Bijay (far right) with other apprentices and interns at Escape Room KC.
Written by Bijay Gurung, Ministry Apprentice
I was born in Bhutan but I do not remember much about it. In 1992, my family and I moved to Nepal. We spent 21 years in Nepal as refugees. Some days I look back and reflect on my life there. I often compare what my life used to be and what it is now. God has done a great transformation in my life. In the Bible, Moses had to spend 40 years in the desert to reach the Promised Land that God had offered him. In Nepal, I often felt like Moses waiting for God to take me to the Promised Land. As Moses spent 40 years in the desert, we spent 21 years in Nepal. But now I can say that God has brought me in the land that he had promised to me, the land of opportunity.
In 2013, I received the opportunity to come to the U.S as a refugee. It was an exciting time, and I knew I would experience many new things. As a foreigner, I have had some difficulties assimilating to the American culture and people. When I arrived in the U.S., it was a very big culture shock for me. The simplest things had become difficult. I even had a hard time trying to have a conversation with an American neighbor. I decided to push forward and learn as much as I could. In my 5 years here in the U.S., I have gained a lot of experience in many different fields of work. Through these jobs, I was able to begin learning English and many other skills that would benefit me in the future.
At the beginning of this year, I got the opportunity to serve God by being an apprentice at Mission Adelante. These past months I have learned more about who God is and who we are to Him. I have learned most of this through our staff huddle time. During this time we discuss various passages in a book of the Bible. We also share ideas and ask questions to help us get a clearer understanding of the passage. Mr. Chuck Allen has also visited Mission Adelante and taught us lessons on bitterness and adversity. These lessons have impacted me profoundly and I have even shared them with the congregation of my church, Samdan Church.
This trimester will be my second trimester leading Citizenship Class. Citizenship Class meets on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30pm. My supervisor, Yanelis, has equipped me with the skills to be able to lead this program. I am so excited and thankful to Yanelis for providing me this opportunity to step forward. I also am so excited to work alongside amazing volunteers, one of them being my refugee friend, Avinash Rai. Looking back at my life and all the transformation I have gone through, all I can say is: thank you, God!
Mission Adelante will be hosting a workshop on August 17 with Karen Gonzalez, author of "The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong". We would love for you to join us! More information to come.
Love running? Want to support local non-profits? Join us on September 7, 2019 for Dream KCK 5K Race! Your registration fee and any additional donations support Mission Adelante and/or Second Wind. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK
CURRENT NEEDS:
Do you have a heart for kids? Mission Adelante is looking for volunteers for its Refugee Kids Club, a dynamic and fun club program for kids ages 5-12. For more information and how to get involved visit www.missionadelante.org/kids.
Looking for a way to participate in Dream KCK 5K Race without actually running? How about volunteering to help runners during the race? Check out our volunteer opportunities and see which one best fits you! https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK