Lamenting and Hoping With People from All Places

Members of Mission Adelante attended the CCDA conference in Los Angeles, CA.

by Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director

Never have I been more passionate about my calling to serve, share life and share Jesus with people from other places than I am today.   Walking with vulnerable people as they navigate the challenges of living in a new country, helping outsiders become insiders, sharing and living the Gospel of Christ, sowing truth about who we all are as image-bearers of our Creator God and brothers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; these are things that matter deeply to me.  At the intersection of the Greatest Commandments and the Great Commission is a beautiful and special calling to love immigrants and refugees and help outsiders become Kingdom insiders.

"Oh God be not far from me, make haste to help me!"  Psalm 71:12

After a presidential campaign that produced a barrage of harsh language about immigrants and refugees, which was then affirmed by voters, we at Mission Adelante hurt with our friends from other places, because we know how all of this has affected them already.  We pray and hope with many of you that demeaning and severe words won't become harsh policies, but we also understand and want others to grasp the depth of impact the words themselves have had on people who already feel like outsiders.  The heart of these matters doesn't have to do with a political party, who won or lost an election, or a political ideology.  Friends, supporters, staff, and community members of Mission Adelante have a diversity views on all of these things, and Mission Adelante takes no position on political parties or candidates.  But what we all share is deep respect for the dignity of each person created in God's image, the value of families and work, the Biblical principle of showing mercy to vulnerable people, a passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a love for people from all places, and the sorrow of seeing our neighbors hurting.  Friends, our community is hurting.  Will you lament with us?

"For you Oh Lord are my hope, my trust, oh Lord, from my youth." Psalm 71:5

Our hope is in Jesus and Jesus alone.  He is our Lord.  He is King now and forever!  This truth is the sweetest and most beautiful hope there is.  When we lament with our brothers and sisters, we do not do so as those without hope, for He is our refuge and our strength.  And yet we lament.  When we look apprehensively at the future, we may dread the impact that harsh policies may have on our lives or the lives of those we love.  And yet we hope.  We hope, because, though He told us to expect trials of many kinds, He also told us that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness (James 1:3).  We hope because we know that not even death could hold our Lord, and the resurrection broke forth from the crucifixion!  Our community is hoping in Jesus.  Will you hope with us?

"But I will hope continually, and I will praise you yet more and more." Psalm 71:14

As the Mission Adelante community walks into this new and uncertain season, we invite you into it with us, to love our neighbor, to show hospitality to people from all places, to pray, to serve and to share life.  And most of all, to share Jesus!  Will you love people from all places with us?

Reflections on Doing Justly, Loving Mercy, and Walking Humbly

A Team from Mission Adelante was inspired to do justly, love mercy, and walk humble at the annual CCDA conference this month.

Written by Jarrett Meek, Executive Director

Recently, a passage from the Old Testament prophet Micah has been on my mind.  "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the God on high?", asks the prophet.  "Shall I come with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn...?"  What does the Lord require of us?  As Micah ponders this questions out loud, his mind goes first to external religious practices.  He mentions sacrifices and wonders if the Lord will be pleased with his burnt offerings.  It seems clear he's setting this idea up to be torn down.  Then he goes a bit further, multiplying the sacrifices by really big numbers; "what if my sacrifices numbered in the thousands and tens of thousands?  Then would the Lord be pleased?"  And then he proposes the ultimate act of religious devotion; "What if my religious zeal was so great that I were to give my FIRSTBORN!"  The way he asks the questions communicate the answer: zeal for religious practice does NOT please the Lord.  

Today we might say something like, "What if I pray each morning?  What if I get up at 4:30 a.m. to pray each morning?  Then would the Lord be pleased?" Or, what if I read the Bible in a year?  What if I memorize a whole chapter from the Bible?  Then would the Lord be pleased?"  I believe the answer to these questions is like the answer Micah was implying; the Lord is not impressed by our religious activity.

Micah is not meaning to toss out spiritual disciplines or practices all together.  He just wants to put them in their place.  When he finally gets around to answering the question, he says, "He has shown you, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you."  He reveals his answer in 3 parts:

1. To do justly
2. To love mercy
3. To walk humbly with your God.

Doing justly means, in part, seeking the good of our neighbor, especially our neighbor who is vulnerable to suffering injustice.  If we want to please God, Micah reminds us, we must care deeply about injustice and do something about it.  

When I think about loving mercy, the first thing that comes to my mind is the famous book/musical/movie, Les Miserables.  For those who have seen it, the image of a man, Javert, who loves judgement and the law contrasts in the most powerful way with a man who has received mercy and loves to give it, Jean Valjean.  The Lord is pleased with a person who loves mercy.

Walking humbly with our God has many expressions.  Humility should characterize our relationship with God and should permeate our relationship with our neighbor.  The apostle Paul said it well when he wrote, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves."  (Philippians 2:3)

As Mission Adelante lives out it's mission, our heart's desire is to please the Lord.  We love to talk about the greatest commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor.  The passage in Micah 6 gives us another way to remember and apply what Jesus said was most important.

