The Adelante Express

Halloween in Our Urban Neighborhood

2009-11-03T14:50:00.008-06:00

Halloween is not my favorite holiday. But, it is one of my favorite things about living in Kansas City, Kansas. Our neighbors (not our Hispanic ones), go over the top with houses decorated, spooky music blaring into the street, and even live performances in their front yards. Kids come from all over our area and converge to trick-or-treat on 17th Street. It is a unique urban experience that you have to see to believe.

This year all the excitement produced some interesting opportunities among our Mission Adelante families. After meeting as a group at our home, parents and kids took to the streets together to enjoy a beautiful fall evening. Kids ran, asked for candy, sometimes remembered to say thank you, shook in their boots before sinister looking old homes, and had an overall great time being kids. Parents did their best to keep track of their black-clad, sugar-loaded offspring as they ran in and out of crowds of people (we even lost little Felipe Leyva for a while). After about an hour of chaos and over stimulus, the group returned to our home to count their booty and enjoy some dessert together.

Beyond all the hoopla, the highlight of the evening for me came when our group of Hispanic adults and kids stopped for a time at the Stetler home on 17th Street, where a clan of bewildered Bhutanese refugees had gathered to absorb this bizarre cultural experience. We were invited in and got to witness our Hispanic friends trying to interact for the first time with the Bhutanese refugees our ministry is beginning to befriend. As I observed Leticia making a great effort to converse with a Bhutanese lady, I noticed how similar they seemed. Their experience as immigrants unites them. And, I was struck by the fact that their only common language was English. Neither one could speak the native tongue of the other, so they were forced to communicate in English. From this first encounter I couldn't help but think down the road a ways and wonder if someday they would be worshiping Jesus together too.

In other news:

Our Resource Center continues to be open each Saturday morning so that neighborhood families in need can choose the donated items that would be useful to them. Molly Merrick is among the various people that staff this avenue of outreach, and one of her favorite aspects of the ministry is blessing each family that comes through by praying for them individually.
ESL volunteers are making a huge impact in students' lives this trimester by finding ways to spend time with them outside of class. One attended a birthday party while others have gone out to lunch or dinner together.

Prayer needs:

We're taking advantage of the opportunity to talk to the LIT students about sexual purity in a two-part conversation. Please pray for God to grant discernment and wisdom to the adults as they educate and advise the pre-teens.
The Missionary team will have a planning retreat this weekend to strategize and prepare for 2010. Please pray for God's guidance for the process.
We'll have our November Worship Celebration this Sunday evening. Please pray for current students and their families to have the courage to come for the first time.

Current needs:

Brown paper grocery sacks for the resource center. Volunteers: next time you buy groceries, why not ask for "paper" at the checkout and then bring the sacks with you the next time you come to the Mission?
Diapers sizes 4 and 5. Even small packages and generic brands are appreciated!
Two twin-size matresses to accompany bed frames that have already been donated.

Important upcoming dates:

Thursday, November 26: Midterm break. Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 30 @ 6:30 p.m.: All Volunteer Meeting

First Steps for the Bhutanese Outreach Project

2009-10-20T14:44:00.004-05:00

Last Tuesday evening it was raining and cold; the perfect night to launch a new ministry initiative! David Stetler and about 10 volunteers gathered for the first team meeting of the Bhutanese outreach project team. For those of you who haven't heard, Mission Adelante is launching a pilot outreach to Bhutanese refugees in our target neighborhood. This initiative will not only address the needs of another immigrant group in our area, but will also allow us to test the transferability of our ministry model to other peoples. Read More.

Volunteers from four different churches were present with at least one thing in common; a heart for the Bhutanese. Some have already had some experiences reaching out to them through ESL and other means. While others were there to learn more. This trimester they will focus on observing and learning Mission Adelante's core outreach programs with a plan to launch ESL and Kids programs in January.

In Other News:

Jason will travel to Cincinnati tomorrow with staff from The Hope Center attend the annual Christian Community Development Association conference and glean lessons from other urban ministries around the U.S.
Mission Adelante is saying, "goodbye" to volunteer Thiago deAgostino as he moves back to his native Brazil this week.
We're thankful for a new Kids Adelante volunteer named Adam, who is focusing all of his attention on one of our most at-risk preteen boys.

Prayer needs:

Please join us in sustained prayer for a kid named Eduardo who is struggling with a pattern of making detrimental choices.
Pray for momentum for our volunteers and participants to continue strong over the mid-trimester hump.
Pray for good health for our staff, volunteers, participants, and all families now that we're in the "cold and flu season."
We're praising God for the favor he's given Megan McDermott with potential financial supporters and asking for him to give her more of the same as she continues to schedule meetings.

Current needs:

Diapers sizes 3,4, and 5--any quantity--for distribution through our Resource Center.
Winter clothes, i.e. long-sleeved tops and warm pants, for distribution through our Resource Center.
A case of white copy paper for office use.

Fishing for Fishermen

2009-10-05T16:27:00.003-05:00

Christ coined the phrase "fishers of men." The very encouragement he gave to his disciples was to cast out their nets, not for actual fish but for men. Too often, men come through our doors for only a trimester before work, sports, or other engagements steal them away from us. Therefore the relational window quickly closes right before our eyes. This past weekend we cast our relational nets out to men in our English classes and our church community.

Thanks to the help of one ESL volunteers, Mike Anderson, we planned a fishing trip to grab hold of these relationships and make the most of them. Fifteen men, kids, and volunteers jumped on a bus with us to a private fishing pond in Spring Hill. Our group spent the bulk of the day there fishing, eating, and enjoying conversation together. We rejoiced in the opportunity to connect with three men from our ESL classes and grow deeper with four men from our Adelante church community.

We literally cast the invitational net weekly to Hispanic men, women and children through serving, sharing life together, and holistic evangelism. However, there are few times that we can leave our neighborhood together and share life. Pray with us that this trip opens the doors for more opportunities to share Christ's story at work in us!

In other news:

Alberto and Graciela are committed members of our faith community that are also on their way to becoming American citizens. Jason has begun studying with them weekly for their upcoming American history and civics exam.
We have begun to include preteens and teens ages 12 and up in our home-based Bible studies. Until now they had been with the younger kids for our children's ministry. We're excited to see how their participation in the Bible Studies will impact the groups as a whole as well as them individually.
Just three weeks into this academic year of Leaders In Training, a strong bond of friendship has formed among the 12 students chosen to participate.

Prayer needs:

This Sunday evening our whole community will gather for a worship celebration at our facility. Please pray that the momentum we gathered during late summer will still be evident. Also, we'll invite the new class of ESL students to come, so pray that many will accept our invitation and come.
We're concerned about two families in our faith community that have become involved in a business operated by a pyramid model. Please continue to pray that the demands of the business won't draw them away from fellowship with our community.

Current needs:

Two flat screen computer monitors. One is for Megan, Kids Adelante Director, because her current monitor flickers off and back on every few seconds. The other is for use by the Leaders In Training students.
A sofa and skillets for distribution to families in need through our resource center.

Sovereign Grace in the Lives of Immigrants

2009-09-29T15:29:00.004-05:00

The "perseverance of the saints" is the phrase Theologians use to describe the sovereign power of God to preserve the faith of those who belong to Him, thus keeping their eternal salvation secure despite the many struggles and temptations they may experience in their lives. Many of us find great comfort in the truth that we are both drawn to God by His grace and kept in him by that same sovereign power. John 10: 27-29 affirm this truth.

²⁷"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

At times over the past few years I have been tempted to doubt God's preserving power in the lives of immigrants who we've seen stumble and fall and fade away after having received Christ. Their volatile lives, their difficulties, and their transient situation present significant barriers to consistency in the pursuit of Christ. But, time and time again my belief in the sovereignty of God's grace has been renewed as we've seen God bring them back around.

Mario and Veronica are a great example of this. Nearly three years ago now they received Christ during one of our home-based Bible studies, but difficulties of every kind have frequently caused them to disappear for long periods of time from their involvement in Mission Adelante. This week I am thinking back over the past four months and am in awe at the way God has been working in their lives. Their consistent participation and pursuit of Christ has been at an unprecedented level despite a host of challenges they have faced during this time. Just when I had written them off, God brought them back around with a renewed authenticity and commitment to following Him.

