Support Mission Adelante This Year-End!

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Dear Friends,

“Coach” Wayne Gordon of the Christian Community Development Association often asserts that it takes 15 years to make a lasting impact in urban ministry.  As we approach our 15-year mark, we are seeing the kind of fruit we’ve dreamed of since the beginning! Young people from all places are being discipled and are now becoming leaders at Mission Adelante!  In the last 15 months, we’ve added four new apprentices to our staff who are learning, growing, and leading some of our core outreach programs. We’ve always valued leadership development, but 2019 has brought exciting opportunities and a significant step forward for us in this effort.

Our investment in emerging leaders from our community begins when they are in elementary school, with an after-school program we call “Leaders-In-Training”.  This two-day-a-week mentoring and tutoring program focuses on a select group of around 15 stand-out kids, equipping them academically, spiritually, and socially.  For high school students and young adults we offer an intensive summer internship program that includes a handful of promising young leaders who are going deeper in their pursuit of Christ and beginning to experiment with leadership.  Our two-year apprenticeship for young adults takes leadership development to the next level by offering emerging leaders a full-time spot on our staff to be trained and mentored in ministry. From beginning to end, the goal is to produce fully-devoted followers of Jesus who can, in turn, invest in others and impact our community.

As we work to be faithful to the call of Christ to make disciples, we would like to invite you to lock arms with us by supporting our ministry financially this year-end. Year-end giving makes up a significant portion of our annual funding and we depend on God’s provision through partners like you!   This year we are praying for the Lord to provide $100,000 in special contributions for our Community Leader Fund, which is used to support salaries and benefits for our apprentices and staff from different countries.  This is a direct investment in the heart of our mission! Giving is easy by check or online; visit missionadelante.org/give.

Thank you for your prayers, partnership, and consideration.

In His Grace,

Jarrett Meek  

Pastor/Executive Director

2019 Reflections

Gissell (centered) with ESL volunteers at our fall New Volunteer Orientation.

Gissell (centered) with ESL volunteers at our fall New Volunteer Orientation.

Written by Gissell Vazquez, ESL Latino Director

Three years have passed since I came to live in the USA. I never imagined that I’d have to face so many challenges in life and work. 2019 has brought new experiences, and now that the year is ending, it is a good time to think back and reflect. Three words describe this year and the experiences that came along with it.

The first word that comes to my mind is transitions. Since the beginning of the year this was a big theme for me. I spent the first half of the year transitioning out of Arts Community and into directing Latino ESL. That took a lot of planning, thinking, and decision making. I’m glad I have some amazing people working with me! Phul Maya has taken over Arts Community and has done a great job in leading the program. Her growing leadership skills have positioned her in a great place to continue developing the Arts Program. I also had the best ESL mentor, Paul Kienzle, the former ESL Director. He shared with me all his knowledge and experience. He did a great job in “passing the baton” as he used to say.

The second word is growth. There are two areas of growth that I have experienced. One has to do with the level of responsibility in leading ESL. The ratio of volunteers to students increased significantly. Currently, we have 39 volunteers to 68 students. This new change also came with challenges like creating good communication with volunteers and students and encouraging good levels of participation in the program. The second growth has been happening in our Latino church. I am enjoying this very much! We participate in sharing the good news about Jesus, but the work is done by the Holy Spirit in people’s lives. I’ve enjoyed sharing life and sharing Jesus with our new friends from ESL that started to visit Mission Adelante’s faith community. Angelina, Hector, Ernesto, and Lorena, you’re dear friends to me! I’m thankful I met you guys, and now we not only share life in ESL classes but we share a common faith in our Lord Jesus.

The third one is gratefulness. I’m grateful for old and new friends, for volunteers who are impacting students' lives and vice versa, and for being part of a community that works together and enjoys the process of sharing life and sharing Jesus.

Overall, this year has been filled with many challenges. These challenges have helped me grow in faith and leadership skills. They also allowed me to be truly grateful for the people that have supported me and helped me through the transitions. God has used this year in an amazing way!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Love the arts? Enjoy working with children and youth? We invite you to come serve at Arts Community! This fun program meets Monday evenings to practice their talents, create friendships, and learn more about Jesus. Visit our website for more information: http://www.missionadelante.org/arts/

  • Do you speak English? Many of our community members don’t but would love to learn and practice with you! We are in need of ESL volunteers for our spring trimester. Come make friends from other places and help them learn a new language! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at http://www.missionadelante.org/esl

Growth

Written by Phul Maya Rasaily, Ministry Apprentice

This is my second trimester leading Arts Community, and I am loving it! Arts Community is growing and flourishing in an amazing way. This trimester we have added a crochet class for teens. Leidy is the volunteer leading the class - she is amazing! By adding this class, we have created an environment where children and teenagers can learn and play together. We have also welcomed two new students with disabilities to Arts Community. Having them this trimester is the cherry on top because they bring a smile to everybody's face. It gives me so much joy to see other students getting involved to help them in their classes. However, Arts Community is not flourishing on its own. We couldn’t do any of this without God’s help and provision. He has provided committed volunteers who have a great heart for immigrants and refugees. They are the pillars of Arts Community! 

Like Arts Community, my discipleship group is also growing in faith and confidence. Every Wednesday, I meet with four teenage girls to study the bible, pray, and share life. Roshna Rai is one of the teenage girls that participates in the discipling group. She has a learning disability but has not been diagnosed yet. She really impresses me and makes me proud of her. Whenever I read a Bible story she listens attentively and eagerly. She never misses a detail and remembers all the stories I have shared. A few months back I invited her to share one of these stories at our Sunday school. She decided to share the story of how Pharaoh's daughter found and rescued Moses. As I watched her, I realized how much she has grown in her leadership skills and confidence. It made me happy to see God working in her and excited to continue doing what I do.

Through Arts Community and the discipling group, I have gained more self-confidence. I have more trust in my leadership and planning skills. And whenever I am feeling low, my awesome volunteers and students encourage, support, and guide me. I would love for you all to pray for the continued growth of Arts Community. Also please pray for more amazing volunteers with a heart to serve and share with our kids - specifically for teachers for our arts and crafts and keyboard classes.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Have you ever wondered what goes on at a typical night of programming at Mission Adelante? Adelante Arts Community, Refugee Kids Club, Refugee Youth Club, Citizenship Class, Latino ESL, Teens Adelante, and Kids Adelante have Observation Nights coming up! Visit www.missionadelante.org/observe to sign up!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Love the arts? Enjoy working with children and youth? We invite you to come serve at Arts Community! This fun program meets Monday evenings to practice their talents, create friendships, and learn more about Jesus. Visit our website for more information: http://www.missionadelante.org/arts/

A Family United by Faith

Yolanda (far right) and other women from our Latino Church at our annual retreat!