Current Needs:

• Our Leaders in Training (LIT) students are hungry when they arrive at Mission Adelante after school.  We go through about 80 individually wrapped snacks a week! Next time you are at Costco or Sams, think of us!  You can drop them off at Mission Adelante during regular business hours, Monday - Thursday 9:00 - 5:00.

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Igniting a Disciple-making Movement

by Jarrett Meek, Founder, Pastor/Executive Director

Few moments in Mission Adelante’s history have been more significant than the Leadership Community launch retreat we held last weekend.  It was, in many ways, the culmination of ten years of disciple-making and leadership development efforts, coming into bloom on a precious plant that has been often tossed and beaten by the wind and hail of the challenges that we face in our community on a daily basis.  

Forty-eight emerging leaders from our Latino, Bhutanese, and English-speaking communities came together to begin a year-long, multicultural training experience focused on learning to make disciples as Jesus did.  Using stories from the gospels to demonstrate that Jesus’ work on earth focused on equipping disciples who make disciples, we observed and expounded eight principles of his disciple-making ministry (also expounded in the classic book, “Master Plan of Evangelism” by Robert Coleman).  Each principle was introduced by a member of our team (Yanelis, David and Jarrett) with a short teaching segment, and participants were able to listen simultaneously with headphones to a translated, pre-recorded version of the segment in their own language (Nepali, English, or Spanish).  The concise teaching segments were followed by longer small group discussion times that moved from observing Jesus’ disciple-making ministry to putting it into practice in our own neighborhood and context.  What made this time especially effective was the years of disciple-making culture and values that are embedded deep within our ministry’s DNA.  Many expressed that we were putting words to concepts we had been living out, giving a clearer vision of what we’re all working toward.

While we covered a lot of content, the retreat was also full of fun and games.  The first night’s games of dominoes and Dutch Blitz were followed up by an afternoon of soccer, foosball, and ping-pong, and then dramatically eclipsed by a spontaneous two hours of karaoke in Spanish and English on the final night.  All I have to say is Mission Adelante’s got talent!!  

Many of us shared in open mic format, on the final morning, that the greatest highlight of the weekend was worshiping Jesus in three languages at different times during the retreat.  This aspect of our retreat was indeed a unique and profound experience.  Nepali songs led by AB, Ram and the Nepali band expressed praise for our Lord with voices and dancing.  Our Latino musicians passionately led us as we lifted up the name of Jesus.  And, our English speaking group guided us to that intimate place where Jesus is the center of everything.  It was a taste of heaven indeed.

As messy as multicultural endeavors can be, we are excited to continue experimenting, overcoming challenges, and experiencing the Lord together in the process.  And, as we press into making disciples like Jesus did, we are anxiously expecting and praying that the Lord will ignite a multiplying, multicultural movement in our neighborhood.  

“We envision a growing multicultural community of disciples making disciples, where immigrants and others are thriving and using our gifts together to transform our neighborhood and the world for the glory of Jesus Christ.”

I believe now that we are closer than ever to seeing what we’ve been envisioning for so long.  I invite you to pray that this vision will become reality at Mission Adelante.  

In other news:

• The Bhutanese Teens Club launch could not have gone better! Last week, 14 high school and college-age students joined us to eat, play games, do homework and learn about Jesus in small group bible studies.  We've switched from Tuesday nights to Monday nights this trimester.

• The Latino Leaders in Training are learning about the life of Jesus and the kind of leader He was as recorded by Matthew!  It is encouraging to see the kids growing in their pursuit of the Lord.

• Last Thursday was "Superhero Night" at Kid’s Adelante.  It was a blast to see the well-known and made upcharacters the kids chose for their costumes!

Prayer requests:

• Please pray that the Lord would draw closer to His heart the young mothers in our neighborhood that may feel isolated and that need love, support, and hope.  Pray that they'll find encouragement through community.

Upcoming dates:

Observation Nights: Each trimester we invite potential volunteers to come observe our ministry programs to get a better idea of what serving in our context looks like.  Come on up to 22 S. 18th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102 at 6:30 on any of the following evenings:

• Tuesdays, March 1 and 8: Bhutanese ministry observations nights (Adult ESL, Kids Club, Middle School Club)
• Thursdays, March 3 and 10: Latino ministry observation nights (Adult ESL, Kids Club)

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Yurielvys Alonso Shares His Story

Yuri sharing his testimony before being baptized this summer.

A Letter from Yurielvys Alonso (translated from Spanish)

I’m excited to introduce myself and share with you a little bit of my story and the opportunity God has placed before me to learn more about Him and be equipped for ministry through an apprenticeship at Mission Adelante.   I am a young Cuban, who like every other immigrant, came to this country seeking opportunities and better economic possibilities.  My wife, Natalhy, and I left our families, our friends, and our neighbors and we miss our customs and culture very much.  

