From Commerce to Corporate to Community
by Elaine Reimers, Adult Ministry Director
Mission Adelante has been and continues to be a place of refuge and a source of community for many. With its distinct mission of making disciples by serving, sharing life, and sharing Jesus with people from all places, Mission Adelante has touched thousands of lives over the last (soon-to-be) 20 years! Some of you may know that my family and I have been involved with Mission Adelante since the very beginning in some form or fashion. My four children have all grown up participating in Mission Adelante’s core programs at some point and we also attended the church as a family when they were younger. Personally, Mission Adelante is the place where my faith in Jesus has flourished most and where I have made the most meaningful connections and friendships. From attending Sunday night church to volunteering as a Level 1 ESL conversation partner, I had been blessed with the opportunity to serve and be served way before I joined the Mission Adelante staff in November of 2023.
Volunteering at Mission Adelante in 2009
Since joining the team, I have been faced with many challenges as a result of being the new kid on the block (Step by step! Ooh baby! -Ha! Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) I have had to learn and shift my attitude, heart, and habits to the non-profit and ministry world. My professional life began at the age of seventeen with a long stretch of entrepreneurship that ended in my early thirties. The experience of owning a business benefited me in countless ways, but something inside of me wanted to experience the freedom of working a “9 to 5”. It seemed like I was always overwhelmed with the on-call feeling that invaded my family time, cut mealtimes short, and robbed me of my sleep! An opportunity to try on a “9 to 5” arose after my life did a 180. I went from being my own boss to having a boss in the corporate world; and because of how unexpected this opportunity was, I felt that God had placed this job in my hands because he knew how desperate and shaken I felt. The pressure of financially supporting 4 children under the age of 12 and getting all the bills paid on my own was constantly on my mind and I had to find a way to make it regardless of the circumstances I was up against and the odds of failure.
““Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on. your own understanding; in all your ways submit to. Him, and He will make your paths straight.” ”
This new office job was a breath of fresh air for me in many ways. I met some really great people who were with me through some very difficult times in my life. Many of my customers became friends and I really liked walking out of that building every day, leaving work at the door and arriving home with a clean slate. This job also provided me with a predictable schedule which allowed me to be more involved with my children; and I have to admit, the money wasn’t bad either once I was promoted to a Supervisor position. But as time went on and I neared my 6-year mark with the company, I began to dream of something bigger and more satisfying. I had no idea what that would look like for me but I would put it in prayer frequently and ask God what I should do. I had daydreamed about some sort of mission work abroad- maybe helping children with cleft palates receive the care and surgery they need, or feeding and helping the impoverished, or something like that. What I did not know, is that God had plans to plant me right here in my own backyard basically.
He moved the mountain and made a way when I was becoming discouraged and dissatisfied with the work I was doing. It was not fulfilling. I was getting to help people but I was helping them order weasand clips and carcass sheets (What in the whole wide world is that, right?! I KNOW! haha); and if their toilet paper did not deliver before they ran out, I would receive angry calls about how their plant would be shut down and they would lose thousands of dollars if they did not have the paper before the end of the day. Oops, there goes another $1,000 next day air for toilet paper! The pressure was ALWAYS on there. At times it felt as if there were no time to breathe. You can imagine the relief I felt when, after texting his wife about looking for another job, I received a call from Jarrett offering me a position at Adelante Thrift. I was unsure about taking the job at that moment so I told him I would call him to discuss it again in a couple days. I remember when I got him on the phone, I started talking about the position and he interrupted me so as to save my breath and told me to wait a minute because something really amazing had just occurred. It just so happened that the Adult Ministry Director at the time had just walked out of his office. She had shared her plans to leave Mission Adelante within a month's time and he was looking to fill her spot ASAP! Jarrett was sure that this position fit me much better than the position at Adelante Thrift, but the most affirming sign from God about this job opportunity for me was that the salary was EXACTLY the minimum amount that I had decided I would accept! It was even written and circled in the notes I had written down the previous day when I was making my calculations about whether to accept the position at Adelante Thrift, or not.
I am still amazed about how God works and moves for us and on our behalf! I cannot say that the transition from having my own business to “working for the man” to working in ministry has been easy by any means, but I do feel like I am right where I am supposed to be at this very moment. I have been blessed with not only a job that pays the bills, but with a community where I can serve and be served and I am so grateful! I look forward to what God has in store for me here as I pray that he will continue to hold my hand on the walk to whatever he calls me to do in the future.
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We are so excited for everything that is happening in our programs and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us next trimester?
How can you help?
Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.
Volunteer – Come to our Observation Nights. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve
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