There and Back Again - A Himalayan Journey back to Kansas City

written by Mission Adelante Intern Hannah Hume


Two years ago, I got on a plane and headed to India. I had no clue what to expect. However, over the five months that I was there the Lord changed my heart and the course of my life forever. I worked in the Himalayan mountains with Nepali refugees, seeking to spread the gospel and plant churches. I loved it.  I loved the Nepalis. I loved church planting.  And I desperately wanted this people group, who lived in one of the most beautiful places in the world, to honor, worship and know the God who made the mountains they lived in.


When I returned to the states five months later, my heart felt broken. You would think I would have been excited to see my family and return to the comforts of American life, but I wasn’t. All I wanted was to go back. I had seen the Lord move in miraculous ways like you read about in the book of Acts. The Lord had put a  love for church planting and the Nepali people in my heart, and it felt like being among those people was where I needed to be. I didn’t understand why God had brought me back to Kansas City. Praying over, and seeking the answer to that question became the majority of my prayer life.


Then, about a year ago I stumbled across Mission Adelante through a link on a church website. I wasn’t familiar with who Mission Adelante or the Bhutanese refugees were. I just knew I wanted to serve in a cross cultural context, so I went to check it out. Upon arrival, I was shocked to hear the Bhutanese refugees speaking Nepali, the same language spoken by the people I worked with in India. I learned that the Bhutanese were ethnically Nepali, and nationally Bhutanese. The Lord had brought Nepali people to Kansas City!


Since that time, I have been serving among the Bhutanese of Kansas City, Kansas through Mission Adelante. When I got on that plane to India two years ago I never thought that I would end up back in Kansas City working with Bhutanese Refugees. When I returned to the states five months later I never would have dreamed that the Lord had a plan to fulfill his purposes for me in my own backyard. Its been a long, and at times frustrating, journey to get where I am today. However, I wouldn’t want the trek to look any different than how God planned it. God’s ways truly are higher than ours and He is faithful.


Now, I am setting out on a new adventure with Mission Adelante and the Bhutanese of Kansas City, KS. After serving with Mission Adelante as a volunteer for two trimesters, I am joining Mission Adelante as a year long intern. This new opportunity will help to fill a serious need for a person who can invest more time into the Teens Club program, and more importantly, into the teens themselves. The Bhutanese teen girls  need someone to come alongside them and help them navigate the trials of being a teenager in America. They are struggling with issues of identity, school, boys, etc. all while being in a totally new foreign environment, and attempting to understand and speak the language around them. Please join me in prayer as the Lord gives me opportunities to assist these girls in navigating these trials, and ultimately point them to Christ. He is the only one that can deal with their biggest need, which is a personal relationship with Him.



In other news:

• We had a great trimester launch last week and are amazed at the volume of relational ministry that our volunteer team of 177 individuals can accomplish!  That army is many times multiplied from the 25 volunteers that were serving at this time six years ago!
• A Bhutanese couple eagerly dedicated their newborn baby girl to Jesus last Saturday morning at the house church they're part of.  David Stetler, Director of Bhutanese Outreach, encouraged the new parents and the Bhutanese community to raise the little girl in Christian faith.  Worship the Lord for this evidence of the family's surrender to Jesus!
• We continue to be encouraged by both our Bhutanese and Latino friends' growing initiative in driving the house churches, in some cases such that Mission Adelante staff feel that we're being swept along by them!

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for the Lord to grant wisdom to the Bhutanese Outreach staff to know how to respond to a family of peace they've identified among the Bhutanese community of Kansas City.
• Pray for unity among the Leaders In Training students, and that they'll grow in their ability to work more like a family during this trimester.
• Pray for healing in the family of one of our teenage participants, and wisdom and discernment for Mission Adelante staff to help them keep walking forward.

Current needs:

• Two Bhutanese Kids Club volunteers on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30. Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274x9.
• A male Leaders In Training tutor for Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 to 7:00. Contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274x2.
• Men's, children's, and babies' winter clothing to make available to families in our Resource Center.  Contact Molly Merrick at mollym@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274x5 to arrange a time to drop off your donation.  Please do not leave donations without them being received by a Mission Adelante staff person.

Upcoming dates:

• Summer Internship Application Deadline: February 15  Our summer internship combines practical missions experience in an urban context with mentoring and seminars on key topics relevant to ministry. This opportunity is perfect for the college or post-college person who is exploring a potential call to missions or urban ministry.  The internship lasts from May 26 until August 12.  To fill out the our interest form go to www.missionadelante.org/internship. You'll also find an attachment there with all the details.
• Observation Days: Tuesday, February 21 (Bhutanese)/Thursday, February 23 (Latino) 6:30-8:30  Have you wondered what all goes on around here on a typically evening of programming?  Here's your opportunity to come and see for yourself!  If these dates don't work for you, please contact info@missionadelante.org to schedule an alternate evening.

Summer Internship in Cross-Cultural Ministry! Apply by February 15

Get your feet wet in cross-cultural ministry!  Our summer internship combines practical missions experience in an urban context with mentoring and seminars on key topics relevant to ministry.  This opportunity is perfect for the college or post-college person who is exploring a potential call to missions or urban ministry.  You will make a kingdom impact and you will learn a lot!  The internship lasts from May 26 until August 12.  Applications must be received by February 15.  For all the details about the summer internship, click here.  To fill out the our interest form and receive the application, click here.

Teens Adelante Retreat 2011

Eight teens and five adults went on an overnight retreat to Heartland Presbyterian Center in Parkville this December. For many of the teens, being apart from siblings and out of the urban core was a new and exciting opportunity. The teens did an indoor challenge course where they grew as a team, learned about the Body of Christ, and constructed a puzzle designed to encourage each of their unique roles. They also got to worship together, eat tacos, and play "sardines" until way past bedtime! We were amazed by the walls that the Lord took down, and the unification that He restored in these eight kids who have been the core for the rest of the newer teens who couldn't be present. Here's more from the perspective of volunteers Brian and Sandy Teachout:

What a blessing the volunteers received when we celebrated the 2011 retreat with the teens! We saw God's hand in it from the moment we arrived at the retreat center. But to continue this story we need to back up a couple of years. The teens we met then are not the transformed teens we know today. They were, to say the least, a bit rough around the edges, hurting, confused, and at times even disrespectful. But they were also very bright, curious, and full of life. These kids never stopped coming to our newly-organized Teens program when it started in 2010, and we have grown to love them since then.

Let's just say that this retreat was a milestone for our lives as well. The retreat was what we call the epitome or crescendo of all the months spent with the teens. It was a refreshing time of team work, personal responsibility to each other and a precious time of sharing our hearts. There was laughter, joy, comedy, quiet time, sharing and tears. Some of the tears were the fruit of sharing their hard times, their challenges, even their past frustrations in light of the difficult challenges they have lived as such young hearts. But the greatest blessings were the tears of joy as they opened their hearts to show how God had been part of their every experience as He is soothing their hurts and healing their scars. The joy of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is touching a part very deep within them and their confession that Jesus is now the Savior of their lives gives us a joy that is inexpressible. The love we have for these wonderful, challenging teens has increased in our hearts to the point that we see them as our own and we know God has a wonderful plan for each of their lives. We know beyond a shadow of doubt that if any new volunteers join us in this awesome ministry they will fall in love with these kids and will find themselves hard put to leave it if they have to in the future! All we know is that our own lives have been enriched beyond what we could have imagined by having been part of their lives.

In other news:

• Thank you, Westside Family Church, for giving us a 19 passenger mini-bus.  It will be extremely helpful for facilitating transportation to ministry events!
• The second Latino house church has begun meeting in a Latino family's home.  Similarly, some of our Bhutanese friends are demonstrating an increase in their ownership and leadership of their own house church, with a 12-year-old girl who recently became a new believer leading the other kids last weekend.  These are exciting developments because we believe that the essence of the great commission is reproducing disciples and leaders who are capable of multiplying the work!
• We had a full house on Monday evening for our All Volunteer Huddle and Dessert, with a festive atmosphere.  The Bhutanese team launched our spring trimester on Tuesday evening, and the Latino team are eager to do the same this evening.