When we arrived in Kansas City we had many challenges, including the cold weather, the different cultural traditions, and the English language.  By God’s grace, my wife reconnected with a friend from Cuba who told us about Mission Adelante's English classes, and we decided to attend.  It’s incredible how God has a plan for our lives!  We went looking for English, but we found something much bigger!  We found the greatest thing; The King of Kings!  

In my home country I had not had the privilege of knowing Jesus personally, and as I reflect back on God’s plan, it is incredible to see how He brought us to this city, how He used our Cuban friend to take us to church, and how He touched our hearts.  I have come to know Jesus the redeemer, the savior, and the teacher, and He has taught me how to enjoy each step I take with His presence in my life. Mission Adelante has offered me the opportunity to grow spiritually to the point that I have felt a strong desire to become a pastor and share with everyone the work of God in my life.  As I write to you, I am preparing to begin a three-year apprenticeship that will equip me with tools to grow more in my relationship with Christ and to take the Gospel to everyone.  I am excited to begin in January.  

The apprenticeship at Mission Adelante is a training program that includes academic study, individual mentoring, practical ministry experience, and a place on the Mission Adelante staff.  I will receive a full-time salary and benefits as a part of the program so that I can dedicate my full attention to my ministry training and responsibilities.  Thank you for your friendship and for allowing me to share my story with you.

Sincerely,

Yurielvys Alonso

If you would like to support Mission Adelante's Community Leader Fund, please visit missionadelante.org/give and choose the "Community Leader Fund" option.  

Loving People from Other Places

By Gary Pauley, Latino Outreach Director

I am new at Mission Adelante, and my first trimester of ESL has been quite an experience. The class is full and we have an abundance of volunteers from all over the city. It is an amazing thing to watch unfold.

About our third week into the trimester a lady showed up asking to sign up for English level one. The class was full, and I was about to explain to her that she might have to wait for another trimester. She spoke no English and seemed...exhausted.

"We are new here," she told me. "I have five children and I speak no English. I don't think I can do this without being able to speak to anyone."

I asked her how the transition was going, and how she felt. She began to cry. "It's very hard," she said. I got the idea that there had been many hardships along the way.

We explain to our volunteers that they are not just volunteering to coach someone in English. They are finding connections to new people from other places, and God has a purpose in it all. We encourage our amazing volunteers to cultivate friendships and show the love of Christ in any way they can.

Someone will have that opportunity with this struggling lady. We found room for her in the English class.

In Other News:

• The Latino Leaders in Training Program had fun taking learning on the road last Saturday! We took a field trip to the Ernie Miller Nature Center to go hiking and continue our studies on nature and conservation.  Then we finished the day off with a Halloween party.

• Developing young talent!  Our Latino worship team has become a beautiful, cross-cultural mix of people of different ages and from different places. Our bass player, drummer (age 11), and two vocalist are from Mexico.  Our lead vocalist, pianist, and flautist (age 13) are from Cuba.  And our two guitarists (one a former missionary to Mexico and the other age 14) are from the U.S.

Prayer needs:

• Please be praying as the Bhutanese community celebrates many festivals this month.

• Please pray for a member of our community whose mother is very sick in Cuba.

• Please pray for the Lord to strengthen leaders from our community who are taking on new roles.

• Praise God with us for the way he has created a sense of family in our house churches.

• Please pray for our Thrift Store lease negotiations to be finalized soon!

Current needs: volunteers

• Bhutanese LIT is looking for people to commit to being weekly mentors from 4:00-6:00 on Thursday afternoons!  If you are interested, or would like more information, please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.

• Kids Club is growing!  Last week we had 23 kids under the age of 6, and need to add a new Kids Club group!  To add a new group, we need more mentors!  If you like to work with the under-6 set and have Tuesday nights free to serve, contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.

Important dates:

• Get-acquainted Days: Tuesday, October 14 (Bhutanese)/Thursdays, October 16 & 23, 6:30-8:30  Have you wondered what all goes on around here on a typical evening of programming?  Here's your opportunity to come and see for yourself!  Come on up to 22 S. 18th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102.  Please note, the Bhutanese Get-acquainted Day on October 21 has been cancelled due to a festival that will be celebrated by our community that day.  If you want to check out our Bhutanese outreach, we hope you can make it on the 14th!

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From Barbie Dolls to High Heels: A Coming-of-Age Celebration!

By Megan McDermott, Latino Children's Ministry Director

One of the best parts of sharing life with the community of Mission Adelante is that we are privileged to be invited into milestone celebrations. We love embracing the uniqueness of the different cultures that we serve and celebrating that culture right alongside our friends!  

Within the Latino culture, one of the most important days in the life of a young Latina woman is when she turns fifteen years old.  This milestone, also known as the Quinceanera, occurs when a young girl is presented to her community as a young woman. Before the eyes of friends and family, she receives her last doll, dances a special waltz with her father, and exchanges flat shoes for a "grown up" pair of high heels.  All of this symbolizes the transformation and celebration of  a little girl becoming a woman.  I was blessed to be invited to the quinceanera of a young woman that I have known for many years.

I met Gissel seven years ago when I began serving at Mission Adelante.  At the time she was eight years old and had this very sweet spark of innocence in her.  She has always had a very special place in my heart because of her inherent goodness, compassion for others, and her tenacious spirit.  As she has matured, she has grown up participating in our outreach Bible study, our after-school tutoring program, our teens program, and recently gained admittance to Bishop Ward, one of the best hig schools in Kansas City!  God has blessed us with the opportunity to walk with her and her entire family.  

We have seen the importance of planting the seeds of Christ early in the life of a child and how, when tended over the years, those seeds can grow into strong saplings.  Watching Gissel walk up to the altar with her parents on the day of the quinceanera was a strong reminder to me of God's goodness and faithfulness. Investing in the children of our community requires time, patience, and faith that God is in control.  As I looked at this beautiful young woman, remembering her when she was so young, I found myself praising God for how He has lovingly guided her over the years.  I am excited to see where He will lead her!

In other news:

• We relaunched one of our Latino House churches this weekend.  It was exciting to see some members reconnect who had been absent for a long time.
• We are excited to welcome our Cuban family, Raices ("Roots"), as they arrive in Kansas City for ten days.  We are looking forward to fellowship, laughter, fun, and the Lord to continue uniting our ministries to spread the Gospel.

Prayer needs:

• The RAICES team from Cuba will be in Kansas City for 2 weeks!  Please pray that their visit will be fruitful, that there would be mutual learning between our community and theirs.
• Please pray for Adelante Thrift while we work through the lease for our location.
• Continue to pray for members of our community looking for work. Pray for good pay and healthy work environments.
• Please pray for the health of one of our dear friends in the Bhutanese Community, Mon Maya, as she has been sick for several months.
• The family members of one of our Cuban community members just received visas to join him in Kansas City after a four year wait. Please pray for the Lord to guide them through all that immigration to the US entails, and to provide for their needs as they settle here.

Current needs:

• Volunteers for our Fall Trimester, beginning the week of September 15:
• Monday-Thursday afternoons: 20 volunteers to serve one afternoon a week at Leaders In Training, our after-school tutoring and character development program for a select group of 8-13 year old Bhutanese and Latino students.  Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• Tuesday evenings: 8 volunteers to serve at Kids Club, our outreach Bible study for 1-13 year old Bhutanese kids.  Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
• Thursday evenings:
• Volunteer conversation partners for our Adult ESL classes.  Contact Morgan Ham at morganh@missionadelante.org.
• 5 volunteers to serve at Kids Adelante, our outreach Bible study for 5-12 year old Latino kids.  Contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• LIT has been gifted tablets to use with LIT this school year.  We are in need of cases to protect the tablets.  If you would like to donate one, check out our Wishlist:  LIT Wishlist  If you have questions please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@Missionadelante.org
• The RG Asian store is expanding their store to include a restaurant. They are currently in need of a few small tables and chairs.  Please contact David Stetler at davids@missionadelante.org.  
• We are making steady progress on the house rehab, and will soon need appliances.  Please contact Sarah at sarahw@missionadelante.org if you are able to donate an electric range/oven, washer, electric dryer, or dishwasher.
• We want to re-open our resource center well-stocked with food baskets.  Check out this link  http://www.missionadelante.org/serviceprojects/  or contact Molly Merrick at mollym@missionadelante.org for more information about how to get involved.

Important dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training: Saturday, September 13, 9:00-12:30 All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante. It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante's ministry. 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.
• All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert: Monday, September 15, 6:30 p.m. We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our fall trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch. 
• Fall trimester programs launch: Week of September 15

What Have the Summer Interns Been Up To?

By Edgar Soriano, Ministry Intern

This has been a great summer! Our second internship for teens from our own neighborhood has been an amazing experience for each of them. They have done so many things that have helped them grow closer to God. 

They've gotten the chance to see the other side of ministry and have loved and enjoyed doing it.

The first month of the internship was filled with kids camps, where they played with the kids and helped lead small groups.

They've also been focused on discipling other teens from our community by living life and sharing Jesus with them. They organize social activities for the teens like playing soccer, going to a movie, going bowling, and other fun things that help them share life. We are getting close to the end of the internship but the interns are better then ever.  

We are so proud of them for the great leaders they're becoming.

They have learned and grown so much this year, and we and hope to see all of them back next year.

Current Needs:

• Leaders in Training, our after-school leadership development and tutoring program, is getting excited about technology!  We are currently looking for tablets that are in new, or very good condition to be used for learning activities during the 2014-2015 school year. If you have one you would like to donate please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• Looking for a fun way to make a big impact in the fall? Want to pour into the future leaders of our community?   Our relational and fun after-school tutoring and character development program, Leaders in Training, is currently looking for volunteers.  Contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org if you are interested!
• We are rehabbing the house next door to our building, and are in need of residential appliances in good working order.  Please contact Sarah at sarahw@missionadelante.org if you would like to donate an electric range/oven, dishwasher, washer, or electric dryer.

