What I Love About English Class

Written by Lauren Timberlake, Bhutanese ESL Director

Written by Lauren Timberlake, Bhutanese ESL Director

We’ve been hosting English classes for the Bhutanese community more than 5 years now. Over time, several things have changed. Our structure isn’t exactly the same, our lead teachers rotate in and out, our students and volunteers come and go. But there are a few things that really define our time together on Tuesday nights, and I love them.

Community

English class is all about community. Conversation partners truly welcome students. They share life together, learning about family and genuinely enjoying each other. Many students are home all day, cooking or caring for children, and coming to English class is a chance to meet with their friends. It’s a bright spot in their week. We cheer for each other’s successes and care for each other’s burdens with health and family. Volunteers often visit students in their homes, adding so much more depth to our time together in class.

Culture

There are very few places in Kansas city where Bhutanese Nepali culture is valued and celebrated. We love being one of the places where it is. Volunteers love learning about food, language, family life and celebrations of the Bhutanese refugee community. Students are welcomed exactly for who they are, even as we help them meet their goals in language learning.

Fun

I can’t remember a class where something funny didn’t happen. Learning language is very challenging, and without some humor, it can be downright frustrating. We use lots of gestures in our attempts to bridge language barriers. We aim to create a safe place to try new things and  make mistakes. Laughter is a key ingredient for that, and the friendships laughter creates are incredibly valuable as well.

In Other News

  • This Summer the Bhutanese teens ministry has broken out of our regular weekly schedule to do a variety of fun events. Next week we'll be visiting several work places to learn about the kinds of jobs they offer. We are hoping this experience will aid the teens as they consider their post-secondary educational and career options.
  • Our Kid’s Camps were an amazing time of fellowship, fun, and sharing Jesus.  Thank you so much to Christ Church Anglican, Emmanuel Baptist, and Shoal Creek for blessing our kids with all of your hard work and love!
  • One of our Bhutanese English students passed her citizenship exam last month! She shared her experience with the class this week, and we hope it will encourage others to keep working hard towards their goal.

Important Dates

  • July 9 & 16 (Latino outreach), July 14 (Bhutanese outreach): Bring A Friend/Get Acquainted nights.  If you or someone you know wonders what goes on around here on a typical night of programming, come on up/bring him or her up to find out!

Kids Camp 2015: Locking Arms and Having Fun

Written by Kristen Maxwell, Bhutanese Children's Ministry Director

Partnership is often times described as locking arms with someone.  In the literal sense, when you lock arms with someone you have to think about a variety of logistics: whether you and the other party are moving, how fast each of you is going, whether you're of compatible heights to reach one another's arm. If you don't take those things into consideration, someone might end up falling on the floor, or you may totally miss the person you are attempting to lock arms with.

At Mission Adelante, we are blessed to be in partnership, both formally and informally, with many churches, organizations and individuals.  In the summer, one of the biggest expressions of our partnerships with three local churches is our Kids Camps, which are our version of VBS.

For 10 evenings during three consecutive weeks, we lock arms with the youth ministries from Shoal Creek Community Church, Christ Church Anglican and Emmanuel Baptist Church to have tons of fun on our soccer field with as many neighborhood kids as we can round up.  We run, play games, share the love of Jesus and sometimes literally lock arms. This year, we had record setting numbers of participants, with 120 kids the first night!   We are grateful for the partnerships which afford us the opportunity to love and serve KCK kids.

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • June 30-July 4: Summer Break.  No programs.
  • July 7 & 14 (Bhutanese outreach), July 9 & 16 (Latino outreach): Bring A Friend/Get Acquainted nights.  If you or someone you know wonders what goes on around here on a typical night of programming, come on up/bring him or her up to find out!

Learning English and Meeting Jesus

This article is part of a series written by Ruth Anne Burrell about Mission Adelante. You can read about Ruthie, visit her website or read this article on her blog.

This article is part of a series written by Ruth Anne Burrell about Mission Adelante. You can read about Ruthie, visit her website or read this article on her blog.

“Sometimes you remember God only when you have a problem,” Yuri said.

Often, this attitude is a sign of a fair-weather Christian, but for Yuri, seeking God in the midst of trouble marked the beginning of a completely new journey with Jesus.

It was August 2013, and Yuri and his wife were in the process of immigrating to the United States from Cuba. The officials handed him his documents and said, “Welcome to the United States”…but they asked his wife to remain behind.

Yuri felt fear rising from the pit of his stomach as he realized he had no idea how long they would have to wait. It could be a mere two or three hours; it could be a full day; it could be longer. In that moment, he began to pray harder than he had ever prayed in his life.

Faith hadn’t played much of a part in his life before. His grandmother was Catholic, and his mother prayed frequently and enjoyed a good relationship with God, but he himself had never practiced any religion. Before he left Cuba, his mother told him she would be praying for him, but Yuri shrugged her comment off, thinking it a little strange.

In the immigration office, however, he saw the results of prayer when his wife came through only twenty minutes after he did.

Once they had entered the United States, Yuri and his wife headed to Kansas City. He had two cousins living in KC and thought it might be easier to find a job there than in Florida where other Cuban immigrants often chose to go. Today, he sees God’s hand in the decision.

“I think God said, ‘No, no, no [to Florida]. You are my son. You come to Kansas City because you need to meet Mission Adelante. You need to meet some people here.’”

Yuri and his wife first heard of Mission Adelante through one of his wife’s Cuban friends who told them about the English classes the ministry offered. Because they both needed to learn English, they decided to go and were amazed at how the people there showed love to them.

