It's no surprise that Latino children love soccer, but it was obvious last week that Bhutanese kids also share this passion! Goran Hunjak with Victory through Soccer ministry teamed up with Christ Community Church and Mission Adelante to offer a three-day soccer camp to the kids of our community. Despite some challenging logistics because of rain, the camp was amazing.On Tuesday night around 130 kids from our neighborhood converged on Regan Field near Mission Adelante, and participated in what to me was a community spectacle. Youth from Christ Community Church served as volunteer coaches, Bhutanese and Latino children moved from station to station practicing drills, and parents sat in the stands and marveled that their children were being loved by this group of young strangers who might just as easily have rejected them as different if not for Jesus.
One of the stations brought about more excitement than the others; it was the station where each child received a new pair of soccer cleats and a backpack with Mission Adelante's logo embroidered on it! As I watched the event unfold I was filled with thanksgiving for what God is doing among our immigrant friends, for the amazing staff and volunteers that He has brought to serve with us, and for the generosity of so many people who give so that we can serve and bless the Mission Field in our Own Backyard!
In other news:
- We want to give a big "Thanks!" to the Alexander family for spearheading the cleat collection that allowed each child at the soccer camp last week to receive a pair!
- We also want to thank Matt Totsch for answering our call for computer networking support! Thanks to Matt, things are running more smoothly around here.
- This has been the month of summer VBS activities for our kids! The youth group from Emmanuel Baptist Church kicked off this week's evening activities Sunday with supper and a movie on our soccer field.
Prayer needs:
- Mayra and her family have been a faithful part of our community for a couple of years. Last week her brother was killed in Mexico. The tragedy was compounded for Mayra by her inability to return to Mexico for the funeral and to be with the whole family. We held a memorial service for Mayra's brother on Saturday, and the family was comforted to be surrounded by so many supportive friends. Please pray for continuing comfort for Mayra and her family, and that they'll find God faithful and their faith will be strengthened during this difficult time.
- Please pray for safety to cover everyone present at the evening kids' activities this week. For the sake of outreach, the activities are held in a local park, but it is known for gang activity.
- The Latino teen guys and gals will be in separate Bible Studies for the course of the summer, which begin this weekend. Please pray for them to go deep in discussion and in seeking God.
- Pray for the Mission Adelante Board Meeting this Sunday, for wisdom to make decisions pertaining to the Mission's future direction.
Current needs:
- A 13" or larger T.V. with a built-in DVD player or a separate DVD player for use in our children's ministry.
- Books and DVDs with Christian content suitable for small children, such as Veggie Tales.
- Fans to cool our offices and classrooms (we're trying to save money on electricity!)
Upcoming dates:
- June 29: Summer break. No Bhutanese outreach activities.
- July 1: Summer break. No Latino outreach activities.