Important Dates:

• Bhutanese Summer Party--Saturday, August 9 at 4:00 at Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, KS 66109. After entering the park you'll come to a fork in the road; go left and continue to Shelter #6. Please bring a dish to share and stay for the awards and cultural presentation!
• Latino Summer Party--Sunday, August 10 at 5:00 at Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, KS 66109. After entering the park you'll come to a fork in the road; go left and continue to Shelters #8 &10. Please note, these are different shelters than the large shelter where the party has been held in previous years. Dress casually and bring a dish to share, lawn chairs and/or a picnic blanket.

Remove the Glass Ceiling

Written by Jason Schoff, Latino Outreach Director

When I was younger, I dreamed of learning to fly jets and becoming an airline pilot.  Nothing stood in my way as far as I knew.  My family and friends told me it was all possible if I worked hard enough, and based on their encouragement, I felt like I could accomplish anything.  My future was limitless.  As a Christian, I fully understand why this is true.  In Genesis 1:26-28 we read that God created each of us in His own image, meaning that He put in humans an amazing ability to do great things, some beyond imagination.

What would your life be like if you couldn't dream about the future?  Many immigrant families journey to the United States, their travel fueled by their dreams.  However, some discover that there is a glass ceiling limiting what they can actually achieve.  This ceiling becomes an inhibitor to dreams and aspirations, and is most disturbing when we see immigrant children learn to doubt the potential of their dreams coming true.  As our ministry has grown, we have discovered the complexities of what undocumented families face, especially undocumented children brought to the U.S. illegally by parents in search of a better life.  These kids may dream in elementary school of being a doctor but by high school they learn that they cannot work legally or get a driver's license, and they surrender their hope of achieving their dreams.  We share in their disappointment.

Last summer our President signed an executive order granting these kids a chance to Dream, provided they graduate from high school.  Since then we have helped five youth complete the paperwork to gain temporary legal status.  What does this mean?  It means we can cheer kids on to dream again, and they can actually believe that it's worth it.  When you remove the glass ceiling looming above a person's life, he or she can again believe great things, and then achieve great things.  A transformation occurs in the lives of those who are granted this chance!  As advocates for immigrant families, we wonder what amazing things the parents, too, could achieve, were they given a similar opportunity.  How might our cities and churches benefit from our neighbors' dreams? This is why we stand with other Christians (Evangelical Immigration Table) who share the conviction that our laws must be reformed so as to honor the image of God in each of us.  Please join us in praying that national legislators who are tackling this issue will share this conviction.

In other news:

• One of our Bhutanese friends who is hearing impaired recently went missing for two days. His family was very worried until the police located him safe and sound at KU Med Center. Our friends from Deaf International were a huge help to his family during this time. What a beautiful thing to see His children gather around others in a time of need.
• A group of community leaders, volunteers, and staff are headed to the Christian Community Development Association National Conference in New Orleans next week. Please pray that they would hear from God during this time and come back with fresh ideas and renewed vision of what it looks like to work in partnership with our community.

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for the Bhutanese ESL Lead Team as we plan program components for the fall.
• The Adelante Thrift team continues to search for a retail location and will view two potential sites this weekend. Please pray as we continue the process of finding the right store location.

Other needs:

• We're looking for three copies of the Jesus Calling Bible Storybook to use with the younger kids in our Kids Adelante outreach Bible study. (Here is the listing on Amazon.) We're specifically requesting the books, not monetary donations. Please contact Molly at mollym@missionadelante.org if you would like to contribute one.
• Our LIT Library is coming closer to completion!  We are in need of some furnishings to make it feel like home, such as a colorful rug and bean bag chairs.  If you have an item to donate please contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org or Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
• Want to hang out with some fun kids and make a big impact? We are looking for volunteers for our Leadership development program and also for our Outreach Bible Study! Opportunities are available Monday-Thursday.  Please contact Megan if you are interested at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• Our Bhutanese Leaders in Training Program is getting ready to start our second year! We are currently looking for 4 mentors to serve on Wednesday afternoons.  If you are interested in learning more, contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
• Kids Club, our Bhutanese Kids Outreach is in need of 7 mentors, 6:30-8:30 on Tuesday nights from September 24th-December 10th.  If you are interested, or know of someone who might be, contact Kristen Maxwell at Kristenm@missionadelante.org.

Important dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training: Saturday, September 21, 9:00-12:30 All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante. It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante's ministry. 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 attend this informative training. 
• All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert: Monday, September 23, 6:30 p.m. We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our fall trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch. 
• Fall trimester programs launch: Week of September 23

Summer Interns from our Neighborhood!!

