EBC's Kids' Camp Waters Seeds

Written by summer intern Cassie Donley

This summer I have had the amazing blessing of serving at Mission Adelante as an intern with Kids Adelante. I have learned so much that it is impossible to nail down just one aspect to share. Nevertheless, the one that is upon my heart to share is the principle of convivir (Spanish for "to live with"). All of the Mission Adelante staff and interns live in this neighborhood. It is a basic ministry principle that Mission Adelante holds dear: to live and serve with the people we are trying to reach. This past week, I had the privilege of watching 35 teens from Emmanuel Baptist Church, along with their interns and leaders, experience the principle of convivir. They stayed in KCK from Sunday through Thursday, doing service projects during the day and hosting a kids' camp in Prescott Park with Mission Adelante each evening.

The group arrived Sunday evening, transformed the Mission Adelante soccer field into an outdoor movie theater and hosted a barbeque. They spent their first evening in KCK in fellowship with the Latino church. Just as church concluded, the barbeque was ready and the children stayed for a movie on the soccer field. It was so much fun to lie on blankets and watch the movie. The most exciting part was watching the young EBC teens interact with the kids from our neighborhood.

Over the next three days, EBC hosted a kids' camp at Prescott Park. That specific area of town has been one of Mission Adelante's target neighborhoods for outreach, so locating the kids' camp there was strategic. It was a well-prepared outreach from the songs, to the message, to the crafts and game stations. The biggest impact was the teens from EBC loving on the kids from the Prescott Park neighborhood--kids who have never been to Kids Adelante and were not associated with Mission Adelante. What the EBC teens didn’t know was that they were watering seeds that had already been planted in those children’s hearts.

On Thursday night, EBC was invited to come to Mission Adelante and participate with us in our weekly children’s program. That night, eight new kids from the Prescott Park neighborhood came to Mission Adelante for the first time. We have had kids' camps at Prescott Park for the last three summers with the goal of planting seeds in the hearts of kids. This year, with eight brand new kids coming to Kid’s Adelante, it’s a blessing to see the fruit of God’s hands.

In other news:

• Bhutanese Kids Club coordinator Kristen Maxwell had the opportunity to tell kids and youth at the Olathe Christ Community Church campus about domestic missions. She challenged them to be the hands and feet of Jesus to Bhutanese refugee children by providing a backpack and school supplies to one of them for the upcoming school year.

Prayer needs:

• Tonight, Jesus' death and resurrection will be the topic of the lesson at Bhutanese Kids Club and Teens Club. Coming from a Hindu culture, many of them accept Jesus as one of their gods, but not as the only true God. Please pray for the leaders to present the gospel in a culturally respectful way, and that the truth takes hold in the kids and teens minds.
• A particular immigrant family that lost the husband/father to murder is undergoing heavy spiritual attack now, a year later, as it struggles with issues such as the kids' behavior and finances. Please help us pray that the Lord would protect and deliver them from the enemy's harassment.
• A number of the Mission Adelante staff members including several interns are presently finding it very difficult to connect with individuals that they want to intentionally spend time with in order to create a framework in which to do ministry. Please pray for the Lord to facilitate the development of those relationships.
• This is the second of three weeks of "purity talks" with the Latino teens. Last week, God used the study to begin teaching the leaders to be vulnerable, and to examine their own lives through the lens of purity. Please pray for the Lord to deepen the authenticity, vulnerability, and attitude of obedience in the teens and the leaders during the remaining studies.

Current needs:

• New volunteers for all outreach programs beginning in September. Now is the perfect time to come observe what we do and find the program that you're the most well-suited for! Please click here for all the info related to volunteering with Mission Adelante!
• Diapers, in all sizes, are a frequently requested item in our Resource Center. Contact Molly at 913-961-2984 to arrange making a donation.
• Articles of clothing for school uniforms, including elementary and middle school boys' and girls' khaki and navy pants as well as navy and white polo shirts. Please contact Kristen Maxwell 913-980-7627 to arrange a donation of clothing.

Upcoming dates:

• Sunday, August 14: Bhutanese and Latino End-of-Trimester parties at Wyandotte County Lake Park. Mark your calendar now to attend--everyone is invited! More details TBA.

A Need for the Lord Connects the Suburbs with Urban KCK

Written by Jessie Chastain

Suburbia met KCK four evening this week as busloads of teens from Emmanuel Baptist Church have unloaded at Mission Adelante for kids’ camp. Watching their arrival seems to me akin to aliens stepping off their spaceship into uncharted territory. There is a sense of boldness and anticipation mixed by a touch of uncertainty. The feeling seems familiar to me, having been here for only two months. However, in that short time the Lord has spoken to me in my uncertainties, and I’ve seen him do the same with the groups of people that come to volunteer.

In conversations with staff and volunteers, it’s become evident that the Lord’s favor is the thing that enables countless relationships that happen here. There is no other explanation for the vulnerability and encouragement that is cultivated. I have left dinners with my immigrant family speechless because of the connection I feel with them as a family, causing me to ponder the way that Jesus served and lived among the people he worked with. I often plan the right questions to ask and stories to tell before I walk into situations and in reality, I sense the Spirit most in the times when I’m left with no words.

My prayer has become for there to be a growing awareness in the nearby suburbs of the proximity in location and of the heart of KCK. Walking into situations where the culture and history of the people you’re working with is foreign territory only increases our dependence upon God and his ability to work. The hearts of the people here look no different than our own in this sense: they are just as much in need of a holy touch from the Lord as any person that lives in the suburbs.

I see a connection to the Israelites in the Old Testament. God is calling us into a deeper relationship with him that our hearts long to have. You see that he knows the reality of the deep rebellion of our hearts, and our lack of lasting commitment to a relationship with Him. I want to believe that the thousands of years that separate me from the Israelites is enough to cleanse humanity of those tendencies. Wake up call; I’m flesh, and although the world has developed in the outward physical ways, the human heart remains the same. Acknowledging the darkness of our motivations does not end the sinfulness, but it does still us before Christ’s infinite grace in our daily living. I think this is the unifying piece and an ever-present reminder of the ways that God can truly connect the heart of the suburbs with the heart of the city through our joint need for Him.

In other news:

• Teens Adelante Coordinator Brooke Coon is focusing increased attention on the Latino teens that are "stepping up" in terms of their dedication. She has learned to identify the "hungry" ones as those individuals who show up to events that aren't primarily to have fun--like a service day they had last Saturday.
• Bhutanese Outreach Director David Stetler and volunteer Drew Timberlake have returned from a very successful trip to Nepal. They were honored when the pastor-leader of the Bhutanese house church network with whom they've established a relationship told them, "We need you to partner with us in this ministry." The global connections that God continues to make for Mission Adelante are remarkable!
• Each summer intern has dinner with the same immigrant family one night a week as a way to foster relationships that hopefully become the context for ministry to occur. After about two years of participating in English classes and being invited to church, the family that hosts intern Ariel for dinner each week has responded to her invitation and have come to church twice recently!

Prayer needs:

• Teens Adelante staff and volunteers are preparing to have a series of talks with the Latino teens on the topic of purity. Please pray for the teens to receive their message as one that is credible, and that they can relate to.
• We emphasize discipleship, or the sustained effort of believers to study and learn together in small groups, as an essential means to personal spiritual growth for our Latino church congregation. Please help us pray for an increase of the momentum and depth of each discipleship group.
• Pray for perseverance and for maximum learning potential for our summer interns, as they've passed the half-way point of their internship.
• There are a number of neighborhood kids that we see every summer for the various VBS events that we host in local parks, but not throughout the rest of the year. Please pray for outreaches targeted specifically at those kids that will begin next week. Pray that they'll be attracted by the Holy Spirit to begin attending Kids Adelante regularly.

