immigrant

When the Students Became the Teachers

When the Students Became the Teachers


Written by Yulia Wijata & David Tjiptogarson, ESL Volunteers


As another trimester teaching ESL at Mission Adelante came to an end,  I could not help but reflect and be thankful for the opportunity, the friendship, and the joy that David and I experienced in the past year and a half. 

It was late in 2020, at the end of a seemingly long and isolating pandemic year, that we were yearning for more community. The invitation to the volunteer orientation at Mission Adelante posted on our church’s Facebook page caught my eye. I had heard about the organization and its ministry working with the refugee and immigrant community in Kansas City, Kansas, years before but never took steps to find out more or made the commitment to serve. When we finally went to the orientation and learned about the different serving opportunities, we immediately felt the calling to get involved in the ESL program.

To be honest, in the beginning, I was a bit apprehensive at the thought of teaching English. My husband and I are immigrants ourselves, and English is not our native language. We had to learn English and American culture when we came to the United States over 30 years ago. While I was not confident in my ability to teach English and my lack of Spanish, I always felt a kinship with the immigrant community and thought that we had a unique perspective to offer since we had gone through the experience of learning a new language and adjusting to life in a new country.

We started in ESL Level 1, where we worked one-on-one with the students, helping them with simple tense and pronunciation of common words and phrases. In Level 2, we began to help the lead teacher with some sessions. We gained more confidence as we moved up to each level with our students, like Nancy and Manuel, who started the program in Level 1 with us. A few weeks ago, David and I just completed teaching Level 4 on our own!  We had a lot of fun because it was so much more than just teaching and learning English. David always started the class serving tea and cookies as we caught up on everybody’s week. We also played games, celebrated birthdays and the birth of a grandson, prayed for each other, and learned about different cultures. 

I’m not exaggerating when I say Thursday night is the highlight of our week.  We love teaching ESL and seeing our students progress and learn new things. We love hearing their stories and building relationships with each one of them. It’s inspiring to see the hard work they put in and the energy they bring to class each week because I know some of them come after a long day at work, but they always try their best to make it to class. 

Volunteering at Mission Adelante was one of the best serving experiences we ever did. It is a rewarding experience that taught us a lot about others and about ourselves. We found an amazing community and so much more.

Be part of our programs!

We are so excited to start the summer trimester and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us this trimester?

How can you help?

  • Pray for our program participants would create an impact in our community and grow with their walk with the Lord.

  • Volunteer – Come to one of our obseveration nights the second week of July. For more information visit: https://www.missionadelante.org/observe

  • Donate to join us in building a multicultural community of disciples making disciples.

The Powerful Intersection of Ministry and Business: A Video From Adelante Thrift

 At Mission Adelante, as we've labored to make disciples by serving, sharing life, and sharing Jesus with people from all places, together we've seen individual transformation begin to move toward community transformation.  Adelante Thrift, our first community development initiative is nearing its one-year anniversary, and the ministry fruit is exciting!  Though the store is not yet profitable, we are seeing God use a thrift store as a light in the neighborhood and a training ground for emerging leaders from our community to grow and realize their potential.  We invite you, your family, your business, your church, school, or neighborhood group, to lock arms with Adelante Thrift as we work together toward sustainability in 2016!  Sign up to volunteer at www.adelantethrift.com/volunteer.  And, enjoy this video about how God is using Adelante Thrift to empower and equip people from all places to reach their potential at the exciting intersection between business and ministry. 

I Was a Stranger...

Written by Jason Schoff, Latino Outreach Director


When you go about daily life in the city, you will almost certainly run across people from all reaches of the world.  Every day, more and more immigrants move to our cities seeking new opportunities and we see them in our grocery stores, restaurants, and public spaces like our parks.  Do you ever wonder what life is like for these residents of our city?  The cities we know and love are quite often not easy for foreigners to adjust to.  You can never really understand this reality until you have put yourself in their shoes.  While this might be impossible, Mission Adelante attempts to help staff and volunteers become more and more empathetic as they befriend and build relationships with our immigrant neighbors.


Have you wondered where the idea of "putting yourself in someone else's shoes" originated?  I would put my bet on God's Word.  "I was a stranger and you invited me in" are the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:35.  These words communicate such a strong sense of both hospitality and concern for the stranger and there is no question that foreigners would have to be included in the category of "strangers."  What if God had commented more on this topic with relation to the foreigner?  He actually does, throughout the Bible!  We have been asking our staff and volunteers to join us on a 40 day challenge to read scriptures related to this topic and God has strengthened our resolve to help our immigrant neighbors and friends.  

Knowing God's word better will always help us to make informed and God-honoring decisions.  I would assert that we want to see God honored in the decisions our government makes, including decisions pertaining to our immigrant friends.  What will happen with immigration?  Should the laws be changed?  How should they be different?  The Bible has a lot to say on this!  I want to challenge you to join us in reading through scripture and answering these questions as a kingdom citizen.  You may find the answers will lead you to act on behalf of what God desires.  May God bless you for pursuing Him and his ways.

Join the 40 day challenge here.  
In other news:
  • Although our regular programs were suspended last week for Spring Break, many of our volunteers used the opportunity to get together with immigrants they've gotten to know through serving. Way to go, volunteers!
Prayer needs:
  • Pray for a strong finish to the school year for our current Leaders In Training and that the Lord will bring the right students and families to the informational meetings for next year's LIT on Sunday April 21st.
  • This summer, for the first time, we will be selecting immigrant teens to serve as interns. Pray for our staff as we finalize our summer intern selection.
Important dates:
Please note: The dates of the Latino and Bhutanese Spring Parties are reversed on the "2013 Key Dates" magnets. The dates listed here are correct.
  • Saturday, April 13, 5:00-8:00: Latino Spring Party, at Bethany Community Center.  Please come and help us celebrate the accomplishments of our ESL, Teens, Kids Adelante, and L.I.T. students this trimester and honor volunteers with sustained service. Bethany Community Center is located on Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas (66102) between 11th and 12th Streets, behind the fire station.
  • Sunday, April 14, 5:00-8:00: Bhutanese Spring Party, at St. John's Catholic Club and Community Center, 720 N. 4th Street, Kansas City, KS 66101.  Please come and help us celebrate the accomplishments of our ESL, Teens Club, Kids Club, and L.I.T. students this trimester and honor volunteers with sustained service.
  • Saturday, May 4: Bhutanese ESL Volunteer Snacks and Training, at Lauren Timberlake’s house. Please contact Jenny Dunn at jennyd@missionadelante.org for more details.