Prayer needs:

• Praise God for supplying many of the volunteers we needed for this trimester in a variety of ways, including full rosters of ESL conversation partners in both the Bhutanese and Latino outreaches!  Please help us pray for the volunteers that are still needed to round out the volunteer teams in the other programs.

Other needs:

• Dining room chairs
• Volunteers for the Spring Trimester, beginning immediately:
• Tuesday evenings:
• Bhutanese Kids Club: two volunteers needed
• Wednesday afternoons:
• Leaders In Training: male tutor needed
• Wednesday evenings:
• Latino Teens Adelante: female volunteer needed
• Flexible times:
• Resource center: several volunteers to help sort donations/organize needed
• Hats and gloves to make available in the Resource Center.
• 1" wide blue painters tape: several rolls.  We use it to define spaces on the carpet.

Important dates:

• February 15: Application deadline for summer internship.  Click here for information about the internship, and click here to fill our our Internship Interest Form if you would like to receive an application.

Happy New Year :: 2012

written by David Stetler

The New Year is here and as we look back on all that the Lord has done through Mission Adelante this past year, we are especially grateful to our church partners, donors and volunteers who give of their lives in so many ways to bring the Truth and Love of Jesus to our immigrant friends here in Kansas City, Kansas.  Most importantly we are grateful to our Father in heaven for giving us love, life and mission.

Two-thousand eleven was full of so many highlights.  Whether it was the overseas mission trips or the amazing training we received in Indianapolis at CCDA, our experiences outside Kansas City seemed to only further the ministry in a huge way and increase our passions for the things that God has called us to do.

We also launched a new ministry that grew overnight. The Bhutanese Teens Club started over the summer with about 15 Bhutanese teens and now it has over 40 teens every week! In Teens Adelante we continue to watch as the Latino teens rise to the challenge of becoming leaders.  We've watched them mature and grow in ways that we hadn't ever imagined…leading worship on Sundays, serving on Tuesday nights and caring for one another in deep and real ways.

Lastly, we saw new believers baptized and new house churches planted.  As we continue to set our hearts on the Great Commandment of loving our neighbors and the Great Commission of making disciples that make disciples that make disciples…we watch as the One who holds it all together gets all the glory!

Every year is an adventure and as we look forward to 2012 we can only anticipate this journey to continue to be an amazing one.  We look forward to watching God unfold His plan and move in power over our city, our ministry, our friends and our very lives as well.

Happy New Year,
           Feliz Año Nuevo and
                     Naya Barshako Shuvakamana!

May the Lord bless you all in this new year.

In other news:

• Both the Latino and Bhutanese communities worshiped together on Christmas Eve.  In fact, about 30 Bhutanese individuals celebrated Christmas as followers of Jesus for the first time this year!

Current needs:

• A dining table and chairs
• Volunteers for the Spring Trimester, beginning the week of January 16:
• Tuesday evenings:
• Bhutanese Teens Club and Kids Club: several male volunteers needed
• Bhutanese Teens Club: worship leader needed
• Bhutanese ESL class: 2 conversation partners needed
• Wednesday afternoons:
• Leaders In Training: male tutor needed
• Wednesday evenings:
• Latino Teens Adelante: female volunteer needed
• Thursday evenings:
• Latino ESL class: 4 conversation partners needed
• Kids Adelante: 4 volunteers needed
• Flexible times:
• Resource center: several volunteers to help sort donations/organize needed

Upcoming dates:

• Saturday, January 14, 9:00-12:30: Volunteer Orientation & Training
• Monday, January 16, 6:30-8:30: All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert
• Tuesday, January 17, 6:30: Bhutanese programs launch
• Thursday, January 19, 6:30: Latino programs launch

Celebrating God's Movement in 2011!

Written by Jarrett Meek

On Tuesday our staff sat around the table in our small conference room reflecting on all the highlights and milestones that our Lord provided for us in 2011.  It was a celebratory atmosphere with caramel popped-corn, caramel-filled chocolate cookies, and pizzelles, all homemade.  We celebrated and wrote down a list, a HUGE list, a too-long-to-share-it-all-here list, of blessings that God bestowed on our ministry this year.  I would like to include a few of the most exciting ones here.

Latino Outreach Highlights

Brooke Coon with Latino Teens

• Celebrating new life in Christ on our Soccer field: Several Baptisms in an inflatable pool!
• Teens Adelante TAKES OFF under the leadership of new staff member Brooke Coon, in many ways setting pace for the rest of our ministry in the area of relational disciple-making and leader development.  
• One of our English Classes became a Discovery Bible study when the students graduated!
• We launched 3 House Churches and involved many more immigrants in leadership roles on the church side of our ministry.

Bhutanese Outreach Highlights

Kristen Maxwell with Bhutanese Kids

• Bhutanese Teens kept coming to Kids Club, so we launched a Teens Outreach in partnership with Mill Creek.  Forty teens are involved!
• Nine of our Bhutanese friends were baptized this year and many more are investigating Jesus.
• God birthed two House Churches for the Bhutanese in our neighborhood.
• New staff are joining/have joined our team...Kristen Maxwell (raising funds to join as Kids Club Director), and Lauren Timberlake (Bhutanese ESL Director).

Resource Center

• Launched Canasta Básica, an exciting initiative to provide basic food staples to immigrant families in need.  
• Immigrants are helping lead the Resource Center Team
• Provided backpacks, schools supplies and coats for over 200 kids and teen

Jarrett Meek and the RAICES team

RAICES (Discipling Ministry in Q-ba)

• Discipleship Vision planted deeply in their home church
• Experimenting with a Micro-Finance ministry to help start new businesses in the community
• Prepared to multiply their ministry to another community through relationships with emerging leaders there.

Leadership and Administration

Summer Interns ROCK!!

• Hired Marla Hansen as Operations Director.  Marla spent the year revamping our internal systems and positioned us to take advantage of future opportunities that God may bring our way!
• Greatly improved our Summer Internship.  Hosted and equipped six interns this summer!
• Staff training trips to Cuba (Latino Team) and Nepal (Bhutanese Team) this year!
• Our Staff attended the Christian Community Development Association annual conference.

A Special Messenger

Written by Jason Schoff


Who is the best suited to deliver a message? Is it a friend, a neighbor, a countryman or just anyone? We often times listen most closely to those who are most like us and understand our lives best. It made perfect sense to invite our Latino friend, Edwin, to share the gospel message at our Latino Christmas party this past Saturday. Edwin loves Jesus like few others you will ever meet and he and his wife, Zeidy, know what it means to care for the foreigner living in their midst.

We sometimes think of Edwin and his family as the grandfathers of Mission Adelante because they showed incredible friendship to the Meek family, Mission Adelante's founders. In 2001, the Meeks arrived in Costa Rica as outsiders and Edwin's family befriended them, watched out for them, and patiently tried to help them learn Spanish through conversational practice. A real life model was presented for how to love your neighbor--your immigrant neighbor, and a seed was planted for Mission Adelante. Since 2001, Edwin and Zeidy have continued to host several Mission Adelante staff families, including my own, in their Costa Rican home.

Earlier this week Edwin, Zeidy and their daughter, Monica, boarded a plane back to Costa Rica after sharing a week full of wonderful moments with the Mission Adelante family. Edwin's message at the Latino Christmas party hit the bulls-eye with our community and despite being foreigners here, they reached out to immigrants and Americans with the same conviction to love their neighbor--the one standing next right next to them wherever they are! Thank you, Lord, for Edwin, Zeidy, and Monica.