A few weeks later, Jarrett Meek, the founder of Mission Adelante, invited them to come to the Latin house church. Their lack of knowledge about Jesus and the church made them uncertain whether this would be a good fit for them. However, since the Mission Adelante staff had grown to feel like family, they accepted Jarrett’s invitation.

“The first time was pretty funny,” Yuri said. “During worship, my wife…all the time she was crying. I thought, ‘Wow. Maybe this is not a good place for us.’”

But two or three weeks later, after they had continued to witness the staff’s love for them through their English classes, they decided to try attending church again. This time they enjoyed the service a little more. And so they came back again. And every time they returned, they saw themselves growing in faith.

“We understand every week a little more about Jesus, about God,” he said. Six months later, they decided to be baptized.

A few months after that, Yuri began considering another big change. When he first arrived in the United States, he struggled at work because of how impatient his manager was with Yuri’s growing but still new English skills. Then he found a job under a new boss, who followed Jesus, patiently taught him new skills, and, knowing how Yuri missed the ocean, invited him to use his personal pool.

After finding Jesus, though, Yuri was feeling a call to become a pastor. “I love how the people [at Mission Adelante] love the Latin people,” he told Jarrett. “I would like to be like you.”

When he first talked to Jarrett, there were no available positions at Mission Adelante, but in January 2015, the opportunity arose for Yuri to take on a 3-year apprenticeship there. He approached his boss with some apprehension to talk about his resignation, but his boss was thrilled for him and his new opportunity.

Now, every morning, Yuri meets with Jarrett and another pastor and apprentice to discuss Scripture. Then in the afternoons, he works in one of the Mission Adelante programs, such as Leaders in Training or Kids Club.

He loves building relationships with people from Latin cultures and showing them God’s love through enjoying life together. Most of all, he tries to point out the similarities between them.

“You and me, we are the same,” he will tell them. “We are only different [in that] I think you need to meet Jesus…. You don’t have to forget your past, your culture, or your family – the change is your relationship with God. You don’t need to change your friends or change your family. No. Change your heart – only that.”

in other news:

  • We are having a great second week (of three in a row) of Kids Camp with our friends from Christ Church Anglican.  Please join us in praying for good weather as we finish up this summer's Kids Camps next week with our friends from Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Finding Family with People from Other Places

The Northlake Youth Group at Adelante Thrift

The Northlake Youth Group at Adelante Thrift

Written by Kristen Maxwell, Bhutanese Children's Ministry Director

You never know when a seed is going to be planted.  God works in ways that we don't understand, and oftentimes his plan is beyond anything we can imagine for ourselves.  Ten years ago, I accepted a position as a summer youth ministry intern at a church in Tucker, GA, a suburb of Atlanta.  In that first summer at Northlake, I formed deep relationships, and this church, a 14 hour drive from home, became like family to me.

I returned to Northlake for three additional summers as a youth and kids ministry intern.  Before walking with my friends at Northlake, I had never met a refugee, or spent much time with immigrants. During my second summer there, the Lord used Northlake's connections with the refugee community and in their neighborhood to plant the seed that has drawn me in to community with people from other places, and my life is so much better because of it.

Last week, Mission Adelante hosted the youth group from Northlake, a youth group that looks a lot like ours, filled with kids from many places.  During their time here they served, played and learned alongside many of the Bhutanese Middle School students.

At Mission Adelante, we value relationships and partnerships and last week was a beautiful picture of this.  We are grateful for the churches that support us both near and far.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (NLT)

Northlake Teens straighten up the library at St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Northlake Teens straighten up the library at St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Northlake teens prepare toiletries for distribution at St. Paul's Episcopal Church food pantry

Northlake teens prepare toiletries for distribution at St. Paul's Episcopal Church food pantry

Paul, youth minister from Northlake, teaches Northlake and Kansas City youth during Kids Club at Mission Adelante

Paul, youth minister from Northlake, teaches Northlake and Kansas City youth during Kids Club at Mission Adelante

Northlake teens serve at Adelante Thrift

Northlake teens serve at Adelante Thrift

important dates:

  • June 30-July 4: Summer Break.  No programs.
  • July 7 & 14 (Bhutanese outreach), July 9 & 16 (Latino outreach): Bring A Friend/Get Acquainted nights.  If you or someone you know wonders what goes on around here on a typical night of programming, come on up/bring him or her up to find out!

Drawn Toward Ministry

This article is part of a series written by Ruth Anne Burrell about Mission Adelante. You can read about Ruthie, visit her website or read this article on her blog. 

This article is part of a series written by Ruth Anne Burrell about Mission Adelante. You can read about Ruthie, visit her website or read this article on her blog. 

Edgar Soriano had just started attending Mission Adelante’s new program for teens, and a volunteer was leading him through a list of questions for an aptitude test designed to help the students determine their various gifts and abilities.

“Why do we have to answer these questions?” he asked. “These are dumb.”

“Well, do you believe we’re here for a reason?” the volunteer asked him.

“Not really,” Edgar admitted.

The volunteer proceeded to ask him if he believed in Jesus and if he wanted to accept Jesus into his life. Edgar went along with it, praying the prayer, even though he didn’t really believe. Not yet anyway. But today, he looks back at that moment as a turning point because it was the first time he had thought about the important questions of “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”

Edgar first began attending Mission Adelante’s after-school program as a thirteen-year-old who was struggling to behave and follow the rules. For a young teen who had never known his biological father, the family-oriented Mission Adelante was a godsend.

“Coming here and having that feeling of family just switched gears on me,” he explained.

Edgar gradually became more involved with the ministry, accepting Jesus and then learning from one of the program mentors how to play the bass guitar. One Sunday, he was scheduled to play with an Adelante worship band, and he invited his family to come watch.

