refugee resettlement

Save the Date! Mission Adelante to Celebrate 20 Years on September 18th!


Save the date: Mission Adelante to celebrate 20 years on September 18th!

By Jarrett Meek, Founder, Pastor, Executive Director

There’s a first time for everything! We’re excited to announce that we’ll be pulling out all the stops to host our first ever gala event to celebrate Mission Adelante’s 20-year Anniversary. The event, called, “SHINE”, will be a night to remember as we celebrate the past and ignite the future. SHINE will be held at Children’s Mercy Park, home of Sporting KC, and will feature live jazz music, great food, and special guests, such as Daniel Sallói, starting forward for Sporting KC, and Dan Deeble, long-time friend of Mission Adelante, as Emcee.

We’re hoping to include partners, volunteers and Mission Adelante program participants together in this event. It will be a slice of heaven, as people from all places celebrate God’s faithfulness in this mission, together. Sponsorship opportunities are available NOW on the event website: www.shinegala.com and more event registration options will be available soon..

Please save the date and make plans to join us for this momentous occasion!

Volunteer Orientation: May 17, 9:00am to 12:30pm

If you’re interested in serving with us for the summer trimester, please join us for our volunteer orientation and learn about our vision, values, and how to serve as a volunteer. Visit our serve page and fill out an interest form to let us know you’re interested!

Contribute Financially

Mission Adelante is primarily supported by individual donors, businesses, and partner churches. We invite you to make a contribution today and be part of loving people from all places!

When Strangers Become Neighbors

When Strangers Become Neighbors

By Amy Herman, Reception and Placement Director



Recently, a family of seven refugees from Eritrea arrived at Kansas City International Airport, marking the beginning of their new life in the United States. The journey had been long and difficult, with delays and detentions causing added stress. But what unfolded at the airport that day was nothing short of extraordinary—a reminder of the power of community, kindness, and shared experiences. As we greeted the family at the gate, we began the long walk to the baggage claim area. Their faces were a mix of excitement and uncertainty, understandably so after a journey that spanned weeks. But just as we were walking through the terminal, a woman who worked at the airport approached us. She began speaking in Tigrinya, the same language spoken by the family. It was immediately clear that this was not a mere coincidence.

The woman, who had arrived as a refugee herself 14 years ago, quickly formed a connection with the family. As she spoke with them, we learned that her own arrival to Kansas City had mirrored the family’s journey—full of challenges but also opportunities for growth and hope. She understood the weight of the moment in a way that only someone who had been through it could. The family had encountered a setback: their luggage had arrived two days earlier, but due to delays in Washington, D.C., they had not been able to retrieve it. The woman took charge, helping them navigate the airport’s systems and getting the luggage sorted out. Her familiarity with the process and her calm presence helped alleviate much of the family’s stress.

But what truly stood out was her offer of support beyond the airport. She told the family she would be happy to visit them the following day, to offer guidance on adjusting to life in Kansas City, and to answer any questions they might have. She shared that she had once been in their shoes and that Kansas City had become home for her. Her message was simple: "You are not alone."

“This act of kindness exemplified the heart of our community and the spirit of Kansas City.”
— Amy Herman

This act of kindness exemplified the heart of our community and the spirit of Kansas City. It's one thing to provide resources and services to refugees; it’s another to offer genuine, personal support from someone who truly understands their experience. This woman didn’t just act as an interpreter or a guide—she became a bridge, offering the family a lifeline to their new life in a foreign land.  She was truly loving her neighbor as herself (Galatians 5:14)

As we walked out of the airport, the family seemed more at ease, comforted not only by the practical help they had received but by the warmth of a fellow refugee who had already walked the same path. Their journey is just beginning, and there will be many challenges ahead. But with a community of people like this woman—who understands, who cares, and who offers a helping hand—the family can move forward with the knowledge that they have not only a new home but a new circle of support.  She has already connected with the family several times and they have become fast friends.

It’s moments like these that remind us all of the importance of kindness, empathy, and the power of shared human experiences. It is our hope that we can continue to build a community where every refugee, no matter where they come from, finds a welcoming home and a supportive network of people ready to help them succeed.

We are so grateful for how you love your neighbors!

Thank you for your recent outpouring of generosity of $80,000 to provide essential services for the 22 refugee families in the process of resettlement and the compensation and severance for our initial resettlement team.

Help us continue to move forward to love our neighbors in 2025!

Video Update: We Will Continue to Love Mercy and Do Justice

Dear Friends of Mission Adelante,

On January 21st, the new administration suspended all new arrivals through the refugee resettlement program, canceling travel for scores of people who had “waited their turn” and been thoroughly vetted after fleeing violence in their own countries.  On January 24, 2025, the U.S. government went further and abruptly mandated a suspension of all services within the Reception and Placement (R&P) program for refugees already in the country, ending all federal support for newly arrived refugees.  Having given assurances that this year’s contracts for R&P services would be honored through September 30th, the government made this sudden suspension effective immediately, without warning. Under the R&P program, refugees received support for 90 days with rent, food, transportation, cultural orientation, and other basic needs as they worked quickly toward self-sufficiency.  This sudden suspension of funding and services leaves hundreds of newly arrived refugee families without support for basic needs, such as food and housing. 

Mission Adelante currently has 22 families/cases that are within the initial 90-day period with the R&P program.  The suspension of R&P has immediately removed the funding needed to provide basic services for these precious families and to continue to support the 2+ staff members whose roles were funded through R&P.

Mission Adelante has been serving immigrants and refugees for nearly 20 years, because we believe that the biblical command to “love your neighbor as yourself” has a special expression in the way we welcome and show hospitality to “people from all places”.  We are not alone in our conviction.  Indeed, over the years, thousands of volunteers and donors and dozens of churches, businesses and other organizations have joined us in serving, sharing life, and sharing Jesus with people from all places.  With the support from our partners, we will continue to carry out our mission.  Children and youth from all places will continue to gather in a safe place to learn and grow.  Adults from diverse backgrounds and nationalities will continue to learn English and prepare to become citizens through Mission Adelante.  And the Mission Adelante church community will continue to gather for worship, prayer and to study the Word of God together.  

“He has shown you, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you– to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8

Many of our friends have asked what they can do to help in this challenging time.  To meet the need left by the government’s abrupt suspension of R&P, we are launching the “Love Mercy Initiative”.  Through “Love Mercy” we will endeavor to raise $70,000 to meet the basic needs of newly arrived refugee families over the next 3 months and provide compensation and severance pay for our initial resettlement staff as we wrap up this program.  In the coming days we will be sharing volunteer opportunities and prayer needs.  When the government abandons its commitment to the vulnerable, the church must step in to fill the gap.  

Sincerely,

Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director

Mission Adelante, Inc.