Ashley (second to the left) with other interns and apprentices at our last retreat for the summer.
Written by Ashley Delgado, Summer Intern
Good morning, good evening, or goodnight. I do not know when you are reading this but my name is Ashley Delgado, and I'm honored to write this article about my adventure with Mission Adelante. I remember the beginning of Mission Adelante. I was about 6 or 7 years old. It was at a house packed full of kids and parents. It reminded me of the movie Daddy Daycare. I was in Group 1 of Kids Adelante (a Bible study group for kids) which met in the basement. Throughout my time there I didn't understand who Jesus was because I was too young. As the days went by more kids began attending and the amount of space began decreasing. This meant it was time to expand.
Mission Adelante transitioned from a house to a building. I don't remember much about this time because I was very quiet and shy. I did not make a lot of friends but the volunteers were very nice to me. They never made me feel alone and were there to cheer me up. In Kids Adelante, I learned many Bible stories. Even to this day I still recall them. As I got older, I began participating in an after school program called LIT (Leaders in Training.) At first, I was excited to join this program and attended for two years. However, my faith began disappearing, and I stopped attending. As I got older, I began attending Teens Adelante. This group was smaller than Kids Adelante and consisted of youth from middle and high school. I began participating when I was in sixth grade; now I am a senior in high school. Teens Adelante helped me open up about my life and faith. It is also a great place to have fun and simply be a teenager.
In May 2019, I was given the opportunity to be part of Mission Adelante’s summer internship. As an intern, you get to experience what it is like to be a leader. You also learn how to be a disciple and teach others to be followers of God. Being an intern was a great experience for me! My faith grew stronger. At Mission Adelante, I was surrounded by people that love and care about me. They have been with my family and me during good and bad situations. They have also prayed for us on many occasions. These are the things that I will always treasure in my heart. During my time at Mission Adelante, I have learned everything from children’s Bible stories to learning how to make disciples. I have grown a lot with and through them. Mission Adelante is a place I can call home.
Serving God in a multicultural setting can be challenging. Mission Adelante will be hosting a seminar on August 17 to address mutuality and the importance of interdependent relationships in ministry. Speaker and author, Karen Gonzalez, will be leading the discussion and deconstructing the "us serving them" mentality. We would love for you to join us! Register here: http://www.missionadelante.org/mutuality
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