“I didn’t expect anything [to come out] of it,” he said. “But sure enough, we had just started the service when they came in through the back. Ever since that day, my mom especially has been passionately coming, and they’re involved in the church too.”

After that, Edgar steadily continued to grow and take on more leadership until he accepted a summer internship with Mission Adelante, then a year-long internship, and finally, a 3-year apprenticeship. Today, as part of his apprenticeship, he acts as director of the Adelante teens program, though he also works frequently with the younger students involved in the Leaders in Training program.

The transition to leadership was sometimes a struggle. Often, during his time in the teens program, people would compliment Edgar on his leadership abilities and tell him they could picture him leading a program like this someday. He didn’t think much about their words…yet today, he is in the exact place they predicted. Every step of the way, he has seen God guiding him in this direction.

He remembers one mentor in particular who had a positive effect on him during his teen years. “David helped me see where I was wanting to go…. [After high school] I didn’t continue on to college, and so I was a little lost as to how my life would continue,” he explained. “I put myself down a lot, but once I started this path of ministry, I’ve seen how I’ve grown…. [David and his wife] were sort of my guides.”

Since then, Edgar has had the opportunity to act as a mentor to a number of young boys in the kids and teens programs. “I can connect to them, being Hispanic/Latino, being a male teenager. Our boys here don’t really have godly, male figures. Me being here – that’s an opportunity.”

In fact, working with kids and teens has been the biggest highlight of Edgar’s time at Mission Adelante. “I have definitely enjoyed watching some of my boys growing up. In some of them, I see things [and think], ‘Hey, I used to be like that.’ And so, seeing them change into something good…it has definitely been a highlight for me.”

Edgar’s faith and relationship with Jesus has grown and strengthened throughout his time at Mission Adelante, especially through daily discipleship and time spent studying Scripture with other Adelante leaders during his internships and apprenticeship.

“Throughout the process [of my internships], I became strongly attached to Jesus,” he said. “The whole path that I have taken here, God has definitely been pulling me in. Even times when I felt like ‘I don’t belong here,’ or think, ‘I want to do something else,’ God’s like, ‘Nope. You’re mine. This is where I want you.’”

Adelante Thrift’s "Stock the Store Summer"

Attention all volunteers!  You're invited to be a part of community transformation by participating in the first ever, "Stock the Store Summer" at Adelante Thrift!  Our warehouse is bursting at the seams, but demand is so high at our store that we can't keep enough merchandise on the shelves!  From day one customers have loved Adelante Thrift for it's customer service, clean and spacious environment, and quality products.  Our customer base is outstanding already and we're exceeding our sales projections for the first two months, but to reach our community development goals, we need more volunteers to help us move merchandise "from bag to rack" and keep our shelves stocked and well-organized.

This summer we are praying for and working hard to involve individuals and groups from across the city in fun and easy volunteer opportunities that are part of transforming our community! Serve times are available Monday through Saturday and even some evenings each week.  Visit www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer to sign up as an individual or group and we'll follow up to schedule a time that works for you!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • White t-shirts in adult sizes small-large for an upcoming Bhutanese Teens ministry event. If you are able to provide some please contact Hannah at hannahh@missionadelante.org.
  • Volunteers to serve weekly during our summer trimester, between the week of June 1 and the week of August 3.
    • Tuesday evenings: 
      • Kids Club: 3 volunteers
      • High-school Teens Club: 2-4 mentors--get to know the teens at events throughout the summer with the intention of forming relationships for discipleship this fall and beyond.
      • One regular shuttle driver and one substitute driver (No CDL required!)
    • Thursday evenings:
      • Kids Adelante: 3 volunteers
  • A male mentor to co-lead a Bhutanese Kids Club group made up of 5th-6th grade boys this summer and into the fall trimester.  We are hoping to fill this position with someone who would stay through the fall and transition to Middle School with the group.  For more information, contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
  • Containers to organize and store books and staple food bags in our Resource Center as they await distribution. Specifically, we're looking for 13" by 15" filing crates for the books, and 19 gallon locking storage totes for the food baskets. Please e-mail Molly M. at mollym@missionadelante.org with any questions, or if you can help.

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • Volunteer Training: Saturday, May 30, 9:00-1:00
  • All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert: Monday, June 1, 6:30 p.m. We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our Summer trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch!
  • Summer trimester programs launch: Week of June 1

History Comes Alive for the Leaders In Training

Written by Megan McDermott, Latino Children's Ministry Director

When I was a little girl, I remember the mystery and excitement that surrounded the words “field trip.” Field trips provided the opportunity to explore a topic of interest and to experience something new.   It didn’t matter where we were going or what we were doing as long as we were taking a break from the monotony of sitting in the classroom!

After learning about pioneers and westward expansion in LIT, our after-school tutoring and character development program, the Leaders In Training family had the fun opportunity to visit the Steamboat Arabia Museum together, located in the River Market.  The Steamboat Arabia sank in the Missouri River near Kansas City, Kansas on September 5, 1856 carrying 200 tons of cargo, much of which is on display in the museum.  It was the perfect place to let the children explore, discover, and connect with history.  We even had the privilege of meeting one of the main excavators of the Arabia that happened to be there that day as a guest lecturer!  It was incredible to see how engaged the children were in exploring the past and how history came alive for them.  It is enormously fulfilling to see the thirst for knowledge ignited in a child!

At Mission Adelante, we believe that developing individuals to reach their potential as disciples and leaders is how ministry bears fruit.  One of the things I feel called to do with the children of LIT is to invest in the students’ growth into well-rounded, Christian leaders that are innovative thinkers.  I’m grateful for the enriching activities, like our trip to the Steamboat Arabia Museum, that we’ve shared.

