A Home Away from Home

Written by Edgar Soriano, Ministry Apprentice

Where do you go when you need someone to talk to? Most of us have a safe place to go: our home, the home of a family member or friend, or church. We asked some of the teens from our neighborhood, "Where is a place that you feel safe?" While some of them said that they didn't have one, others named Mission Adelante as that place.

For the past three years, many partners and volunteers have poured many hours of labor into the renovation of the "Light House:"  the house located next door to Mission Adelante. The Light House is a brand-new place for our teens to call home.  For a month now, our Wednesday evening teens program has met in the house and the change has been amazing! Many of the teens feel safe enough to share their struggles because the house feels like a home rather than like a facility.  The house provides a feeling of protection from the troubles of the outside world.  When they are relaxed, the teens open up more and don't feel scared to share their feelings. 

One of the most important things that we get to do is share God with the teens every time we see them.  We're so thankful for the amazing home God has given us!  What better way to use it than to bless the youth of our community by giving them a home away from home!

IMPORTANT DATES

Saturday, August 8 at 4:00 p.m.: End-of-Trimester Celebrations at Wyandotte County Lake Park (Park Entrance at 91st Street and Leavenworth Road in Kansas City, Kansas. For both parties, enter the park and take a left at the fork in the road.)  Everyone's invited!

  • Bhutanese Celebration in Shelter #6.  We will start to gather at 4:00 and will kick off our program around 5:00.  We will have food, cultural performances and lots of fun.  Bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets and food to share!  Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org if you have any questions.
  • Latino Celebration in Shelter #10. Bring a dessert or another dish to share, as well as lawn chairs or blankets. Contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org if you have any questions.