Yolanda (far right) and other women from our Latino Church at our annual retreat!

Written by Yolanda Silos, Community Member

My name is Yolanda Silos and I want to tell you a little about what Mission Adelante means for my family and me. I learned about Mission Adelante when my children Lorenzo and Ashley started attending Kids Adelante in 2007. Every Thursday after the program ended, they would come and share the Bible stories they had learned. I loved listening to them! One Thursday, they came home and told me the story of Jonah. At that moment I realized that my children had more knowledge about the Word of God than I did. That motivated me little by little to become more involved with Mission Adelante and the Bible. 

As my children grew up, they began attending L.I.T (Leaders in Training) and Teens Adelante. During this time, I began attending Mission Adelante’s Latino Church. At first, I attended with my children only. But later, with time, my husband Lorenzo started to accompany me. And right now, thanks to God, we all go to church as a family united by the same faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. This has made me so happy! 

I enjoy attending the Latino Church and the people there have become like a family to me. I love my brothers and sisters in Christ very much and they mean a lot to my family. Our pastor, Jarrett aka Jaime, is such a special person. He has always supported us and guided us. I thank God for all the friendships He has given us in the church. Thank you also for taking some of your time and reading these words. God bless you all!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Have you ever wondered what goes on at a typical night of programming at Mission Adelante? Adelante Arts Community, Refugee Kids Club, Refugee Youth Club, Citizenship Class, Latino ESL, Teens Adelante, and Kids Adelante have Observation Nights coming up! Visit www.missionadelante.org/observe to sign up!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you speak English? Many of our community members don’t but would love to learn and practice with you! We are in need of ESL volunteers for our spring trimester. Come make friends from other places and help them learn a new language! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at http://www.missionadelante.org/esl

My Journey at Mission Adelante

Puja (second to the right), Kristen Maxwell (center), and other friends huddle up for a picture!

Puja (second to the right), Kristen Maxwell (center), and other friends huddle up for a picture!

Written by Puja Gurung, Volunteer and 2019 Summer Intern

My name is Puja Gurung and I am a junior at Wyandotte High School. My journey with Mission Adelante began when I came to the United States in 2012. Ever since, Mission Adelante has reminded me of how important I am through every aspect of my life. It has given me long-lasting friendships and shown me the love of Jesus through people, especially Kristen Maxwell and Dani Hammond who discipled me and became friends with me. I remember my first time at Mission Adelante - it was a few days after I arrived in the United States. I started attending Bhutanese Kids Club on Tuesdays night. Here I grew up learning about God’s word and making a group of new friends who I am still close with now. I was also a part of L.I.T (Leaders in Training) when I was in eighth grade. This really helped me to be a better person and encouraged me to do better on my schoolwork.

I began volunteering at Refugee Youth Club in January 2019. Every Tuesday evening, we study passages from the Bible, do schoolwork, discuss our problems, and try to get to help and understand one another. I love being part of Refugee Youth Club! It has impacted my life in great ways - from meeting new people to discovering new things. I also did an internship with Mission Adelante this past summer. The internship inspired me to serve other people and be a leader in our community. Now I love to be around people and learn from them because during the internship I learned that we all have different gifts and talents to share. The internship encouraged me to volunteer in Arts Community. I help on Mondays evenings in the arts and crafts class because I love to see the younger kids creating and learning new things. Currently, I am volunteering in both Refugee Youth Club and Arts Community. 

 I am very grateful for all these experiences and the people that I met through Mission Adelante. They have celebrated the good times and stayed by my side through the tough times. They have also helped me to grow deeper in my faith journey with Jesus and showed me how important I am to Him - no matter where I am from. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Have you ever wondered what goes on at a typical night of programming at Mission Adelante? Adelante Arts Community, Refugee Kids Club, Refugee Youth Club, Citizenship Class, Latino ESL, Teens Adelante, and Kids Adelante have Observation Nights coming up! Visit www.missionadelante.org/observe to sign up!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you speak English? Many of our community members don’t but would love to learn and practice with you! We are in need of ESL volunteers for our spring trimester. Come make friends from other places and help them learn a new language! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at http://www.missionadelante.org/esl

Sacrificial Love

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Written by Carla Flores, Ministry Apprentice

As part of my apprenticeship at Mission Adelante we have been discussing Jesus’ life in chronological order. This has helped me see the importance of His life and the great sacrifice He made when dying for us. Growing up I often thought about all the sacrifices my parents had taken to ensure my siblings and I had better opportunities. My mother and father had left behind everything and everyone they knew. They migrated to a place where the language, culture, and lifestyle were unfamiliar. I was aware of these things but never really took time to measure the impact it had on my family and me. It wasn’t until May 9th, 2017 when I really understood the weight of my parents’ sacrifices. My paternal grandfather had passed away, and there was no way my parents could go back to grieve, mourn, and say their last goodbyes. My father was in shambles - inconsolable. How would he have known that a decision he took 16 years ago would cause him to never see his father again?

This weighed down on me heavily. I thought about the decision my father took to migrate to the U.S. when I was just 3 years old. His immense love for me led him to leave his country and pick peaches in South Carolina at 26 years old. My father’s decision caused a spiral of decisions in my family. Shortly after, my mother and I followed him to the land of the free. It hurts to know that the last time my father saw my grandfather, he was in his mid-twenties. It hurts to know that I was the reason for that. Being 23 myself, I can’t imagine leaving my parents with the risk that I will never be able to see them again. But my parents, they took that risk for me. They believed that the opportunities I could have here were far greater than any sacrifice they had to make. 