In other news:

  • The application process for next year's Leaders in Training programs has begun.  Twenty-one new applicants came to the informational meeting last Saturday, in addition to the students that will be returning! We feel so grateful that God would entrust us with leading these amazing children.

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Volunteers to serve weekly during our summer trimester, between the week of June 1 and the week of August 3.
    • Tuesday evenings: 
      • Kids Club: 3 volunteers
      • High-school Teens Club: 2-4 mentors--get to know the teens at events throughout the summer with the intention of forming relationships for discipleship this fall and beyond.
      • One regular shuttle driver and one substitute driver
    • Thursday evenings:
      • Kids Adelante: 3 volunteers
  • Bhutanese Kids Club is looking for a male mentor to co-lead a Kids Club group made up of 5th-6th grade boys this summer, and into the fall trimester.  We are hoping to fill this position with someone who would stay through the fall and transition to Middle School with the group.  For more information, contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
  • Our Resource Center needs containers to organize and store books and staple food bags as they await distribution. Specifically, we're looking for 13" by 15" filing crates for the books, and 19 gallon locking storage totes for the food baskets. Please e-mail Molly M. at mollym@missionadelante.org with any questions, or if you can help.

IMPORTANT DATES:

  • Volunteer Training: Saturday, May 30, 9:00-1:00
  • All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert: Monday, June 1, 6:30 p.m. We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our Summer trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch!
  • Summer trimester programs launch: Week of June 1

Immigration and Missions

Written by Hannah Hume, Bhutanese Teens Ministry Coordinator

It’s almost Summertime. Summer in the church world means mission trip season. Teenagers and adults alike will fill buses and planes and travel around the globe. Maybe you are planning on going on a mission trip this Summer. Did you know that many of the people that we travel around the world to reach with the gospel are coming to Kansas City? Immigrants and refugees: people from Nepal, Burma, Latin America, and various parts of Africa, just to mention some of the places of origin, are now living here in Kansas City. Immigration is bringing the mission field here to our very own city.

Many of these immigrants and refugees have faced unimaginable trials prior to their arrival in America. As you hear of upheaval, war, violence, and poverty in other parts of the world, it can be hard to find hope in the stories. Throughout the Bible, too, we see people being forced to move to new lands.  In Genesis, Joseph is sold as a slave by his brothers and trafficked to a foreign land.  Early in his life, Jesus’ parents flee their home with him for his protection.  In the book of Acts, believers often faced persecution, forcing them to become refugees on the move.  But we keep reading, and we see God’s redemptive purposes!  Through Joseph’s unique position, we see God save the entire nation of Israel from an extended famine.  We see prophecy about Jesus fulfilled.  And as the early believers moved from place to place, we see the gospel spread with them.

We believe that the  influx of refugees and immigrants isn’t a nuisance, nor a coincidence. We believe that God has a divine plan for our new neighbors’ lives and that he wants to expand his kingdom in them and through them.

While traveling to places around the world can be exciting and necessary, the increasing diversity in our city is an opportunity that cannot be overlooked. People who may not have previously had access to the gospel now live here, in our city, and should be the recipients of the love, hospitality, and truth Jesus has given us to share.

Mission Adelante would like to invite you to come and join us on the mission field in our own backyard. We are seeking to serve, share life, and share Jesus with the immigrant and refugee in our midst. We want to see our neighborhood and our world transformed for the glory of Jesus Christ. Will you consider joining us? No passport needed.

Our Volunteer Training in preparation for our Summer Trimester will be on Saturday, May 30 from 9:00-1:00.  It's a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante's ministry in just one sitting. 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 plan on attending this informative training, and to contact Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org for all the details.

current needs:

  • Volunteers to serve weekly during our summer trimester, between the week of June 1 and the week of August 3.
    • Tuesday evenings: 
      • Kids Club: 3 volunteers
      • High-school Teens Club: 2-4 mentors--supporting roles this summer, with more in-depth roles starting this fall.
      • One regular shuttle driver and one substitute driver
    • Thursday evenings:
      • Kids Adelante: 3 volunteers
  • Bhutanese Kids Club is looking for a male mentor to co-lead a Kids Club group made up of 5th-6th grade boys this summer, and into the fall trimester.  We are hoping to fill this position with someone who would stay through the fall and transition to Middle School with the group.  For more information, contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
  • Our Resource Center needs containers to organize and store books and staple food bags as they await distribution. Specifically, we're looking for 13" by 15" filing crates for the books, and 19 gallon locking storage totes for the food baskets. Please e-mail Molly M. at mollym@missionadelante.org with any questions, or if you can help.

important dates:

  • Volunteer Training: Saturday, May 30, 9:00-1:00
  • All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert: Monday, June 1, 6:30 p.m. We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our Summer trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch!
  • Summer trimester programs launch: Week of June 1

​

Please Pray for the Timberlakes in Nepal

Dear friends,

The earthquake in Nepal last week has disturbed and saddened us all.  With many of our Bhutanese friends having been born or having lived for years in Nepal before coming to the United States, there is an especially deep connection for the Mission Adelante community to this tragedy.  In fact, in God's providence, Lauren Timberlake, our Bhutanese ESL director, and her family are in Nepal currently on a 10-week mission trip working with an emerging partner ministry called Beautiful Gate.

The Timberlakes are safe, but they have experienced the devastation of the earthquake first-hand and have become part of the relief effort in their own neighborhood in Kathmandu.  We have included a link to the Timberlakes' blog and the post they made just after the earthquake hit.  Please pray with us for our friends in Nepal and for the Timberlakes.

