Written by Hannah Hume, Bhutanese Teens Ministry Coordinator
It’s almost Summertime. Summer in the church world means mission trip season. Teenagers and adults alike will fill buses and planes and travel around the globe. Maybe you are planning on going on a mission trip this Summer. Did you know that many of the people that we travel around the world to reach with the gospel are coming to Kansas City? Immigrants and refugees: people from Nepal, Burma, Latin America, and various parts of Africa, just to mention some of the places of origin, are now living here in Kansas City. Immigration is bringing the mission field here to our very own city.
Many of these immigrants and refugees have faced unimaginable trials prior to their arrival in America. As you hear of upheaval, war, violence, and poverty in other parts of the world, it can be hard to find hope in the stories. Throughout the Bible, too, we see people being forced to move to new lands. In Genesis, Joseph is sold as a slave by his brothers and trafficked to a foreign land. Early in his life, Jesus’ parents flee their home with him for his protection. In the book of Acts, believers often faced persecution, forcing them to become refugees on the move. But we keep reading, and we see God’s redemptive purposes! Through Joseph’s unique position, we see God save the entire nation of Israel from an extended famine. We see prophecy about Jesus fulfilled. And as the early believers moved from place to place, we see the gospel spread with them.
We believe that the influx of refugees and immigrants isn’t a nuisance, nor a coincidence. We believe that God has a divine plan for our new neighbors’ lives and that he wants to expand his kingdom in them and through them.
While traveling to places around the world can be exciting and necessary, the increasing diversity in our city is an opportunity that cannot be overlooked. People who may not have previously had access to the gospel now live here, in our city, and should be the recipients of the love, hospitality, and truth Jesus has given us to share.
Mission Adelante would like to invite you to come and join us on the mission field in our own backyard. We are seeking to serve, share life, and share Jesus with the immigrant and refugee in our midst. We want to see our neighborhood and our world transformed for the glory of Jesus Christ. Will you consider joining us? No passport needed.
Our Volunteer Training in preparation for our Summer Trimester will be on Saturday, May 30 from 9:00-1:00. It's a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante's ministry in just one sitting. 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 plan on attending this informative training, and to contact Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org for all the details.
current needs:
- Volunteers to serve weekly during our summer trimester, between the week of June 1 and the week of August 3.
- Tuesday evenings:
- Kids Club: 3 volunteers
- High-school Teens Club: 2-4 mentors--supporting roles this summer, with more in-depth roles starting this fall.
- One regular shuttle driver and one substitute driver
- Thursday evenings:
- Kids Adelante: 3 volunteers
- Tuesday evenings:
- Bhutanese Kids Club is looking for a male mentor to co-lead a Kids Club group made up of 5th-6th grade boys this summer, and into the fall trimester. We are hoping to fill this position with someone who would stay through the fall and transition to Middle School with the group. For more information, contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
- Our Resource Center needs containers to organize and store books and staple food bags as they await distribution. Specifically, we're looking for 13" by 15" filing crates for the books, and 19 gallon locking storage totes for the food baskets. Please e-mail Molly M. at mollym@missionadelante.org with any questions, or if you can help.
important dates:
- Volunteer Training: Saturday, May 30, 9:00-1:00
- All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert: Monday, June 1, 6:30 p.m. We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our Summer trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch!
- Summer trimester programs launch: Week of June 1