Party with Mission Adelante This Saturday!

It's time to party! Mission Adelante's Spring trimester is coming to a close and this weekend we'll celebrate with a big bash at Bethany Community Center. Please join us! We'll grill burgers and dogs, and serve them with the Latin American side dishes that our students and participants will bring to share. There will be games and activities for the kids as well as an awards ceremony.


This trimester we will honor a record number of kids for memorizing eight or more Bible verses during the trimester! We will also give awards to a record number of kids for perfect attendance at Kids Adelante. This trimester we have averaged about 30 kids each week.


On the adult side, several level-one students will receive a full refund of their $30 tuition for attending at least 75% of the class sessions during the trimester, and 2 students will graduate from our five-level program.


If you are interested in volunteering with Mission Adelante please join us at the party this Saturday and check it out!


Time: 2:00-5:00 roughly

Place: Bethany Community Center (1120 Central Avenue; Kansas City, KS 66102)

Bring: a dessert or side dish

In other news:

• Thirty-three kids and 10 adults enjoyed an outing to the Kansas City Wizards soccer game last Wednesday. Jeff Foster of the Wizards obtained donated tickets for the group to use.
• Last week we mentioned Sara, one of our Bible study members who was concerned for financial trouble that her neighbor, Blanca, and her family were experiencing. On Saturday Seth and another volunteer delivered a full-size and two twin beds and sheets to Blanca's family, which was getting situated in a house they just moved in to and moved a sofa there from their previous residence. Blanca and two of her kids attended the worship celebration on Sunday.
• The topic of giving was addressed in our community for the first time on Sunday evening. Jarrett used Biblical examples of benevolence to teach about the importance of caring for one another's needs. Those in attendance had the opportunity to place an offering in an envelope and leave the envelope near the exit. There was a great response to the teaching, and the funds will be used to directly meet the needs of the community.
• Casey Kapple and a group from Emmanuel Baptist Church will conduct activities for the kids during the party this Saturday.

Prayer needs:

• Good weather for the party this Saturday, and a good turnout of students, their friends and families, and volunteers.

Current needs:

• Room dividers or cubicle walls
• A portable MP3 player for Kids Adelante
• Portable soccer goals
• Tutors for an after-school program to begin this fall. If you're interested, contact Jarrett!

Important upcoming dates:

• This Saturday, April 19; 2:00 p.m.: Trimester-end party at Bethany Community Center
• May 24; 9:00 a.m.: Volunteer Orientation and Training
• June 5: Summer trimester begins: ESL classes and Kids Adelante
  

Giving Out Of Scarcity

When food was scarce in the Roman Empire, the new believers in the community of Antioch took up a collection and sent a special gift to the church in Jerusalem. It was a beautiful picture of believers in Christ caring for one another. What makes this story from Acts chapter 11 especially powerful is that the famine was severe in all of the Roman Empire, including Antioch. Yet the believers there gave out of their limited resources to help their brothers in another place.


This passage impacts the Mission Adelante community in a timely way. Those immigrants who have received Christ and are now growing with us through our Bible studies do not have much in the way of financial resources. And yet, we are beginning to explore ways to encourage them to give from their limited resources to help others. In response to this passage in Acts, one of our Sunday night Bible study groups decided to surprise the other two groups by dropping in last Sunday night with desserts to share. The surprise visits, the delicious homemade treats, and the brief time of prayer was well received by each of the other groups, and was a fun way to put into practice what the believers in Antioch demonstrated regarding giving.


In an exciting application of their own, Ricardo and Sara, both members of our Bible Studies, shared with us about financial crises their co-worker and neighbor were having. Their intent was to see if there were ways Mission Adelante could help their friends! We are excited that our immigrant participants are beginning to recognize and respond to needs around them. Please pray for us as we lead them into learning to participate with us in meeting those needs and demonstrating the love of Christ.

In other news:

• The older boys who received corrective attention in Kids Adelante two weeks ago returned last Thursday with entirely different behavior. They listened attentively, participated with sincerity, and treated all the other kids with respect. Furthermore, the girl about whom they had said the demeaning things returned. Thank you for petitioning the Lord with us to transform the boys' attitudes and behavior! We praise Him for working in their lives.

Prayer needs:

• We praise God that Fredy found work remodeling homes.

We're going to have worship celebrations on the upcoming seven Sunday evenings. These are the most consecutive worship services that we've had, resembling routine church gatherings. We have a number of goals in mind for the upcoming weeks, including connecting new people to Mission Adelante, developing a sense of ownership and community among all attenders, and teaching about and practicing topics that are key to operating as a community of faith. Please pray for consistent attendance at the celebrations and for the Lord's leadership toward meeting our goals.