Our Summer Internship opening retreat began in Lawrence

by Jarrett Meek, Founder, Executive Pastor

Jesus, having seen the crowds of people in the towns around Jerusalem had compassion on them.  "The are like sheep without a shepherd," he said.  Where are the shepherds?  Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send out workers into his harvest field."  And then Jesus sends his twelve disciples out to preach the good news.  The disciples became the harvest workers.  This was Jesus' plan!

When I look throughout our urban Kansas City neighborhood I see deep and desperate needs all around, but I also see great potential.  I see sheep without a shepherd, but at the same time I see young leaders emerging.  Our prayer at Mission Adelante has been that God would raise up workers for His harvest from within our neighborhood.  And its happening!  

This weekend we launched our first ever summer internship for emerging leaders from our own neighborhood; 

Helen Venegas, Edgar Soriano, Iris Venegas, and Odalis Delgado.  

These are amazing young people who have been involved in Mission Adelante now for many years, most of them having started with us as kids when Kids Adelante still met in our basement.  Over the years the Lord has worked in their lives in powerful ways and has begun something that we are confident He will continue on until the day of Christ Jesus.  These neighborhood all-stars are learning to follow Jesus, they're making an impact, blazing new trails, loving their peers, and becoming leaders in our ministry.

This summer they will become key-carrying members of our staff, walking closely with mentors, doing ministry together, receiving training workshops and being challenged to seek the Lord in their own personal lives in new and deeper ways.  They are ready to be sent out, just like the disciples were sent out; not yet fully trained, but bravely depending on Jesus for every step in their own growth, knowing that He will use them in ways they never imagined and that the experience will shape their own lives.

The opening retreat for the internship began in Lawrence with a tour of KU's campus, where Iris will be attending in the Fall.  And then we moved to The Barn Bed and Breakfast Inn were we dove into games and activities that deepened our relationships and set a course for pursuing Christ together through the summer.  As I look forward to the next 8 weeks I am expectant and excited about what the Lord will do in their lives and through them.  And I continue to "pray that the Lord would raise us workers for His harvest" from within our neighborhood.  Please pray with us this summer!

In other news

• This trimester we have a new volunteer position available at Bhutanese Teens Club.Tenteenagerswill serve as captains this trimester. These captains will have leadership roles and help teach or organize games. We are excited to see these students develop their leadership abilityas they learn to follow Yeshu (Jesus) this summer!
• Four Latino teens confirmed their participation as summer interns this past week.  They will be challenged in new ways over the next two months, but they are ready and eager.
• Yanelis, the Raices director in Cuba, arrived on Saturday and will help lead our summer interns in discipleship seminars.  We are excited to have her here this summer.
• A Memorial Day get-together at the Meeks’ home turned into a beautiful multicultural party.  A spontaneous dance party erupted on the patio--and on the picnic table! There was football, volleyball, and croquet in the yard, s'mores in the firepit, and all kinds of meat on the open grill.  It was a slice of heaven!

Prayer needs

• Please pray for our senators and representatives looking to reform immigration laws.  Pray for them to be wise, courageous, and God-honoring in their decisionmaking.
• Please pray for English students and conversation partners to enjoy each other and develop authentic relationships as they spend time together this summer. 

Current Needs

• We need several 4x8 foot ivory-colored cloth tablecloths to be used for events at the building. If you are able to provide these, please contact Jenny Dunn at jennyd@missionadelante.org.

• We still need a few more board books for our Mommy & Me ESL and early literacy class in June. Please contact laurent@missionadelante.org for book titles.

 Important Dates

• Latino Summer Program Launch: Tonight

Raising up Leaders One Song at a Time

Written by Megan McDermott, Latino Children's Ministry Director

Have you ever met someone that after knowing them for only five minutes, reminded you of the absolute joy found in Christ?  When Janoy first came to Mission Adelante, he brought an infectious energy and a passion for Christ that has continued to inspire everyone around him.  He is a man that does everything with 100% of his heart and this became even more obvious as he began to emerge as a potential leader in our house church.

One of his greatest gifts is leading others in worshiping the Lord with his voice. When a church has a worship leader that loves to praise the Lord whole-heartedly, it allows the church body to pursue the Lord in a really intimate way. One of the greatest desires at the heart of Mission Adelante is that we are

dedicated to reproducing and equipping Indigenous leaders for ministry.

   Therefore, it seemed only natural to encourage and empower Janoy to step into leading the Latino worship team. 

The majority of the worship team is composed of teenagers that are hungry to learn and play music.  However, because they are still learning how to play the instruments and they struggle with self-confidence, they often experience a great deal of frustration when trying to learn a new song.  It has been so incredible to watch as Janoy,

one Indigenous leader, reaches out to help raise up other Indigenous leaders!

  Wouldn’t it be incredible if one day the teens themselves were mentoring the future worship leaders of our community, teaching what they learned from Janoy?

It is a blessing to walk alongside my brother, Janoy, as the Lord encourages and challenges him to lead others.  His passion for Christ is cultivating the melody of the song that the Lord desires to love His children with.