In other news:

• Thank you to the volunteers from Shoal Creek Community Church and Hillcrest Covenant Church who helped us set up for the Latino Christmas Party last Saturday, and who engaged all of the kids in special and very fun activities!
• Thank you to the volunteers from Christ Community Anglican Church who hosted the Bhutanese Christmas Party last Sunday!  Our Bhutanese friends were very lovingly served in many thoughtful ways.  It was the most well-attended Bhutanese party yet, and one Bhutanese man and few "assistants" were dignified  by being hired to prepare the food for the 320 people who attended the party!
• Thank you, Christ Community Evangelical Free Church for proving the Tuesday meal for our Leaders In Training this whole school year!
• We were honored to have Glenn Kahler from The Gathering Network and Matt Adams from Young Life visit our staff this week.  Glenn described the ways that he and the other Gathering Network leaders are encouraging people to go beyond church attendance and take on ministry as a lifestyle.
• The Latino teens shared a special experience the weekend before last on a retreat at which they practiced team-problem-solving skills to conquer an indoor challenge course.  Later that evening, they began to offer one another verbal encouragement that continued to go on and on.  Teens Adelante Coordinator Brooke Coon could sense the Holy Spirit moving the kids to support one another, and it created an atmosphere of fellowship with the quality of purity.  Brooke was very surprised by the respect and maturity that each and every one of them displayed, and said that upon returning from the retreat, the group feels like a big family!

Prayer needs:

• The weekend before last, 12 Leaders In Training students had a great time on an overnight reward trip to Great Wolf Lodge.  On Saturday, the group discussed forgiveness.  That whole day, one of the student's tutors, who was not on the trip, felt prompted in her spirit to pray for that student's heart to change.  The 13 year old girl had been displaying a negative attitude for some time, but responded to God's conviction by apologizing to her mother after returning home.  In return, her mom apologized to her, and her younger siblings to one another!  Praise God for being in the business of restored relationships, and help us pray for continued healing in this particular family!
• Please continue to help us petition the Lord to provide for our ministry through generous year-end gifts.

Current needs:

• Walmart gift cards, to purchase ministry supplies
• A gas stove, which has been requested through our resource center.  If you can donate one, please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping it off.
• Men's, women's and children's winter clothing, outerwear, and shoes, to offer in our resource center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange a donation.

Important dates:

• The Mission Adelante office will be closed December 25 - January 1.
• Saturday, January 14, 9:00-12:00: Volunteer Orientation & Training  All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante.  It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante.  If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about what we do, and about our volunteer opportunities, please plan to attend/encourage him or her to attend this informative training.

Matching Gift!! Strategic Year-End Giving Opportunity!!

Dear friends,

We all wish our Kingdom giving could be multiplied to make a bigger impact! I'm excited to share that a generous foundation has offered a partial matching opportunity to support Mission Adelante! If we meet our year-end giving goal of $45,000, the foundation will contribute an additional $14,000 to help towards next year's salary for our Operations Director! Your gift gets multiplied!! 

This has been an outstanding year of ministry fruit and growth for Mission Adelante's ministries. Our Bhutanese Outreach launched a teens ministry and two new house churches. Our Latino ministry emphasized disciple-making and saw several immigrants move into volunteer serving roles. God equipped six emerging leaders through our summer internship program. And, our organization and infrastructure was improved and positioned for future initiatives that we see God putting in our path. We approach the final weeks of the year energized and encouraged about the work we have seen Him do in our midst, and enthusiastic to see what He will do next year. So, we invite you to partner with us! Help us finish the year strong financially and launch into 2012 with a boost! We appreciate you and your support for our ministry.

Support checks may be made to:
Mission Adelante 22 South 18th Street
Kansas City, KS 66102
("year-end gift" in the memo)

In His Grace,
Jarrett Meek, Founder/Executive Director
Mission Adelante, Inc.

Discovering Truth

Written by Hannah Hume - a volunteer-mentor for Bhutanese Teens Club

Discovering truth is a beautiful endeavor. It's one thing to be told something is true. We may believe it, or we may not. We will judge the validity of what we have been told on many things, mainly the reliability of the messenger. However, to discover truth for ourselves means that we have to interact with it, and wrestle with its claims. When we do this, we haven't borrowed someone else's ideas but have created and taken ownership of our own convictions. Once we we do this, its nearly impossible for someone to persuade us to think otherwise, because we are certain of what we ourselves have seen, touched, and experienced. This is what I love about discovery Bible studies.


In teens club at Mission Adelante we have been taking the teens through Jesus' life using discovery Bible studies. This method of study doesn't teach the teens what to believe, instead it allows them to discover truth from the Bible for themselves. We go through the story from the Bible together and then ask questions about who God is, and how these stories interact with our own lives, using scripture as the ultimate guide for our discussion. We only discuss what is in the story, and any conclusions we arrive at need to clearly be seen in the story. Having the freedom to discuss, and interact with the scripture is a lot of fun for all of us, and it's amazing to see some of the truths the teens are discovering for themselves.

A few Tuesdays ago we learned the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. As we began to ask questions about who God is, and what we could learn from it, the teens discovered some astonishing truths. After asking questions about and considering the roles the two thieves played in the story of Jesus' death, the teens concluded that the only way to get to get to heaven is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God! They also discovered that even though they have done some bad things, all they would have to do to go to heaven is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. These are truths I could have told them, but it's so much more wonderful to see them discover them for themselves, with the Spirit and scripture as their guide. I am so excited to see what the Lord will continue to allow us to discover together in the upcoming weeks.

In other news:

• Thank you, Heartland Community Church, for sharing five complete Thanksgiving dinners with families in our neighborhood.
• The Mission Adelante staff enjoyed a refreshing holiday weekend.  It offered the rare opportunity to unplug from ministry responsibilities for a few days, as well as extra rest for staff that had been under the weather.

Prayer needs:

• Help us pray for God to supply for Mission Adelante through abundant end-of-year giving.
• This weekend, the Latino teens will go on a retreat.  Pray that a challenge course will aid in team building, and that an introduction to spiritual gifts will help them begin to learn their roles in the body of Christ.
• Twelve Leaders-In-Training kids are going on an overnight reward trip to Great Wolf Lodge this weekend.  Pray for fun and safety for them, and that they would grow deeper in their relationships with the Lord as they discuss forgiveness.

Other needs:

• A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved. Please contact Jarrett at jarrettm@missionadelante.org
• Male volunteer tutors for our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30  for the rest of the school year.  Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• Kids' and adults' hats, gloves, and scarves to make available through our resource center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation

Upcoming dates:

• Latino Christmas Party: Saturday, December 10 at 5:00, Bethany Community Center, 12th Street and Central Avenue in Kansas City, KS 66102.
• Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 11 at 4:00, Bethany Community Center, 12th Street and Central Avenue in Kansas City, KS 66102.

An Autobiography of the Bhutanese Ministry Apprentice

Written by Drew Hammond - Bhutanese Ministry Apprentice


As someone who was nearly a high school dropout, (and is currently, technically, a college dropout), obedience hasn't always been my strong suit. But when I realized that the Lord was calling me, and tugging on my heart, I began to listen and pray for Him to show me where he needed me. That was about three and a half years ago.


Naturally, I tried to keep things within the way I saw my life going, towards college for a degree in technical theater. That's when I tried community college, and all the while I was there, I felt the Lord was telling me something. "This is for some, but not for you."  So I left theater behind and walked away, closer to the Lord.


By this point, I was feeling pretty directionally challenged. Feeling left behind by my friends who went to college and not seeing my movie theater job sustaining me for my life, I continued to pray. I kept persisting that the Lord reveal where it was that He really wanted me. It took quite a bit of prayer, but "the Jesus" (as our Bhutanese friends refer to him) took me somewhere great.


Over winter break of 2009/2010, God gave me an opportunity to go to Israel and learn more about Him. After that, I asked the director of the organization who led the trip if he knew of any internships available in full time ministry. He directed me to Mission House, where I was sent to Mission Adelante to intern in January of this year. Over the course of my internship, my heart expanded. It expanded to love God more and more and more, but also found a community to love, the Bhutanese refugees in my own backyard.


Three years ago, if God would have told me that I was going to go to Israel, then move to Kansas City, KS and love an immigrant people more than I loved theatre, I would have thought He was crazy, kept to my own ways and I would still be searching to this day.  Thankfully, I gave God room to move in my own heart and my own life, and I finally found exactly where I need to be. It was a long haul, but here I am. I pray that God reveals His love to you.