Current needs:

• A portable MP3 player for Kids Adelante
• Portable soccer goals
• Tutors for an after-school program to begin this fall. If you're interested, contact Jarrett!

Important upcoming dates:

• Trimester-end Party: Saturday, April 19, 2:00 p.m. at Bethany Community Center 1120 Central Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66102

Raul sings, "The Star Spangled Banner"

Last Friday afternoon volunteer Todd Jones, Jason and Megan Schoff and the Meek family watched as Raul Contreras sang the Star Spangled Banner for the first time as an American citizen, along with some 90 other new citizens. Raul's "swearing in" ceremony at the Federal Courthouse in KCK was the culmination of a long process that we were privileged to play a part in through teaching him English and helping him prepare for the citizenship exam.


Rocio, Raul's American born wife, along with their kids Edgar, Raul Jr., and Ulises were all on hand as well. Their sense of pride in their father's accomplishment was noticeable as we all congratulated him for his hard work.



In other news:

• A group from a Springfield church traveled to KCK Saturday to host a Kids Adelante event in the park. The kids enjoyed playing soccer and carnival games while Kids Adelante leaders enjoyed getting to know other volunteers that seek cross-cultural opportunities to serve.
• A group of 15 volunteers from k10 Church continued working on the demolition phase of the building remodel on Saturday.
• We're grateful for an anonymous donor who funded the purchase of a ping-pong table for use by Kids Adelante.

Prayer needs:

• English level 1 student Fredy is seeking employment.
• Some of the kids attending Kids Adelante have required discipline related to their interaction with other kids in recent weeks. Please pray that the discipline will produce character growth and respectful interaction among the children.
• Please pray for God to provide the funds to support our summer interns

Current needs:

• A portable MP3 player to use with the Kids Adelante sound system
• Portable soccer goals
• Tutors for an after-school program to begin in the fall. Please contact Jarrett if you're interested.

Important upcoming dates:

• Volunteer Team Meeting: This Monday, April 7, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Mission Adelante *We are committed to ending the meeting in time to allow those who attend to view the NCAA championship basketball game.
• Trimester-end Party: Saturday, April 19, 2:00 p.m. at Bethany Community Center

Discipline Shapes Character in Kids Adelante

Disciplining other people's children is not at the top of my list of fun things to do. However, in Kids Adelante and in life discipline is a very valuable tool to shape character. God tells us that He disciplines us as His sons because He loves us.

Last Thursday we had a challenging situation arise in Kids Adelante. Two of the older boys went a long way to undermine the environment of encouragement and security we are trying to foster, by saying some very demeaning things to one of girls.

The boys were taken aside and received some firm correction. As we spoke with them I was aware that not only were we protecting the sanctity of the Kids Adelante environment, but we were also protecting a young girl's dignity. Additionally, we were providing the kind of discipline that those boys have likely never experienced in their home; the kind of discipline where strong words of correction and truth are followed by affirmation and forgiveness. I am convinced that God will use even these difficult situations to shape the character of the kids we're working with. Please pray with us specifically for these boys and the girl they offended.

My Sin on the Cross

My Sin was on the Cross

"Rage", "lack of patience with my kids", "envy", "the way I act in my home", "not obeying you", "pride", "selfishness"; These were some of the anonymous sins that were nailed to the cross on Sunday night as we each acted out with real hammers and nails the reality that “He was pierced for our transgressions”. After sharing an Easter feast, a celebration of praise songs, scriptures, communion, and prayer mixed for a sweet evening of worship in two languages by believers from various countries.

We praised God both for what he did and for what He continues to do as we saw Hispanic members of Mission Adelante bring friends, as one new believer shared about her new life in Christ for the first time, as volunteers arrived to accompany the ESL students they work with, and most of all, as people directed their attention toward the glorious God who loved us so much to secure our eternal joy with His own life. With a mixture of struggle and joy we are watching God change lives and build a community out of broken and vulnerable people.

In other news:

• Seven first-time attenders came to the Easter Worship Celebration.
• Three full-time and one part-time staff along with 42 ongoing volunteers serve an average of 102 regular participants on a weekly basis through our ESL, Kids Adelante, and Bible study programs.

Prayer requests:

• Praise God for providing through donation the replacement of most of the items that were stolen.
• Pray for the plans for the facility remodel to come together and be executed quickly.
• Pray for the progession of the teams that were formed to involve the Hispanic community in service.
• Pray for more Hispanics to follow through with sharing their faith and leading others through the discipleship material.