I am grateful for those sacrifices, I know that without them I would be a different person living in a different place. After my grandfather passed, I resented those sacrifices and myself. Were these sacrifices even worth it? A million times over, I wished we would have stayed in Mexico so that my father wouldn’t have suffered through the pain of not seeing his father again. I wished I could’ve gotten the chance to meet my grandfather. As I was thinking over these things something dawned on me. The sacrificial love immigrant parents have for their families is a reflection of the sacrificial love that Jesus had for us when He died on the cross. Jesus endured extreme pain and humiliation on the cross for our salvation. My parents and many others like them have endured pain and humiliation in hopes of providing their families with better opportunities. 

The outcome of Jesus’ pain and suffering was to save His children from condemnation. He wanted His children to live joyously and free. My parents have endured pain and suffering, not only on their migration here, but also as a result of the decision to migrate here. This pain was not in vain. My father made that decision so that his children would live joyously and free. Although it was difficult, my parents were right. The opportunities I have now are all thanks to their sacrifice. Similarly, the salvation I have now would not have existed if Jesus had not laid down His life for us. The sacrificial love immigrant parents express when migrating is a reflection of God’s sacrificial love for us. 

I know that my father’s experience is not a unique one. Many immigrants can’t go back to their countries due to their status. This means that important moments are missed like funerals and weddings. The pain of being an immigrant doesn’t just happen once - it can occur over a whole lifetime. I am thankful that God showed me this connection and I am able to see my parents’ sacrifices through a new lens. Sacrifices are painful and difficult but they bring new beginnings and redemption. Please continue to pray over our immigrant community, the sacrifices they make, and the pain they endure.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Have you ever wondered what goes on at a typical night of programming at Mission Adelante? Adelante Arts Community, Refugee Kids Club, Refugee Youth Club, Citizenship Class, Latino ESL, Teens Adelante, and Kids Adelante have Observation Nights coming up! Visit www.missionadelante.org/observe to sign up!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you speak English? Many of our community members don’t but would love to learn and practice with you! We are in need of ESL volunteers for our spring trimester. Come make friends from other places and help them learn a new language! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at http://www.missionadelante.org/esl

New Friends in a New Place

Leidy, Kristen, and Ruth (from left to right) sharing life together while baking a traditional American fruit pie.

Leidy, Kristen, and Ruth (from left to right) sharing life together while baking a traditional American fruit pie.

Written by Ruth VanBuskirk, ESL Level 2 Volunteer

Moving to a new place can be difficult. Making new friends, learning your way around a new city, and learning new cultural norms are just a few things that can make it hard to feel “at home.” I know from experience. In the last 7 years, I’ve lived in Indiana, New Mexico, Texas, Georgia, and now Kansas. When I moved with my husband, Drew, to Kansas City last fall, we were a little tired of all that moving. But we also knew that God had a plan for this unexpected move - it wasn’t an accident. So we decided to make the most of it and try to find a community. We hadn’t decided on a church family yet, and we were still exploring the amazing faith communities around where we lived. So we thought finding a place to volunteer might be a great place to meet people before we settled on a church community. 

I began an internet search, because, well, I didn’t know anyone to ask! It was a bit overwhelming. There are so many great organizations to be a part of here in KC! A few weeks later, we were visiting with a neighbor across the street, and I brought up our hope to volunteer somewhere. Our neighbor spoke highly of Mission Adelante, so I went back to Google and checked it out for myself! 

Both Drew and I loved what we saw! We loved that Mission Adelante was doing so much for people not only new to KC, but new to the United States as well. Honestly, I really resonated with what Mission Adelante stands for - loving people from all places. 

I’m a firm believer that no experience in life is wasted if we look for ways to redeem it. God is good like that. It just seemed right that we could spend time getting to know other people who may have just moved here too and who were trying to make KC their home - we could encourage each other! I felt like we could actually understand a small part of what they might be experiencing in a new place too. Drew felt the same way, so we signed up for volunteer training for ESL. 

And, I am SO glad we did! Volunteering with ESL has been my favorite thing about moving to Kansas City. My conversation partner, Leidy, is from Colombia and she just moved here in March. We are definitely “newbies” together! We’ve had such fun getting to know each other and learn about each other’s culture. Leidy offered to teach me Spanish while she is learning English. We invited our friend Kristen, a volunteer in the citizenship class, to join us. It has been so much fun to learn and grow our friendship. As far as learning Spanish, Leidy is a great teacher. (Although I have to admit, Leidy is MUCH better at learning English than I am at Spanish). During our adventures, we’ve also traded family recipes. Leidy taught me how to make empanadas (delicioso!). I taught her and Kristen how to make a traditional American fruit pie using my own Grandma Mary’s recipe for pie crust from scratch. 

Leidy and I are now in ESL Level 2 together and are having just as much fun with our group as in Level 1 (maybe more!). I’m so thankful for Mission Adelante and how they have welcomed me (and Drew) into their family and introduced me to Leidy and others who have become our KC family too! It’s neat to see that God can help us make a new home anywhere, with people from all places.

Ruth and Leidy pictured with another volunteer and student from ESL.

Ruth and Leidy pictured with another volunteer and student from ESL.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Have you ever wondered what goes on at a typical night of programming at Mission Adelante? Adelante Arts Community, Refugee Kids Club, Refugee Youth Club, Citizenship Class, Latino ESL, Teens Adelante, and Kids Adelante have Observation Nights coming up! Visit www.missionadelante.org/observe to sign up!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Our Leaders in Training program teaches young students about the importance of eating healthy. Being an after-school program, the kids are often hungry by the time they arrive! You can help out by providing healthy snacks like granola bars, trail mix, and fruit snacks! Contact Megan Fountain if you are interested: meganm@missionadelante.org

My Family Away From Home

Leidy (second from right) and other ESL Level 1 students receiving their certificate.

Leidy (second from right) and other ESL Level 1 students receiving their certificate.

Written by Leidy Yule, student and volunteer at Mission Adelante

There are so many kids, youth, and adults who visit Mission Adelante every day. We learn so much from each of them, and they are always ready to serve and give back to the community. Leidy Yule is a great example of this. She is currently a student in both ESL Latino and Citizenship Class. Since arriving at Mission Adelante she has been serving the community in every possible way. She has helped design art for our classrooms, invited us to events at her house, and now she is serving in Arts Community teaching a crochet class. During ESL not only does she learn English but, she also takes the opportunity to teach others. This is a great example of interdependent relationships - where we learn from each other. This is Leidy’s story, in her own words:

“On March 13, 2019, I arrived in the United States. My heart was beating with love for my soon-to-be husband James. It was scary to arrive in a country where both the language and lifestyle are completely different from what I’m used to. The first few days, I was impressed by the size of this country, the cultural diversity, the great stores, and the long distances to go from one place to another. I quickly realized that I must learn English to do basic everyday tasks. Soon after that, I meet Mary, a Mission Adelante volunteer. She spoke to me about ESL classes and told me to attend the next registration. She warned me to arrive very early as the spots fill quickly. On May 23rd at 3pm, I made my way to Mission Adelante. I had a spot secured as I was the first person to arrive. 