Other needs:

• Window air conditioning units for neighborhood immigrant families. Please contact Molly Merrick at 913-961-2984 if you would like to donate one.
• A Bhutanese family in our neighborhood is in need of a car. If you have a running car that you're willing to donate through Mission Adelante, please contact David Stetler at davids@missionadelante.org.
• Articles of clothing for school uniforms, including elementary and middle school boys' and girls' khaki and navy pants as well as navy and white polo shirts. Please contact Kristen Maxwell 913-980-7627 to donate this clothing.
• Please contact a Mission Adelante staff member to arrange a time to drop-off donations to our Resource Center. We request that items not be left outside our building or outside of the Resource Center. You can reach Molly Merrick at 913-961-2984.

Upcoming dates:

• Wednesdays July 20 and 27, and August 3 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.: Latino kids outreach events. To find out how you can get involved, contact Cassie at 816-527-0947 or Michelle at 630-730-3283.

She's Just the Person that Unlocks the Door

We at Mission Adelante believe that serving to meet practical needs is a critical aspect of loving immigrants. The "kingdom value" of service increases when word and deed unite to clearly proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ. One of the ways Mission Adelante helps meet the practical needs of immigrants in our neighborhood is through our Resource Center, which operates out of a detached garage on our property. It helps channel resources such as clothing, furniture, household items, and food from donors to immigrants with specific needs. Resource Center volunteer Michelle Holland says, "Many people in our community have not connected to a support system. Having a place that offers to meet some of the essential needs, such as food and clothing, is so important in showing the love of Jesus. Meeting those needs can hopefully lead to beginning relationships that will build their support system and share a support system--Jesus--that will never fail them!"

Each Saturday morning for about the past two years, Ministry Aide Molly Merrick has opened the Resource Center to the waiting group of immigrants that have gathered in the parking lot. Molly is well suited to run the weekly operation because of several of her characteristics that she's well known for around here. Those who know her will tell you that she is compassionate and possesses a servant's heart. Her Christ-like vision leads her to welcome anyone who comes through the door. She diligently and cheerfully manages the ministry, which is a lot of behind-the-scenes work without much glory. She quickly recognizes needs and will do whatever she can to find a way to meet them. She's also shown resourcefulness, given that she speaks little Spanish, by braving the language barrier and creatively generating volunteers to help staff the Resource Center. In addition to the Holland family, three Latina women and their children, all of whom have been a part of our church at some point, are some of Molly's most dependable volunteers. Even when they've had long absences from church, serving in the Resource Center has shown them a way that they can serve and lead, and has preserved their connection with Mission Adelante.

Now, Molly describes her role by saying, "I'm just the person that unlocks the door." She says that the best part of managing the ministry is not having to worry about the Saturday-morning operation of the Resource Center because she knows that the volunteers that are helping know just what to do. This frees Molly up on Saturday mornings to visit with the families that come, play with the kids, and manage the volunteer groups that sometimes come for work days.

We believe that God calls believers to demonstrate special hospitality for "strangers," going out of our way to show them compassion. That's why we're so thankful for Molly, and her leadership of the Resource Center, which is one of the most tangible ways we have found of demonstrate compassion.

Current needs:

• Molly needs volunteers to help her sort and organize donations to our Resource Center. Please call Molly at 913-961-2984 to arrange a time to come help.
• Two refrigerators, which have been requested by immigrant families. If you can donate one, please contact Molly at 913-961-2984.
• The Resource Center door is a standard locking garage door, but the lock sometimes doesn't work correctly. If you could replace the lock, please contact Molly at 913-961-2984.
• Many of the immigrant families we serve have a need for the basics, like food. Help provide staple food items for neighborhood families by hosting a Canasta Basica Assembly Party! Find all the details by clicking here!

Important dates:

• July 8th at 7:00 p.m.: All are welcome to join us for tea, coffee, and dessert, and to meet the two new staff members we've added to the Bhutanese Outreach. You'll also hear about their calling to this ministry and the financial needs that we have to make them full time staff members. Join us at Larry & Barb Stetler's, 5814 W. 84th Street, Overland Park, KS 66207. Please RSVP by clicking here.

A Lesson about Hospitality

Written by summer intern Ariel Anib

There is a proverb that says, “Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even though you wish they were”. You can bet that oftentimes that is the mentality of those of us from the United States. We say things like “Make yourself at home” while still breathing a sigh of relief when our guests leave.

Through the internship with Mission Adelante, each intern is matched with our own immigrant family to whose house we go once a week for dinner. For the past month, I have been invited Erika’s house. She is a single mother of two children, Natalie and Kevin, and her friend Ana also resides there. At first, I was nervous about going to eat in a stranger’s house, anticipating forced conversation and awkward silences. However, this fear was soon proven to be unnecessary. The first week, I was there for a straight three hours. Even after that long of a time, the family was still sad to see me go. Don’t get me wrong, I had my share of what I like to call “Lost in Translation” moments. For example, I asked Erika if she would bring her kids to the cannibal instead of the carnival, and I probably said "repite, por favor" ("please repeat") over 100 times. Through it all, they remained patient with me and listened. I can be sure that they were listening because they next week, they made my favorite dish, chiles rellenos.

Overcome, by the heart that this family had shown me, I promised to take them to the pool. With only one public pool in their city, the kids never got the opportunity to take swimming lessons, let alone swim at all. So, I took the kids back to my apartment pool in Olathe, along with Erika and her friend’s child Edmond whom she cares for during the day. After a couple of hours, we went across the street to meet my mom. Erika and my mom instantly connected, since they are both mothers by profession and shoppers at heart. On our way back to KCK, I realized that I had left my cell phone somewhere and turned around to go back. I ran out of the car and was quickly followed by both of the kids to help me search. They did not even have to be told. Once again, I was amazed by the purity of heart these children had!

This past Sunday, I opened the door to Mission Adelante and was met by Kevin and Natalie running into my arms. I was shocked; although the children go to Kids Adelante weekly, their mother Erika had never been to our church. With a smile on her face, Natalie said, “We came to support you while you give your testimony in Spanish today”. My heart swelled at this beautiful depiction of 1 Corinthians 13. The next day at dinner, Erika told me that seeing the people of Mission Adelante on the Leaders in Training camping trip over the weekend and the joy on her kids’ faces after Kids Adelante testified to the work that Mission Adelante was doing.

So, I leave you with one last challenge. The next time you are looking at the clock, wondering when your guests will finally leave. I encourage you to stop and think of Hebrews 13:1-2, “¹Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware”.

In other news:

• A group of about 30 L.I.T. students, family members, Mission Adelante staff, volunteers, and interns spent last weekend at a state park in Kansas. It was an enormously valuable time for them to leave the neighborhood and just have fun. They swam in a lake, played a game called Mafia, devoured s'mores, and slept in tents, but perhaps the best thing afforded by the trip was the opportunity for the volunteers to bond with one another and with the kids.

Prayer needs:

• A team of six from Mission Adelante are traveling to Qba today to spend about a week strengthening the sense of unity between our ministry and the Raices ("Roots") ministry there, with whom we partner. Please pray for their arrival there this afternoon to go smoothly, and that the Lord would use our team powerfully as they participate in some Raices ministry functions this week.