Many of you have asked if you can support the relief effort in Nepal through Mission Adelante.  If you would like to give financially, we would encourage you to do so through our partner ministry there called, The Beautiful Gate, a ministry that works with people with disabilities.  The Beautiful Gate Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.

written by Drew Timberlake
We had a 7.9 earthquake with epicenter 50 miles away. It was big enough here to knock us off our feet. Lauren, Ollie and I were upstairs, and Lois and Ezra were outside and started running up the stairs to find us when the tremors started. I ran to the stairwell and basically fell down the stairs to get to Lois and Ezra who were not able to stand.
I grabbed them ran outside and noticed a big dust cloud from a house that fell next to us. So I started yelling at Lauren and Ollie to get out of the house all the while trying to stay on our feet.
Everyone made it safely outside into an undeveloped plot of land in front of our house.
When the shaking finally ended (maybe 60 seconds or so) someone started yelling that people were stuck in a house that collapsed next door. I ran over there, and all I could see was a large pile of bricks and a few people climbing on them. A couple people were moving a few random bricks.
Then I saw a guy working very hard who was covered with dust… through broken communication I gathered he knew where the people were. So I started helping him… somehow his two little toddlers were stuck in the corner of the house. I got everyone off the top of the pile of bricks (so it wouldn’t collapse any further) and we were able to fish the kids out through a small little window which you can see in the pictures under the stairs. They were a little scratched up but other than that okay. One was maybe 1 year old and the other 2 or 3.
Other than that, our immediate neighbors are okay. One lady went into labor because of the trauma but they were able to get her to an ambulance. A couple other women fainted but are fine. We stayed outside with around 100 neighbors in the field for 3 hours and until most of the aftershocks subsided.
Bikash and all his family are okay. Church services were going on, which are located in an earthquake proof building that wad recently built. The worst thing that happened was a huge wall (1/4 mile at least) across the street fell down and took out cars and electrical poles. The police came and asked us to help look for reported bodies under the wall. We pulled up bricks for the better part of an hour but didn’t find any signs of anyone.
The members of the church (most are disabled and live in shoddy houses) were with them and safe. They actually just moved the church service outside and kept singing.
We’ve had many aftershocks that have been small. We walked to meet our friends at church around 3:30. Everyone here is fine. We will sleep here tonight on the floor.
There are many children staying here for medical treatment in katmandu. They are here with a parent, but the rest of their families live in villages all over Nepal. Pray they can talk to their families by phone–some have had trouble with jammed lines.
Tomorrow we will hear much more, and I will likely go with Bikash to see where we can help. Thank you for your prayers!

Adelante Thrift Celebrates Transformation and Collaboration at Our Grand Opening!

by Jarrett Meek, Pastor & Executive Director, Mission Adelante, Inc.

Few times have I felt more supported or more proud than I did at Adelante Thrift's grand opening celebration the Saturday before last.   Local leaders, organizations, and businesses gathered around to pray with members of our community in four languages and watch as a group of community leaders from four different countries cut the ribbon together and announced the beginning of this new sustainable ministry initiative.  I was proud of the Mission Adelante community for having realized a dream and for having become owners and stakeholders of a project that is much bigger than any of us imagined.

The larger KCK community showed up in a big way to support us that day.  Partner organizations whom we've known and worked alongside for many years were present to cheer us on.  More recent partners were there as well, making the atmosphere festive and fun.  The wide variety of organizations that hosted booths in front of the store during the first several hours of the event symbolized, in many ways, the transformation God is doing in our city.  From immigrant-owned businesses and a small college to youth sports leagues, Christian ministries, and a family-owned grocery store that has been in the neighborhood for more than 50 years, our community came together to celebrate collaboration and transformation!  A representative from the Mayor's office came by, as well as a city commissioner, a Kansas State Representative, and a the President of our neighborhood association.

As the day unfolded, balloons, coffee, ice cream, mango juice, and fresh produce were shared outside the store, while a steady flow of customers enjoyed the fun and some pretty amazing deals inside.  Meanwhile, volunteers sorted, racked and priced clothing and other items in our production area, cared for customers, and reorganized our warehouse.  As I reflect on this day, my heart is filled with gratitude to our Lord for all of those who contributed to make this dream come true: for board members, donors, contractors, community members, volunteers, partner churches, partner ministries and businesses, and the staff of Mission Adelante and Adelante Thrift.  What a joy it is to be part of such a thriving and vibrant community!  We are indeed transforming our community together!  Jesus is indeed transforming our community!

Current needs:

  • Volunteers to serve weekly during our summer trimester, between the week of June 1 and the week of August 3.
    • Tuesday evenings: 
      • Kids Club: 3 volunteers
      • High-school Teens Club: 2-4 mentors--supporting roles this summer, with more in-depth roles starting this fall.
      • One regular shuttle driver and one substitute driver
    • Thursday evenings:
      • Kids Adelante: 3 volunteers
  • We are getting close to completing the rehab on the youth ministry house!  We really need a few volunteers to help us cross the finish line.  If you can help with things like installing bathroom fixtures, installing mirrors, hanging window coverings, and general construction clean-up, etc; please contact Sarah at sarahw@missionadelante.org
  • In modeling our commitment to community development, we want our grounds to reflect the beauty and pride of ownership of our community.  Please contact Sarah at sarahw@missionadelante.org, if you would like to donate some flowering plants or ground covering to beautify our space and help us put our best face forward.

Adelante Thrift's Grand Opening: A Celebration of Collaboration! April 11th, 9:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

by Jarrett Meek, Pastor, Executive Director, Mission Adelante, Inc.