In other news:

• The Mission Adelante staff members hosting Open Houses last Saturday really enjoyed connecting with those of you that were able to drop in for a visit!  Thanks for making the trip into our neighborhood to get more of a taste of what God is doing here.
• We've found that sharing a meal as part of our house church gatherings adds a really special element to the time we spend together.  Also, this past Sunday (just the second week that the Latino house churches met) attendees from the first week brought more family members and friends with them, demonstrating the immigrants' high ownership of the gatherings!
• Our budgeting and planning process in preparation for the new year turned out to be surprisingly fun for Mission Adelante staff.  It became an encouraging time to reflect upon the past year and the things we asked the Lord for and for Him to do, and to marvel at the things He surprised us with!

Prayer requests:

• Please pray for the health of Mission Adelante staff and family members, a number of whom are under the weather.

Important dates:

• Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs today or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23 - Saturday, November 26.
• Latino Christmas Party: Saturday afternoon, December 10
• Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 p.m.

Panza Llena, Corazón Contento

Written by volunteer Kathleen Powell


Several years ago, I spent a summer in Mexico living with my aunt and uncle. I was trying to master the Spanish language and to get to know my Mexican family better. After every meal, my Tío Toño would always say, "Panza llena; corazón contento." This roughly translates to: "full stomach, happy heart." Last Sunday I realized that it isn't just the eating that makes his heart happy; it's the act of bringing la familia (more than just relatives) together and conviviendo (sharing life).

Sunday night, Mission Adelante launched three different house churches. My group had the privilege of meeting in the home of one of the Latina moms who is relatively new in her faith. Her 11 year old son has a sweet and joyful heart and is one of my favorite kids to hang out with at LIT (Leaders in Training, Mission Adelante's after-school program).

This evening, for the first time since that summer I spent with my tío, I tasted the sweetness of what sharing life could look like in my neighborhood, in my life. My senses were awakened; the room was full of laughter, spices, color, and warmth. Everyone who came had a chance to speak and contribute; everyone brought something to the table (literally). We worshipped together and dug into the Word together. I felt alive again. We were doing church, being the church, and it had nothing to do with a program or a building.


In other news:

• There are now a total of five house churches meeting in Kansas City, Kansas; two of which include our Bhutanese friends and three of which include our Latino friends.  Kids Adelante Director Megan McDermott described the first meeting of her Latino house church last Sunday as feeling like a family reunion!  She was also delighted that kids with whom we're acquainted brought their parents, some of whom hadn't had any past involvement with Mission Adelante!
• We're grateful to Heartland Community Church and Christ Community Church for supplying winter coats for ALL of the children that participate in our outreach programs.
• Bhutanese Kids Club Director Kristen Maxwell and Intern Drew Hammond share their lives and a whole lot of their time with the families we serve.  This week, Kristen gave a 12-year-old girl her very first Bible and then watched as she immediately sat, opened it, and began reading aloud.  Also this week, some Bhutanese teen boys engaged Drew in conversation about Jesus and the implications of Christian faith in our lives.

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for our house churches to become well established, for immigrants to embrace leadership roles, and for new people to continue to come and feel welcomed.
• Pray for safety in the homes of some of the kids we know, and protection for them.
• Pray for a teen we know that is in legal trouble.

Current needs:

• A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved.
• Male volunteer tutors for our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30  for the rest of the school year.  Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• Adults' and children's winter clothing and shoes in all sizes to stock our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.
• An electric stove, which was requested through our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.

Important dates:

• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante Staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.  Drop in and let us thank you for your support of "our" ministry!
• Jarrett & Kristen Meek, Megan McDermott: 251 N. 15th Street
• Jason & Megan Schoff, Molly Merrick: 410 N. 15th Street
• David & Brooke Coon: 245 N. 17th Street
• David & Holly Stetler, Kristen Maxwell: 438 N. 17th Street
• Drew& Lauren Timberlake: 706 N. 17th Street
• Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs Tuesday, November 22 or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23-Saturday, November 26.
• Latino Christmas Party: Saturday, December 10
• Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 11

Aradhna to Yeshu

Written by David Stetler

Chris Hale grew up in Nepal during the 70's as a
missionary kid where he was completely immersed in Nepali culture, language and music. Now, his passion is to build bridges between cultures through music. He plays the sitar as the front man of a band called Aradhna, which means worship. They travel the world singing worship to Yeshu (Jesus) in Hindi, Nepali and English.

Last Friday evening, Chris made a quick stop right here in Kansas City to teach us and our Bhutanese friends worship songs to Jesus in their own language and in their own ethnic Nepali cultural music. About 65 of us gathered together at Mission House, sat in a giant circle on Tibetan rugs, sang to Jesus in Nepali and shared an ethnic Nepali meal together.

For some, this was the very first time they had experienced the ever so familiar cultural tunes that they grew up with in Bhutan and Nepal while singing worship to Jesus. For many new Bhutanese believers this marked an extremely significant moment that connected their beautiful and rich culture with their new found faith in Yeshu.

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for the launch of three house Latino house churches this week!
• Please pray for wisdom and God's guidance in our planning and budgeting process.

Upcoming dates

• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.
• Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs Tuesday, November 22 or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23-Saturday, November 26.

Ministry is a Relational Endeavor

Written by Jason Schoff

From the moment a potential volunteer comes to our orientation, they learn how much we value relationships. We say ministry is a relational endeavor. However, we want this to be more than just a stated value; we want it to be a living reality. Our volunteers accomplish much more relationally with our immigrants than we could ever dream of.

Last month we saw major evidence of just how invested our volunteer force is in the relational endeavor. While our staff was out of town for a conference in Indianapolis, I was left with the options of cancelling our Latino adult English classes or challenging our students and volunteer teachers to meet together over dinner, a Coke, or ice cream. I put the challenge out and our volunteers marched "adelante", or forward, without much hesitation.

What resulted was priceless! It was a new level of friendship and relationship on which to continue building over the remaining six weeks of the trimester. One student shared about the transformation of his life, from a time when he domineered his wife to coming to see her as his equal, all while his classmate and volunteer teacher listened. Another student hosted her teacher and other students in her home--what a proud moment for Rosa. Several other volunteers decided to join their two students together and meet for ice cream in a local Mexican shop.

For many of our volunteers, this was a true first: spending time with an immigrant outside of a programmed activity and in a new cultural landscape. All this happened on a Thursday night while our staff was listening to conference speakers far away. I could not be any more excited for our volunteers and their commitment to becoming friends to our immigrant community!

Want to share in these fun adventures? Become a volunteer, too! For more information, go to  www.missionadelante.org/volunteer.


In other news:

• Our Leaders In Training--12 pre-teens and teens--are learning that serving can be fun and relational!  They've visited the residents of a local assisted living facility twice now, and last week enjoyed sharing popcorn and doing a craft together!
• Like our volunteers' efforts toward relational ministry that Jason described above, Mission Adelante staff is deeply committed to sharing life with the families we serve by getting involved on a personal level in their lives and activities.  Brooke and David Coon have been deepening their friendship with the families of several of the teens whom they lead by sharing meals and participating in a walk to support individuals with Down's Syndrome, the younger sibling of one of the teens being affected by the condition.
• Similarly, Molly Merrick continues to mentor two pre-teen/teen girls by spending a large amount of time with them.  Now, the girls' upstairs neighbor, another teen girl, is tagging along, too!  Molly's effectiveness lies in her consistent investment of time!

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for an upcoming house concert for our Bhutanese friends as we all learn to worship Jesus with Nepali music.
• Brooke and David Coon are taking two teens to a teen conference this weekend.  Pray that the teens will grow in their walk with Jesus and realize more of their leadership potential.
• Pray for the Lord to work in the lives of an immigrant couple struggling with marital conflict.
• As a way to better emphasize equipping immigrant leaders for ministry, our Latino worship community will begin meeting as several house churches in November.    Please pray for the training process of the leadership teams, and for momentum to continue.