Current needs:

• Two refrigerators, which have been requested by immigrant families. If you can donate one, please contact Molly at 913-961-2984.
• Molly needs volunteers to help her sort and organize donations to our Resource Center, which helps channel resources such as clothing, household items, and food from donors to immigrants with specific needs. Please call Molly at 913-961-2984 to arrange a time to come help.
• Many of the immigrant families we serve have a need for the basics, like food. Help provide staple food items for neighborhood families by hosting a Canasta Basica Assembly Party! Find all the details by clicking here!

Important dates:

• June 28-July 4: Summer break. No Bhutanese or Latino outreach programs. The Mission Adelante office will be closed June 29-July 4.
• July 8th at 7:00 p.m.: All are welcome to join us for tea, coffee, and dessert, and to meet the two new staff members we've added to the Bhutanese Outreach. You'll also hear about their calling to this ministry and the financial needs that we have to make them full time staff members. Join us at Larry & Barb Stetler's, 5814 W. 84th Street, Overland Park, KS 66207. Please RSVP by clicking here.

Big Picture Ministry

Written by Geo Ammerman

When looking at it from the outside, an entire summer committed to full-time ministry seems significant. Nearly three months, 11 weeks; yet, here I stand nearly halfway through my fourth week and I wonder where the time has gone. God, how I can make a difference in such a short amount of time? How can I speak truth into the lives of individuals who I can’t relate to? Whose frustrations, fears, sufferings and struggles don’t seem the least bit comparable to mine? Teenagers whose heavy eyes paint a picture of the burdens they carry, burdens that middle-class suburbia hasn’t prepared me for? I barely speak their first language, I don’t understand their culture, and I am supposed to sweep in and save the day?

No; no I am not, because I can’t. These problems are bigger than me, much bigger. I can’t relate, I can’t comprehend, and I can’t speak truth. Even if I could, at my best “all [my] righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). The fact of the matter is that I, in my pride, would try to do a work that has already been done: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53: 5). Fortunately I serve that God: “⁹ But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

The day I accepted this internship I walked into a field where men and women had already begun God’s work. Mission Adelante did not need me and I may soon be forgotten, but God in his sovereignty has chosen me to play a part. The full-time staff of this ministry are the primary workers, with interns and volunteers providing support, but ultimately even they recognize the real work is being accomplished by God. “⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. […] ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:7, 11).

Thus I am called to two things as an intern. First I need to trust God’s perfect will: “⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). I am playing a small role in a big plan of bringing God glory in Kansas City, Kansas and I need to take him at his word and trust the work of the Holy Spirit. Second, with a sense of desperation I need to intentionally bring Christ into everything, both in word and deed. Knowing that Christ commands us in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples of all nations, I have no other choice. I am honored to have a small role in the incredible ministry work being done at Mission Adelante and the greater work of bringing God all glory, honor, and praise.

In other news:

• This was the first year that all of our Leaders In Training--students that participated in our intensive tutoring and character development program during the past school year--finished out the year! Therefore, all 12 students earned the privilege of going on a camping trip this weekend! A group of 35, including the students, a few family members, Mission Adelante staff, interns, and volunteers will enjoy a weekend of fun at a Kansas state park.
• A team of about 20 middle- and high-schoolers from Shoal Creek Community Church with lots of energy are conducting a Vacation Bible School at Mission Adelante in the evenings this week. Up to sixty Bhutanese and Latino kids from the neighborhood have gathered on our soccer field the past three evenings for interactive storytelling, games, and crafts. The theme of the week is obedience to God, parents, and teacher as illustrated by the story of Jonah.

Prayer needs:

• Please ask the Lord for clear, sunny skies this weekend during the LIT camping trip. Also, as Megan McDermott teaches about what the cross means to us, pray that those on the trip will connect deeply with one another and the Lord.
• Pray for David Stetler and Drew Timberlake, who are presently in Nepal. Ask the Lord to guide them as they make the difficult and exhausting journey to the Bhutanese refugee camps this week. The opportunity to travel to the camps is very significant, because it will give David insight into where our Bhutanese friends lived for a couple of decades before resettling in Kansas City, as well as the chance to meet their family members and bring back news.
• A team of six from Mission Adelante will travel to Qba next week to strengthen the sense of unity between our ministry and the Raices ("Roots") ministry there, with whom we partner. Please pray that the Lord would accomplish that purpose, and use our team powerfully as they participate in some Raices ministry functions.

Current needs:

• Two refrigerators, which have been requested by immigrant families. If you can donate one, please contact Molly at 913-961-2984.
• Molly needs volunteers to help her sort and organize donations to our Resource Center, which helps channel resources such as clothing, household items, and food from donors to immigrants with specific needs. Please call Molly at 913-961-2984 to arrange a time to come help.
• Many of the immigrant families we serve have a need for the basics, like food. Help provide staple food items for neighborhood families by hosting a Canasta Basica Assembly Party! Find all the details by clicking here!

Important dates:

• June 28-July 4: Summer break. No Bhutanese or Latino outreach programs. The Mission Adelante office will be closed June 29-July 4.
• July 8th at 7:00 p.m.: All are welcome to join us for tea, coffee, and dessert, and to meet the two new staff members we've added to the Bhutanese Outreach. You'll also hear about their calling to this ministry and the financial needs that we have to make them full time staff members. Join us at Larry & Barb Stetler's, 5814 W. 84th Street, Overland Park, KS 66207. Please RSVP by clicking here.

Inviting Bhutanese Teens to Become Part of God's Story

Written by Nate Bozarth

There was an unexpected peace three weeks ago at the first ever Bhutanese Teens Club. Prior attempts at any sort of similar gathering had led to unruly behavior including miniature basketballs beaming swiftly into the heads of multiple teenagers. This time the club, hosted at Dynamic Life Baptist Ministries just a stone’s throw away from Mission Adelante’s building, carried on without hardly a hiccup.

Volunteers and teens arrived around 6:30, ready to play a little bit of ping pong and socialize. The first night over 20 Bhutanese high school students showed up, alongside a handful of American students from Mill Creek Church acting as intentional Jesus‑following peers to the Bhutanese. Other volunteers led worship, told the evening’s story, and led small group discussion about the story.

The story? Yes. The more I learn about the Storyformed Way and their model of discipling by way of telling the stories found in the Bible, the more excited I get about the concept. When people tell stories, the listeners can inhabit and feel the story. They can become a part of the story. This is exactly the point. Since God created mankind He has invited us to become a part of His story, a part of something bigger than ourselves. So, every Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m, I would invite you to become a part of what God is doing by praying that the masterful testimony of God’s sovereignty across history is communicated effectively to the Bhutanese at Teens Club as we invite them to become a part of God’s story.

In other news:

• The summer interns have had two full weeks of meeting many of the people in our community. They have enjoyed dinners in families' homes, gone to the spray-ground and ice cream shop with kids, played soccer, and have already made new friends. After all the hard work of fund raising, they're thrilled to have begun engaging with people relationally!
• Geo, one of our interns, has connected a few times with Lalo, one of our more troubled teenage boys. We're really excited to see how God works through their friendship this summer.
• Summer intern Jessie Chastain has discovered the significant role she can play in connecting the culture she's from with the immigrant culture we serve here. Sharing her experiences so far with a suburban friend made her realize her opportunity to be an ambassador for the immigrant populations in Kansas City, Kansas.
• Several recent crises in the Bhutanese community have given David Stetler, Director of Bhutanese Outreach, opportunities to enter into a pastoral role within their community as he's guided and counseled them through. It's amazing to see people from a Hindu culture identify a Christian as their pastor!
• Holding memorial services is a way for us to walk alongside family members in our community who lose a loved one in their home country and can't return. A week ago we held a memorial service for a sister and a father of two members of our community that had passed away in Mexico.