If you are wondering what to pray for Mission Adelante this week, please pray for the sovereign keeping power of God to reign in the lives of the immigrants we're reaching.

In other news:

An average of 60 kids have come to the first two Thursday evening Kids Adelante outreach Bible studies of the fall trimester, which makes for a very strong start.
Thirteen adult students have already memorized a short version of the story of Adam and Eve in English during the first two weeks of the level 2 ESL class. Bible stories are great material for language learning!
About 110 mostly brand new pairs of soccer cleats and other athletic shoes were donated to Mission Adelante after being collected at a youth soccer league drive led by Shawn Alexander. We'll distribute them to neighborhood kids who participate in our annual soccer camp next summer.

Prayer needs:

We're concerned about two families in our faith community that have become involved in a business operated by a pyramid model. Please join us in praying that the demands of the business won't draw them away from fellowship with our community.
Please pray for Megan McDermott to carve out the time to continue cultivating relationships with several kids that have become disconnected from Kids Adelante.
The men in our faith community and ESL program have been invited to a fishing event this Saturday. This is the first time for an outreach event specifically targeted to attract men to our community. Please pray for God to allow them to connect well with one another and desire to plug into our faith community.

Current needs:

Two flat screen computer monitors. One is for Megan, Kids Adelante Director, because her current monitor flickers off and back on every few seconds. The other is for use by the Leaders In Training students.
Skillets, diapers sizes 3-5, and baby wipes for distribution through our Resource Center.

Leaders In Training Lift-off!

2009-09-15T16:07:00.005-05:00

A new class of "Leaders In Training" began the ministry year last Monday at Mission Adelante in our much anticipated LIT launch. Several returning students along with a handful of new ones will be joining us three days a week for tutoring, spiritual mentoring, and character development. This intensive leadership development group is designed to invest heavily in the students who demonstrate the most diligence and character as potential leaders among their peers.

We have observed that immigrant kids in our urban neighborhood are playing against the odds. By the time they reach middle school most of them have been recruited by gangs or have friends who are in them. Our goal is the raise up a group of kids from an early age who love God, have strong Christian character, and who can influence their peers for good rather than succumb the peer pressure that's all around them. It's a tall order, but we know that God is all powerful and can use our investment to change their lives and help them beat the odds.

Please pray with us for the new class of LIT students. Pray for a strong start and a solid commitment. You are sure to hear more about them individually and as a group over the next several months.

In other news:

Dave Stetler and three volunteers hosted five Bhutanese refugees for their first English class in our facility this afternoon. We're excited to watch their first steps toward becoming a holistic ministry to the Bhutanese population in Kansas City! (For more on the topic, see the following post!)
Last week was Launch Week for our fall trimester! Twenty-four adults enrolled for the ESL Level 1 class, and we have high hopes for all the summer ESL students to return for upper level classes this fall.
Kids Adelante had a huge group-59 kids on Thursday night for the trimester launch.
Saturday morning, September 12, about 25 kids and a few parents marched with Megan McDermott and other staff and volunteers in the Central Avenue parade. It turned out to be a great way to reconnect with many past students and acquaintances who were spectators along the parade route.
Sam Masters, a missionary in Cordoba, Argentina and our summer intern, Becky Masters', dad preached at our worship celebration on Sunday, September 13. Our community really enjoyed having him and his wife as guests and hearing Sam's message.

Prayer needs:

Please pray for all the new folks who are becoming involved in our programs for the first time this fall to come with an openness to God.
Pray for relational unity among the members of our faith community.
Please pray for God to provide a few more Kids Adelante volunteers to kick-off the trimester fully staffed.
Pray for Dave & Holly Stetler as they focus on building their volunteer team and raising funds for the Bhutanese Outreach Project.

Current needs:

Two flat screen computer monitors

A New Opportunity for Mission Adelante

2009-09-06T14:27:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

I’m excited to fill you in on a new opportunity that God has opened up for Mission Adelante. Our Board of Overseers has approved a 16 month pilot outreach project to another ethnic group in our neighborhood: Bhutanese refugees. While we had not envisioned attempting to reach immigrant groups beyond Hispanics, the circumstances and timing of this opportunity made it seem like a God-given opening to test the transferability of our ministry model and to serve another group of people who need the compassion of Christ and His gospel of grace.

Several factors have come together over the past three months to convince us that we should move forward with this pilot project. At the heart of these factors is a called leader/couple (David and Holly Stetler-pictured here) with a compatible ministry vision, a commitment to moving to the neighborhood, support from a sending church, the need and desire for coaching and infrastructure, and a handful of volunteers who are already engaged in ministry to the Bhutanese. We believe that Mission Adelante can offer a lot to Dave and Holly and to their heart to reach Bhutanese immigrants by providing proven ministry models, infrastructure, a relational support network in the neighborhood, and ongoing coaching. They will become full members of our missionary team.

For Mission Adelante this represents an opportunity to test the reproducibility of our ministry vision and core strategies. This fall Dave and his emerging team will focus on fundraising, team building, contact work, observing, learning, and planning, with an aim to launch pilot programs in January (God-willing). As they prepare to launch this project, the goal is to reproduce, but also to contextualize the best of Mission Adelante in order to reach a new people group.

The very nature of a pilot is experimental. In other words, we don’t know what parts of this project will succeed, or if the idea of reaching other people groups beyond Hispanics will eventually become an ongoing part of our ministry vision or not. However, we are excited to discover the answers to these questions and believe that God has given us the right context in which to explore them. I invite you to enter into this process with us through prayer this fall and over the next 16 months. I am certain that wherever God leads us will be exciting.

In His Grace,

Jarrett Meek

Executive Director, Mission Adelante, Inc.

The Power of an Invitation

2009-08-18T14:48:00.011-05:00

When you first meet nine-year-old Gaby, you immediately notice her smile and gentle eyes. She has an infectious energy about her that reminds you what it was like to be nine years old, questioning and exploring everything about the world around you.

As Gaby has grown over the last trimester, we have seen her become more attentive and excited to attend the Kids Adelante Outreach Bible Study, often encouraging her brother and sister to attend. Her love for the Lord and her desire to know Him made the decision to invite her to join LIT (Leaders in Training) a very easy one. However, the power of that invitation gave Gaby the confidence to step out as a leader because she realized that we believed in her!

Since that invitation, Gaby has consistently been praying over her family's dinner, even though her siblings often tease her mercilessly for it. At a recent garage sale fundraiser, she desired to step up and be the cajera, or cashier, simply because she wanted to help. This past Saturday at the resource center, Gaby saw the opportunity to volunteer again with the donations being handed out. She saw a need and met it. Without anyone even asking her; she very naturally began to serve.

Many of our kids battle against the societal norm that to love and serve the Lord isn't "cool." We teach them about God's love for them at LIT and the Outreach Bible Study, but when they walk out our doors, the world often paints a far harsher reality that contradicts this truth. Gaby is just one of the fourteen children that will be participating in LIT this year. How incredible it will be to continue to see our younger generations stand up and claim the truth of God's love and passion for their lives!

In other news:

The L.I.T. volunteer team is nearly staffed! The ten volunteers met last week for training. L.I.T. begins Monday, September 14.
During our break between trimesters, our staff is preparing and recruiting for the upcoming trimester, which begins September 17.
Our facility is becoming much more comfortable and inviting thanks to the interior design and decorating of one generous volunteer!

Prayer needs:

Please pray for God to give clarity about his will to volunteers that are considering joining our team for the first time or returning for another trimester this fall.
Pray for our whole faith community to be encouraged by five consecutive Sundays together in worship celebrations, and praise God for four ongoing volunteers to rotate leading the Sunday evening kids Bible study.
Pray for God to allow local public school principles to accept Megan McDermott's efforts to meet them for the sake of supporting the L.I.T. students to the fullest extent possible.

Current needs:

People or small groups to provide light, healthy meals weekly for the 14 L.I.T. students on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons throughout the academic year.
baby wipes to make available in our resource center
Help paint at Mission Adelante with your small group or church on 8/22, 8/29, and 9/12. Contact jarrettm@missionadelante.org to help!

Important upcoming dates:

Volunteer Orientation and Training: Saturday, September 5, 9:00 - 1:00
All Volunteer Team Meeting: Monday, September 14, 6:30 - 8:30

Backpacks Provide a Fresh Start

2009-08-11T15:08:00.004-05:00

Can you remember the first day of school each year and all of the excitement that inevitably came with it? For me, the last few weeks of summer were always filled with anxious discussions about teachers, classmates, schedules, and of course, the all-important backpack. However, as we now know, it was the supplies that filled our backpacks that helped each of us begin the school year on the right foot.

As the summer began, we prayed that God would inspire local churches to partner with us in reaching out to our neighborhood kids. We were blown away as volunteers and local churches came together and donated more than eighty backpacks!! In addition, each backpack was packed with all the pencils, paper, rulers, erasers, and other supplies that each child would need to start the school year. Most of the backpacks were so heavy that the littlest kids couldn't even carry them!

Each child left Kids Adelante last Thursday armed to tackle a brand new school year, knowing that people around the city cared about them. When the kids experience compassion and generosity, they see God's love through others' actions. They recognize that the God they have been learning about all trimester loves them so deeply that he provided a blessing that will see them through the school year. Thank you to those of you who gave your time, finances, and hearts to remind the children of Kids Adelante of their worth in God's eyes.

In other news:

There was a great turnout at our End-of-trimester Party on Sunday afternoon with over 200 people in attendance! It was held in a large outdoor pavilion overlooking Wyandotte County Lake, where we grilled burgers and recognized program participants and volunteers.
A record number of adult students completed the level one ESL class this summer with 21 of the original 24 taking the final exam. We owe this success much in part to our faithful volunteer conversation partners!
We're thankful that God continues to provide new volunteers for our programs each trimester. If you're interested in volunteering, we have a spot for you! To find out about opportunities in the kids' ministry, e-mail Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org. For opportunities in the ESL program and the Resource Center, e-mail Jason Schoff at jasons@missionadelante.org.
This is Megan M.'s final week with the pre-teen and teenage girls in their Purity Bible Study. Megan has rejoiced as the girls have discovered their self-worth in Christ.
The next five weeks are a break between trimesters. ESL and Kids Adelante programs resume on September 17. All volunteers, please mark your calendar for the Volunteer Team Meeting on Monday evening, September 14.

Prayer needs:

During out break from programs, our focus shifts to our Sunday evening worship services, called Celebrations. Please pray that people who first learned about our ministry at the party last Sunday will be interested in investigating our faith community.
Kansas City, Kansas schools begin this Monday, August 17. Please pray for kids to be exited for a good school year.
Please pray for Alberto, who is beginning training to prepare him to preach his first sermon at Celebration on September 13. He will be the first Hispanic from our own community to give a message.

Current needs:

dining room chairs
a microwave
a washer and dryer
pasta
baby wipes, all for distribution to needy families through our Resource Center

Important upcoming dates:

Saturday, September 5 @ 9:00: Volunteer Orientation & Training. All volunteers should attend this orientation at least once, preferably at the beginning of volunteering.
Monday, September 14 @ 6:30: All Volunteer Team Meeting
Thursday, September 17: Fall trimester begins; Thursday evening programs resume

Reflection on the Summer Internship

2009-08-04T15:12:00.005-05:00

By Becky Masters

The past six weeks with Mission Adelante have flown by faster than I thought possible. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the ESL classes and other ministries I have participated in. The biggest thing I learned was how to minister to adults, a big change from working exclusively with children. I was often out of my comfort zone, making visits and teaching adults, but I was able to establish connections with a handful of ladies from the level-three class.

Working in the level-three English class was one of the biggest highlights during the internship. It was a small class, but full of energy and fun. All of the students worked hard to learn the language. Most of the energy came from a student named Raquel. She kept everyone on their toes. Raquel is a quick learner. She is smart and fast, and does not wait for other people to answer; she shouts out the answers with enthusiasm.

At the end of class a week ago, we played a version of Jeopardy. Raquel gave the opposing team no chance to even attempt an answer. It took the other group a couple of rounds to jump in and score any points, but it made them all get into the game. They had to be more attentive and work harder. Raquel, along with the other ladies in the class, welcomed me and made me feel comfortable whether in class or enjoying limeades after class. It was a joy to teach and spend time with her and the group.

Even though I have only seen a glimpse of these ladies' lives, I have seen enough to know that there is a need for God's love. Six weeks are not enough to make a huge impact, but it is a start. I still have a lot to learn, but I was able to help plant seeds in some cases and water them in others. I am still too close to see all the fruit that is going to come from this internship, but I know that God has been working in me and in others. I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to reveal.

In other news:

The Mission Adelante staff team enjoyed a retreat last week together with families from Heartland Community Church at the Ozark Family Adventure. It was both an effective team-builder and a relaxing get-away for all of us.
We have seen a huge response to our request for backpacks and school supplies for the kids in our neighborhood! We especially want to thank Matt Alexander and Joy Shiner for organizing drives at church and among friends, and for delivering a carload each!
We were encouraged last Saturday as our faith community was mobilized to help meet the needs of one member by organizing a car wash and garage sale fundraiser with minimal staff involvement.

Prayer needs:

Pedro and Imelda, a neighborhood couple, have recently begun attending our Bible study. Please pray for God to give them a hunger to know Him and draw them to Himself.
Please continue to pray for God to bring additional volunteers with a heart to serve kids in Kids Adelante and Leaders In Training.
Pray for ESL students and volunteers to maintain their momentum during the upcoming five-week break.
Pray for Becky as she concludes her summer internship with us and transitions back to her role as a resident assistant at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg.

Current needs:

Volunteers for Adult English classes and LIT tutors beginning in September. If you're interested in being and English conversation partner, please e-mail Jason at jasons@missionadelante.org. If you're interested in tutoring kids weekday afternoons, please e-mail Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.
A trailer for transporting large items to ministry events.
A flat screen computer monitor
A microwave, washer, and dryer for families in our community
Infant formula to make available through our Resource Center.

Important upcoming dates:

Sunday, August 9: Trimester-end Party at Wyandotte County Lake Park: Beach shelter. 4:00--free time, 6:30--dinner, 7:30--program. All are welcome!
Monday, August 10 - Wednesday, September 16: Break between trimesters

Selecting Kids for “Leaders-In-Training”

2009-07-21T15:38:00.003-05:00

Do you remember how you felt when you received the call from your first employer and heard, “You’re Hired!”? As you read this article this afternoon (Tuesday), Megan McDermott and Jarrett Meek will be visiting the homes of seven kids, giving them the news that they have been selected to be in our Leaders-In-Training (LIT) program.

Seven kids from last year’s pilot group along with the seven new kids have made the invite list by demonstrating diligence and positive leadership characteristics in our Thursday night Outreach Bible Study and other contexts. As these kids grow up in our urban neighborhood, we will invest in their development so that, instead of succumbing to the negative influences of their peers, they can be leaders who influence others to follow Christ.

Please pray with us as you read this that the kids we invite along with their parents will recognize the unique value of this opportunity. Pray that they will accept the invitation and begin the year with soft and teachable hearts. And, please pray that God would raise up additional volunteers tutors to help with the program.

In other news:

Alberto led one of the home Bible study groups on Sunday evening for the second time and did a good job preparing and leading.
Molly Drake and Rachel Nighswonger took the kids from their Kids Adelante group to the zoo on Sunday afternoon.
We've begun using a new format with the kids on Sunday evenings to help them engage more in studying the Word. It's a smaller group than Thursday evenings, which is good for discussion.
Megan McDermott and Maria Rentas' housewarming party last Saturday evening drew and enormous crowd and provided a nice atmosphere for most of our community to connect and socialize as well as get acquainted with some new folks.

Prayer needs:

Praise God with us! Eduardo, one of the community kids most at-risk of gang involvement, has recently shown signs of change in his attitude and behavior. His family has also had more consistant attendance at worship and Bible studies lately.
Please pray for depth in the preteen girls' purity Bible study and Sunday evening Bible studies.

Current needs:

Volunteers for Adult English classes and LIT tutors beginning in September. If you're interested in being an English conversation partner, please e-mail Jason at jasons@missionadelante.org. If you're interested in tutoring kids in the afternoons, please e-mail Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.
A trailer for transporting large items to ministry events
A portable CD player "boom box" for use with the kids on Sunday nights
A washer and dryer for a family in our community
A flat screen computer monitor
Diapers, sizes 5, 4, and 3. Diapers are one of the most sought-after items in our Resource Center and seem to fly off the shelves as fast as they're donated.