When the doors opened later that evening, I was welcomed with warm friendliness. The atmosphere felt very joyful, everyone was very kind, and I felt at home instantly. Over the past weeks, I have created great friendships with Mission Adelante staff, students, and volunteers. Ruth and Kristen, two of my teachers, have become wonderful friends to me. Although I am thousands of miles away from my home country, I have a new family here - the Mission Adelante Community. I love the work they do and the way they help and educate the community. The world needs more of these people. I thank God for introducing me to this great family.”

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Have you ever wondered what goes on at a typical night of programming at Mission Adelante? Adelante Arts Community, Refugee Kids Club, Refugee Youth Club, Citizenship Class, Latino ESL, Teens Adelante, and Kids Adelante have Observation Nights coming up! Visit www.missionadelante.org/observe to sign up!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Our Leaders in Training program teaches young students about the importance of eating healthy. Being an after-school program, the kids are often hungry by the time they arrive! You can help out by providing healthy snacks like granola bars, trail mix, and fruit snacks! Contact Megan Fountain if you are interested: meganm@missionadelante.org

Volunteering in Citizenship Class!

Kristen and Quinton (upper left) join other volunteers and students to celebrate Oma’s (center in pink) citizenship!

Kristen and Quinton (upper left) join other volunteers and students to celebrate Oma’s (center in pink) citizenship!

Written by Kristen Huffman, Citizenship Class Volunteer

Serving at Mission Adelante has been one of the highlights of 2019 for our family. My husband, Quinton, and I signed up to volunteer in January 2019 for Citizenship Class on Tuesday evenings. We were nervous driving to Mission Adelante for the first time to attend the volunteer huddle. We didn’t know if we’d be good teachers, if we’d be able to communicate with the students due to language barriers, or if we’d be able to teach them anything about becoming citizens as we knew very little about the process. However, when we walked in the door, our nerves were immediately calmed when we were greeted with smiles, handshakes, and an amazing crew of volunteers and staff ready to teach us.

After a time of worship in three different languages, we met our team of volunteers for Citizenship Class. During the next 12 weeks, we worked closely with this amazing team to teach students about how to become citizens of the United States. We grew to love our Tuesday evening time at Mission Adelante. So much so, we have just started leading the class for our third consecutive trimester! 

The best thing about our time at Mission Adelante is the friendships we have developed with both the volunteers and the students. We have learned so much from our students about their home countries, their languages, and their traditions. We love being able to learn from them while they learn about how to become a citizen of the U.S. We are so excited to see what new things we will learn this trimester with our new volunteers and students!

Citizenship class group picture from trimester one. (Kristen and Quinton are pictured in the upper left.)

Citizenship class group picture from trimester one. (Kristen and Quinton are pictured in the upper left.)

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Do you want to make a difference in a kid's life? Kids Adelante is looking for energetic and fun-loving volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at www.missionadelante.org/kids

  • Our Leaders in Training program teaches young students about the importance of eating healthy. Being an after-school program, the kids are often hungry by the time they arrive! You can help out by providing healthy snacks like granola bars, trail mix, and fruit snacks! Contact Megan Fountain if you are interested: meganm@missionadelante.org

Learning to Lead

Written by Phul Maya Rasaily, Ministry Apprentice

My name is Phul Maya Rasaily. I was born and raised in Nepal. In 2010, my family and I got the opportunity to come to the United States. Since then I have been a part of Mission Adelante. First I attended Refugee Kids Club and then Teens Club. In 2017, I started volunteering in both Refugee Kids and Youth Club. When I was volunteering in these programs, I got the offer to join the staff as an apprentice and lead Adelante Arts Community. I accepted the offer in February. Since then, I have been leading the Arts Community every Monday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. 

The spring trimester I observed and learned from my supervisor, Gissell. Then this summer I began leading the program with some of her help. I have learned so much about leadership and fulfilling responsibilities by working at Mission Adelante. I have learned to work with and love people from all places. This summer I led Arts Camp with Sara Forsythe. We got to teach more than 45 kids about the love of God and the talents He has given us. I had so much fun with them! I also had the opportunity to lead the summer internship with the other four apprentices and mentored an intern named Puja Gurung. During the internship, we talked about our strengths, gifts, and weaknesses. We built a strong bond and sisterhood between us. 

I would like to ask for prayer for the growth for Arts Community as we are starting our fall trimester on September 23. Also please pray that all the kids and volunteers would come back and we could have another excellent trimester together. I am super excited for the fall trimester and the opportunity to continue sharing the love of Christ and my life with people from all places.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Have you ever wondered what goes on at a typical night of programming at Mission Adelante? Adelante Arts Community, Refugee Kids Club, Refugee Youth Club, Citizenship Class, Latino ESL, Teens Adelante, and Kids Adelante have Observation Nights coming up! Visit www.missionadelante.org/observe to sign up!

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Do you want to make a difference in a kid's life? Kids Adelante is looking for energetic and fun-loving volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at www.missionadelante.org/kids

  • Our Leaders in Training program teaches young students about the importance of eating healthy. Being an after-school program, the kids are often hungry by the time they arrive! You can help out by providing healthy snacks like granola bars, trail mix, and fruit snacks! Contact Megan Fountain if you are interested: meganm@missionadelante.org

Communities Thrive on Collaboration!

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Written by Elena Chan, Community Development Director

For the past six months Mission Adelante, Adelante Thrift, and Second Wind Foundation in partnership with CABA and Latino Arts Foundation were busy preparing for the largest community event in KCK: Central Avenue Dotterversity Parade with the inaugural Dream KCK 5K and Latino Arts Festival. All that work culminated last Saturday, September 7th with a great participant and spectator turn out. People from all over Wyandotte County gathered to celebrate our community’s diversity. Kansas City, Kansas welcomes people from all places and these events demonstrated that!