Prayer requests:

• A Bhutanese couple facing marital problems have agreed to delay divorcing to be counseled by David Stetler. Please pray for them to receive wisdom from David, and for God to transform their hearts in order to heal their marriage.
• Please pray for the interns to connect deeply in relationships within our community.
• David Stetler will be traveling to Nepal tomorrow to spend almost three weeks there and in India. He has a full itinerary including fellowship with a friend who is a Nepali pastor, helping train Nepali pastors about church planting, and making strategic connections that will benefit the Bhutanese in Kansas City, Kansas. Please pray for the Lord to guide his travels, protect him, and accomplish all He wants to.

Other requests:

• Many of the immigrant families we serve have a need for the basics, like food. Help provide staple food items for neighborhood families by hosting a Canasta Basica Assembly Party! Find all the details by clicking here!

Upcoming dates:

• June 28-July 4: Summer break. No Bhutanese or Latino outreach programs. The Mission Adelante office will be closed June 29-July 4.

The Making of an Intern

Written by Jarrett Meek

What pastor or ministry leader wouldn't rejoice at the opportunity to invest 12 weeks in six emerging ministry leaders who have a passion for Jesus, teachable hearts, and a hunger to pour themselves out to serve a mission field in our own backyard? We certainly do!! And those six emerging leaders are called INTERNS!! This summer Mission Adelante will be blessed with six amazing college and post-college interns, most of whom have the beginnings of a long-term calling to cross-cultural ministry! What an honor!

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons.

--Mark 3:13-15

Coaching interns is more than just finding cheap labor and putting young people to work doing the kinds of things the rest of the staff doesn't want to do. Instead, it is really discipleship at a high level. When Jesus appointed "the twelve' he chose them to be "with him", an important aspect that disciple-makers should remember whether working with new believers or emerging leaders. The most important lessons of ministry leadership are gained primarily through modeling, one reason for which the best ministry leaders and missionaries often can point to great mentors rather than great classes they had in seminary. The "With Him" principle means that our interns will do ministry and life alongside us for the summer, a scary, somewhat intrusive, but extremely rewarding Jesus-way of equipping leaders.

Most college and post-college aged ministry interns find themselves in the stage of development that Robert Clinton calls the "Inner Life Growth" phase in his book, The Making of a Leader. Clinton writes, "Superficially it may appear that ministry training is the focus of this development phase. But closer analysis shows that the major thrust of God's development is inward. The real training program is the heart of the person, where God is doing some growth testing." As our interns engage in what for some will be an extremely challenging summer of immersion in cross-cultural ministry and relationships, we are certain that God will not only equip them with new ministry skills, but that He will also expose weaknesses and strengths, reveal hearts and challenge attitudes, and through the process, draw them closer to Himself. "Though there may be fruitfulness", writes Clinton, "the major work is that which God is doing to and in the leader, not through him or her."

So with excitement and great anticipation we and the whole Mission Adelante community await their Saturday morning arrival! WELCOME INTERNS!!

In other news:

• For some time, there has been a need for an outreach focused on the Bhutanese teens. Many of them are really hungry to learn more about Jesus. Mill Creek Community Church has stepped up to partnership with us in the new venture of Teens Club: discipleship groups that will match one mentor with three teens. Teens Club begins next week with seven initial groups.
• Having become bilingual himself, Gabriel, a Latino church member, will serve this summer as an ESL conversation partner in both the Latino and Bhutanese outreaches! He is fulfilling our mission to mobilize immigrants to serve!
• Thanks to Dru Shiner for installing tile on the Mission Adelante entry-way floor, which has given the area a much more polished appearance!

Prayer needs:

• Praise God! We're celebrating alongside a family in our community that has been reunited after almost a year apart!
• Janoy, a member of our Latino church community, is moving back to Miami. Please pray for God to help him find work and establish himself well there.

Current needs:

• A refrigerator, a crib, dishes, and adult and children's summer clothing and shoes are needed in our resource center. If you have any of these items to donate, please call Molly at 913-961-2984 to arrange drop-off.
• Help provide staple food items for neighborhood families by hosting a Canasta Basica Assembly Party! Find all the details by clicking here!

Upcoming dates:

• Monday, May 30: Mission Adelante office closed
• Tuesday, May 31: Summer launch for Bhutanese outreach programs
• Thursday, June 2: Summer launch for Latino outreach programs
• Wednesday, June 8: Summer launch for Latino Teens Adelante

The Meaning of Being a Servant

Written by Kristen Maxwell

I think we oftentimes forget how difficult the English language can be. So many words have different meanings, and sometimes those meanings are similar. Your cultural background can also shape the lens through which you view certain words. I recently had a conversation with one of the girls from Kids’ Club about what it means to be a servant. One of our Kids’ Club memory verses is Mark 9:35 “If anyone wants to be first he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” When we first introduced this verse, it took the community by storm; the idea of an upside down kingdom totally shook up their world. The kids had assumed, as many of us do, that the only way to be the greatest is to be the leader, ruler or king, not the lowly servant.

Over Spring Break, I had the chance to serve a family by washing their hair, and helping them remove head lice. While I was in their home, I noticed that this family that was new to the United States had only one comb, shared by all six family members. It took the sixth-grade daughter about 15 minutes to comb through her very long hair. In that time, I saw an need that we could easily fill. I went and picked up one of our other Kids’ Club girls whose family has been in the States longer, and we went to Family Dollar to pick up some hairbrushes and conditioner for the family. These are things that we don’t even think about someone needing; we just all have them.

When we returned to the newly arrived family's house, I got to watch the other young girl become a servant-leader to others in her community by showing them how to use a hair brush and telling them how to use conditioner.

When we got back in the car to head home, I thanked her for being a servant. She responded, “That wasn’t being a servant; a servant is someone who works in a house.” That began a beautiful conversation we got to have about how when we do things, even small things, for God, we are being servants. In that moment, I got to see her understanding of the kingdom grow. I pray for more small, simple moments where God can deepen the understanding of Him in the hearts of these kids.

In other news:

• Last week during our Spring Break many staff members had special opportunities to spend time with immigrant kids doing fun things and deepening their relationships with them. The activities included frying fish for supper, visiting a diary farm, and shopping. All the staff members found that getting the kids out of their normal environment makes a huge difference in their attitudes and the way they interact.
• Brooke Coon invited the two teen girls in her discipleship group on a family trip to Colorado over the weekend. The trip gave the two girls a much-needed break from the chaos of their home lives, as well as the first opportunity of their lives to see the majesty of the mountain landscape. Brooke spent individual time with both girls and helped direct their devotional times, and the girls grew closer in their friendship with each other. This is the stuff of real discipleship!
• A week ago Monday, about 60 kids and adult sponsors from Mill Creek Community Church chose to spend the first day of their spring break serving at Mission Adelante. In the morning they cleaned our facility, and they spent the afternoon playing games, singing, doing a craft, and teaching Bible stories to a gathering of about 20 neighborhood immigrant kids. The Bhutanese kids even taught the Mill Creek kids a few things about their culture and a few Nepali words! Thanks, Mill Creek Community Church, for for serving us and our community in these ways!

