Written by Kristen Maxwell, Bhutanese Children's Ministry Director
About a year ago I had the privilege of walking two of our Nepali sixth grade girls--refugees whose families had resettled in Kansas City--through the application process for an afternoon scholarship program. Part of the application involved a placement test which had three portions to it: reading, math and writing. When I picked the girls up from the placement test, I asked them how it went. With a panicked expression they asked me, “Kristen, what is a spaceship?” The writing assessment prompt that they were asked to respond to involved a spaceship, and they didn’t know what that was. Two of our brightest girls who spoke very good English had no clue what a spaceship was. This fall, we are setting out with the goal of teaching everyone what a spaceship is. Well, not really, but we are hoping that through partnership with students, families, community members and volunteers we will be able to expose a select group of students to enrichment activities and experiences that will set them up for success! Who are these kids? They are the 11 new Bhutanese Leaders in Training students!
We are thrilled to be launching this new branch of Mission Adelante’s Leaders in Training program to our Bhutanese students. This fall marks the fifth year of the Latino Leaders in Training and the first for the Bhutanese. We are excited about dreaming of the future the Lord holds for these kids, and what it will hold as they become leaders, changing their lives, families and communities!
If you are interested in investing in our Leaders in Training we are currently in need of volunteer tutors for both the Latino and Bhutanese ministries, which take place Monday through Thursday afternoons in the 3:00 to 7:00 time frame. We also have a list of current material needs. For information on the Latino LIT Program, contact Megan McDermott at Meganm@missionadelante.org. For more information on the Bhutanese LIT Program, contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
In other news:
- The Latino Leaders in Training Program had a Volunteer Training and Ice Cream Social on Tuesday evening to gear up for this school-year. All 13 of the children invited were present with their parents! We are excited to kick off the program next week.
Prayer needs:
- Please pray for our volunteers and students as they make commitments for the fall trimester. We are thankful that the Lord is so faithful, leading some to serve and others to rest. May his purposes be accomplished by the teams he puts together this fall!
Current needs:
- Six volunteers to serve in Bhutanese Kids Club on Tuesday evenings from September 11 through December 4. Please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
- A folding card table and 4 folding chairs for use by the Bhutanese Leaders in Training. Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org if you can provide one.
- Sixteen-ounce packages of pasta, pinto beans, and bottles of oil, which we include in food staple bags that are distributed through our Resource Center. Please contact Molly at mollym@missonadelante.org if you can provide any.
- Christ-following men and women to volunteer as mentors in Leaders In Training, our after-school tutoring program. Four females and seven males are still needed. Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org to find out more!
- Materials for this year's Leaders In Training programs:
- 4 wireless capable laptops (Used is great as long as they are wiped clean)
- Snacks for a month at a time (purchased in bulk for 25 kids, three days a week)
- Matching tee shirts to wear on field trips/service projects for 35 adults and kids
- Team Kid Character Challenge: Lifeway: Leader Guide and Enhanced CD for grades 1-6:
- 13 Team Kid Character Challenge: Activity Book for 4-6 grade: 15 copies
- Stickers/construction paper for cards/activities/thank you notes
- Walmart gift cards for science experiment supplies
- Small groups to sponsor small reward activities/enrichment fields trips for 25 kids ($7 -$10 per kid)
Important dates:
- Volunteer Orientation & Training--Saturday, September 8 @ 9:00 a.m. All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante. It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about what we do, and about our volunteer opportunities, please plan to attend/encourage him or her to attend this informative training.
- All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert--Monday, September 10 @ 6:30 p.m. We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our fall trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch.
- Fall trimester program launches--Week of September 10