Current needs:

• Portable soccer goals
• Tutors for an after-school program to begin this fall (If you're interested, contact Jarrett!)

Important upcoming dates:

• Monday, April 7 @ 6:30: Volunteer Team Meeting at the facility
• Saturday afternoon, April 19: Trimester-end Party at The Bethany Center

Thieves Break in and Steal...from Mission Adelante

Thieves Break in and Steal...from Mission Adelante
Cigarette smoking thieves broke into the Mission Adelante building on Saturday night and left their dead cigarette butt and a crow bar where our sound system used to be. They pried their way in through the back door, took a few things that were easy pickings, and left the back doors wide open. Besides the sound system they also made off with a guitar and some tools.

This violation has been discouraging and has prompted us to take further security measures. Nonetheless, Morgan reminded us today as we prayed in our staff meeting that our "enemies" merely stole things, but we are being used by God in this neighborhood to steal lives from grasp of the real enemy. The faces of eleven new believers who are now brothers and sisters in Christ came to mind as I had a sense that we have taken more from the enemy than he has taken from us.

In other news:

• Another Hispanic woman crossed the finish line with the 13-study discipleship course this week! The discipleship course covers topics that are foundational to the Christian faith.
• A group from the local company Laminate Works made good progress working on the building on Saturday.
• Alberto & Graciela and Rosi have repeatedly attended Worship Celebrations and in-home Bible studies.
• A total of nine students and leaders from the Baptist Student Union at Central Missouri University in Warrensburg, three of whom were here for the whole week, spent their spring break volunteering at Mission Adelante. They worked on various projects including a large sign for the front of the facility. We're grateful for their work!

Prayer needs:

• God's protection of the facility and those who work and worship inside.
• Full attendance at the Easter Worship Celebration this Sunday evening, and an atmosphere of praise for Jesus' provision of salvation for us.
• Praise for the provision of twin-size beds that we requested last week.

Donation needs:

• As a result of the burglary, a guitar
• A sheet-music stand
• A capo (guitar accessory)

Important upcoming dates:

• Volunteer Team Meeting: Monday, April 7, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the facility
• Trimester-end party: Saturday afternoon, April 19

Compassion in the Context of Community

God has continued to work in the lives of Alberto and Graciela, a married couple, who are students in our English classes. When Alberto was without a job, both of the classes prayed for him to find a job. Last week we reported that a Mission Adelante volunteer had suggested a possible job for Alberto, and that Jason helped him prepare for the interview and accompanied him to it. Alberto interviewed for the job in his limited English and was hired. The following week, both English classes rejoiced in the answered prayer. Finally, the strategy of "serving immigrant to Christ" was fulfilled when Alberto and Graciela attended our Worship Celebration for the first time on Sunday evening. We rejoice that God facilitates relationships with people when believers show compassion in the context of community!

In other news:

• When volunteer English teacher Andrea suggested a Bible reading exercise as homework for her class, student Juliana said she didn't have a Bible at home. Andrea took the opportunity to give her a bilingual English/Spanish Bible.
• Volunteer Beth's persistent pursuit of student Olga paid off with Olga's return to English class this morning.
• Jarrett was explaining our discipleship process to Rosi, another first-time attender to our Worship Celebration on Sunday, when Rosi's sister-in-law, Elaine, volunteered to walk her through the 13-study discipleship course as soon as she finishes it herself. This is the perfect progression of the discipleship model, as a young believer begins to teach the things he or she has learned to those younger in the faith.

Prayer needs:

• God's solution to crisis in Sara and Pedro's marriage.
• Praise for the avoidance of unjust prosecution and alleviation of Maria and Mishael's crisis.
• Praise for the provision of three Foosball tables!

Donation needs:

• Twin-size mattresses and box springs

Important upcoming dates:

• Volunteer team meeting: April 7
• Trimester-end party: April 19

Turn That Car Around!

Turn That Car Around!

A Hispanic woman in a Spanish Bible study last Sunday considered how to answer the question, “When did God respond to a prayer for you?” Presently in her fourth level of our ESL classes, she came to faith in Christ last year through her involvement in Mission Adelante, and has participated in the Bible study since that time.

She thoughtfully answered, “The answer to my prayer is my life,” and went on to explain that about a year ago she was encountering many of the problems that immigrants face and some people told her that smoking and drinking would help her relax. She decided that she would try those things, but also prayed, “God, if you’re real, help me.”

About the same time, someone invited her to a Mission Adelante worship service. As she was on her way to the first party, she drove directly past the Meek’s house at just the time the worship service was beginning! She remembered the invitation, turned around and returned to the house. However, being a shy woman, she became nervous and drove away again. But she turned around and returned to the house for the second time and parked her car.

