Written by Nate Bozarth
There was an unexpected peace three weeks ago at the first ever Bhutanese Teens Club. Prior attempts at any sort of similar gathering had led to unruly behavior including miniature basketballs beaming swiftly into the heads of multiple teenagers. This time the club, hosted at Dynamic Life Baptist Ministries just a stone’s throw away from Mission Adelante’s building, carried on without hardly a hiccup.
Volunteers and teens arrived around 6:30, ready to play a little bit of ping pong and socialize. The first night over 20 Bhutanese high school students showed up, alongside a handful of American students from Mill Creek Church acting as intentional Jesus‑following peers to the Bhutanese. Other volunteers led worship, told the evening’s story, and led small group discussion about the story.
The story? Yes. The more I learn about the Storyformed Way and their model of discipling by way of telling the stories found in the Bible, the more excited I get about the concept. When people tell stories, the listeners can inhabit and feel the story. They can become a part of the story. This is exactly the point. Since God created mankind He has invited us to become a part of His story, a part of something bigger than ourselves. So, every Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m, I would invite you to become a part of what God is doing by praying that the masterful testimony of God’s sovereignty across history is communicated effectively to the Bhutanese at Teens Club as we invite them to become a part of God’s story.
- The summer interns have had two full weeks of meeting many of the people in our community. They have enjoyed dinners in families' homes, gone to the spray-ground and ice cream shop with kids, played soccer, and have already made new friends. After all the hard work of fund raising, they're thrilled to have begun engaging with people relationally!
- Geo, one of our interns, has connected a few times with Lalo, one of our more troubled teenage boys. We're really excited to see how God works through their friendship this summer.
- Summer intern Jessie Chastain has discovered the significant role she can play in connecting the culture she's from with the immigrant culture we serve here. Sharing her experiences so far with a suburban friend made her realize her opportunity to be an ambassador for the immigrant populations in Kansas City, Kansas.
- Several recent crises in the Bhutanese community have given David Stetler, Director of Bhutanese Outreach, opportunities to enter into a pastoral role within their community as he's guided and counseled them through. It's amazing to see people from a Hindu culture identify a Christian as their pastor!
- Holding memorial services is a way for us to walk alongside family members in our community who lose a loved one in their home country and can't return. A week ago we held a memorial service for a sister and a father of two members of our community that had passed away in Mexico.
- A Bhutanese couple facing marital problems have agreed to delay divorcing to be counseled by David Stetler. Please pray for them to receive wisdom from David, and for God to transform their hearts in order to heal their marriage.
- Please pray for the interns to connect deeply in relationships within our community.
- David Stetler will be traveling to Nepal tomorrow to spend almost three weeks there and in India. He has a full itinerary including fellowship with a friend who is a Nepali pastor, helping train Nepali pastors about church planting, and making strategic connections that will benefit the Bhutanese in Kansas City, Kansas. Please pray for the Lord to guide his travels, protect him, and accomplish all He wants to.
- Many of the immigrant families we serve have a need for the basics, like food. Help provide staple food items for neighborhood families by hosting a Canasta Basica Assembly Party! Find all the details by clicking here!
- June 28-July 4: Summer break. No Bhutanese or Latino outreach programs. The Mission Adelante office will be closed June 29-July 4.