Here are some exciting statistics from the day:

  • 64 floats participated in the Central Avenue Dotteversity Parade. This was a record number!

  • 6 high school bands from KCK and KCMO participated in Central Avenue’s Marching Band Showdown.

  • 30 artists showcased their work during the Latino Arts Festival.

  • 25 food and non-food vendors sold their products in Bethany Park. 90% of them sold out!

  • 60 amazing volunteers participated to make these events possible.

  • 80+ custom cars were showcased as part of the Latino Arts Festival Custom Car Show!

  • 150+ runners participated in the inaugural Dream KCK 5K Race!

  • Local and state elected officials participated in the day’s events.

  • 80+ horses were showcased during Central Avenue Dotteversity Parade.

  • One community hero was recognized publicly for their lifelong work.

We are proud to be a part of such a dedicated team of neighbors. Together we celebrated the beautiful diversity of our city! Enjoy this awesome collection of pictures from the day.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Join us this Saturday, September 14th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm for a New Volunteer Orientation! If you are interested in volunteering with kids, youth, arts and music, adult ESL, or citizenship classes, this is a great opportunity to jump in the fall trimester (September 16 - December 5). Sign up for the registration here: http://www.missionadelante.org/orientation

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Do you want to make a difference in a kid's life? Kids Adelante is looking for energetic and fun-loving volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at www.missionadelante.org/kids

  • Thinking about decluttering your house before fall? Adelante Thrift is in need of gently used items in all departments: Men's, Women's, and Children's Clothing, Housewares, Electronics, and Furniture. Adelante Thrift is located at 3720 State Ave KC KS 66102.

New Journey of Making Disciples!

Laxmi (far right) and Phul Maya (far left) with girls from their discipling group.

Laxmi (far right) and Phul Maya (far left) with girls from their discipling group.

Written by Laxmi Gurung, Refugee Kids/Youth Coordinator

I first came to know Jesus through a discipleship group that I belonged to. There I learned about God and made new friends. I’m so thankful to have been a part of this group! They impacted my life in many ways and made me who I am today. Phul Maya Rasaily was one of the friends that I met in this group. Now she is one of the apprentices here at Mission Adelante. I was really excited to work with Phul! Not only is she a good friend, but she is also like a sister who I have always looked up to. This August, we created our own discipling group with the youth from our programs. We have a total of eight young girls. We hang out with them and play soccer during the weekends. I absolutely love spending time with these girls because we get to teach, share life, and have fun together!

During our first week, we asked them what kind of topics they would like to learn about. They answered with interesting questions about belief, maintaining strong faith, and forgiveness. Phul Maya and I will be working together to find stories in the Bible that best connect with these topics. This way the youth can have a better understanding of how these topics relate to the Bible and what it teaches us to do in these situations. Some of the girls in our group do not come from Christian families and I know it would be hard for them to understand if we only talk about Bible stories. I can relate to them because I am not from a Christian family, and I had a hard time understanding the Scripture at first. From my own experiences, I have figured out that learning from the Bible is easier when the stories relate to your own life.

Phul Maya and I will continue to practice Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” We will do this by encouraging these young girls to continue learning about Christ and creating a safe space for them to ask questions. I ask that you all pray for us and our group to know Christ deeply and create lifelong friendships with one another.

The discipling group gathers at a park for a quick snack and chat.

The discipling group gathers at a park for a quick snack and chat.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • We will be hosting a New Volunteer Orientation on Saturday, September 14th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. If you are interested in volunteering with kids, youth, arts and music, adult ESL, or citizenship classes, this is a great opportunity to jump in the fall trimester (September 16 - December 5). Sign up for the registration here: http://www.missionadelante.org/orientation

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Do you want to make a difference in a kid's life? Kids Adelante is looking for energetic and fun-loving volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at www.missionadelante.org/kids

  • Thinking about decluttering your house before fall? Adelante Thrift is in need of gently used items in all departments: Men's, Women's, and Children's Clothing, Housewares, Electronics, and Furniture. Adelante Thrift is located at 3720 State Ave KC KS 66102.

Arts Camp 2019

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Written by Sara Forsythe, Arts Community Volunteer

This year we held our third annual summer Arts Camp at Mission Adelante! Since 2017, Christ Community Church and Mission Adelante have partnered together to offer a week-long arts camp to equip and encourage young artists in the Mission Adelante community. Our theme this year was Created to do Good Works, which is based on Ephesians 2:10: , “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This year we had over 35 campers participate in our camp, and we had a blast being creative together. Here are three things that made me smile during our week of camp: 

Watching the apprentices and interns take the lead: The apprentices and summer interns at Mission Adelante were a vital part of the Arts Camp this year and we could not have done it without them! Phul Maya Rasaily leads Adelante Arts Community during the year, and she stepped up and took on the role of running things during camp week! She was AMAZING. The other apprentices and interns helped our teachers during class time, they helped set up and tear down every day, and they were in charge of games and recreation. 

Seeing the campers get to know each other: We had a few different cultures represented at the camp this year, and several of the campers did not know each other. At the beginning of the week they were all fairly shy, but by the end of the week we could see a difference. They were talking to each other, laughing, and creating together. It is fun to get to know people who are different than you!

Our exceptional volunteers: One of my favorite things to do was walk through the building and watch our volunteers in action. Our sewing teachers would load up a wagon with all their sewing equipment each day and pull it to their classroom. Our videography/photography teacher had photos on the wall in his classroom. Our theater teacher always had fun notes on her whiteboard. The improv teacher had her kids make the funniest faces! Our food team fed us breakfast and lunch every day. Seriously, these volunteers are the best!

This year’s camp was awesome and filled with creativity! We will be hosting another Arts Camp next summer. I invite you to come join us next year and experience it for yourself!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Love running? Want to support local non-profits? Join us on September 7, 2019 for Dream KCK 5K Race! Your registration fee and any additional donations support Mission Adelante and/or Second Wind. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

  • We will be hosting a New Volunteer Orientation on Saturday, September 14th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. If you are interested in volunteering with kids, youth, arts and music, adult ESL, or citizenship classes, this is a great opportunity to jump in the fall trimester (September 16 - December 5). Sign up for the registration here: http://www.missionadelante.org/orientation

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Do you want to make a difference in a kid's life? Mission Adelante's Multicultural Leaders In Training (LIT) program needs volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website at www.missionadelante.org/kids

  • Thinking about decluttering your house before fall? Adelante Thrift is in need of gently used items in all departments: Men's, Women's, and Children's Clothing, Housewares, Electronics, and Furniture. Adelante Thrift is located at 3720 State Ave KC KS 66102.