Current needs:

• A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved.
• A female volunteer to tutor two girls in our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30 beginning November 28 through the rest of the school year.
• Adults' and children's fall and winter clothing in all sizes, and especially winter coats for 5-7 year-old boys to stock our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.
• Board games appropriate for kids ages 3-12, in good condition and containing all of their pieces.

Upcoming dates:

• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.
• Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs Tuesday, November 22 or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23-Saturday, November 26.

The Light of Sixteenth Street

Written by Brooke Coon


One year ago, David and I were wrestling with God for the house we wanted here in KCK. God had a better plan for us that took months for us to realize, which is now our house on 17th street. Once here, we quickly realized that there is a darkness lingering on the street behind us. You can nearly feel the dividing line of peace and chaos running through our alley. As we heard rumors of things that went on behind us, we felt burdened and began to pray for 16th street.

Anxious about the dangers that were threatening the children on that street, we prayed that God would show us our role in it all. Two boys from that street, Johnny and Tony, seemed to be drawn to the light of the Holy Spirit in David, and started showing up at our door more frequently. Through those boys David began to learn about the realities of gangs, drugs, and violence on that street. 

About the same time, Jessica, a girl we knew from Teens Adelante, moved onto that street. Jessica and her younger friend began to show up on our porch seeking refuge and fellowship. I learned more about bullets going through walls, siblings in jail, gang allegiances, screaming arguments between parents, and the physical violence that goes on even between young kids. It's hard to believe that the things I hear from these two sweet girls are happening just yards from our peaceful front porch.

Then Johnny started coming to Teens Adelante and one night I heard it, I saw it; the Lord opened my eyes. The answer to our question, "What are we supposed to do with this overwhelming burden on our hearts?" Johnny and Jessica. These two teens are David's and my opportunity for obedience to change darkness into light on 16th street. It wasn't to start some alley restoration project, or neighborhood watch, or prayer team. It was to use the light that HE HAD ALREADY PLACED there; to invest in and nurture these teens.

Johnny and Jessica are only 14 and 15, but age doesn't hinder the Holy Spirit. I am humbled by the fact that I didn't need to find a solution to the problem. That street is the Lord's and He is fighting for it. He was on it, and there is a role for me to support and guide these teens, who will have more impact than David or I ever could on that street. I was overwhelmed with the size of the problem and I almost forgot that the burden, that compassion, was from Him. He was already moving. It was and is His heart in me that cries for 16th street. It is His heart that burdens me to pray, that beckons me to ask, “What is my role there?”

As I sat in church with Jessica last night, she passed me a note that said that Matthew 5:13-16 is her favorite passage of the Bible.  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

I was struck. I wrote her back, “That is awesome because I have always seen you as the light of your family...and the light of 16th street.”  Her smile was eternally beautiful.


In other news:

• One of the Bhutanese families that we have been praying for and walking with for over two years experienced a death in their family that sparked a spiritual breakthrough in their family.  We are excited to continue walking with them in their pursuit of Jesus.
• Our staff enjoyed a visit this week from David Chan, Missions Pastor at Hillcrest Covenant Church.  David explained to us the ways that he and the rest of the Hillcrest Covenant Church leadership are striving to empower and equip every person to live missionally through their individual skills and passions, right where they live.

Prayer needs:

• As a way to better emphasize equipping immigrant leaders for ministry, our Latino worship community will begin meeting as several house churches in November.  Praise God for the turnout of nearly all the individuals making up the leadership team for each house church last Sunday at the first meeting in preparation for this transition.  Please pray for the momentum to continue.

Current needs:

• A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved.
• A female volunteer to tutor two girls in our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30 beginning November 28 through the rest of the school year.
• Adults' and children's fall and winter clothing in all sizes to stock our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.
• Bibles for use in Kids Adelante Bible studies.  These are our preferred type.  Feel free to have them shipped to Megan McDermott's attention at Mission Adelante, Inc., 22 S. 18th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102.
• Board games appropriate for kids ages 3-12, in good condition and containing all of their pieces 

Upcoming dates:

• Observation Days: Tuesday, November 1 for Bhutanese outreach; Thursdays, October 27 and November 3 for Latino outreach.  If you've never seen how we serve immigrants, please come observe.  If you're a regular volunteer, bring a friend who would be interested to find out about the mission field in our own backyard.
• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.

An LIT Volunteer's Hope for the Students

Written by volunteer Michelle Holland

On the first day of Leaders In Training this fall, we were down to the last few minutes of our tutoring time so I began to instruct Nataly and Mariana to start putting away their things.  Before I could even take a breath, their papers were in folders, their notebooks were stacked, and Mariana had pulled out a small notebook from her backpack and said, “Michelle, how can I pray for you?”  Her pencil was poised and ready as she glanced up and met my eyes.  In that moment I was so encouraged at how God has used the LIT program, Kids Adelante Director Megan McDermott, and our team of volunteers.  Our students are learning life skills such as organization, they’re boosting their academics, and their hearts are becoming more compassionate as they build a beautiful and healthy confidence in themselves.

Nataly and Mariana were new to LIT last year, and it is such a blessing to begin this school year getting to see the fruit of God’s work from the previous LIT year.  I’ve seen these two young girls blossom as they have found refuge from a trial-filled world within the LIT community.  I’ve watched Nataly and Mariana develop a hunger to know God.  I’ve witnessed walls tumbling down as they understand that they are created by a God who loves them.  I see two young ladies shining in the knowledge that they are accepted and belong.

I pray that these truths are being planted in the rich soil of their vulnerable hearts.  I pray that as they enter the broken, trial-filled world, that these truths will give them a hope built on Jesus that cannot be shaken.  I am so thankful to be a part of the work God is doing in so many young lives.  It's not easy to understand the difficulties that each of our students face.  It often seems that the odds are stacked against them as they walk the path that lies ahead of them.  I have such hope knowing that God has sheltered them in a place where these can be turned for good; yet there is so much we cannot control, and so much we cannot change.  However, there is good news!  We serve a God who can beat all the odds. That is where I place my hope for these students.

In other news:

• Mission Adelante staff has returned from Indianapolis and the Christian Community Development Association annual conference.   Dreams were born, clarified, and strengthened there as CCDA leaders challenged us to INNOVATE new strategies and methods of reaching our city and seeing communities transformed.

Prayer needs:

• Bhutanese ESL Director Lauren Timberlake's (and her husband, Drew's) baby girl was delivered yesterday several weeks prematurely.  The baby weighs three pounds, 11 ounces, is 12 inches long, and is healthy.  Lauren says, "Baby Lois is doing so well."  Praise the Lord for his care for Lauren and Lois, and join us in praying that the Timberlake family will be especially aware of His presence and that He will cause Lois to continue to grow and develop.
• A Bhutanese teen is facing legal challenges as the result of an accident.  Please pray for him and his family to see the Lord's sovereignty over the situation. 
• We've begun the season of planning for the upcoming year.  Please pray for the Lord to supply discernment and wisdom as we craft goals for 2012.

Current needs:

• A Bhutanese family we know lost their home and all their possessions in a fire last weekend.  Please pray for them.  Also, if you can donate any furniture--especially beds--or household items to them, please contact David Stetler at 913-281-6274 x6.
• Bilingual Bibles for use in Kids Adelante Bible studies.  These are our preferred type.  Feel free to have them shipped to Megan McDermott's attention at Mission Adelante, Inc., 22 S. 18th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102.

Upcoming dates:

• Observation Days: Tuesdays, October 25, and November 1 for Bhutanese outreach; Thursdays, October 20 and 27, and November 3 for Latino outreach.  If you've never seen how we serve immigrants, please come observe.  If you're a regular volunteer, bring a friend who would be interested to find out about the mission field in our own backyard.
• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Kansas City, Kansas

Sharing American Culture at Jack in the Box

Written by Lauren Timberlake

Life in the United States is full of “firsts” for our Bhutanese friends. Last week the volunteers in our Level 4 English class got to experience a fun one with their students: eating at an American restaurant.

