In the last few years at Mission Adelante, one of our main focuses has been leadership development. With that purpose we have developed different programs that guide kids and youths to become the future leaders of our community. The Youth Ministry is a key piece in this beautiful process. However, we have never before had a Director in this area who could be fully focused on it. It has always been a program led by incredible and very committed volunteers and apprentices, who have done a great job. Laxmi Gurung had recently been promoted to manager of this department and after a year and a half she is moving with her family to a different city, this is a decision that of course we celebrate with her and support her. This created an open space for someone else on our team.
Today I’m very excited to officially introduce you to the Youth Ministry Director at Mission Adelante: Patrique Harris. Patrique has traveled from afar, Jamaica, to join our team on May 3rd. In just the past 3 weeks, she has impressed us with her incredible ability to relate to everyone, her passion for Jesus and his Word, and her call to serve and walk with the youth of our community. Since she arrived, her desire and intentionality in spending time with young people and volunteers has been evident and she has added so much value to our staff. I love hearing Laxmi say: "Now I feel much better leaving because I know that the youth and volunteers are in good hands" :)
In Patrique's own words: “I grew up in Jamaica and moved to the U.S. for my undergraduate studies at Wesleyan University in Connecticut in 2014. I have always been passionate about empowering others which moved me to serve as a Resident Advisor as well as a Peer Health Alcohol Education Coach at Wesleyan. In these roles I was able to leverage my faith-based principles to engage with students in various mentorship capacities. I completed my undergraduate studies in Economics and International Relations in 2018 and subsequently joined J.P. Morgan's Private Bank as an Analyst based in New York City. In my role at J.P. Morgan, I have been able to use my relationship building skills to work directly with clients as well as partnering with the broader team to provide innovative Wealth Management solutions to clients in a very fast-paced environment. Additionally, some of my most rewarding work has been serving in various Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, specifically mentoring students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in joining the firm. As I approached my 3rd year with J.P. Morgan, I knew I was being called to focus on Christian Ministry as a next step in my career / walk with God. "
Beginning this trimester we will have a multicultural youth ministry meeting every Wednesday. Youth from Latin America, from Nepal, Uganda, Thailand and Burma… are some of the cultures represented. Stay tuned so you will hear what God will be doing through Patrique and her team in the coming future.