Important upcoming dates:

Monday, August 3 @ 6:30 p.m. Volunteer Team Meeting at the Mission
Sunday, August 9: Trimester-end Party

Urban Missions through the Eyes of Youth

2009-07-14T16:13:00.002-05:00

Youth groups from 3 churches have participated this summer in mini-mission trips to the Mission Adelante neighborhood. Amber Donoho, from Shoal Creek Community church wrote the following reflections about her experience helping to lead one of the Kids' Club activities in a local park.

Reflections by Amber Donoho
"At first when I get to the building I have a dinner sandwich and I'm so nervous. I don't know what to really expect when I get there. Two ladies come in to the room and explain to us what we are doing and it surprises me. I knew we were coming there to see kids and play soccer and things like that, but I didn't know we were actually talking to them in English and singing songs. I became a little more nervous when the lady said some of the children might be scared of us or not talk any English at all. When we loaded up in the cars to go to the park I prayed for God to free all of my worries and I will be myself. I also prayed to magically remember the few years I had played soccer. I knew that these younger kids are going to look up to us and know that we are friends to them not enemies.

"When I get to the park there are just a few people there. I start getting butterflies again about how I'm going to converse with these children. So I hang with my friends for a little bit and start drawing with chalk with a little girl named Jasmine. It was fun to see her smile. After that we went to split off into our groups of activities. I was assigned to be in the soccer group and I realized these kids are really good at soccer. It was so fun to watch the kids play soccer with smiles on their faces. The effort they put into it is so great that it takes their minds off of everything else that goes on in their lives. When they got hurt by the soccer ball they didn't even flinch, but I guess they have be tougher to live here.

"Later on, we all went to the shaded corner of the park to sing "Big House". It was so fun because I knew all the words and I got to teach the hand signs. When I'm up there I feel happy and energetic. When the kids started catching on I felt so happy and worth something in these kids' lives. When you look down into each of the kid's eyes, you see a little glimmer of something that makes your heart heavy with feeling. You can't help but go home, cry, and feel like, " Wow, have I really made that much of a difference?" It's mind boggling to know that these kids will remember these few days of happiness. That God is really there for them no matter what and nothing can change that. I also know that I can never forget these memories as long as I live because this journey has brought me closer to God than I have been in a long time. So, I thank this program for changing my life and others."

In other news:

"Thank you" to the 22 Heartland Community Church interns that spent the day last Saturday painting the recently sheet rocked walls in our facility!
Mission Adelante staff were encouraged to spend about four days last week with Brandon Martin and three others from "The Bridge Hispanic Ministry" in Hickory, North Carolina. They came to observe our outreach strategies and learn from our experiences.
Our Resource Center is overflowing with items available to community families in need! We're normally open each Saturday morning for people to come and select items they can use. We had our best turnout yet last Saturday morning when about ten families benefited from donated goods, several of whom inquired about volunteering as a way to give back.

Prayer needs:

Tomorrow Megan M. and six preteen neighborhood girls will resume the Purity Bible study they met for last summer. Please pray for the girls to participate with authenticity and to go deep in the study.
Please pray for God to raise up more volunteers for the Leaders In Training program during the upcoming school year, and to continue to develop our worship team by inspiring members of our community to become involved.
Pray for Alberto, who has been a part of our community for about a year and a half and shows potential for church leadership. Jarrett and Jason are beginning to equip him to preach at our worship celebration, with a goal of preaching his first sermon in September.

Current needs:

We're collecting school supplies to distribute to about 60 community kids in August. It would be most helpful for backpacks to come already stocked with all the supplies an elementary school student will need. Those items are listed below. Could you organize a "Backpack Drive" for your church or group?

BACKPACK
500 sheets wide lined notebook paper
5 wide lined spiral notebooks
4 glue sticks (keep in package)
1 - 8 oz. bottle Elmer's glue (no blue glue)
1 small zippered bag for pencils
1 pkg. erasable pens (blue or black)
5 pocket folders
1 box colored pencils
1 ruler
2 "Sharpie" markers
2 pkgs. 3 x 5 index cards
1 red felt tip pen
1 pkg. #2 pencils
2 boxes crayons (24)
1 pair small scissors

A portable CD player "boom box" for use with the kids on Sunday nights
A washer and dryer for a family in our community

Important upcoming dates:

Monday, August 3 @ 6:30 p.m. Volunteer Team Meeting at the Mission
Sunday, August 9: Trimester-end Party

Young Kids are Learning to Discern the Truth

2009-07-07T15:20:00.004-05:00

One of the greatest opportunities with the children of Mission Adelante during summer vacation is the blessing of extra time. Two weeks ago, one of our Kids Adelante volunteers, Karlie Mann, began a Bible Study with four of our young girls. Over the course of five weeks, Marlen, Gissel, Gabi, Andrea, and Karlie will be digging into topics about how one can follow God and the characteristics of faith needed to pursue Him.

Last week, the group discussed the fruits of the Spirit. Much of the language used in the Bible tends to be unfamiliar to the kids. Karlie was able to discuss with the girls what following God really looks like and explain God’s word in a meaningful way. The Bible Study allows the girls to ask questions about God as they encounter information that is contradictory to what they have learned at the Kids Adelante Outreach Bible Study.

This was exemplified as Marlen described to Karlie how her parents have had ties to the Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, and Catholic churches. The incongruity of three different doctrines has caused ten-year old Marlen to seek where the truth lies. Marlen has used the teachings of the Bible that she learned at Kids Adelante as the lens through which she has observed other faiths. She was able to see the truth of God’s wisdom amidst so much confusion!

She has been praying for God to show her where HIS truth lies. As a result of her prayer, her parents announced that they would no longer be attending the Mormon Church. The faith of this little girl and God’s pursuit of her has been evident since she stepped through the doors of Mission Adelante! Please pray that God would continue to show Marlen and her family the truth of His love.

In other news:

Megan McDermott, Molly Merrick, and the Kids Adelante Group 4 leaders, Brad and Amy, took seven kids to the Royals game last Tuesday. They had fun watching the game and interacting outside the neighborhood.
Becky Masters, our summer intern, has jumped into our ministry with both feet! She is involved in two adult ESL classes, English tutoring, the resource center, this week's evening VBS, and contact work with individuals in our community. She also has a goal to help a discipling pair finish up the discipleship course this summer. Having grown up in Argentina, Becky is able to relate to Hispanic immigrants in a special way.
A team of four starting "The Bridge Hispanic Ministry" in Hickory, North Carolina will be visiting for 4 days this week to observe our work and learn from our experience with cross-cultural ministry. Please pray that they'll be able to assimilate everything they learn here into their ministry there.

Prayer needs:

Rogelio is a neighborhood man who has done work on the roofs of our facility and Jarrett and Jason's houses. Please pray for him and his family to turn to the Lord for comfort as they mourn the loss of his 15-year-old son, who was shot outside their home last week.
Four new kids were drawn to the VBS last night that the First Presbyterian Church youth group from Manhattan, Kansas is leading this week. Please pray for more neighborhood kids to be attracted through the VBS activities and to become consistent at Kids Adelante.
Twenty-five Heartland Community Church interns will have a free car wash in our parking lot this Saturday morning. Pray that their demonstration of servant evangelism will be well received by the neighbors and will facilitate our overall outreach effort.
Please continue to pray for discernment and clarity for Jarrett and Megan M. as they select the kids to invite to participate in Leaders In Training during the upcoming school year.

Current needs:

Our resource center is overflowing with clothing--thank you for all the generous donations!
We're already collecting school supplies to distribute to about 60 community kids in August. It would be most helpful for backpacks to come already stocked with all the supplies an elementary school student will need. Those items are listed below. Could you organize a "Backpack Drive" for your church or group?

Important upcoming dates:

Monday, August 3 @ 6:30 p.m. Volunteer Team Meeting at the Mission
Sunday, August 9: Trimester-end Party

The Role of Prayer in Language Learning

2009-06-30T14:28:00.005-05:00

Prayer plays a crucial role in our adult English classes. How, you may wonder? Have you ever tried to learn another language? It is a humbling experience as you bumble through strange phrases and create faux-pas simply by transposing letters in words. We let our ESL students know right out of the gate that prayer will be a part of our class. “How can we pray for you?” is a question that no student is prepared to answer the first class session. But we remind students weekly that God is interested in helping them learn English and can give them confidence and help them remember vocabulary. This becomes an ongoing request, but students soon begin to also share their personal situations and specific needs for prayer.