As she entered the house, her nervousness deepened when she saw Americans as well as Hispanics inside, but several people engaged her in conversation. She reflected on what she observed that first night, “You all spoke like you were brothers in spite of the cultural duality. I was aware of a small light, like a spark, and I could find peace in that moment! I thought, ‘I’m coming back next time!”

“That’s why I’m a miracle; I’m still alive! Now when I see people who are tense, I tell them, ‘I was where you are and I was about to do what you’re doing. But God showed me the path to life.’”

In other news:

• Leticia is the first Hispanic person to have completed the 13-study discipleship series and to begin discipling two other Hispanic women.
• After receiving prayer at the end of her English as a Second Language class on Thursday, Ruth asked where our church meets. She attended one of the in-home Bible studies on Sunday evening despite getting lost on her way there. She seemed to feel at home.
• The leaders of ESL class 3 realized that Alberto, about whose new job we reported in The Adelante Express last week, is married to Graciela, one of their students. They rejoiced about the answered prayer and “jumped for joy,” as that was a phrase they had just learned in class.

Prayer needs:

• Crisis in Maria and Mishael’s lives.
• Megan McDermott’s fundraising efforts for her Kids Adelante summer internship.
• Complete attendance and an opportunity for our community to re-connect at the worship service this Sunday evening.

Donation needs:

• A foosball table
• A folding ping-pong table, both for Kids Adelante.

Important upcoming dates:

• Volunteer Team Meeting: Monday, April 7, 6:30 p.m.
• Trimester-end Party: Saturday, April 19

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Adelante Express: ESL Student Finds Work

ESL Student finds work
Alberto, a Level 2 ESL student on Thursday morning, has been without work for some time. At the end of class for the past 3 or 4 weeks the class prayed for this need. In the meantime, Jason mentioned this to an ESL volunteer who was able to inform him of a job opening at a local supermarket. Jason accompanied Alberto to an interview conducted in English, with which Jason did not assist him, and he was hired on the spot!

Prayer requests
As winter draws to an end, many of our participants’ financial resources are dwindling. Pray that they’ll make especially wise financial decisions, and that we, as staff and volunteers, will be able to offer encouragement and guidance in this area.

Pray for Megan McDermott, who has begun fundraising for her summer internship with Kids Adelante.

Elaine, who recently became a believer through Mission Adelante Bible studies, shared that as a result of her encouragement, her husband Juan has begun reading the Bible for the first time this week! Pray that his hunger for the word will grow strong and that their marriage will become centered on Christ.

As always, thank you for your role in ministry, which brings about tangible improvement and bears eternal fruit in the lives of those we serve!

Adelante Express: New Kids Adelante Location

A spacious new Kids Adelante location

The first Kids Adelante meeting at the new facility went great with 33 kids in attendance! They were able to spread out in the entire north room to play games, and they were noisy during large group time without disrupting the ESL class that meets in the south room. For their small group lesson time, they occupied two additional rooms and enjoyed the ample space!

Unexpected small group growth

Young Declan Schoff has already affected small group Bible Study growth in a positive way! The Schoff’s group relocated to participants Mario & Veronica’s house and later to Alejandro & Elena’s house to allow for a few quiet weeks for Megan & Declan at home. These are the first occasions that small groups have been held in Hispanics’ homes, and the hosts have responded by inviting personal friends, who have attended, feeling comfortable in their own friends’ homes. We marvel at this new stage of Hispanics inviting Hispanics!

ESL students share prayer requests

Five people at ESL Level 2, led by Seth Sears, shared prayer requests last Thursday, including 4 students and one volunteer. Two of the students specifically asked for prayer for their high school-aged kids who are rebelling and wandering from God. They asked that we pray for God to protect them and bring them back to him. Seth says, “It was a real encouragement for them to be transparent with us!”

Also, Monica, a faithful ESL Level 1 student, shared a prayer request for her health with Jason. Apparently, she has facial paralysis. This is sometimes called Bells Palsy and is a viral illness. It may last up to a couple months and causes a person's lip and eye to droop to one side of their face.

Adelante Express: Consistency in Student Attendance

Faithfulness plus Enthusiasm Equals Consistent Students

We’re in the fourth week of the trimester, and we’re finding the students’ attendance to be increasingly consistent by the trimester. This is due much in part to your faithfulness and enthusiasm!