Chuck Allen and youth from the Urban Scholastic Center pray before volunteering at Adelante Thrift.

Chuck Allen and youth from the Urban Scholastic Center pray before volunteering at Adelante Thrift.

What better way to celebrate the Grand Opening of Adelante Thrift than with 15 partner businesses and organizations that have impacted Mission Adelante and have been a part of our community's ongoing transformation!  The fact is, our KCK community has been, and is being transformed by many individuals, businesses, and organizations who have invested time, effort, and resources in making our neighborhood a better place to live.  Some organizations, like Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC) have been focusing on quality, affordable housing.  Others, like Urban Scholastic Center and Bethel Neighborhood Center invest in children and youth to develop leaders from our own neighborhood.  Chas Ball Sunfresh made a huge leap a few years ago by moving from its location  at 18th and Central to become the anchor for the new shopping center that replaced an abandoned truck stop and a run down motel.  KCK RBI started by Cle Ross, a KCK native, is "reviving baseball in the inner city."  This list goes on friends!  God is doing a beautiful work in our neighborhood, and it's a joy to be a part of it!  

This Saturday, April 11, Adelante Thrift will hold a grand opening celebration to feature many of our neighborhood partners, expose our community to the new store, and to thank all of those who have helped the dream of a thrift store that transforms our community become a reality.  There will be a brief ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:45 a.m. before the store opens at 10:00 for business.  Partners will host tables in front of the store promoting their own products and programs until 1:00 p.m. and the celebration will continue throughout the day until the store closes at 6:00 p.m.  We invite you to come by the store that day join the fun!

To volunteer as an individual, group or family, visit www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer

Current needs:

  • The Bhutanese Leaders In Training are looking forward to shopping at the "Mission Adelante Money Reward Store" on April 29th.  We are in need of small items that the kids can "purchase" as rewards for their extra work this trimester.  Candy, cosmetics, craft items and soccer stuff is extremely popular. If you are able to contribute, please email Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.

Little by Little: Literacy Learning Progress

Written by Lauren Timberlake, Bhutanese ESL Director

A year ago, I wrote about the beginnings of a basic literacy program in the Bhutanese English classes.

The overall literacy rate for Bhutanese refugees is 65%, with young people representing a large portion of those who can read or write in any language. Most of the students in the Bhutanese English classes are over 40, and many have not had more than a few years of primary school if any education at all.

Through one-on-one coaching and tools like writing worksheets, dry erase boards, and early readers, many students are making steady progress towards their goal of reading and writing English. At least two students went from very little English literacy to reading sentences from a textbook this year. It is good to watch them work hard and succeed.

Increasing English skills improves refugees’ ability to find work and function well in America. It’s also one of the best ways for them to feel truly at home in Kansas City.

English is also required to pass the U.S. citizenship exam. Applicants have to answer questions about themselves and about U.S. history and government. There’s a reading section and a writing section made from a word bank of about 200 words.

Little by little, our students are building up their ability to read and write these 200 words. Even students with very low literacy skills have great motivation to pass this exam. They practice writing these words over and over again in class and at home.

Our volunteers tirelessly sit beside them, coaching and cheering, celebrating each small victory. Join us in praying for these students to beat the odds and master enough English to pass their U.S citizenship exams and enjoy life in Kansas City.

A Great Serve Opportunity for Individuals, Groups, and Families at Adelante Thrift!

by Jarrett Meek, Pastor/Executive Director, Mission Adelante, Inc.

"We can feel the love of God in this place!"  What an amazing compliment for our brand new thrift store!  I believe that customers have been saying things like this because of volunteers who have gone the extra mile in serving!  It's exciting that the love of Christ can be expressed in so many ways, including through a retail store!  We invite you to be a part of loving and transforming a community by serving as a volunteer at Adelante Thrift!

Adelante Thrift opened it's doors to the public on March 14th, and now we're excited to offer fun, high-impact volunteer opportunities for individuals, groups and families!  With the doors open and all systems "go", volunteers helping with production (sorting, racking, steaming, pricing, and stocking) and department displays (organizing/decorating specific departments) will become one of our most important keys to success.  Keeping items on the shelves, priced low, and organized beautifully attracts customers AND provides the kind of pleasant shopping environment that makes people say, "Wow, somebody really cares!"  That somebody, of course, is Jesus , working through you!  

We invite you to come serve with us and transform community!  Serve once, serve occasionally, or serve on a regular basis!  Serve as an individual, a family, or serve with your group!  You make a difference!  

To sign up, please visit our volunteer page at www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer/!

n other news:

  • Thank you to many generous donors who have helped to stock our LIT snack bucket!

current needs:

  • Our Leaders in Training program has a “Mission Adelante Money Store” at the end of each trimester, where students spend “money” they have earned doing extra work and exhibiting behavior above and beyond what is expected of them to buy small prizes.  Our students have done an amazing job this year, and we need items for the store such as small toys and prizes of interest to 8-12 year old students by Tuesday, March 31st.  If you are interested in helping please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org.

Adelante Thrift Opens for Business Tomorrow at 10am!

Tomorrow, two and a half years of planning, waiting and working will come to fruition as Adelante Thrift opens its doors to the public.  The community development vision of transformation through sustainability, neighborhood engagement, and collaboration is much more powerful in reality than I imagined even one month ago.  God is so good!  This video tells the story.

  • Opening Day: March 14th, 2015, 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Grand Opening Celebration: April 11th (details to be announced soon)
  • Address: 3720 State Ave. Kansas City, KS  66102


You're Invited to a Barn-Raising at Adelante Thrift This Week!