Developing deep relationships lies at the heart of Mission Adelante. Every time a student shares a prayer need, we become better able to understand them and deepen our friendship with them. The habit of praying together creates a unique bond. It allows us to support Hispanics in dark times, encourage them in dreary seasons, and celebrate with them God’s faithfulness. When our students see God at work in answering their prayers and they view volunteers and staff as caring friends, they move closer to seeking God with all their heart.

Last year Maria began coming to English classes. Her level was very low. She aspired to take the US citizenship test, though, which is conducted entirely in English and sought extra tutoring to prepare for it. After the first session she remarked, “we haven’t prayed together.” Maria came to believe in the importance of prayer and her need for God’s intervention. We spend many days working with her and praying together. Although she has yet to attend a bible study or worship celebration, we still connect with her and her husband, José. And she passed her test two weeks ago and gives thanks to God! This is just one example of how learning English and seeking God go hand in hand with Mission Adelante. Please pray for students to draw closer to the Lord as we pray together.

In other news:

Megan McDermott is continuing a Bible study on the topic of purity for the second summer with a group of pre-teen and early teen girls, which they kicked-off with a slumber party last Friday night. Karlie Mann, Kids Adelante volunteer, is also leading a group of girls in a special weekly Bible study over the course of the summer. We are so excited about these kids' enthusiasm to use their free time this summer to learn about the Lord!
We continue to enjoy watching the transformation of our facility as we near the completion of sheetrocking and look forward to all our new walls being taped and mudded during the next few weeks.

Prayer needs:

Two families in our faith community are presently suffering geographical separation from the husband/father. Please pray for God to strengthen their faith in his goodness and sovereignty.
Pray for God to protect from harm the family of an English student that is threatened by domestic violence.
As Jarrett and Megan plan for the second year of Leaders In Training, our intensive tutoring and character development program, please pray that God will grant them discernment in selecting the individual kids that will be invited to participate.
Pray for our staff members to get the much-needed rest and recharge during our Mid-trimester Break tomorrow through Saturday.

Current needs:

We're already collecting school supplies to distribute to about 60 community kids in August. It would be most helpful for backpacks to come already stocked with all the supplies an elementary school student will need. Those items are listed below. Could you organize a "Backpack Drive" for your church or group?

Box fans or oscillating fans for use in our facility and for distribution through our resource center.
A widow air conditioner

Important upcoming dates:

July 1-4: Midterm break. The Mission Adelante office will be closed and there will be no activities on Thursday. **There will be English tutoring this evening.**

Welcome Aboard, Megan!

2009-06-23T16:24:00.005-05:00

I learned a ministry principle years ago from very wise people: "Invest in what God is doing." Often times we simply see a need and try to direct resources to meet it. But, this principle suggests that there should be more to it than that. We should look for areas of need, but also places where there are signs of fruit or God's handy work.

Over the past two years Kids Adelante has met both of those criteria. Immigrant kids in KCK certainly have needs on every level. At the same time, God has been moving in our Kids Adelante program and bearing fruit. Attendance at our outreach Bible study has increased from an average of around 20 kids to nearly 60 without a staff person directly responsible for it. Volunteers have taught, mentored, and loved on kids. Kids have received Christ, been baptized, earned awards for improvement at school, and experienced genuine community. Of all ministry areas within our ministry, Kids Adelante has seen the most significant growth over this two year period.

So, following the principle above we're excited to announce that we've hired Megan McDermott, a long-time volunteer and former Spanish teacher in the Blue Valley district, to oversee Kids Adelante. We learned a lot about Megan last year through her summer internship with us and are excited about her love for kids, her leadership and organizational ability, her love for Christ, and her strong Spanish language skills. She is a great addition to our staff and to our neighborhood! Welcome aboard Megan! You may contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.

In other news:

Becky Masters, our sole summer intern this year, has arrived! She moved to the neighborhood today and will spend the upcoming weeks working primarily with the English program, teaching ESL classes and doing relational contact work. Please pray that she will quickly and effectively connect with people in our community.
A group of 16 high school youth, interns, and leaders from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Overland Park are here for several days this week. They kicked off a four-evening VBS with an outdoor movie in our new soccer field on Sunday evening. They're spending the days working on projects in our building.
We had record attendance at the Kids Adelante outreach Bible study last Thursday night: 62 kids! WOW!

Prayer needs:

Please pray that Tacho and Mari will understand the gospel clearly despite confusion caused by conversations they've had with Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.
A family that we've known for several years but that has repeatedly come and gone in our community has been back in Bible study and Worship for several weeks in a row. They requested prayer for God to supply the strength they need to persevere through difficult circumstances.
Please ask that new kids that have been attracted by the VBS programs last week and this week would become consistent attendees of Kids Adelante.

Current needs:

We're already collecting school supplies to distribute to about 60 community kids in August. It would be most helpful for backpacks to come already stocked with all the supplies an elementary school student will need. Those items are listed below. Could you organize a "Backpack Drive" for your church or group?

BACKPACK
500 sheets wide lined notebook paper
5 wide lined spiral notebooks
4 glue sticks (keep in package)
1 - 8 oz. bottle Elmer's glue (no blue glue)
1 small zippered bag for pencils
1 pkg. erasable pens (blue or black)
5 pocket folders
1 box colored pencils
1 ruler
2 "Sharpie Markers"
2 pkgs. 3 x 5 index cards
1 red felt tip pen
1 pkg. #2 pencils
2 boxes crayons (24)
1 pair small scissors

Box fans or oscillating fans for use in our facility and for distribution through our resource center.

Important upcoming dates:

June 29: Spanish class cancelled.
July 1-4: Midterm break. The Mission Adelante office will be closed and there will be no activities on Thursday. **Monday morning English class and Tuesday evening English tutoring will continue uninterrupted.**

A Beautiful Day in the Ozarks

2009-06-16T16:07:00.005-05:00

Heavy rains and lightning storms don't make for comfortable camping and canoeing, but they sure do provide the context for God to build character and a sense of community for those along for the ride. Last weekend seven volunteers, 10 kids, and three Latino parents braved the elements and participated in the first annual float trip for our Leaders-in-Training program. Most of the kids and adults who were on the trip had never been camping before, not to mention canoeing.

Our group went to the Northfork River in southern Missouri for the Friday through Sunday event. The parents who attended with their children found the experience not only personally exhilarating, but also a unique opportunity to invest and bond with their children. The numbers worked out so that each kid was paired with an adult for the canoeing, which lasted all day Saturday. Conversations about life, Jesus and anything fun abounded in the canoes, the campsites, and the cars. Relationships went deeper than before between kids and adults.

With novice canoe-ers, there were plenty of tips and splashes and near disasters (in the best sense of the word). The challenges we faced together as a group in this unfamiliar territory made for a fitting end to our pilot year of Leaders-In-Training, a program where character development is emphasized as critical to becoming an effective leader. On Sunday morning at about 2:30 a.m. the storm hit and didn't let up until about 6:30. Our beleaguered group finally came alive about 7:30 and reluctantly emerged from their tents to the tackle the inevitable and unenviable task of tearing down a wet campsite in the rain; all part of God's character-building plan for our group. It was a beautiful day in the Ozarks!

In other news:

We're excited to announce that Megan McDermott has joined our staff as the full-time director of Kids Adelante! A generous donor is matching a portion of contributions made to support her ministry through the first 12 months at a ratio of 3:2.
Two individuals attended the Worship Celebration for the first time on Sunday evening. Also, six discipleship participants received certificates for completing the 13-study discipleship course about the basics of the Christian Faith.
A group of 12 young adults from Shoal Creek Community Church are spending three days with us this week. They're doing work projects around our facility during the mornings and hosting a VBS for neighborhood kids in a local park in the evenings. About 40 kids went last evening and enjoyed the activities including songs, a skit, and a story.
Buy Royal’s tickets to the June 30th game and support Mission Adelante! When you purchase through the "buy tickets" link below, a portion of the proceeds will go to help support Megan McDermott's staff role as our Kids Adelante Director!