Ten students and four volunteers visited Jack in the Box after learning all about menus, ordering, and food culture in the U.S. It was the first time many of them had eaten in a restaurant at all, let alone an American fast food place.

The friendly restaurant staff (who had been told of our visit ahead of time) took each student’s order in English, with a volunteer at each register to facilitate clear communication. The students were confident, but it was a challenge for them to read the intricate wall menu and understand what the cashier was saying.  

Most Bhutanese people do not eat beef, so curly fries and cokes were the most popular items students ordered. The drink station was the highlight for many students. None of them had experienced fountain drinks before, and many had wet hands as they navigated ice machines and soda levers for the first time. Lids and straws were also new. They had coffee lids on soda cups and dipped straws still covered in paper into their drinks. After a few mistakes and lot of laughs, they figured it out. The medium cups were much larger than they expected, so most only had a few inches of soda in them. When told about free refills, the students just laughed. One trip to the drink station was enough for the night!

Back at the main building, I had the chance to visit with several of the students. Using short, incomplete sentences they told me how happy they were, that the food was very good, and how much they liked ordering in English. It was obvious that they were very proud of themselves and that they had a lot of fun.

The volunteers were equally enthused. Shirley Posladek said, “I think we crossed a barrier of American culture that they didn’t have the confidence to do themselves. It created such joy within them to be able to do it!”

Field trips like this one are a great way for students to grow in confidence of using English outside the classroom, gain practical life skills, and build deeper relationships with their conversation partners—each important steps towards feeling at home here in Kansas City.

Do you know someone you can share a piece of American culture with? It may be a restaurant, shopping center, live music, museum, or other place of business. You may be the only one who will help them cross that cultural barrier. Go for it—it may mean more than you think.


In other news:

• Our second discovery Bible study began last Saturday with another Bhutanese family that we've been walking with for over 2 years.
• The majority of the Mission Adelante staff is in Indianapolis through this Sunday for the Christian Community Development Association National Conference.  They're joining the discussion on finding fresh approaches for changing realities through innovation.  Check out CCDA at ccda.org.  There will be No Latino Outreach programs this evening, October 13.

Prayer needs:

• We've come into the season of planning for the upcoming year.  Please pray for the Lord to supply discernment and wisdom as we craft goals for 2012.
• Pray for the health and safety of our staff that has traveled to the CCDA Conference, as well as their families that have stayed behind in Kansas City.

Current needs:

• We need a wheelbarrow for landscape maintenance on our property.   Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 if you can donate one.
• Two dressers have been requested through our Resource Center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 if you can donate one.
• We need three iPods for use in Kids Adelante, Bhutanese Kids Club, and the Bhutanese church.  Older iPods are fine; however, we need control of playlists, so Shuffles won't serve our purposes.  If you're able to donate one please contact Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274 x3.

Upcoming dates:

• Observation Days: Tuesdays, October 18 and 25, and November 1 for Bhutanese outreach; Thursdays, October 20 and 27, and November 3 for Latino outreach.  If you've never seen how we serve immigrants, please come observe.  If you're a regular volunteer, bring a friend who would be interested to find out about the mission field in our own backyard.
• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Kansas City, Kansas

Gone Fishin'

Written by Molly Drake 

In the early days of his ministry, Jesus met two fishermen along the banks of the Sea of Galilee and gave them this invitation: "Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." It says that they immediately dropped their nets and followed after him. Little did Peter or Andrew know how drastically their lives would change by taking Jesus up on his offer!

In November of last year I received a similar offer from my pastor at Mission Adelante. I was invited to join a group of committed believers to meet together to learn what it means to become fishers of men and then to encourage each other in the process.

Because I already work with kids on a weekly basis through Kids Adelante (KA), it made sense that I would choose one or two kids to invest in more deeply. I made a list of all the kids who have a special place in my heart. It was a long list! But as I reviewed it again, two names stood out above the rest.

One was that of a girl in my class at KA. Galilea is an outgoing, fun-loving 8-year-old girl with a heart after God. If I had to describe her in one word it would be "enthusiastic." She is hungry to know God and someone I can count on to participate in class. She has that child-like faith that Jesus treasured. I knew that investing in her life would be a worthwhile endeavor.

When I thought about Galilea, the next logical thought was "Meme," (short for Emmanuel). He's also in my class; he and Galilea just "happen" to be cousins; they just "happen," to really enjoy each other. They sit side by side in class and it's obvious they have a close relationship.
In March of last year I began spending time with them almost weekly. Now, when you think about discipleship, you probably think about sitting around a table with Bible pages rustling, pen posed, notebook open. Discipleship with Meme and Galilea looked a lot different at the beginning. Initially it looked like outings to go skating, swimming, or to eat ice-cream. This was the relationship building part.

Eventually it came time to go deeper. I'll never forget the day we sat around a picnic table at Shawnee Mission Park and they leafed through their very own Bibles. I showed them where they could find a devotional designed for kids written alongside the various Bible stories. We read through one together that day. I encouraged them to make a little time to read each day.
Now when I pick up Galilea to go on our various adventures, I love to hear her tell me about what she is learning. She tells me that she has a routine most days of reading her Bible once she has eaten supper and finished her homework. Last week when I picked them up, she came out of her house carrying her Bible. We stopped by Meme's house and she got out to get him. He came out carrying his Bible too! We had some time on a picnic blanket after playing at the park to review the lesson from KA that week about God's Word, the letter he has written so we can know him better.

Just like Peter and Andrew experienced, my life has been blessed by following Jesus and obeying his command to make fishers of men. The smiles, the hugs, the silly conversations and laughter we have while driving around, the opportunity to invest in two lives and see them grow in their love for Jesus fills my heart with joy!


In other news:

• Ministry Aide Molly Merrick hosted a work group of 15 seniors from Wyandotte High School on Tuesday morning.  They came with a great attitude and willingness to work, and did a great job sprucing up our building and property!
• Bhutanese ESL Director Lauren Timberlake is really enjoying the extra time she's been able to dedicate to ministry since joining the Mission Adelante staff a month ago.  She has enjoyed visiting Bhutanese ESL students in their home, and having greater interaction with volunteers.
• Bhutanese Kids Outreach Director Kristen Maxwell was invited to address the teachers and staff of Mark Twain Elementary School in Kansas City, Kansas about the experience of refugees; particularly the Bhutanese refugees who have resettled in Kansas City and with whom Kristen has become friends.  The group to whom she spoke was grateful to gain a better understanding of the culture and experiences of this growing sector of their student body.

Prayer needs:

• An extended Bhutanese family in Kansas City has expressed for the first time the desire to follow Jesus.  Praise the Lord for drawing them to Himself, and also pray for David Stetler and the Bhutanese Outreach staff as they begin to disciple the members of this family.  In addition, please continue to pray for wisdom for leaders during the beginning stage of our Bhutanese house church.
• Pray for some changes we're making to the way our Latino church worships.  Pray that deeper involvement and more discipleship will be fostered.
• Some of the Leaders In Training participants have recently displayed challenging attitudes.  Please pray for an improvement in their attitudes, as well as stamina for volunteers and students.

Current needs:

• Two queen beds, one double bed, a sofa, a dining table and chairs, and a washing machine are needed by Bhutanese families.  Please contact David at 913-281-6274 x6 if you're able to donate any of these furniture items.
• We need a wheelbarrow for landscape maintenance on our property.   Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 if you can donate one.
• Two dressers have been requested through our Resource Center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 if you can donate one.
• We need three iPods for use in Kids Adelante, Bhutanese Kids Club, and the Bhutanese church.  Older iPods are fine; however, we need control of playlists, so Shuffles won't serve our purposes.  If you're able to donate one please contact Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274 x3.