Thank You Mission Adelante!

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Written by Ashley Grills, Kids Adelante Volunteer

I walked into Mission Adelante for the first time a little over four years ago. My church had helped Mission Adelante create a vacation bible school. I met and mingled with all of the kids and felt such a strong connection, but I didn’t know how to get involved. A month later, I went on a mission trip to Jamaica and it was the only time in my life where I can say I genuinely felt called. I felt God calling me to serve at Mission Adelante. I was scared because I didn’t see very many teens from outside of the community volunteering there. I emailed Megan Fountain and a few months later, I began my journey with Mission Adelante. As a 14-year-old, it was completely out of my comfort zone to go to a place where I knew no one. In the end, I am so glad I did. I discovered that sometimes the scariest moments in life end up being the most rewarding.

Mission Adelante has given me so many things to be thankful for: love, acceptance, challenges, and growth. The kids and volunteers welcomed me with open arms into a very tight-knit community and made me feel like I was a part of the family. Mission Adelante is not just a place to volunteer. It’s a place where people of different ages and backgrounds can grow and transform together. As for the challenges, I discovered that the most challenging and misbehaved kids ended up being my favorite! I learned that spending extra time working through their frustrations built an even stronger bond. That is actually how Ximena, a little girl in my group, and I became “besties.” Just knowing that I would see her made me even more excited to come every Thursday night. One of my favorite parts of my experience at Mission Adelante is that I have been able to watch all of my kids grow in so many different ways. The first group of kids I taught are now the “big kids” in group five. It is just so incredible to see how they have matured and built on the knowledge that we taught them so long ago. 

Now let’s talk about everything that all of the kids have taught me! I don’t know why everyone thinks of volunteering as simply helping other people when really you’re usually the one learning the most. I have rediscovered patience, respect, and love. With overly-energetic five-year-olds running around, it is easy to get frustrated, and they definitely challenged me!  However, I feel like I have become more patient each week. The kids have also taught me respect on a new level. I only get respect if I give it. I feel like that’s especially true with kids, but I will also carry that idea into every aspect of my life. Lastly, they have taught me to love people from all places. They have shown me that every single person deserves to be treated with love and respect, no matter where they come from. That is the most important life lesson I will ever learn, and I have Mission Adelante to thank for that.

Although I am sad to leave, I’m excited to see where this next chapter of my life (college) takes me. I want to take this opportunity to thank every single fellow volunteer, kiddo, and community member for being a part of an incredible part of my life, growing with me, and changing my perspective. I love you and appreciate you all!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Love running? Want to support local non-profits? Join us on September 7, 2019 for Dream KCK 5K Race! Your registration fee and any additional donations support Mission Adelante and/or Second Wind. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

  • We will be hosting a New Volunteer Orientation on Saturday, September 14th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. If you are interested in volunteering with kids, youth, arts and music, adult ESL, or citizenship classes, this is a great opportunity to jump in the fall trimester (September 16 - December 5). Sign up for the registration here: http://www.missionadelante.org/orientation

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Mission Adelante is looking for volunteers for its Refugee Kids Club, a dynamic and fun club program for kids ages 5-12. For more information and how to get involved visit www.missionadelante.org/kids.

  • Looking for a way to participate in Dream KCK 5K Race without actually running? How about volunteering to help runners during the race? Check out our volunteer opportunities and see which one best fits you! https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

Back to School Blessings

Written by Megan Fountain, Director of Latino Kids Ministries

As the kids are transitioning back to school this week and next, we wanted to take a moment and say a BIG thank you to the churches, small groups, and individuals that donated the backpacks! In order to help the kids start the school year off on the right foot, it is important for them to have all the supplies they will need. Through your generosity, over 145 elementary, middle, and high schoolers went back to school prepared!  However, we know that it isn’t just school supplies that will help the kids have a great year.

Please pray with us for the children and youth of our community that:

  • This year would bring academic growth

  • New friendships would blossom

  • The kids would be protected and safe

  • The kids would have a deeper knowledge of how deeply loved they are by the Lord

Enjoy the pictures above that showcase how VERY excited and thankful the kids and youth are!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Serving God in a multicultural setting can be challenging. Mission Adelante will be hosting a seminar on August 17 to address mutuality and the importance of interdependent relationships in ministry. Speaker and author, Karen Gonzalez, will be leading the discussion and deconstructing the "us serving them" mentality. There is still time to register! Sign up NOW: http://www.missionadelante.org/mutuality

  • Love running? Want to support local non-profits? Join us on September 7, 2019 for Dream KCK 5K Race! Your registration fee and any additional donations support Mission Adelante and/or Second Wind. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Mission Adelante is looking for volunteers for its Refugee Kids Club, a dynamic and fun club program for kids ages 5-12. For more information and how to get involved visit www.missionadelante.org/kids.

  • Looking for a way to participate in Dream KCK 5K Race without actually running? How about volunteering to help runners during the race? Check out our volunteer opportunities and see which one best fits you! https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

Join us for a Seminar on August 17th- Mutuality: Deconstructing an "Us Serving Them" Mentality in Ministry-

By Jarrett Meek, Ministry Apprentice

When Mission Adelante first began, we had a passion for making disciples and a love for people from all places. However, an ingrained “us/them” mentality that unconsciously envisioned a privileged us serving a needy them hindered our efforts. Though our desire was to love our neighbor, this mentality undermined the dignity of our community members and manifested itself in segregated leadership structures that were inaccessible to our immigrant community members. In recent years, we have made great strides in tearing down the “us/them” mindset and working toward a “new we” where everyone is valued as a contributor and people from all places serve as volunteers and leaders at every level of our organization. It has been a beautiful and challenging journey!

We recognize that fostering mutuality in multicultural ministry is a continual learning process and an essential part of the discipleship of every volunteer and staff member in our ministry, whether born in the U.S. or another country. The "new we" is counter-cultural. It requires addressing internal and personal biases that are often unconscious. It challenges us to set aside our judgment of others and their culture. And especially for native-born Americans, it requires an openness to being challenged on subtle attitudes and actions, even when our intention was to serve and love others.