Prayer needs:

Pray for evening VBS being held this week and next to attract new kids from the neighborhood and to reinforce our relationships with kids that already come to Thursday evening outreach Bible studies.
Staff members and volunteers have engaged in spiritual conversations with numerous adult English students already during the first two weeks of the summer trimester! We praise God for the students' openness because our purpose is not only to teach English, but also to share our faith. Please pray that any past negative experiences that these individuals may have had with churches won't hinder their exploration of the claims of Christ.
Please pray for a family in our faith community in which the husband and wife are experiencing marital difficulties and the son is displaying threatening behavior.

Current needs:

Three LCD (flat screen) computer monitors
Diapers sizes 4, 5, and 6 to stock the Resource Center

Important upcoming dates:

June 29: Spanish class cancelled.
July 1-4: Midterm break. The Mission Adelante office will be closed and there will be no activities on Thursday. **Monday morning English class will continue uninterrupted.**

Amazing Improvement for Felipe Leyva!

2009-06-09T16:16:00.011-05:00

We were elated to learn last week that Leaders-In-Training (LIT) student, Felipe Leyva received the award for most improved third grader at M.E. Pearson elementary school at the end of the year. His improvement on the state math assessments was the best in his grade level, out-pacing normal growth by almost four times. His reading improvement was also marked at nearly three times normal level.

Immigrant kids face significant challenges in our urban context. These begin with the language barrier (nearly 85% of students at M.E. Pearson speak only Spanish in the home), and continue with poverty, intimidation by gangs, and other negative social and peer dynamics. Mission Adelante's LIT program identifies kids from within this mix who have characteristics of potential leaders and invests in their spiritual, academic and character growth. The aim is to equip them become leaders among their peers.

Felipe's dramatic improvement in math and reading is a tremendous encouragement to all of us who worked with him this year in those very subjects. Other LIT students from this first year have also received honors; Iris Venegas, 8th grade, was accepted into Sumner Academy, Andrea Flores, 3rd grade, made similar, though not as dramatic improvements in math and reading, and Helen Venegas, 6th grade, has made it to the final stage in the process of becoming a Kauffman Scholar.

Please pray with us for these students and for those whom we will choose to join them in the LIT program this fall. And thank the Lord for the exciting fruit that we're beginning to see from our pilot year of the program.

In other news:

Our summer trimester got off to a great start last Thursday evening with 53 kids in attendance at Kids Adelante and four adult English classes full to capacity. Thanks to volunteers' availability this summer, we also have a morning adult English class. We owe so much of the success of our programs and our impact on the community to the dedicated, ongoing service of our many volunteers!
Both Bible studies kicked off the summer with a pot-luck meal and fellowship on Sunday evening. Several visitors joined us for the first time.
Buy Royal’s tickets to the June 30th game and support Mission Adelante! When you purchase through the "buy tickets" link below, a portion of the proceeds will go to help us hire Megan McDermott as our Kids Adelante Director!

Prayer needs:

The nine students who successfully completed the year of LIT will go on a three-day canoe and camping trip this weekend in southern Missouri. Eleven adults will join them. Please pray for safety, cooperation of the weather, and that the trip will make a spiritual impact on the kids and allow for bonding between the kids and volunteers.
Please pray for the provision of the necessary funds for Megan McDermott to join our staff full-time as the Kids Adelante Director.

Current needs:

Three LCD (flat screen) computer monitors

Important upcoming dates:

July 1-4: Midterm break. The Mission Adelante office will be closed and there will be no activities on Thursday. **Monday morning English class will continue uninterrupted.**

A Mission Field in Your Own Backyard

2009-06-02T14:36:00.006-05:00

Mission Adelante (Mission 'go forth') is strategically positioned to reach a growing Latin American mission field that is coming to our own doorstep. Somewhere between 75% and 85% of the population of our urban Kansas City neighborhood is Latino. Yet, most American Christians are unaware of the needs of this population, or have simply not considered the kingdom opportunity that this dynamic presents. It is a significant and accessible openning for followers of Christ to engage in missions in an ongoing way, without the expense and adjustment of having to move to a foreign country.

Immigrants are generally a group with distinct needs. They, like widows and orphans, are mentioned in the Bible as vulnerable people who should be the object of special care and compassion by believers. Problems that are foreign to most suburban Christians, such as language barriers in school, at work, and in the hospital, gang violence, illiteracy, and abuse by landlords are par for the course for many immigrants from Latin America.

With these things in mind, Mission Adelante is focused on three important objectives:

1. Serving Latino immigrants in practical ways: Serving is a tangible way to demonstrate the love of Christ. Teaching English, tutoring kids, and providing food and clothing are some of the ways we do this

2. Sharing Life: Our staff, and even some of our volunteers, have re-located to the neighbhorhood where we serve, so that we can build authentic ministry relationships.

3. Holistic Evangelism: Serving and building relationships is our way of earning the right to be heard. Living the gospel and sharing it verbally make a powerful combination.

Whether you're interested in getting your feet wet as a volunteer, contributing financially, or praying for our ministry, we would love to include you in what God is doing through Mission Adelante. Please contact Jarrett Meek with questions. jarrettm@missionadelante.org

What-If Serve Day Winners:
Thank you to all who participated in the the What-If Serve Day! Members of team 19 and team 24 have won the prize! We would love to present you with a Mission Adelante polo shirt! Please email Morgan Ham at morganh@missionadelante.org to request a shirt size and claim your prize. (If you think you were on one of these sheet-rocking teams, but aren't sure, ask Morgan.)

Subscribe to the Adelante Express! If you would like to receive this regular update on Mission Adelante's ministry, please subscribe by emailing morganh@missionadelante.org

A Celebration and a Farewell

2009-04-21T14:25:00.004-05:00

The Mission Adelante community celebrated the conclusion of the spring trimester at our Spring Party on Saturday evening. Adult English students, Kids Adelante and L.I.T. participants, volunteers, and members of our faith community, as well as family and friends gathered at a local community center. We enjoyed a pot-luck meal together, recognized the accomplishments of adult and youth participants in our programs, and celebrated with the Sears' family the beginning of their new phase of ministry.

Trimester parties, which occur three times a year at the conclusion of each trimester, are always enjoyable because they're the occasion for the gathering of everyone associated with the Mission. They provide the chance to catch up with friends we may not have seen in a while, and to meet new ones. We were blessed this time by a group of volunteers from Christ Community Church who handled many of the logistics. They took care of setting-up and decorating the facility, provided and grilled the burgers and hot dogs, and cleaned-up afterwards. Many thanks to all those who lended a hand!

The highlight of the evening was the time we spent honoring Seth and Andrea Sears and family for their almost four years of dedication and service in the Mission Adelante community. We enjoyed a slide show of pictures and video, and the memories it triggered. We listened with pride as Seth explained, in Spanish, the work they'll be doing in Costa Rica during at least the next three years. And we asked the Lord's guidance and blessing on the adventure upon which they're about to embark.

In Other News:

James "Rambo" McClure and a group of Anglos and Hispanics are tirelessly working on insulating our building this week before the very warm weather arrives at the end of the week. James earned his nickname by army-crawling on his elbows through the attic crawl spaces! We're grateful for his expertise, leadership, and dedication to the improvement of the facility!
This Saturday, April 25, Molly Merrick and Megan McDermott will be holding a dinner and silent auction to raise funds for their staff roles with Mission Adelante. Everyone is invited! Click here to download Megan's invitation. Or... Click here to download Molly's invitation.
Buy Royal’s tickets to the May 16th game or the June 30th game and support Mission Adelante! When you purchase through the "buy tickets" link below, a portion of the proceeds will go to help us hire Megan McDermott as our Kids Adelante Director!!

Jarrett & Kristin Meek will be on a much-deserved vacation April 24-29. Jarrett will return to the office Monday, May 4.

Prayer needs:

The Sears family departure to Costa Rica is tomorrow, April 22. Please pray for final preparation, safe travel, and initial acclimation in Costa Rica.

Current Needs:

Summer clothes, all ages and styles, to stock our resource center by the arrival of warm weather.
Diapers, sizes 4,5, and 6.
Although not a necessity, we always appreciate toys to give out to the kids who come to the resource center with their parents.

Upcoming Dates:

April 20-May 31: break between trimesters
May 23: New volunteer orientation and training
June 1: All volunteer team meeting

Mission Adelante’s Impact . . . in North Carolina!