Upcoming dates:

• The majority of the Mission Adelante staff will travel to the Christian Community Development Association National Conference in Indianapolis October 12-16.  Check out CCDA at ccda.org.  Therefore, there will be No Latino Outreach programs Thursday, October 13.
• Observation Days: Tuesdays, October 18 and 25, and November 1 for Bhutanese outreach; Thursdays, October 20 and 27, and November 3 for Latino outreach.  If you've never seen how we serve immigrants, please come observe.  If you're a regular volunteer, bring a friend who would be interested to find out about the mission field in our own backyard.
• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Kansas City, Kansas

Loving our Neighbors

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. ‘This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)
Many of us are very familiar with this passage of scripture, still we sometimes ask, “Who is my neighbor?”  Doing life in the community that is Mission Adelante, we recognize our neighbor is the immigrant and refugee living among us.

You may have wondered, “What’s the difference between an immigrant and a refugee?”  or “How did these people from Bhutan end up in Kansas City of all places?”  A person is made a refugee by the United Nations when they cannot return their homeland, many times because of war or fear of persecution based on race, religion or caste. When refugees are removed from their homeland, they are settled in refugee camps that serve as a middle ground until they can be resettled to a new permanent home, because they can’t return to their previous home.  Refugees are then welcomed in to third party countries, like the United States, and are given a chance at a new life.

The Bhutanese Outreach at Mission Adelante serves Bhutanese refugees.  Our Bhutanese friends are ethnically Nepali, and their ancestors migrated to Bhutan over 200 years ago.  In the early 1990s, the government of Bhutan essentially kicked out all of the ethnically Nepalese people from the country.  The UN stepped in, and set up seven refugee camps on the border of Nepal and Bhutan.  In 2008, the UN began to resettle the residents of the camps in other countries including the US, Canada, Norway and Australia.

There are currently about 400 Bhutanese living in Kansas City, Kansas along with refugees from Somalia, Burma, Iraq and other countries.  When resettled, refugees are assisted by Catholic Charities for a time as they find jobs, and begin to figure out life in America.  The struggle is great for our friends moving from bamboo tents to a major city.  In these struggles, Mission Adelante has the chance to step in and be the hands and feet of Christ to our friends, filling their practical needs and showing them the love of Christ.

Prayer requests:

• Our 12 Leaders In Training, ages eight through 14, will visit a retirement home once a month during the duration of the school year to spend time with the residents.  Please pray for mutually encouraging friendships to form between the students and seniors.
• Pray for some changes we're making to the way our Latino church worships.  Pray that deeper involvement and more discipleship will be fostered.
• Pray for wisdom for leaders during the beginning stage of our Bhutanese house church.

Current needs:

• Two queen beds, one double bed, a sofa, and a dining table and chairs are needed by Bhutanese families.  Please contact David at 913-281-6274 x6 if you're able to donate any of these furniture items.
• A dresser has been requested through our Resource Center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 if you can donate one.
• We need three iPods for use in Kids Adelante, Bhutanese Kids Club, and the Bhutanese church.  Older iPods are fine; however, we need control of playlists, so Shuffles won't serve our purposes.  If you're able to donate one please contact Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274 x3.

Upcoming dates:

• The majority of the Mission Adelante staff will travel to the Christian Community Development Association National Conference in Indianapolis October 12-16.  Check out CCDA at ccda.org.  Therefore, there will be No Latino Outreach programs Thursday, October 13.

The LeMasters Have Come to Kansas City

Written by Joe LeMaster

In September 2010, my wife and I were at a Board meeting of the international mission that sent us to Nepal in 1990. For almost a year, we’d been diligently seeking the Father’s heart about the next few years of our lives. We’d returned from Nepal in 2000 after a decade of service there, and settled into lives and jobs in Columbia, Missouri, a mid-west college town. I was reasonably successful as tenured faculty member at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and my wife as a nurse at a local hospital and a teacher for Community Bible Study. Our kids had grown and flown, and it looked like we were going to be there until retirement.

That all changed at the Board meeting. One of our fellow Board members introduced us to some Bhutanese refugees to whom she was ministering in Loudonville, NY. The moment we met them, we were smitten…these were not the erudite Nepalese PhD students we’d met in the mid-west, who were well-off and worldly-wise. These were ‘people of the land’, poor hill-dwellers like those with whom we’d worked in rural Nepal. They spoke like them, they dressed like them, they were like them in every sense that had mattered to us. We were deeply moved at meeting them.

About 2 weeks later, we were in KC for my 25^th medical school re-union. That weekend, we met a young couple working in KCK, named David and Holly Stetler, who were living and working there… with Bhutanese refugees.  

We began to gingerly knock on doors to see if they would open to join them in KCK, and one after another they did so, beckoningly. The Stetler’s missional team opened their arms wide to us. KU Medical Center offered me a job to do refugee healthcare.

Finally, we sold our house on a lake in the country. We quit our jobs in Columbia, MO. We had bought a house in the KCK neighborhood where the Nepalese live. We believed God was with us. We took the leap of faith, and moved into the neighborhood.

We’ve been here about 2 months now. Gradually we are getting to know and love our new Nepalese neighbors, and our ‘Adelanté family’ who are planting a vibrant, young, missional gathering of believing Nepalese.  We meet regularly to pray, crying out to God for grace to be his hands and feet here. We are learning to share life and work with our Nepali neighbors. And we rejoice with each small step towards Jesus that we see them take.

 I wish I could say it was always easy because we believe God called us here. Some days it feels that way more than others. When I come out of my clinic after seeing Nepalese patients at KU Medical Center, I have to pinch myself that it is really happening…it is really sweet. A month ago, though, when one of our Nepalese friends committed suicide…not so much. But then I was able to collaborate with the leaders of the Bhutanese community and a local mental health clinic to write a grant to improve mental health services for Bhutanese refugees…the day we submitted that grant was a good day too.

Sometimes we struggle with something that feels a lot like culture shock, which we experienced when we moved to Nepal. We realize that we are weak, broken vessels, but ones through whom the Holy Spirit still wants to move. We believe it is His desire to call and mobilize local Bhutanese believers to embrace the Great Commission, to take the Gospel to their Nepali neighbors all over the world. We want to be a part of that…it would be our honor and joy. 

It’s still early days for us…we are still in the adjustment period. We have stepped into a place where God alone is in control. Only He can bring to pass the change in He wants in us and in those whom He has called us to serve. And we are with Him here, sink or swim… and there is no place else that we would rather be. 


In other news:

• Both the Bhutanese and Latino outreach launches went really smoothly last week, much in part to very high-quality volunteers with servant's attitudes and a willingness to help in every way that they could!  Thank you for praying for launches such as those we experienced!
• A group of 12 parents and kids from Heartland Community Church assembled 30 Canasta Basicas (bags of food staples) on Saturday morning, which will be made available to families in need through our Resource Center.  Find out more about Canasta Basicas, and how you can assemble some of them at www.missionadelante.org/canastabasica.

Prayer requests:

• Please pray that several Hispanics in our Latino church will rise to invitations into leadership roles that they'll soon be offered for the first time.
• Praise God for facilitating the smooth launch to our Fall trimester last week.

Other needs:

• An appliance dolly to help move large and heavy items in our Resource Center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5.

Important dates:

• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Kansas City, Kansas

Discipleship: Walking Through the Mundane

Written by Katelyn Wharton

Discipleship is such an important word for followers of Christ. Jesus had twelve disciples, and called us to make disciples. But when it comes down to it, how do we do this practically? Most people don’t have time to meet at the coffee shop every morning and do Bible studies with someone. So, if it’s not that, what is discipleship? I saw a model of discipleship at Mission Adelante this summer that is modeled after Christ’s work here on earth. He moved into his disciples’ area and invited them into his life (Mark 1:16, 19, 38). He walked further and began meeting the spiritual and physical needs of his community. In the same way, the Mission Adelante staff has moved into the neighborhood and begun meeting the needs of their community. Jesus used a come-and-let-me-teach-you approach to invite the disciples to share his life. Mission Adelante staff did the same thing with the interns this summer.

My invitation to share life looked a little different than that of the other interns. In my pseudo-intern position, I couldn’t stay the whole summer, so Jason and Megan Schoff invited me to spend the weeks I was in Kansas City, KS with their family. So began my journey into the mundane, to find out how to be a disciple and “do” discipleship out of who I am in Christ.

