stain the racks after we left, and we coordinated with the guys on staff to get everything installed.
Cassie was also able to finish organising the upstairs storage space Logan had previously built shelving for. This week also presented lots of opportunities for her to connect with the girls on staff at VSM. Over coffee, while running errands and catching the sunrise testimonies were shared and encouragement given. One of the girls actually gifted Cassie a bracelet she wore constantly as she felt led to share in the passage by which it was given to her: Hebrews 6:13-20.
While the projects themselves weren't especially complicated, they were practical ways we could serve the ministry and care for the staff. Whether teaching someone a new skill, repairing something that's broken, or building something that meets a need, it's encouraging to know that even small acts of service can make a lasting impact.
With our time in Brunswick coming to a close, it was time to hit the road once again.
Our next stop: Colorado.
We're headed to serve alongside Camp Good Buddy, the very ministry I mentioned earlier. Camp Good Buddy is a faith-based skate camp that has impacted countless lives over the years, including Raven's and mine. It's a place where young people are introduced to the hope of the Gospel while being encouraged and challenged through skateboarding and authentic community.
We're excited to see what the Lord has in store this week and look forward to sharing stories from camp in the next update.
Colorado... here we come!!