In other news:

•  
• We have been busy planning for our summer ESL classes. Bhutanese students will learn useful English words for gardening, food packaging, and road signs. We will even have a workshop for moms and their preschoolers. It’s going to be a great summer!
•  
• Cindy Green from Senator Jerry Moran’s office came to visit our ministry last week and learn about how we are serving and connecting with immigrants and refugees in our community.
•  
• Director of Community Development, Kristen Allen, attended the Christian Community Health Fellowship’s annual conference in Atlanta last weekend to continue networking and developing our vision for a community-based medical clinic for immigrants and refugees.

Prayer needs:

•  
• We are visiting 8 Latino teens this week with the hope they will move forward in applying for our summer internship.  Pray for these teens to catch a vision for how God wants’ to use them.
•  
• Please pray for emerging partnerships in our neighborhood with refugee groups from Burma.
•  
• Please pray for ongoing renewal and rest, deepening passion, and relational unity for our staff and missional community as we serve in a sometimes difficult urban context.

Current needs:

•  
• A set or two of 5-7 baby board books for our “mommy & me” Bhutanese ESL workshop. Please contact Lauren at laurent@missionadelante.org if you can help purchase one or more books.
• Volunteers to join the Transportation Team for the Bhutanese Outreach. There are positions available on Tuesday evenings for the summer, as well as Tuesday - Thursday evenings in the month of June. For more information, contact Drew Hammond at drewh@missionadelante.org.

Important dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training: Saturday, May 18, 9:00-12:30 All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante. It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante's ministry. 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 attend this informative training. 
• All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert: Monday, May 20, 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 May 27

The Story After the Story

Written by Jason Schoff, Latino Outreach Director

In the days leading up to our Christmas Eve service, I visited several community families in their homes to talk with them about their Christmas plans and to make sure they knew the details for our service.  I found out that one young Latino couple and another single man didn't have any plans for Christmas Eve following our service.  This seemed tragic, especially given that Latinos stay up past midnight on Christmas Eve celebrating with family and friends. What could I do?  I was leaving early the next morning to join my family.  I love to be involved in God's plan but sometimes He reminds me that I am not the main solution, others are.  

Cynthia was the solution.  God used Cynthia and her love for people and hospitality to make the night complete.  When she found out these three friends would be going home without a party to attend, she extended an invitation.  Maybe there was no room in the inn for Jesus nor was there room at other parties for Martin, Sindi and Michael, but Cynthia allowed these fellow believers that opportunity to join her family for tamales, posole, and other traditional Mexican foods.  Cynthia is one of the bright spots in our ministry because she understands the importance of relationships to our discipleship efforts.  It will be exciting to see her take other steps to lead in the year ahead.  

Our Christmas Eve service was a wonderful end to our 2012 ministry season, but so much of what makes us excited happens outside of the big events when perhaps only God is watching.

In other news:

• The Mission Adelante staff enjoyed a restful and refreshing break spent with family and friends! Thank you for your prayers to that end.  Most of us returned to the office reinvigorated (there's some illness about), and we're looking forward to diving into a new trimester.

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for our new volunteers as they come for orientation this Saturday. Pray that they would feel welcomed and encouraged by the opportunity to serve with us!

• Please pray for the Bhutanese Leadership team meeting on Sunday.  Pray for ownership, direction, and vision for this team.

• We would love prayers for all of our outreach activities as they ramp back up over the next week, that the Lord would guide us to be His hands and feet to the community that we love and serve. Pray particularly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for smooth, stress free, and Spirit-filled days as our outreach programs launch for the spring trimester.

Other needs:

• Volunteers to serve once per week for the duration of the spring trimester, beginning next week (the week of January 14) and concluding the week of April 8:
• Two men and 1 woman who would be excited about forming discipling/mentoring relationships with Bhutanese teenagers through Bhutanese Teens Club on Tuesday evenings. Please contact Hannah Hume at hannahh@missionadelante.org.
• Volunteers who love kids and love Jesus to mentor Bhutanese kids ages 5-12 on Tuesday evenings. Specifically, two more men are needed. Please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
• Volunteers to mentor Latino kids through either Leaders In Training on Monday or Tuesday afternoons, or Kids Adelante outreach Bible study on Thursday evenings. Please contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• Volunteers to help organize our Resource Center on Wednesday afternoons between 1 and 3 pm. The Resource Center provides food, clothing, and household items to immigrants in need of these items. Please contact Molly Merrick at mollym@missionadelante.org if you're available at that time.

• A dining table and chairs. If you have one available please contact Drew Hammond at drewh@missionadelante.org.
• Two twin beds, 1 queen bed, a sofa, and a kitchen table and chairs to seat 6 or 7 have been requested through our Resource Center. The Resource Center also needs inventory including new and gently used kitchen items, bedding, towels, and medium stuffed animals. Please contact Molly Merrick at mollym@missionadelante.org to set up a time to drop-off your donation. Please help us out by not leaving donations inside or outside our facility.  Thanks.           