There is nothing particularly glamorous about family life—I know this from my own family, it’s simply reality—but I’ve found that there is something special about being asked to share the mundane moments of life with someone else! Jesus called his disciples to follow him and share in all the moments of his life, even the ordinary ones. When they dropped everything to follow him, I wonder if they realized they were in for a lot of walking?

While I’m sure that dorm-style life with the rest of the interns would have been great, staying with the Schoffs allowed me to be a part of the day-to-day life of a family seeking to follow Christ. Walking with Megan meant the occasional breakfast or lunch date, morning walks around the neighborhood with the boys in their stroller, grocery shopping, and talking after the boys went to bed, among other things. Walking with Jason looked like visiting people in the community, working with the English classes, and lots and lots of office work.  In these mundane moments I learned a lot. Several times throughout the summer, Megan asked me, “Katelyn, are you sure you want to come along with us? We’re only going to Costco,” or “We’re not doing anything interesting.”

 But isn’t this the essence of discipleship? Countless times throughout the New Testament Jesus was going somewhere, and he took his disciples with him (Mark 2:23, 3:13, 3:20, 5:1, 5:21, 6:1). Jesus invited his disciples to journey with him, then told them to make disciples; the Schoffs are followers of Christ who invited me to take part in their journey. Jesus ministered out of who he was; the Schoffs are ministering out of who they are and are becoming in Christ. And I was invited to journey with them in their mundane moments. Most of this journey wasn’t spent in a coffee shop or doing Bible study, but I have learned about becoming like Christ by simply walking with them and watching, just as the disciples learned by walking with and watching Jesus.

 So, who will you invite into the mundane moments of your life? 

In other news:

• Six individuals were baptized at the Latino worship service on Sunday evening  with the rest of the congregation gathered around the pool.  Each of those being baptized shared a confession of faith beforehand, and the depth of the ownership of their faith to which they testified was edifying for the rest of the congregation to hear.  
• This week is the launch of our fall trimester, and the Lord provided many of the volunteers that we were asking him to provide.  However, we're still a few volunteers short.  We need a couple of conversation partners for Thursday evening Latino ESL classes and a male L.I.T. tutor on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.  Find more information as well as phone numbers of directors by clicking here.

Prayer needs:

• Pray for the continuing faith journey of the six who were baptized.  Pray for their faith to be protected and that their love for the Lord would continue to grow.
• The oldest boy in Teens Adelante is taking ownership in welcoming five new teens into the outreach Bible study this fall.  There are also three new volunteers.  Please pray for each of them to integrate well and be accepted into the group, which developed closeness during the summer.
• Pray for the relationships that God will form between volunteers and program participants this trimester in all of our outreach programs.  
• Ask the Lord to give Jarrett Meek and Jason Schoff guidance and boldness as they consider reformatting that way our Latino church worships.

Current needs:

• A small group to provide a meal for 20 people each Monday afternoon throughout the school year.  Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• Fifty-five gallon trash bags.
• A gas stove, dining room table and chairs, a washer, and a dryer have all been requested in our Resource Center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x 5.

Important dates:

• Latino Trimester Launch: Thursday, September 15, 6:30 p.m
• Save the Date: Saturday, November 19.  Mission Adelante Staff Open Houses in the afternoon.  More details TBA.

Sons and Daughters

Written by Brooke Coon


We went around the circle one by one, as each teen shared what the summer at Teens Adelante was all about for them. After four weeks of the boys and girls being separated to have a Purity study, I was anxious to see if the confidence I had seen growing in the girls community would transfer to the whole group. As we went around the large circle of 11 Teens and 9 leaders, every single one shared a truly insightful piece of what God had been teaching them. "Loyalty." "Brotherhood." "Respect." But what really got me was when I heard "Trust." It wasn't just the concept, but who it was coming from; the one teen who from the first night I volunteered at Mission Adelante tried to place a wall between us.  "Trust" was not in his vocabulary. Walls were safe for him.


Over the past year, his defenses have come down, stone by stone, and during the men's purity time something in him seems to have not only come down, but he has actually reached out. He offered his true self and what resulted was "Trust; I never thought I would be able to trust a group of guys. I have never been able to before." Not only did he find a group of teen guys and men to lead them as brothers in Christ, but he is discovering an identity in Christ that gave him the confidence to share his true heart in front of all Teens Adelante.


The four weeks with the girls was equally powerful. The first week was an awkward tension of defense mechanisms at their maximum load. The second week those defenses burst to pieces. The Lord had called a couple of the women leaders to share from the dark unhealed wounds of the heart. He called us to lead the way in modeling what it looks like to brings things into the light that can really feel painful to acknowledge.  Immediately after we penetrated the silence in our own hearts, they did in theirs. The chains of our sin and the wounds that others had inflicted on our feminine hearts poured out into the thick air that night.


But a temporary discomfort in facing sin brings complete salvation and freedom to never again sit in darkness or fear. Doors in every single one of the young women opened, to what I imagine will be a year of deep restoration. There is a Holy restoration to our identities as 'daughters of the King' that occurs when we simply gather to seek His face. I am now beginning to see in them a security in each other and in their womanhood.  They are suddenly radiating as a group of girls. They no longer see each other as a threat, but as sisters. 


I am joyfully anticipating building on this foundation of sisterhood that Jesus laid in them. My prayer for all the Teens as we begin a new school year is that this communal foundation will give them strength to live a life that is set apart and that they will experience the Body of Christ working in all its glory. Despite all of our differences at Teens Adelante, there is a group of women and a group of men that will gather to seek wholeness in Christ, and demonstrate our love for each other through "loyalty", "respect", "trust", "vulnerability", and "brotherhood."


In other news:

• A portion of the Bhutanese missional family traveled to Fayetteville the weekend before last to learn about business as missions from a church that is doing it there.  They returned with many ideas about new ways to help the immigrants in our community.
• Another year of Leaders In Training--an after school tutoring and character development program--begins today for 12 select kids between the ages of eight and 14.  Director Megan McDermott feels very privileged to invest in the emerging leaders of our community in this way.

Prayer needs:

• Praise God!  Lauren Timberlake has officially joined the Mission Adelante Staff as the part-time Director of the Bhutanese English Outreach!  Please pray for the quick completion of the remodeling of the home they have purchased in Kansas City, Kansas, as they are eager to move to the neighborhood.
• Pray for God to strengthen  a Latino gentleman in our community that lost his father earlier this year and is presently trying to hold onto hope for his marriage.

Current needs:

• A number of volunteers are still needed for the fall trimester in most of our program areas. Our needs are:
  • Bhutanese Kids Club: 4 volunteers, at least one of whom is male
  • Bhutanese Teens Club: 2 male mentors; a worship leader
  • Latino Teens: 2 male mentors
  • Latino Adult ESL: 6 conversation partners
  • Leaders In Training: a small group to provide a meal for 20 people each Monday afternoon throughout the school year; 1 male tutor for Wednesday afternoons
  If you, or someone you know is interested, click here for more information. Then contact the staff person listed with the information about the program that most interests you. Our fall trimester is right around the corner, kicking off on September 13.
• An appliance dolly, to move large items in our Resource Center.
• Nonperishable food items to distribute through our Resource Center including canned goods, cereal, pasta, toilet paper, etc.
• A  baby stroller, which has been requested in our Resource Center

Important dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training: Saturday, September 10, 9:00-12:30. This orientation is a great way to get to know the scope of our whole ministry in one sitting, so if you'd like to find out more about us, even if you're unsure whether you can commit to volunteering, please come!
• Volunteer Team Meeting: Monday, September 12, 6:30 p.m. All of our active volunteers gather once at the beginning of the trimester to prepare for a great program launch.
• Bhutanese Trimester Launch: Tuesday, September 13, 6:30 p.m.
• Latino Trimester Launch: Thursday, September 15, 6:30 p.m
• Save the Date: Saturday, November 19.  Mission Adelante Staff Open Houses in the afternoon.  More details TBA.