2009-04-16T14:35:00.004-05:00

Written by Brandon Martin

How does a mission organization based in Kansas City impact a ministry starting in Hickory, North Carolina? As all ministry happens . . . through relationship!

I first met Jarrett and Kristen Meek in Bolivia where we served together as missionaries. Working side by side for almost a year in the town of San Ignacio, we grew not only in friendship, but also in passion for shared ministry values. Our experiences there confirmed the value of holistic, relational ministry that equips believers to serve and prepares leaders to multiply the mission. In 2004, I left Bolivia to attend seminary in St. Louis and the Meeks later returned home to begin Mission Adelante.

These past five years, I’ve had the joy of continuing our friendship as I’ve observed the initiation and growth of Mission Adelante. One highlight was a visit to an ESL class in which numerous Hispanics were laughing as they practiced English with their conversation partners. I was inspired to see Spanish and English speakers serving one another and building genuine relationships through which God’s grace abounds!

As I rejoiced to see the Meek’s vision become a living ministry, I realized that God was calling me to follow in their footsteps. Just as in Kansas City, God has brought the foreign mission field to our doorstep here in Hickory. As we now initiate our Hispanic outreach, you may notice many similarities to Mission Adelante. The wisdom and experience of the Adelante staff has greatly blessed us and given us a strong start. Thank you for blessing God’s kingdom work in North Carolina!

Brandon Martin is Associate Pastor for Mission Development at St. Stephens Lutheran Church and Mission Developer of The Bridge Hispanic Mission

In Other News:

Our faith community celebrated Easter together at the Mission Sunday evening. All the pews were full since the kids stayed with the adults during the service. Congregation participation through songs, corporate reading of verses, and the Lord's Supper allowed the community to respond to each part of the gospel message.
Our pilot year of Leaders In Training wrapped up this week, with nine of the original 13 students finishing the year. Jarrett and the volunteer tutors are eager to evaluate the outcome to make improvements for next year.
Christ Community Church is helping host the Trimester-End Party this Saturday by setting up, decorating, providing and grilling the burgers and dogs, and cleaning up. We're very grateful for their help! The party is at Bethany Community Center at 5:30 p.m. We would love for you to come and bring your family!
On April 25th Molly Merrick and Megan McDermott will be holding a silent auction to raise funds for their staff roles with Mission Adelante. Everyone is invited! Click here to download Megan's invitation. Or... Click here to download Molly's invitation.
Buy Royal’s tickets to the May 16th game or the June 30th game and support Mission Adelante! When you purchase through the "buy tickets" link below, a portion of the proceeds will go to help us hire Megan McDermott as our Kids Adelante Director!
Morgan Ham has returned from Maternity Leave. We're grateful for Marla Hansen and Dawn North's help during her absence.

Prayer Needs:

Seth & Andrea Sears and family have less than one week before takeoff! Their departure to Costa Rica is this Wednesday, April 22. Please pray for final preparation, safe travel, and initial acclimation in Costa Rica.
Pray for financial provision for Megan McDermott to join the Mission Adelante staff in June as Kids Adelante Director.
Pray for the several Hispanics who have only partially engaged in our faith community to jump in with both feet.

Current Needs:

Summer clothes, all ages and styles, to stock our resource center by the arrival of warm weather.
Diapers, sizes 4,5, and 6.
Although not a necessity, we always appreciate toys to give out to the kids who come to the resource center with their parents.

Upcoming Dates:

Saturday, April 18 at 5:30: Spring Party at the Bethany Community Center, behind the fire station on Central Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets in Kansas City, KS.
April 20-May 31: break between trimesters
May 23: New volunteer orientation and training
June 1: All volunteer team meeting

Partnership in the City and the Suburbs

2009-04-09T14:21:00.012-05:00

Partnership in the City and the Suburbs

Partnership means a lot of things to different people. For Mission Adelante it means finding ways to create Kingdom-win relationships with other organizations whose purposes find alignment with ours in one or more areas. As an urban ministry reaching out to people who have very few physical resources, we have recognized from the beginning that we would need a lot of help from suburban partners. Excitingly, we have something to offer them as well; an opportunity to serve in a cross-cultural mission field right here in their own city!

We have felt from very early on that the suburban church in America has scores of people who are longing to find ways to invest personally and relationally in "the least of these". Too often though, meaningful ongoing opportunities for this are limited or out of reach the average person. Through Mission Adelante we have set out to create as many hands-on, relational opportunities to serve as possible so that we can help mobilize Christians in suburban churches to fulfill the calling God has placed on their hearts in a way that becomes a part of their ongoing lifestyle, and not just a one-time or occasional experience.

As an urban ministry, partnership for us has other applications as well that we are still exploring. What does it look like for us to partner with other urban ministries? The Hope Center in KCMO, for example, has been extremely helpful in giving us ideas for our Kids Adelante programs. And, Mercy and Truth Medical Missions has provided housing in our neighborhood for our summer interns.

Last Sunday night we experienced our deepest urban partnership opportunity yet as we came together with the Servant Community Church, another small church in our neighborhood, to do a joint baptism, baby dedication service and potluck dinner. The bilingual worship event had songs in English and Spanish, included nine baptisms and two dedications, and involved Hispanic, African American, Caucasian, and South-Asian participants. The ethnic diversity was an exciting glimpse of what Revelation 5:9 says when it declares that Jesus has purchased for God with his blood, people from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. We are excited to continue pressing into the idea of partnership, both with our urban and our suburban ministry partners!

In Other News

Our Spring Party will held at Bethany Community Center on Saturday, April 18th at 5:30 p.m. We would love for you to come and bring your family!
On April 25th Molly Merrick and Megan McDermott will be holding a silent auction to raise funds for their staff roles with Mission Adelante. Everyone is invited! Click here to download Megan's invitation. Or... Click here to download Molly's invitation.
Buy Royal’s tickets to the May 16th game or the June 30th game and support Mission Adelante! When you purchase through the "buy tickets" link below, a portion of the proceeds will go to help us hire Megan McDermott as our Kids Adelante Director!

Prayer Requests

Praise God for answering our prayers for the Baptism Service last Sunday!
Please pray for a strong finish for our participants in our ESL, LIT, and Kids Adelante Programs
Please pray that God would use the celebration of His resurrection this weekend to draw people to Himself.
Please pray for God to raise up new volunteers for our ESL Level 1 and for the formation of a team of upper-level volunteers.

Resource Center Needs

Diapers, wipes and baby items
Staple Food items like rice, beans, sugar and cooking oil

Celebrating Nayeli's Baptism

2009-04-02T14:50:00.004-05:00

Celebrating Nayeli's Baptism
I've known that Nayeli Leyva was a special kid since early on in her first trimester in Kids Adelante. She and her brothers began coming to Kids Adelante in the summer of 2007 after a group from Emmanuel Baptist church came to our neighborhood for a week to do a VBS-like program for kids in our neighborhood. The group of mostly high school and college kids went door-to-door handing out flyers to kids in a six-block radius around our home. Nayeli and her brothers came as a result of that invitation and have been coming ever since.

Nayeli had an early impact on the other kids in Kids Adelante. She was the first in her small group (10-12 year olds) to begin coming with her Bible verse memorized each week. By the end of the trimester others in the group had begun to follow her lead. It was because of this leadership and influence among her peers, as well as her consistency and positive attitude, that Nayeli was selected to participate in our pilot Leaders-In-Training (LIT) this year.

This Sunday, after nearly two years of involvement with Kids Adelante, a whole school year of participation in "LIT", and a number of ups and downs, Nayeli, along with five others, will be baptized. Nayeli's story is exciting for a number of reasons beyond the obvious celebration of a new life in Christ. Her journey includes investments made by many people, beginning with her mother and grandmother, who will be baptized this Sunday as well. The Emmanuel Baptist group made the first invitation. Several Kids Adelante volunteers have poured into her life. Our summer interns last year spent a lot of time with her. And more recently LIT volunteers have given her guidance and tutoring. Each one has played an important role in Nayeli's decision to follow Christ and her growth as a new believer.

Nayeli has a lot of hurdles to overcome in life, but I believe that God is constructing a foundation in her life that will be solid enough to build the kind of life on that will glorify Jesus. Please pray with us for the baptism event this weekend and for Nayeli as she continues to learn how to follow Jesus.