Continuing to learn about the importance of interdependent relationships and mutuality in ministry is crucial. Mission Adelante wants to equip all our constituents with the appropriate tools to succeed in our multicultural community and help one another understand what it means to develop reciprocal relationships in a ministry context. To this end, we have invited author and speaker Karen Gonzalez to lead a seminar called Mutuality: deconstructing an “us serving them” mentality in ministry. Join us on August 17th from 9 to 11 am - let's learn together! Register for the event below.

Growing Up Through Mission Adelante

Ashley (second to the left) with other interns and apprentices at our last retreat for the summer.

Ashley (second to the left) with other interns and apprentices at our last retreat for the summer.

Written by Ashley Delgado, Summer Intern

Good morning, good evening, or goodnight. I do not know when you are reading this but my name is Ashley Delgado, and I'm honored to write this article about my adventure with Mission Adelante. I remember the beginning of Mission Adelante. I was about 6 or 7 years old. It was at a house packed full of kids and parents. It reminded me of the movie Daddy Daycare. I was in Group 1 of Kids Adelante (a Bible study group for kids) which met in the basement. Throughout my time there I didn't understand who Jesus was because I was too young. As the days went by more kids began attending and the amount of space began decreasing. This meant it was time to expand. 

Mission Adelante transitioned from a house to a building. I don't remember much about this time because I was very quiet and shy. I did not make a lot of friends but the volunteers were very nice to me. They never made me feel alone and were there to cheer me up. In Kids Adelante, I learned many Bible stories. Even to this day I still recall them. As I got older, I began participating in an after school program called LIT (Leaders in Training.) At first, I was excited to join this program and attended for two years. However, my faith began disappearing, and I stopped attending. As I got older, I began attending Teens Adelante. This group was smaller than Kids Adelante and consisted of youth from middle and high school. I began participating when I was in sixth grade; now I am a senior in high school. Teens Adelante helped me open up about my life and faith. It is also a great place to have fun and simply be a teenager. 

In May 2019, I was given the opportunity to be part of Mission Adelante’s summer internship. As an intern, you get to experience what it is like to be a leader. You also learn how to be a disciple and teach others to be followers of God. Being an intern was a great experience for me! My faith grew stronger.  At Mission Adelante, I was surrounded by people that love and care about me. They have been with my family and me during good and bad situations. They have also prayed for us on many occasions. These are the things that I will always treasure in my heart. During my time at Mission Adelante, I have learned everything from children’s Bible stories to learning how to make disciples. I have grown a lot with and through them. Mission Adelante is a place I can call home. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Serving God in a multicultural setting can be challenging. Mission Adelante will be hosting a seminar on August 17 to address mutuality and the importance of interdependent relationships in ministry. Speaker and author, Karen Gonzalez, will be leading the discussion and deconstructing the "us serving them" mentality. We would love for you to join us! Register here: http://www.missionadelante.org/mutuality

  • Love running? Want to support local non-profits? Join us on September 7, 2019 for Dream KCK 5K Race! Your registration fee and any additional donations support Mission Adelante and/or Second Wind. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Mission Adelante is looking for volunteers for its Refugee Kids Club, a dynamic and fun club program for kids ages 5-12. For more information and how to get involved visit www.missionadelante.org/kids.

  • Looking for a way to participate in Dream KCK 5K Race without actually running? How about volunteering to help runners during the race? Check out our volunteer opportunities and see which one best fits you! https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

God's Work in Teens Adelante

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Written Daniel Garcia, Ministry Apprentice

Everyone always asks me, “Where do you see God working in your ministry?” To be truthful, I never know how to answer. I don’t want to lie, but I don’t know what it means to see God working. I’m still a rookie in the ministry life, and everything seems new. This summer I planned to do a Teens retreat. It was my first time having to lead and plan an event like this. It was nerve-wracking, and I kept reminiscing on the retreats I attended as a teenager. I was a difficult teen and made it challenging for leaders during retreats. I was scared God was going to show me what it was like to be on the other side.

God did the exact opposite of that. I was blessed with volunteers that encouraged me greatly. We met a few times to begin planning the retreat, but I still did not feel prepared. I have seen from afar the way Jarrett, our executive director, prepares similar events with great detail. I believed there would be no way I could pull this off. By the time we arrived at Shalom Retreat Center, I felt a deep sense of peace and serenity. I enjoyed every moment of it, and at times found myself wishing that the day wouldn’t come to an end. I decided to let God take control of where our conversations and time would go and slowly began to throw away the detailed schedule that we spent hours making. It was the best decision I could have made!

During our workshop, we talked about adversity. In John 16:33, Jesus tells us that we will face adversity in this world. I paired the teens up with people they don’t normally share with. They went deep. Some of them opened up about parents having money problems, moving from school to school, parents going through a divorce, and one of them even shared about a traumatizing car accident. After sharing I demonstrated the importance of relying on one another when adversity strikes. I had three teens link arms together to demonstrate a cord of three strands. When the teens saw a visual representation it all made sense to them.

By the end of the night, we had our bonfire. It was perfect. There’s nothing like having a fire and smores in July. There were countless stars in the sky! We sat in silence for a while admiring what God had created. Then I realized that God was working and He was working overtime. Every single second was enjoyable. The teens, volunteers, and I had a blast! We took time to do everything we had planned for and still somehow ended up having extra time to play a competitive match of basketball (that the girls ended up winning). Now, I know what it means to feel and see God working!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Serving God in a multicultural setting can be challenging. Mission Adelante will be hosting a seminar on August 17 to address mutuality and the importance of interdependent relationships in ministry. Speaker and author, Karen Gonzalez, will be leading the discussion and deconstructing the "us serving them" mentality. We would love for you to join us! Register here: http://www.missionadelante.org/mutuality

  • Love running? Want to support local non-profits? Join us on September 7, 2019 for Dream KCK 5K Race! Your registration fee and any additional donations support Mission Adelante and/or Second Wind. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Mission Adelante is looking for volunteers for its Refugee Kids Club, a dynamic and fun club program for kids ages 5-12. For more information and how to get involved visit www.missionadelante.org/kids.