Kids Adelante reaching neighborhood kids

Thirty or more kids have attended Kids Adelante every week so far. Jarrett reports that each of the four age groups has good balance and that the volunteers are doing an outstanding job leading them. It has been exciting for him to see a boy named Eric in the oldest age group attend repeatedly with his friend Agustin, although his parents are not connected with the ministry. Also, Megan McDermott, Kids Adelante volunteer, is the first intern lined up for this summer, and has begun preparing for that role.

Milestones in the Mission Adelante Church Plant

A pivotal moment for the ministry occurred Sunday night as our monthly Worship Celebration was transitioned to meeting at the facility. Families assembled in rows of chairs set up in the south hall resembled a church gathering. Jarrett taught about Christian service and then we took the first big step in the process of mobilizing Hispanic volunteers: we divided up and launched three teams including Spiritual Growth, Practical Service, and Sunday-night Children’s Ministry. Please pray for momentum and member ownership of these new teams.

A Prayer Request-Stolen Truck

Also, a truck belonging to Yolanda, ESL level 3, and Lorenzo, ESL level 1 was stolen last week. It has been found, but was stripped of parts. Please pray for resolution of the matter in their favor with their insurance company.

Adelante Express: Schoffs Welcome Their First Son

If you haven’t already heard the news, Declan Neal Schoff was born on Wednesday, January 30 just before 11:00 p.m. He weighed 8 lbs, 4 ozs and measured 21 inches long at birth. He is healthy and Megan is feeling pretty good. I heard Jason comment several times, “I am very blessed” today at the office.

Upon hearing the news of Declan Schoff’s birth, student Telma in Class 2 on Thursday evening said they should bring gifts to class next week to share with Jason and Megan. It was clear that Jason had made a real impression on the students last trimester in level 1 and they wanted to show their appreciation for him and his family.

ESL level 4, led by Andrea Sears on Thursday evenings, has begun meeting at Gabi Martinez's house, as she has twins and volunteered to host the class so she can be available to attend to the babies as necessary. Andrea says, “It was refreshing and fun to meet in a student's house and see her ownership of hospitality/dessert and investment in the class. Our group of women is dedicated to learning English and continues to progress steadily. In addition to our TPR story and activities, we learned and practiced using some common adjectives, and Elvia shared the exciting news that she is expecting her second child in August!”

There were 12 volunteers at Kids Adelante. In the youngest group, after Megan is done with the lesson she has the children color a page relating to the story. One of the adults usually reads a couple books to the children. Darrel told them he was going to read from his favorite book first. He read the story of Moses, which was their lesson for that evening, to them out of the Bible. Mary Ann Bettis commented, “The children listened so attentively and quietly. It was fun to see.”

All of our English-learners and kids benefit from your continued dedication! Thank you!

Adelante Express: 2008 Winter Trimester Launched

Our winter trimester got off to a great start last Thursday! Five levels of ESL are meeting throughout the community on Thursday evening, with an additional level 2 and level 4 class meeting on Thursday and Tuesday mornings. The CHWC Conference room was barely large enough to hold the eager group of new level 1 students on Thursday evening, with 25 Hispanic students and 11 volunteers in attendance. Because of our space constraint, five of those students have joined our waiting list for next trimester.

There was just as much activity at the Meek’s home with 33 kids and 10 volunteers in attendance for Kids Adelante. Our goal is for Kids Adelante to begin meeting at the new facility just a few weeks from now. Stay tuned for the date when that will occur.

In addition to ministry news, I have some personal news to share on behalf of Jason & Megan Schoff. They went to the hospital this morning to begin the process of welcoming Declan into their family. Everything has gone well this far and they expect him to make his entrance tomorrow. Please pray for a safe and enjoyable delivery for Megan, Declan and Jason.

Thank you for your dedication to serving the Hispanics in Kansas City, Kansas!

A Note from the Director

Mission Adelante is making an effort to improve the way we communicate with those who love and support our ministry. Previously, The Adelante Express had been exclusively for volunteers. We are now broadening our scope of communication to include any and all who may have an interest in receiving stories, updates and prayer requests from the Mission Adelante community.

In broadening our communication scope we have set up a blogsite for The Adelante Express that will include each week’s update and links to other Mission Adelante information. You can visit this site any time you like. You can even choose to include The Adelante Express on your Yahoo! (or other) homepage by clicking on the “subscribe to posts” link on the bottom of the blog page. If you have friends who might be interested in getting our updates you can email them this week’s post so they can check it out and subscribe if they choose.

If you are not interested in receiving our weekly updates, reply to this email with the word, “unsubscribe” in the subject line, and we will respectfully remove your name from our list.

We hope you enjoy reading about what God is doing in and through Mission Adelante and we thank you for your interest and support!

In His Grace,
Jarrett Meek