You've heard of a "barn raising" haven't you?  Well that's what we need this week at Adelante Thrift to get ready for our opening day on March 14th!  It's crunch time, and we invite you to jump in with us any day this week, between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., to help us make the final preparations for opening day!  We have made great progress, but we need all the help with can get to sort, price and put items on racks and shelves before Saturday!  Bring a friend, your family, a group from your office, church or neighborhood; or come by yourself. This is getting fun!  Come when you can and stay as long as you want.  No need to sign up, just show up at 3720 State Ave., Kansas City, KS  66102!  It's time to transform your community!

Transforming Our Community Together

written by David Stetler, Associate Director

Every day we get closer and closer to the moment when the doors at Adelante Thrift will swing wide open and welcome the first shoppers. Making this dream a reality has required a city wide effort with more than 15 church partners, hundreds of volunteers, thousands of hours, and a whole lot of patience. We have seen God's hand guiding us every step of the way with so many small victories popping up at every turn. These little breakthroughs continue to give us the encouragement and push we need to keep moving forward! Possibly one of my favorite victories was watching the Mission Adelante Community come together as owners and stakeholders of this new and exciting project of community transformation.

Early Saturday morning the store was completely empty. The construction was finished, and the floor had been swept and polished and was shining bright. By the middle of the day, however, it was filled with racks and shelves and an entire community of people from all places serving side by side and locking arms to make an impact together. Young and old, mothers and fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, anyone and everyone from our community teamed up as one community to prepare the store for the quickly arriving opening day.

We believe that this is just a small taste of all that the Lord is going to do and just the beginning of the community transformation that we have been dreaming about since the inception of Adelante Thrift!

Post by Mission Adelante, Inc.

Meet the Leaders of Adelante Thrift!

by Jarrett Meek, Pastor/Executive Director, Mission Adelante, Inc.

As we sprint toward a March 14th opening day for Adelante Thrift, we are excited to introduce you to the two men who are on the front lines of this effort and will be leading the charge at the store going forward: Matt Totsch, Executive Director, and Antoine Dunn, Store Manager.

Matt, husband to Kathleen and father of two, has been a volunteer member of Mission Adelante's Bhutanese community since 2010, when our ministry with the Bhutanese began.  The Totsch family moved to the Mission Adelante neighborhood in June of 2013.  He is a leader whose hard work, high sense of responsibility, and stick-to-it mentality have moved Adelante Thrift forward in times when it seemed like the project might not ever become a reality.  Matt has been working with the Adelante Thrift board since we began planning for the store in 2012 and this quote from the movie, "Pearl Harbor" describes him well, "Victory belongs to those who believe in it the longest!"

Antoine is the husband of Floricela, a soon-to-be naturalized citizen of the U.S., and the father of four beautiful children.  The Dunn family has been involved in Mission Adelante's Latino ministry for about six years, and Antoine co-leads one of our Latino house churches as well as an English class.  He is a faithful and consistent leader in our ministry and the marketplace with 20 years of experience managing and opening McDonald's restaurants in the Kansas City area.  His love for Jesus, his people skills, and his hard work ethic combine with his extensive experience and insider knowledge of our community to make him a high impact leader for the staff of Adelante Thrift.

In addition to Matt and Antoine, we are excited for everyone to meet the entire Adelante Thrift staff team, which includes a diverse group of people from different places including the U.S., Bhutan, and Latin America.  They will work alongside volunteers from across the city to provide the best thrift experience by caring at every opportunity, and build a store that puts into action the command to love our neighbor as ourselves.

In other news:

  • Are you ready to support sustainable community development by volunteering at Adelante Thrift? We have two upcoming Adelante Thrift volunteer orientations. Join us either Saturday, February 28th, or Saturday, March 7th from 9:00 am-10:00 am, to get involved and be one of many who open our doors and welcome the community to the best thrift experience possible. To sign-up for a volunteer orientation, please fill out our volunteer interest form and our volunteer coordinator will connect with you to confirm your space in one of our orientations.
  • There are now four deaf adults from the Bhutanese community meeting to learn American sign language on Tuesday nights. We’re thankful for volunteer tutors from Deaf International to help us serve them with Jesus’ love.

prayer needs:

  • Please pray for our Adelante Thrift Launch Team and Staff. We have a lot of exciting things happening to prepare our store for our March 14th opening in just over two weeks! We need energy, stamina, productive work days, and a spirit of collaboration as we finish out these final weeks and prepare to open our doors.

Upcoming dates:

  • Spring Break: March 16-21.  No programs.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed March 18-21.

Adelante Thrift Has a Volunteer Opportunity for You!

Written by Kristen Allen, Community Development Director

In almost three weeks, our dreams of a thrift store that transforms our community will become a reality when Adelante Thrift opens its doors at 3720 State Avenue in KCK. God has been faithful in providing us a space, funding, an incredible launch team, and a dedicated staff. Now all that is missing is a crew of volunteers to join us in our mission of creating the best thrift experience by caring at every opportunity. Maybe what we are missing is you.

What we want our customers to experience when they enter the store is a welcoming smile, a offer of assistance, a clean store full of quality merchandise that is easy to shop, and the overall feeling that Adelante Thrift is more than a thrift store. You can buy a second hand shirt anywhere, but at Adelante Thrift we want our customer to feel our call to love our neighbor and we express that in the way we extend hospitality and exceptional service to people from all places. When is the last time that someone offered to read to your kids while you shopped in a store? Or helped you take your purchase to the car? Or really went out of their way to make sure you received the assistance you needed?

