by Yuri Alonso, Ministry Apprentice from Cuba (Translated from Spanish)
I want to share with everyone the joy and excitement a group of our ESL students and I experienced at being invited with our families to the home of one of the volunteers at Mission Adelante who shares her time with immigrants from different countries and cultures. Without really understanding the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving, many of us accepted the invitation, thinking it would be a great opportunity to share our customs and talk a little bit about our roots. It is, after all, very much a part of us Latinos to never tire of conversation. We love to talk about why we came to this country, the challenges we face, the things we left behind in our own countries. In other words, we just have a lot of reasons to carry on conversations for hours at a time, and even more so when American people are anxious to hear about our experiences!
After a time of shooting the breeze, we delighted ourselves until we were fully satisfied with an immense table full of delicious American dishes. We gave honor to the lady of the house, because it all really surpassed our expectations. There was no lack of humorous anecdotes or Spanish phrases to highlight the exquisite things and the goodness that this American family shared with us.
The biggest surprise was that this volunteer and her family began to tell us the story of Thanksgiving and why it is celebrated. Up until then, we had not heard or understood the "why" behind this holiday. It was interesting and powerful for us to understand a little more about American culture, and even more so when it is related to Christian traditions. Until then, the Thanksgiving celebration only meant getting together with family and eating lots of turkey! Today we understand the value of this special and worthy act of remembrance each year and that it means much more than simply sharing a meal with family or friends. Today, as immigrants, we can also give thanks to God for His goodness and His blessings that make us feel loved in a land so far from our own.
We give thanks also to the community of Mission Adelante and especially to this special group of volunteers who help us feel loved and cared for as though we were in our own home.
Other News:
- The Bhutanese English class visited Crown Center this week to see the lights and celebrate Christmas together. It’s such a joy to share the great things about Kansas City with them!
Current Needs:
New operations volunteer teams are forming for 2016! Are you interested in putting your handy-man or technical skills to work for The Kingdom? Please contact Sarah at sarahw@missionadelante.org for more information about our Facilities Service Team and our Technology Team.
Important Dates:
The Latino End of the Trimester Party will be held on Saturday December 12, 2015. The Latino Party will be held at the Bethany Community Center, 1120 Central Ave. Kansas City, Kansas 66102. Festivities will be begin at 4 pm with Dinner, followed by a Mexican Folklore Dance at 5 pm and ending with Awards and Recognition at 6 pm.