  • Looking for a way to participate in Dream KCK 5K Race without actually running? How about volunteering to help runners during the race? Check out our volunteer opportunities and see which one best fits you! https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

Transforming My Life

Bijay (far right) with other apprentices and interns at Escape Room KC.

Bijay (far right) with other apprentices and interns at Escape Room KC.

Written by Bijay Gurung, Ministry Apprentice

I was born in Bhutan but I do not remember much about it. In 1992, my family and I moved to Nepal. We spent 21 years in Nepal as refugees. Some days I look back and reflect on my life there. I often compare what my life used to be and what it is now. God has done a great transformation in my life. In the Bible, Moses had to spend 40 years in the desert to reach the Promised Land that God had offered him. In Nepal, I often felt like Moses waiting for God to take me to the Promised Land. As Moses spent 40 years in the desert, we spent 21 years in Nepal. But now I can say that God has brought me in the land that he had promised to me, the land of opportunity.

In 2013, I received the opportunity to come to the U.S as a refugee. It was an exciting time, and I knew I would experience many new things. As a foreigner, I have had some difficulties assimilating to the American culture and people. When I arrived in the U.S., it was a very big culture shock for me. The simplest things had become difficult. I even had a hard time trying to have a conversation with an American neighbor.  I decided to push forward and learn as much as I could. In my 5 years here in the U.S., I have gained a lot of experience in many different fields of work. Through these jobs, I was able to begin learning English and many other skills that would benefit me in the future. 

At the beginning of this year, I got the opportunity to serve God by being an apprentice at Mission Adelante. These past months I have learned more about who God is and who we are to Him. I have learned most of this through our staff huddle time. During this time we discuss various passages in a book of the Bible. We also share ideas and ask questions to help us get a clearer understanding of the passage. Mr. Chuck Allen has also visited Mission Adelante and taught us lessons on bitterness and adversity. These lessons have impacted me profoundly and I have even shared them with the congregation of my church, Samdan Church. 

This trimester will be my second trimester leading Citizenship Class. Citizenship Class meets on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30pm. My supervisor, Yanelis, has equipped me with the skills to be able to lead this program. I am so excited and thankful to Yanelis for providing me this opportunity to step forward. I also am so excited to work alongside amazing volunteers, one of them being my refugee friend, Avinash Rai. Looking back at my life and all the transformation I have gone through, all I can say is: thank you, God!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Mission Adelante will be hosting a workshop on August 17 with Karen Gonzalez, author of "The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong". We would love for you to join us! More information to come.

  • Love running? Want to support local non-profits? Join us on September 7, 2019 for Dream KCK 5K Race! Your registration fee and any additional donations support Mission Adelante and/or Second Wind. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

CURRENT NEEDS:

  • Do you have a heart for kids? Mission Adelante is looking for volunteers for its Refugee Kids Club, a dynamic and fun club program for kids ages 5-12. For more information and how to get involved visit www.missionadelante.org/kids.

  • Looking for a way to participate in Dream KCK 5K Race without actually running? How about volunteering to help runners during the race? Check out our volunteer opportunities and see which one best fits you! https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK

Life-Enriching Relationships

Sharing dinner with friends

Sharing dinner with friends

Written by Shannon Schafer, Operations Director and ESL Volunteer

At Mission Adelante, we as a staff are reading and discussing “The God Who Sees,” by Karen Gonzalez, a Guatemalan immigrant. In one of the chapters, Karen talks about her temptation, after becoming a citizen, to see immigrants as the other and believe that there is no more need or room for them in the United States. But then she states, “Knowing names and stories activates our compassion. Without these relationships, I would continue to think of undocumented immigrants as outsiders, as the ‘other.’ In so doing, I would lose the humanity in myself as I failed to see it in them. I need these stories and relationships, not only for the sake of my immigrant community, but also for myself-- in order to be changed, to see the image of God in them and in myself.” This resonated with me, as I reflected on my own journey of meeting immigrants through English as a Second Language (ESL) programs and sharing life together.

I first began volunteering with ESL during high school in Florida. One of the Spanish teachers asked if anyone was interested in helping teach English to adults at the local technical college in the evenings. Having grown up in a military family, I had lived in and traveled to different countries my entire life, and I thought it would be fun to interact with people who were experiencing the same feelings I had. I began volunteering alongside a few others, working with groups of students from all over the world-- from Central American painters to Southeast Asian monks. It was a great experience; I got to know people from all places, and we shared parts of our cultures with one another as we tried to make sense of the English language. 

One day at class I was exposed to something new, something that, at that time, wasn’t even on my radar. As we were conversing and working in groups, one of the Central American students said, “No tenemos papeles,” which translates, “We don’t have papers” (how Spanish-speakers talk about being undocumented). I don’t remember how it came up or why he had the confidence to tell me, but it was my first time coming face-to-face with undocumented immigrants. I didn’t know how to respond. I remember wondering if I had a legal obligation to turn them in. At that moment, I decided to play dumb and said that I didn’t understand what he’d said. But I did understand, and I needed to process what to do with this information. This was a group of guys that I’d gotten to know-- whose father was a pastor back in their country, who came faithfully to class with paint still encrusting their hands, to whom I had loaned my Spanish worship CD. After mulling it over, I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t doing anything wrong-- that our friendship was more important than their immigration status and that their status shouldn’t affect how I treated them. And so I continued working with them and getting to know them.

Fast forward to today (more than 15 years later)... I have been volunteering with Mission Adelante as an ESL teacher for about 8 years. I have had the privilege of working with Latino students (of different immigration statuses) from at least nine different countries. We have celebrated birthdays and weddings together. We have experienced new foods and traditions together. We have danced and laughed until we cried together. We have navigated family, health, and economic challenges together. We have truly shared life together. Through these friends’ experiences and other research, I have learned much more about the topic of immigration. But one thing hasn’t changed-- the immigrants with whom I share life are my friends. I love them. God loves them. Regardless of where they’re from or their immigration status. My friendships with immigrants have truly enriched my life, ignited my compassion, and helped me to see the image of God in all people. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Mission Adelante will be hosting a workshop on August 17 with Karen Gonzalez, author of "The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong". We would love for you to join us! More information to come.

  • Love running? Want to support local non-profits? Join us on September 7, 2019 for Dream KCK 5K Race! Your registration fee and any additional donations support Mission Adelante and/or Second Wind. Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/DreamKCK