This vision of generosity and service can only be achieved with volunteers. Volunteers will help make our store a success. For the first time, Mission Adelante has volunteer opportunities for almost anyone. Adelante Thrift has daytime opportunities, evening opportunities, and weekend opportunities. We need volunteers on a weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly basis. We have opportunities for your small group and opportunities for you to serve with your kids. You can work behind the scenes in our sorting area. You can work out front and assist customers. Are you starting to get the picture?

Maybe you are talented at fixing things and want to help us get furniture and small electronics in top shape for the sales floor. Maybe you love organizing displays and want to serve as a department coordinator to help focus on the sorting, pricing, and display of merchandise in a specific department. Maybe you love to work alongside others and would enjoy sorting donations. You can learn more about our volunteer opportunities and fill out our volunteer interest form by visiting www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer.

To sign-up, please fill out our volunteer interest form and our volunteer coordinator will connect with you to confirm your first serve activity at Adelante Thrift!

Ministry That Truly Transforms

Written by Hannah Hume, Bhutanese Teens Ministry Coordinator

At Mission Adelante we value relationships. In fact, we believe that effective ministry is relational at its core. You could try to minister without relationship, but effective ministry that transforms hearts and overflows into community transformation cannot happen without relationships.  

As followers of Jesus, we believe that our highest calling is to make disciples of Jesus, and disciple making must be a relational endeavor. Think back to the very first disciples to exist: Peter, John,....How did they become disciples? Were they wooed by impressive worship sets complete with guitar and drums? Did they memorize a catechism? No. They were invited into a relationship with Jesus. Jesus said, “Follow me,” and they followed him, talked with Him, ate with Him, watched Him do ministry, listened to Him teach, and began to minister themselves while He observed and coached. All of these are highly relational activities.

That’s the kind of discipleship we want to practice!  However, it doesn’t take long to realize the impossibility for our staff, by ourselves, to live relationally with those in our neighborhood the way Jesus modeled.  Sheer numbers prevent it. That’s where our volunteers come in.

Relationships come at a cost. They take time and they require risk and emotional investment. However, they are the means God uses to transform us and the world around us for His glory. Often, our volunteers become such good friends with our program participants that they end up feeling like family around one another. They share meals, celebrate birthdays, and help one another with errands and chores like transportation to appointments, or moving.  As people unite across cultures and languages it speaks volumes about Christ’s incarnational love, and it’s not uncommon for people from other places to begin a relationship with Jesus for themselves after experiencing friendship and community with someone they met at Mission Adelante.

When we live in relationships with one another our patterns and perspectives are challenged,  our capacity to love grows, and we become healthier, more inspired, more whole. Whole people, in love with Jesus and living in community on mission together. That is the mark of effective ministry. Ministry that truly transforms.

Adelante Thrift On Track for a March 14th Opening Day!

After two years of waiting, praying and searching, Adelante Thrift was shot out of a cannon on October 29, when we finally signed a lease for the space at 3720 State Avenue in KCK!  The store is on track to open its doors to the public on March 14, 2015.  As we've prepared for launch, there has been a pretty exciting highlight list developing that demonstrates the gracious provision of the Lord for this project.  We invite to read on and celebrate with us!

  • Launch Team Initiated: Immediately upon signing the lease, a new "Launch Team" was formed with ten key leaders in charge of developing six key functional areas related to the launch of the store.
  • Director Hired: Two weeks later, Adelante Thrift hired Matt Totsch, its director, to begin working full-time on the preparation process.  
  • Church Engagement: The word got out quickly, and in a short time the Lord has provided meaningful partnerships with 16 churches and church campuses who will participate in various ways in supporting the store.  
  • New Volunteers: Our most recent volunteer training day on January 10th included about 20 new volunteers representing five partner churches and a neighborhood group.  We're recruiting more!
  • Donation drives through partner churches are being planned for the months of February through April to provide the initial inventory for the store.  So far there are seven drives scheduled and a handful of churches still working on setting a date.
  • Construction Underway! On January 15th, we received our construction permit from the city, and demolition in the space began immediately.  We've accomplished a lot already and the construction phase is on track to be complete by February 23rd so that we can finish the build-out of the store to be ready for opening day. 
  • Special Gifts: We've been blessed by people giving of their time and resources to help launch Adelante Thrift.  Apart from financial gifts, we've also received several non-cash donations that have made a big difference.  Bright Ideas Signs is making and installing our exterior lighted sign.  Laminate Works is providing warehouse space for us to store seasonal items and other overflow items that don't fit on our retail floor.  
  • Funding: We established a start-up budget of $250,000 and prayed the Lord would meet this mark to provide the necessary funds to get the store ready and pay salaries and other expenses for the first few months of store operations.  We're excited to announce that we've received $245,526 toward this goal with an additional $6250 in commitments that we should receive soon!  Now we're working on raising an addition $20,000 to build in a little breathing room to the start-up budget.

We thank you for your generous giving and your partnership with Mission Adelante and Adelante Thrift!  Let's keep moving forward and celebrating the ways the Lord is working to transform our community!


Other news:

  • The Moms Matters group from Westside Family Church created some adorable valentines that were handed out to our Kids Club Kids on Tuesday night!  The kids loved the special surprise!
  • We are looking forward to taking all of our Leaders in Training to Skyzone, an indoor trampoline park, to reward them for all of their hard work.  We love helping the kids see that hard work in life pays off!


Current needs:

  • Leaders in Training, Mission Adelante, Inc.'s after-school leadership development and tutoring program is serving 30 kids this year! We go through around 60 individually wrapped snacks each week! We are currently running low on snacks. Would you or your small group consider picking up healthy pre-packaged snacks for a week?  If you are able to supply some snacks, message email Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org