KCK

We’re Opening a Refugee Resettlement Office!

We’re Opening a Refugee Resettlement Office! 

by Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director


We are excited to announce a significant milestone in our journey of compassion and community development. We have received federal approval to collaborate with World Relief to begin Refugee Resettlement in the state of Kansas, focusing on the Kansas City region.

With this monumental partnership, Mission Adelante is positioned to provide Reception and Placement services starting in January of 2024 to refugees arriving from various parts of the world.   Mission Adelante has been approved to resettle 75 individuals in the first year of this new program, offering vital services that encompass housing, employment support, language assistance, cultural orientation, and more. Through collaborative efforts with our network of community partners and churches, Mission Adelante is committed to delivering these services with the utmost dedication and excellence.

Mission Adelante has been serving immigrants and refugees in Kansas City, KS, for 18 years.  For us, this passion for “loving people from all places” is an expression of Jesus’ commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world, having fled their home countries for reasons that include war, persecution, and significant human rights abuses.  The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that 108.4 Million people are currently displaced worldwide, with 35.3 Million qualifying as refugees, having no viable means of returning home safely.  These numbers are simply staggering, equalling more than 10% of the population of the United States of America.  We are honored to play a new role now in welcoming just a small portion of these beautiful people into our community.

As Mission Adelante steps into this work, we are more than pleased to announce that Kristen Maxwell, a familiar face and beloved friend of our community, has rejoined our staff to lead this effort.  Kristen led our children and youth programming for Bhutanese refugees from 2010 to 2017 before pursuing other roles in our community working with refugee families.  Kristen’s administrative gifts, along with her extensive experience working with refugees and her familiarity with Mission Adelante, make her an outstanding person to lead the charge on this new initiative. 

As is true with most of what we do at Mission Adelante, volunteers will play a critical role in helping us execute this new program.  We will be hosting two events in November to begin orienting potential partners and volunteers to this incredible opportunity.  The first event, on Tuesday, November 7th at 9:30AM, will be geared for church and community partners.  The second event, which will take place on Saturday, November 11th at 9:30 AM  will invite people who are interested in knowing more about what volunteering will look like to come and learn.  

Click here to RSVP for either of the informational gatherings! 

Be part of our programs!

 We are so excited to start our fall trimester and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this 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

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.

From Dream to Reality

Reflecting After My Transformative Year with Mission Adelante

by Veronica Garcia, ESL Manager


God had led me to Mission Adelante 2.5 years ago to explore teaching ESL and learn more about the KCK community. My undergraduate degree was Teaching English as a Second Language, so I was passionate about gaining experience from volunteering to teach English. I was new to the workforce, trying to find something that can support me as an aspiring ESL teacher. Where I landed for the next year was a great learning experience, but not fulfilling. My heart desired to work doing ESL at a ministry. My soul was craving a deeper connection with God, who had originally placed the dream of teaching English on my heart in high school.

God, like He does, is always working for good and knows the desires of my heart. Gissell asked me in June 2022 if I was interested in a position in the ESL department. My brain immediately thought, “this is what you’ve been praying for!!”

I really didn’t know what to expect. What I agreed to sign on to do was going to be challenging- and it was. I’ve never led a group of volunteers before. I’ve never created an ESL curriculum. I’ve never had any experience with adult refugees. I’ve never really had to apply my Spanish outside of the classroom. I should’ve realized the word “never” doesn’t stop God! The immense support from my coworkers, family, friends, and depending on God truly got me through that first trimester at Mission Adelante. I was learning as I was going. I was learning what it meant to step into action and become a leader.

A year later, I am here. I am LOVING what I do. I had never envisioned myself as a leader, but God did. He knew who I would become and how it would come to be. I am so glad I trusted Him through the confusing moments and struggle in my early college years. I am still learning as I go, but I am much more confident in who I am and what I am capable of. 

I want to encourage you if you are going through moments of confusion in your life. I pray that supernatural clarity comes to you soon. God is faithful and I believe He is lining everything up for you. Stand on the truth that God is faithful, God is love, and God works everything for good.

I am so thankful for this past year at Mission Adelante and I am excited to see what the next year holds!

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?

VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION

Join our team of volunteers for the fall trimester and be part of "loving people from all places." Attend our volunteer orientation on Saturday, September 9th and find your place serving kids, youth, or adults in the immigrant community in KCK

For more information about volunteer opportunities visit www.missionadelante.org/orientation

Be part of our programs!

 We are so excited to start our fall programs and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this 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 volunteer Orientation. For more information visit: http://www.missionadelante.org/serve

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.

A Great Serve Opportunity for Individuals, Groups, and Families at Adelante Thrift!

by Jarrett Meek, Pastor/Executive Director, Mission Adelante, Inc.

"We can feel the love of God in this place!"  What an amazing compliment for our brand new thrift store!  I believe that customers have been saying things like this because of volunteers who have gone the extra mile in serving!  It's exciting that the love of Christ can be expressed in so many ways, including through a retail store!  We invite you to be a part of loving and transforming a community by serving as a volunteer at Adelante Thrift!

Adelante Thrift opened it's doors to the public on March 14th, and now we're excited to offer fun, high-impact volunteer opportunities for individuals, groups and families!  With the doors open and all systems "go", volunteers helping with production (sorting, racking, steaming, pricing, and stocking) and department displays (organizing/decorating specific departments) will become one of our most important keys to success.  Keeping items on the shelves, priced low, and organized beautifully attracts customers AND provides the kind of pleasant shopping environment that makes people say, "Wow, somebody really cares!"  That somebody, of course, is Jesus , working through you!  

We invite you to come serve with us and transform community!  Serve once, serve occasionally, or serve on a regular basis!  Serve as an individual, a family, or serve with your group!  You make a difference!  

To sign up, please visit our volunteer page at www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer/!

n other news:

  • Thank you to many generous donors who have helped to stock our LIT snack bucket!

current needs:

  • Our Leaders in Training program has a “Mission Adelante Money Store” at the end of each trimester, where students spend “money” they have earned doing extra work and exhibiting behavior above and beyond what is expected of them to buy small prizes.  Our students have done an amazing job this year, and we need items for the store such as small toys and prizes of interest to 8-12 year old students by Tuesday, March 31st.  If you are interested in helping please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org.