• Small toys and trinkets (valued at about $1 each--ie Target dollar bins, or dollar store) to be added to our Kids Club prize box, which contains reward for excellent behavior during our Tuesday night program for kids ages 5-12.  If you can help us out contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.

• The Bhutanese and Latino LIT programs need a small group (or groups) to purchase pre-packaged, healthy, after-school snacks for the kids.  We would be blessed to receive a couple months (@ 3 days/week) worth of snacks.  Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.

• Fifteen to twenty 8 GB flash drives for the Latino LIT students to use, preferably with a ring or another way to attach them to lanyards. Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.

• Bhutanese and Latino kids' programs are in search of a gently used lamination machine to keep our frequently used materials usable for longer. Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.

Important dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training--Saturday, January 12 @ 9:00-12:30 All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante.  It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante.  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 attend this informative training.
• All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert--Monday, January 14 @ 6:30 p.m.  We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our spring trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch.
• Spring trimester programs launch--Week of January 14

Future Leaders

The Leaders In Training Boys

At Leaders in Training (LIT) every child has different skills to develop, abilities to grow and dreams to awaken.  Each day is filled with a combination of creative enrichment, academic learning and the development of social skills, preparing them for a future of hope and towards dreams bigger than what they thought they could become.

"The community is very excited about this new program and the potential that it brings the young people. We hope to see more kids learning the right things through the LIT program."  says Ran Poudel (LIT father and community leader).

Kumar Pokrel (LIT father and community leader) says, "I'm very excited about this program and my child is learning a lot.   He is becoming more cooperative and responsible and he is growing in character and learning to respect others more and more."

We believe that LIT is an incredibly significant investment and that the lives of these kids have so much capacity for positive influence with their peers.  We are so excited to see these kids grow, excel and realize their full potential to impact their community, neighborhood and someday the world!

I cannot wait to watch this happen!

Future Leaders!    "I am waiting for that day" - mother of LIT student

Bhutanese and Latino LIT students at Union Station

In other news:

• The Bhutanese and Latino LIT (Leaders in Training) programs took their first joint field trip yesterday to Science City and Zonkers! Having earned the field trip as a reward for their hard work and demonstration of leadership, the students really enjoyed themselves!
• Bhutanese Teens Club is going very well after changing its format at the beginning of this trimester. Our time together now includes a contextualized worship time in Nepali, thanks to our new music volunteer Janga Chhetri, that the students love!
• We celebrated our ministry to Cuba as a congregation this past Sunday at our Latino church service.  Yanelis, the leader of the Raices discipling ministry in Cuba, is in Kansas City for a few weeks. She shared testimony of how God is at work there. It gave us a wonderful opportunity to praise him together, and for our community to see their prayers at work.
• Teens Adelante has formed a Teen Leadership Team of 5 Latino teenagers committed to growing in their leadership and their love for their peers. We’re excited to see the teens begin to shape the direction of youth ministry in KCK.

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for the new Teens Adelante Leadership Team and their spiritual growth and vision for their peers.
• Please pray for a pre-adolescent boy in our community who is falling into destructive behaviors and patterns.  Ask the Lord to supply wisdom and patience to his family.
• Pray daily for meetings, meals, and celebrations taking place among our Latino community that represent discipleship.  Ask God to give teachable moment this very day to us and our disciples.  

Current needs:

• We know you have them!!  Used I-Pods and Cell phones by October 18 for the RAICES ministry in Cuba!  Please contact Jarrett Meek at jarrettm@missionadelante.org
• The weather has changed! We are in need of cold-weather clothing for the whole family to stock our resource center. The resource center is also low on household items such as pots and pans, dishes and cups, small and large appliances, etcetera. Please contact Molly Merrick at mollym@missionadelante.org to set up a time to drop-off your donation. Please help us out by not leaving donations inside or outside our facility. Thanks!

Important dates:

• Tuesdays, October 16 & 23/Thursdays, October 18 & 25:Ever wondered what goes on here on a typical evening of programming?  Come on up on a observation night and find out!  Tuesday evenings are Bhutanese outreach, Thursday evenings are Latino outreach.  Come to 22 S. 18th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102 between 6:30 and 8:30.

• Saturday, November 17, 3-6:30 p.m.: Mission Adelante Staff House Parties
• Jarrett & Kristen Meek, Molly Merrick: 251 N. 15th Street
• Jason & Megan Schoff, Megan McDermott: 410 N. 15th Street
• David & Brooke Coon: 245 N. 17th Street
• David & Holly Stetler, Drew Hammond: 438 N. 17th Street
• Drew & Lauren Timberlake, Kristen Maxwell: 706 N. 17th Street
• Garett & Jenny Dunn, Hannah Hume: 335 N. 15th Street
All homes are in Kansas City, KS 66102.  RSVP is not necessary.

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