In Other News

Our Volunteer Team meeting will be held this Monday night, April 6 at 6:30 P.M. Volunteers in ESL, Kids Adelante and LIT are encouraged to attend.
Our Spring Party will held at Bethany Community Center on Saturday, April 18th at 5:30 p.m. We would love for you to come and bring your family!

Prayer Requests
Please pray for our Baptism Event this Sunday night. Pray that God would use it to draw people to Himself and to create a new of passion and purpose in the lives of those being baptized.

Resource Center Needs

Diapers, wipes and baby items
Staple Food items like rice, beans, sugar and cooking oil
Praise God for a donation of 300 lbs. of rice, beans, sugar and flour

The Power of a Praying Wife

2009-03-26T14:05:00.030-05:00

The Power of a Praying Wife

Elaine Flores, the co-owner of the famous Paletería Michoacana (the ice cream shop where we first began to build relationships in the neighborhood), received Christ about a year ago through her involvement in one of Mission Adelante’s Bible studies. We had known Elaine and befriended her from early on in our time in this neighborhood. In fact, at the close of 2005, I had the privilege of performing Elaine and Juan’s wedding…in their ice cream shop. It was a unique experience to say the least, but from that time I have seen how the Lord has been at work in their lives.

Initially, Juan and Elaine were both open to talking about spiritual things, but had reservations about following Jesus. Through family members who had begun seeking the Lord, God brought Elaine to the place where she was ready to receive the gift and begin living her life as a child a God. Kristen had the opportunity to disciple Elaine as she began to grow, but her husband Juan kept his distance. Kristen and Elaine met nearly weekly for several months and Elaine often prayed for Juan.

Last week, after over a year of being prayed for by his wife, Juan finally took the big step of coming to our Bible study because HE wanted to. Please pray with us for Juan as he begins investigating what it means to be a follower of Christ. And all of you wives out there whose husbands haven’t yet decided to follow the Lord, remember; your changed life and your prayers may be what God uses to draw your husband into a relationship with Jesus! We all celebrated inside with Elaine and sat in amazement as Juan shared that his wife’s faith and life-change had caused him to consider the claims of Christ.

In Other News:

On April 25th Molly Merrick and Megan McDermott will be holding a silent auction to raise funds for their staff roles with Mission Adelante. Everyone is invited! Click here to download Megan's invitation. Or... Click here to download Molly's invitation.

Buy Royal’s tickets to the May 16th game or the June 30th game and support Mission Adelante! When you purchase through the "buy tickets" link below, a portion of the proceeds will go to help us hire Megan McDermott as our Kids Adelante Director!

Prayer Requests

Please pray for Mission Adelante’s first baptism service scheduled for April 5th. Pray for those who have decided to be baptized as well as for those who are still considering it. Pray that the Lord will give us a real sense of celebration as a community and will galvanize the heart commitments of those new believers taking this important step.

Please pray for our Leaders in training program as we enter the final month of our pilot year. Pray that the kids and volunteers would finish strong. Pray that the Lord would solidify permanent life change in the kids.

Current Needs

Diapers, wipes and baby items
Staple Food items like rice, beans, sugar and cooking oil
Praise God for a donation of 300 lbs. of rice, beans, sugar and flour

Go to the Royals Game and Support Mission Adelante!

2009-03-17T11:36:00.001-05:00

When you buy tickets through the link below, for either the May 16th game or the June 30th game, a portion of the ticket price will go to help Mission Adelante hire a director (Megan McDermott) for our Kids Adelante and LIT programs!

May 16 vs. Baltimore Orioles @ 6:10 p.m.
June 30 vs. Minnesota Twins @ 7:10 p.m.

Field Plaza: $22 Hy-Vee Box: $11 .

For more information on this event contact Tyler Riordan at (816)504-4475 or tyler.riordan@royals.com

Surprised by Compassion

2009-03-12T14:19:00.003-05:00

Surprised by Compassion

When people asked Jesus what the greatest commandment in scripture was he replied, “To love the Lord your God…and to love your neighbor as yourself”. Of course, one listener needed to know exactly who Jesus meant by “your neighbor”. Jesus responded by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. To the Jews, the Samaritans were despised and rejected for racial, cultural and religious reasons. By putting the Samaritan in the role “the neighbor”, Jesus demonstrated that our compassion should extend to those who are typically rejected and despised. For Mission Adelante, this puts a compassion bulls-eye on the backs of Latino immigrants. Leviticus 19:34 connects the dots even more clearly. “The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”

Just as Jesus’ hearers must have been perplexed by the idea of a Samaritan showing compassion to a Jew, we have found that immigrants are as surprised as they are grateful to be the recipients of compassion from native born Americans. One of our core values says, “We believe that God calls Christians to demonstrate special compassion to “strangers”, going out of their way to show them compassion.” This kind of compassion surprises and disarms a people who have learned to be guarded, making them open to considering the claims of Jesus.

If you are interested in helping Mission Adelante reach this mission field in our own city, we would love to get you connected. We are now recruiting for our summer trimester. Please go to our website www.missionadelante.org to see more volunteer opportunities.

In Other News

Next week (March 15-21) Mission Adelante will be on Spring Break. ESL, Kids Adelante, LIT, and Spanish Classes will not meet.
Summer Internship Applications Due Soon! If you know someone who is interested in a summer internship in cross-cultural ministry, please have them email jarrettm@missionadelante.org for more information.
Pastors and community group leaders met at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church to discuss a cooperative effort at gang prevention in KCK.
Each week the number of families who are seeking help through our resource center increases. Last Saturday over 10 families came through and received basic food items, clothing, furniture and other essential items.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for the kids who participate in our LIT program to finish strong both in LIT and in school. The last few weeks have been challenging with attitudes, and problems for a few of the kids at school and at home.
Please continue to pray for the families in our community who are unemployed. Pray that God would provide for their needs.

Resource Center Needs

Food staples for what we call "Canasta Basica" or basic basket also go fast. One "Canasta Basica" contains: 2 bags of rice, 3 bags of beans, 1 box of Maizena, one bag of sugar, one bottle of cooking oil, 2 bags of pasta, 1 bag of flour. We love it when friends can bring a complete "Canasta Basica" already assembled!

The Lost Art of Disciple-Making

2009-03-05T13:56:00.004-06:00

The Lost Art of Disciple-Making

I still have the first book I ever read on the topic of making disciples. At the end of my sophomore year at KU Doug Nuenke, a Navigators staff member, presented me with The Lost Art of Disciple-Making, by Leroy Eims. To me, this book still defines the disciple-making process as well as any, with principles taken from a thorough observation of how Jesus himself trained his disciples. Eims’ emphasis on an individualized approach that invests in a few and equips them in turn to disciple others has stuck with me through the years. It’s 2 Timothy 2:2 in action; “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

Mission Adelante is employing this same disciple-making strategy; investing in immigrants who receive Christ and teaching them in turn to make disciples of others. In this season we have begun a renewed emphasis on this process. Four immigrants who have been through our process are now discipling others and a total of 19 people are receiving one-to-one or one-to-two instruction in the basics of the Christian faith. I wish disciple-making were always a clean and clear process. However, with broken humans involved, it is always a messy process that requires God’s grace in abundance. So, as we press into this season please pray with us for those new believers who are being discipled to grow in their hunger for Christ, and for those of us who are investing our lives to have patience and perseverance to give ourselves away for those we’re helping.

In Other News

Spring Break: All ministry programs of Mission Adelante will be taking a break the week of March 16-20. This includes Spanish classes, LIT, Kids Adelante, and ESL.

Mark your calendars for Mission Adelante’s Spring Party: April 18^th.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for a strong finish for our Leaders In Training Pilot. Pray especially for the kids to remain engaged and be diligent even as we move into the Spring.

Please pray for our discipling groups. Pray that each person involved would gain a greater passion and hunger for Christ. Pray for consistency. Pray for a sense of community.

Please pray for Megan McDermott as she continues to raise funds to join our staff as the Kids Adelante director.

Current Needs:

Food staples for what we call "Canasta Basica" or basic basket also go fast. One "Canasta Basica" contains: 2 bags of rice, 3 bags of beans, 1 box of Maizena, one bag of sugar, one bottle of cooking oil, 2 bags of pasta, 1 bag of flour. We love it when friends can bring a complete "Canasta Basica" already assembled!