Prayer needs:

• We've been walking through a very challenging situation with a Teens Adelante teen girl and her family. Because we were able to show them compassion, the family was open to receiving prayer. Please pray that the family will remain open to the gospel after having experienced God's grace in a tangible way.
• Please pray for God to direct our planning for our summer internship and the final selection of interns. There's been more interest this year than in any previous year, and we take to heart the great opportunity that the summer internship gives us to cultivate leaders for God's kingdom.
• Please pray for continued momentum for the discipleship ministry in the Latino church, for newly-formed discipleship groups to bond well, and for disciple-makers to persevere in their personal devotions and in pursuing their disciples.

Current needs:

• A washing machine and a vacuum, both of which have been requested in our Resource Center. To donate one of these items, please contact Molly at 913-961-2984.
• An iPod for use with the Bhutanese Kids' Club.

Upcoming dates:

• Saturday, April 16: Latino Spring Party at Bethany Community Center
• Sunday, April 17: Bhutanese Spring Party at Bethany Community Center

Immigrant Kids Bearing Fruit!

Written by Jarrett Meek

Sometimes working with immigrant kids in an urban context seems like a losing battle. The challenges they often face are so daunting that many times our efforts seem too small and insignificant to make a difference. Yet these challenges are not too big for Jesus!! After nearly six years of ministry, we are seeing the kind of long-term spiritual fruit that only comes from the power of God through life-on-life relational discipleship, carried out over time. Yesterday at our staff meeting, as we sat around the table sharing highlights of God's work over the past week, I was struck by the number of teens who made the highlight list; kids who have grown up in Kids Adelante who are now beginning to really own their faith and catch a vision for serving others!

Iris and Helen are two of the names that were mentioned. I can still remember the immediate impact the two sisters made on Kids Adelante when they walked through the door of my home about 5 years ago. They were both clearly leaders from the beginning. Of course they were in the oldest age group at the time (I think they were 11 and 10). But besides their ages, it was clear that the other kids followed them. If Helen and Iris participated, the other kids participated. If Helen and Iris had bad attitudes, well... that had its impact too. Yet through all the tough outward appearances, it was clear that there was a soft spot inside their hearts that would one day be fertile ground for the seeds that we were sowing in their lives!

Iris and Helen were in 7th and 6th grades respectively when they entered the pilot year of our "Leaders In Training" program. Three days each week they came to LIT where we emphasized Jesus, character development, and tutoring in core academic areas. LIT was, and is, a very satisfying program for kids. I stop short of using the word "fun" because it is very hard work, and some kids don't see it as fun! They are challenged in self-discipline, attitude, relational skills, and provides an amazing relational context to work on issues of character that inevitably arise throughout the year. Although we never had real significant challenges with Helen and Iris, it was not always easy for them or for those of us who led them. By the end of the year they were pretty tired of me (and I of them). But, God had begun to accomplish some exciting works in their lives, one of which was Iris' admission into Sumner Academy, a public school in our urban neighborhood that happens to be one of the best performing high schools in the entire metro area. The following year Helen was accepted too!

Three years later Helen and Iris are still involved with Mission Adelante and continue doing well at Sumner (Helen has a 4.0 grade point average). Volunteers and certain staff members have built deep and lasting discipling relationships with both of them. And they are involved in other ways too. A few weeks ago I popped my head into one of the LIT tutoring rooms (math) and found Helen and Iris there, now not as students, but as volunteer tutors! I was so proud of them! And a flood of memories came to me of times I had sat around the math table with both of them during LIT afternoons!

I am endlessly thankful for the volunteers and staff who invest in the lives of immigrant kids, both on the Bhutanese and Latino sides of our ministry. Keep going! (¡Adelante!) Your efforts are bearing fruit, and you are storing up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy!!!

In other news:

• Including Iris and Helen, nine teens are actively serving this trimester in Kids Adelante, Leaders In Training, and on the Worship Team. David Coon is giving music lessons to several budding musicians and incorporating them into the Worship Team. It's thrilling to see these young people not only pursue an interest in music, but to use it to worship the Lord!
• We're grateful for the help of a group of eight people from Heartland Community Church who spent Saturday morning here. They demonstrated great initiative sorting clothes, organizing our Resource Center, and preparing bags of staple food items. Molly Merrick is astonished by how orderly the Resource Center looks now!
• A group of about 35 Bhutanese refugees and American volunteers gathered at the Stetler's house on Saturday to share a meal and deepen friendships as they enjoyed of one anothers' company.
• The Raices ("Roots") ministry in Q-ba revolves around discipling believers. The Sonlife team, a discipleship ministry, from Costa Rica is in Q-ba this week giving the Raices team further training.

Prayer needs:

• Praise the Lord! Janoy, a passionate believer who's part of our Latino church, witnessed to two of his coworkers on Monday evening and one of them declared faith in Christ! Pray for that new seed to take root!
• The Lord's changing the heart of a teen boy that has been around our community for several years. He has declared his decision to walk away from a past of risky behavior and is beginning to stand out as a leader as he becomes more passionate about pursuing God. Please pray for the Lord to strengthen this young man so he can stand firm upon his conviction when temptations arise.
• Despite coming from such a different cultural background as Hinduism, various Bhutanese refugees are coming to the Lord! Mercy and grace are whole new concepts to them as far as the way a deity would relate to people. There's a wide curiosity about Christianity among the Bhutanese community here in Kansas City, and they are hungry to learn about Jesus. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to make the good news of Jesus perfectly clear to them.

Current needs:

• An I-pod for the Bhutanese Kids Club
• 55 gallon trash bags to accommodate our large trash cans
• Plastic-ware and paper plates

Upcoming dates:

• March 14-19: Break week. No L.I.T.; no Bhutanese outreach programs, no Latino outreach programs. The Mission Adelante office will be closed March 16-19.

Summer Internship in Cross-Cultural Ministry! Apply by March 20th

Get your feet wet in cross-cultural ministry. Our summer internship combines practical missions experience in an urban context with mentoring and seminars on key topics relevant to ministry. This opportunity is perfect for the college or post-college person who is exploring a potential call to missions or urban ministry. You will make a Kingdom impact and you will learn a lot! The internship lasts from May 28 until August 15. Applications must be received by March 20. To request an application packet including more detailed information, please contact Morgan Ham at morganh@missionadelante.org.

Programs Cancelled Thursday, February 24

Please be advised that today’s activities, including all Latino Outreach programs, have been cancelled due to the weather. It is our policy to follow the decisions of Kansas City Kansas Community College for weather-related closings.

Something in the Water

Written by Brooke Coon

Sunday evening I had the great joy of watching Salma, one of the Teens Adelante girls, get baptized. I will never forget sitting on her porch in the intense heat this summer, the only place where we could talk in private. She was asking questions about traditions and liturgy done in quinceaneras (the coming of age party for Hispanic girls) as well as the meaning of baptism. Salma is a fiery, passionate girl, and she doesn't want to do something that she doesn't believe in. But when she is in, she is 100% in. The blessing I've received through Salma has been watching what she decides to put her 100% in. The things that she commits to are becoming more and more righteous.

Sunday night after her baptism, I stopped by her house to drop something off, and she didn't want me to leave. So she corralled Jessica, another teen who lives next door, her little sister followed, and we sat on the floor in her bedroom. She was flipping through her newly gifted pink bible and firing off questions about how God changes us, how we still fall, and how we are a new creation. She talked about what it meant to die with Christ and be resurrected in Him. She talked about how she has started to control her cussing and asked me if there is anyone on earth that has never cussed. She asked if there was anyone who has ever read the entire Bible and I could see in the fire in her eyes that she just couldn't get enough. Suddenly, the Bible had become very real and interesting to her and she couldn't believe all the topics she was coming across.

The girl was on fire for God that night. She was the one asking all the questions and pondering God. I was overwhelmed by her passion (the 100% thing) and I could hardly answer one question before she posed more. I want to say there was something in the water, but I know the truth is that there was something in the blood of Jesus Christ. He has been pursuing Salma and her mom Mayra as well, in the midst of traumatic loss and pain in their family this year. The blood of Jesus has given them new life, and Mayra made that public declaration by being baptized that night, too. Something very special happened in their baptism, and Salma's heart was lighting up her bedroom that night in a way that marveled the other three of us girls.

In other news:

• Mission House, a partner ministry in our neighborhood, hosted a super bowl party that was attended and enjoyed by several Bhutanese people and Bhutanese Outreach staff and volunteers. This type of events is so helpful with establishing genuine friendships with those we seek to minister to.
• The Latino church had our second baptism service on Sunday evening, at which three people were baptized and two children were dedicated.
• The Latino church continues to emphasize discipleship by helping mature believers get paired with new believers in order to help them grow in their faith.
• This is the third week David Stetler will meet with five teenage Bhutanese boys. As they study the life of Jesus together, they've been challenged, and we're hopeful that their faith will grow to the point of trusting Jesus.

Prayer needs:

• Pray for the people on the Disciple Making Team to continue to pursue the individuals in whom they're trying to invest.
• Pray for hunger for growth in the Latino church.

Current needs:

• Some items that have recently been requested in our Resource Center are 3 twin beds, 2 dressers, blankets, a blender, and pots and pans. The Resource Center is also low on cereal and canned soup. To donate any of these items, please contact Molly Merrick at mollym@missionadelante.org or 913-961-2984.

A Beautiful Desire

Written by David Coon

A few months ago, we had a new addition to our worship team. Anthony's story is like many young boys these days. His father is gone, so just he and his mom make up his family. I constantly see how he seeks approval and love from the men at Mission Adelante. He has boundless energy and often does things to get attention. However, more than anything, he loves to drum!

Since Anthony has started playing with our team, he has brought so much enthusiasm and joy to the group. He has been playing the djimbe (hand drum) with us and is by far the most talented 8 year old drummer I’ve ever met. I brought up a drum set a couple of weeks ago to let Anthony try out during rehearsal. I was amazed yet again! He played with such enthusiasm and skill! He is an absolute natural on the drum set. Since that day, he hasn't stopped asking when he's going to play drums in the Sunday service because he loved playing them so much. I have to remind myself to be patient with him as he overflows with excitement.

His mom, who sings with our group, often tells him that God is going to do great things with him. If I imagine Anthony in 10 years, I see him in front of a large congregation surrounded by drums and cymbals, playing his heart out. I am blessed to see the beauty of a young boy deeply yearning to use his gifts.

It’s apparent to me now that what Anthony desires is to be needed by the body and to serve in the way he's been made to serve. He needs to know that he matters and that he is a beautifully made child of God, his true Father. He is, in the eyes of Jesus, a precious little one in his great flock.

Current needs:

• Curtains for our classroom windows. As the windows aren't standard sizes, these would best be custom made by someone. If you could purchase the fabric and/or sew the curtains, please contact Marla at marlah@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274.

Blessings of Children's Ministry

Written by Brooke Coon

On Sunday December 19, a group of Bhutanese and Latino kids, plus a handful of leaders, boarded a big yellow bus bound for Westside Family Church. The Mission Adelante kids were invited to join the Westside kids to sing a couple Christmas songs and bring to life the coming sermon about the joy and wonder of Christmas. Like proud mamas, the leaders had tears in their eyes as the kids began to sing. However, what really moved me was what continued as we sat through the service.

Our kids sat down and another children's choir performed. They vibrantly sang "I'm trading my sorrow for the joy of the Lord." One of the Mission Adelante girls sitting next to me leaned over and asked, "What does trading my sorrows mean?" My heart just melted as I have never heard such an important question from this pre-teen. I whispered back to her, "It means we are giving our sorrow to Jesus, letting him take our sadness from us, and receiving joy from our hope in Him." There are times when you think kids aren't paying attention at all and then there are times when they desire to understand every lyric of a worship song.

As the sermon went on, the congregation passed around a bowl for offerings and commitments for children's programs that Westside has in other countries. The same girl asked me what the bowl was for. After I explained it to her, she told me she had five dollars in her stuff upstairs. The simplicity of her response was beautiful. She didn't need to think about it and she didn't need to ask any more questions. She just knew that there was a need and she wanted to help.

I praise God for these precious moments where we get to witness Mission Adelante’s youth seeking to know Him more. They are the treasures that I store in my heart to keep me going through the daily tasks of children's ministry. There was a beauty that Sunday that spoke to the wonder of God...that He is so complex yet so simple. He is so approachable that even children can grasp the gospel of salvation and peace. He works through every creature, young and old. And oftentimes, the greatest blessing can be when the children reach out and minister to us!

In other news:

• There was a great turnout to the Latino worship community's Christmas Eve service. A highlight of the evening was the open mic time, when about 7 people gave testimony of God's faithfulness to them.
• The Mission Adelante office was closed between Christmas and New Year's Day, which allowed staff members to spend extra time with immigrant friends including Brooke and David Coon, who invited several families to their home on Christmas Eve.
• Lauren Timberlake has begun fundraising to join our staff as the Bhutanese ESL Director. She's already made a great contribution as a volunteer, so we're really eager to have her in the office more!

Prayer needs:

• Praise God with us! The family that we've been praying for during the past few months was finally reunited on New Year's Eve!
• Please pray for the time Jarrett is spending in Qba this week and next, specifically that God will guide the development of the ministry team there during a leader's retreat the rest of this week.
• Join us in asking God for his guidance of our final planning for the upcoming trimester, and for the provision of more volunteers.
• Pray for God's provision of funding for David Coon, Kristen Maxwell, and Lauren Timberlake to join the Mission Adelante staff.

Current needs:

• A drum set, and bass amplifier for our worship team. Please contact David Coon at 913-424-0213 if you can donate any of these items.

Upcoming dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training: Saturday, January 15 @ 9:00 - Noon. All volunteers are encouraged to attend this Saturday orientation once. Please contact Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org for more details.
• Volunteer Team Meeting: Monday, January 17 @ 6:30. All volunteers serving during the upcoming trimester are encouraged to attend this meeting in preparation of the launch.
• L.I.T. resumes: Monday, January 17.
• Bhutanese Outreach Trimester Launch: Tuesday, January 18 @ 6:30
• Latino Outreach Trimester Launch: Thursady, January 20 @ 6:30

Happy Birthday, Jesus

Written by Caroline Meek

On Sunday, December 12, the children’s church group at Mission Adelante had a birthday party celebrating Jesus’ birth. On that fun-filled night, the kids learned that reading the Bible and learning about Jesus can be fun and exciting. They discovered the importance of giving, and grasped the idea that Christmas is not all about presents, cookies, and snow. They played relay races and learned the real story of the Candy Cane and how it represents Jesus’ suffering and purity.

They played games such as the snowman relay race where they worked as teams to decorate a team member as a snowman before time ran out. This was challenging because they all had to cooperate and the toilet paper kept breaking! Another game required them to patiently balance 2-4 peppermints on a small plastic spoon while walking to the other side of the room and back.

When game time was over, the kids got to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and celebrate with a piece of birthday cake. The kids thought it was great and they had lots of fun honoring Jesus on his birthday and learning more about Him.

In other news:

• Thanks, Westside Family Church, for inviting our community kids to join your choir for the "Rock the World" services, and for the wonderful hospitality you showed to our group while there.

Prayer needs:

• Pray for immigrant families that are separated from one another, which is especially difficult during the holidays.
• Pray for God to provide abundant funding for Mission Adelante's ministry and for staff salaries through year-end gifts. About 25% of our annual budget is typically funded by year-end contributions.
• Pray for God to provide more volunteers for all of our outreach programs, but particularly for Latino and Bhutanese kids ministries.
• Pray for our Teens Adelante volunteers to continue to embrace a vision for investing their lives in individual Latino teens.
• Pray for security, productivity, and strengthening of relationships during Jarrett's trip to Qba during the first half of January.

Upcoming dates:

• Mission Adelante will be closed Friday December 24 through Saturday, January 1.
• Volunteer Orientation & Training: Saturday, January 15, 9:00-12:30 at Mission Adelante

Great Wolf Lodge: A Dream Come True!

Written by Megan McDermott

The children of Leaders in Training, our after-school tutoring and character development program, wait anxiously all year for one thing: Great Wolf Lodge! They know that after all of their faithful attendance, scripture memory, dedication to their studies, and hard work, they will earn a coveted trip to the incredible indoor water park. One of my favorite parts of the trip is the moment when the kids see the park for the first time. It's hard to imagine what they are expecting but it's incredible to see their little faces light up with the realization that their hard work paid off.

Oftentimes, their lives are wrought with broken promises and inconsistency. At a young age, they can lose hope that their dreams and efforts will be spent chasing impossible goals. Many children give up before they even start and as I have seen first hand within our community, witnessing the dreams of a child be extinguished is heart wrenching. LIT is a way for the kids to hold onto their dreams and to have the support they need as they work towards them. Great Wolf is a tangible, real goal that they can achieve and it gives them the confidence to keep fighting for their future.

The Great Wolf trip is also a chance for us to go deeper with the kids in their pursuit of the Lord. This year, we focused our teaching and fellowship time on the importance of a quiet time. Many of the kids had never been taught this before and we explored how reading the word, journaling, praying, worshiping, using art, and even just taking a walk are all intimate ways to form a real relationship with the Lord. It was truly a time led by the Holy Spirit as the kids realized how much the Lord desires to walk with them everyday!

The following day at church, one of the student's mom approached me and asked me what I had done to her son at Great Wolf. When I asked why, she told me he had awakened that morning and asked if their whole family could pray together around the kitchen table before they started their day. He desired to have a quiet time with his family! She was unbelievably proud of her son and grateful for the ways that God is pursuing his heart.

I thank all of you for your prayers that were answered in powerful ways as the LIT kids were able to escape into the arms of the Lord last weekend!

In other news:

• The Mission Adelante Christmas parties went great! About 300 people attended the Latino party on Saturday. It was a packed house and Jarrett Meek shared a message about God's interruption into people's daily routines and troubled lives with the birth of Jesus. About 130 people attended the Bhutanese party on Sunday, which created a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. David Stetler shared about God's interest in knowing people of all social classes equally, illustrated by the announcement of His Son's birth to both the lowly shepherds and the affluent wise men.
• We're grateful for the group from Shoal Creek Church that brought desserts to share and entertained the kids with planned activities during the Latino Christmas party on Saturday.
• Latino and Bhutanese kids from Mission Adelante have been practicing special songs and are eager to join a kids choir to sing for the 10:00 and 11:30 services at Westside Family Church this Sunday. If you don't have a place to worship this Sunday, they would love to have you in the audience!
• Thanks to Mill Creek Church and Heartland Community Church, we've received enough winter coats to meet the need of our community for this winter. Thanks to everyone who donated coats or rounded them up and delivered them!
• The twelve flash drives that we requested for our L.I.T. students have also been generously supplied by a donor. We're so thankful for donors through whom God provides for our needs!

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for God's provision of the necessary funding for David Coon to join the Mission Adelante staff as an apprentice.
• Pray for the members of the Latino disciple making team to be courageous and faithful as they put into practice the things they've been trained on during the past six weeks.

Current needs:

• More adults' and children's winter clothing, hats, gloves, and shoes to stock our resource center.
• Paper towels and rolls of 55 gallon trash bags for use in our facility.

Upcoming dates:

• Mission Adelante will be closed Friday December 24 through Saturday, January 1.
• Volunteer Orientation & Training: Saturday, January 15, 9:00-12:30 at Mission Adelante

Thanksgiving Doesn't Get Any Better than that!

The history of Thanksgiving as celebrated in the United States has a unique and special connection for Mission Adelante's ministry. For those who may not remember what you learned in grade school, or may have never connected the dots, the first Thanksgiving was the story of immigrants' survival in a new and harsh land. Those immigrants, commonly called Pilgrims, are ancestors to many of us. The celebration, as the story goes, included those who were native to the country (the Wampanoag Native Americans) and the new immigrants who had arrived in a somewhat needy situation, seeking a better life. Having survived on help given to them by the Wampanoag, the pilgrims praised God and instituted the first Thanksgiving, modeled after other harvest festivals that were commonplace in Europe at the time.

This year we had the opportunity to experience Thanksgiving with immigrants, family, and other friends from our community in a way that hearkened back to the beginning of this great American tradition. Janoy and Ivan are brothers who have recently moved to the United States from Cuba and have become our close friends. In fact, Janoy lived with our family for his first month in Kansas City before his brother joined him here, and they found an apartment a couple of blocks away from our house. We laughed and watched with joy as the two Cuban brothers ate turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, and everything else Thanksgiving for the first time. Afterward, we of course enjoyed the customary game of football in the backyard, which they also played for the first time.

Among all of our reasons for giving thanks this year, there was one reason that out-shined the rest; the night before, Ivan had received Christ as his Lord and Savior! Immigrants surviving, sharing life with "native Americans", celebrating the goodness of God and His amazing grace... Thanksgiving doesn't get any better than that!

Other news:

• The parties marking the end of our trimester are coming up this weekend and everyone's invited! The party for the Latino community is Saturday, December 11 at 5:30 p.m. and the party for the Bhutanese community is Sunday, December 12 at 4:00 p.m. Both parties will be at Bethany Community Center, located in Kansas City, Kansas on Central Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets. It sets back behind Bethany Park. Turn off of Central Avenue by the fire station.
• Five neighborhood immigrant families received complete Thanksgiving meals thanks to Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kansas City Christian School, and Reaching Out, Inc.
• The members of the disciple making team were sent out last week to visit other Mission Adelante participants and give spiritual encouragement. They were excited to tell about their experiences.
• Thanks to Christ Community Church for the donation of coats and winter wear to distribute to families in need.
• The Bhutanese knitting cooperative sold their handiwork at Rockhurst High School and earned over $250, which will help supplement their families' incomes.

Prayer needs:

• Praise God with us that Ivan has become a Believer! In the last couple of issues of the Adelante Express, we asked you to join us in praying for God to draw him near to Himself. Thank you for petitioning God on Ivan's behalf.
• Help us pray for God to supply for Mission Adelante through abundant end-of-year giving, at a time when the ministry is growing especially fast!
• Pray for Yanelis, the leader of the Raices ministry in Qba, to have wisdom and discernment. She's spending this month in Costa Rica making contacts and exploring new opportunities for the ministry.

Current needs:

• More winter wear like hats and gloves, outerwear, and shoes to stock our resource center with the arrival of cold weather.
• A high BTU propane space heater for the detached garage that houses our resource center. The volunteers that staff the resource center get pretty cold during the two hours that it's open every Saturday morning!
• Thin knitting needles (size 6 or smaller) and yarn are needed for the Bhutanese knitting cooperative. If you would like to donate supplies, please contact David Stetler at davids@missionadelante.org or 913-579-6115.

Upcoming dates:

• Latino Christmas Party: Saturday, December 11, 5:30 p.m. at Bethany Community Center.
• Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 12, 4:00 p.m. at Bethany Community Center.

Bethany Community Center is located in Kansas City, Kansas on Central Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets. It sets back behind Bethany Park. Turn off of Central Avenue by the fire station.

• Mission Adelante will be closed Friday December 24 through Saturday, January 1.

A Passion to Serve

Written by Megan McDermott

The first time I met Brooke Coon, I was struck by her passion and desire to serve Hispanics. There was a hunger to serve that I have rarely seen and a commitment to the children and teens of Mission Adelante that is uncommon. Over the course of this last year, I have received the blessing of not only serving with Brooke but developing a deep, Christ-centered friendship with her. She was so eager to immediately jump in, but was faithful in waiting on God's timing for her to join the Mission Adelante staff.

Therefore, it is with great joy and thankfulness that I am pleased to announce that Brooke has officially joined our staff part-time as the Latino Kid's Ministry Coordinator! In a short time, I have seen Brooke's love for God impact the community, and specifically, the teens of our community. We recently launched a new discipleship model for our teen Bible study that breaks away from an event-oriented approach and instead, focuses on the relational aspect of a leader pouring deeply into a small group of believers. Brooke has helped to spearhead that new model and is an incredible example of how walking with those we disciple on a daily basis, in small ways, can make a deep impact.

Brooke has also served with our after school tutoring and character development program called Leaders in Training. Her leadership and love for the children has strengthened their commitment to LIT. More personally, her desire to serve the kids has given me the freedom and time to spend more relational time with the children individually.

Anyone that has worked with teens knows what a challenging group they can be. However, with Brooke's leadership, we are seeing the teens and children of Mission Adelante draw closer each day to the Lord. Please pray that God would continue to let us impact the lives of the teens and help them to become instruments of change and faith in our community!

In other news:

• Nine L.I.T. students and four adult leaders spent Saturday afternoon doing a service project at Sanctuary of Hope in Kansas City, Kansas. They had fun working together and giving back to their community by spreading fresh mulch on pathways.
• A knitting cooperative of 12 Bhutanese women and four American women has met both of the last two weeks. The cooperative is a social and possibly income-generating opportunity that makes use of the great knitting skill of many of the women. Thin knitting needles (size 6 or smaller) and yarn are needed. If you would like to donate supplies, please contact David Stetler at davids@missionadelante.org or 913-579-6115.
• The Latino disciple making team is emphasizing personal spiritual growth. Last week the 20-some team members memorized Psalm 119:103; "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"
• David Stetler has just begun leading a Bible study with two Bhutanese men whom he has befriended during the past year and who are enthusiastic about beginning to pursue Jesus.

Prayer needs:

• A woman who is part of our Latino church is remembering her son and grieving losing him when he was murdered a year ago this week at age 28. Please pray for this woman to be strengthened and comforted during this difficult time.
• Ivan is new to our community. He's only come to church a couple of times. Please continue pray that God would draw him toward Himself.
• Please pray for our volunteers, outreach participants, and staff to have the endurance to finish the last four weeks of our trimester strong.

Current needs:

• Twelve flash drives for L.I.T. students to use for working on their homework.
• More adult winter coats, outerwear, and shoes to stock our resource center with the arrival of cold weather.
• A high BTU propane space heater for the detached garage that houses our resource center. The volunteers that staff the resource center get pretty cold during the two hours that it's open every Saturday morning!

Upcoming dates:

• Thanksgiving break: No LIT the week of November 22. No Bhutanese outreach activities on Tuesday, November 23; no Latino outreach activities on Thursday, November 25. Mission Adelante office closed Wednesday, November 24-Saturday, November 27.
• Latino Christmas Party: Saturday, December 11, 5:30 p.m. at Bethany Community Center.
• Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 12, 4:00 p.m. at Bethany Community Center.

Bethany Community Center is located in Kansas City, Kansas on Central Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets. It sets back behind Bethany Park. Turn off of Central Avenue by the fire station.

Following Jesus' example for Making Disciples

A life-on-life ministry of disciple-making is what Jesus modeled. Walking, talking, eating, ministering, sharing life; this was His method of transmitting a life of faithfulness and love for God. The word, "transmitting" captures what Jesus did maybe better than "teaching", because Jesus' method of making disciples included so much more than verbal instruction. The life of a disciple is often better "caught" than "taught". Jesus' life, His actions, His attitudes, His priorities were many times the content of His message. Jesus IS the gospel! When He commissioned His disciples and all who would eventually believe in Him through their message, to "Go and make disciples", He was not only commissioning them to preach and teach with words. He was calling them to do what He had demonstrated, to walk with and talk with, and transmit what He had implanted in them to others who would follow.

From the beginning, Mission Adelante has valued relational disciple-making as core to our mission. We attempt, in all we do, to share life with those we serve and transmit the life of Jesus through every aspect of who we are, what we say, and what we do. Though throughout our five-year history as a ministry we've been investing ourselves in reproducing disciples who can also invest in others, last week we came to a significant milestone in the development of our Latino ministry; the launch of our first disciple-making team. Twenty-two people, Americans and immigrants, gathered to begin a six-week training course to study Jesus' model of making disciples, a step that for many with whom we've been walking for some time, will give them the confidence to begin investing their lives in others for the first time.

The starting point for this new team is our own personal pursuit of Christ. In John 15:5 Jesus says, "I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in Him will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing." As believers we want to bear fruit, we want God to use our lives to impact others and to carry out His mission in this world. Can we do it if we're not connected to Him? If you are a person who prays and you are inclined to pray for Mission Adelante, please pray that our Disciple-making team would be intimately and passionately connected to Jesus! Without Him we can do nothing. And with Him we are convinced that we can bear much fruit!

In other news:

• Five Bhutanese refugee families received the furniture they needed. We'd especially like to thank members of Westside Family Church for their donations. Three or four dining tables with chairs are still needed. Please contact David Stetler at 913-579-6115 or davids@missionadelante.org. It would be preferable if you could drop them off, but pick-up may be possible.
• This year's Leaders In Training after school character development and tutoring program began in September with 12 kids, all of whom continue strong and are looking forward to an overnight reward trip to Great Wolf Lodge in December.
• A group of Latino and Bhutanese kids will join with a larger group of kids to sing at the 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. services at Westside Family Church on December 19.

Prayer needs:

• Ivan is new to our community. He's only come to church a couple of times. Please pray that God would draw him toward Himself.
• As we look ahead to 2011, pray for God's favor in providing funding for ministry staff and the overall ministry of Mission Adelante.
• Praise God for a minivan that was donated and will be given to a community family in need of transportation.
• Pray for the health of Bhutanese and Latino individuals that have been hospitalized recently.

Current needs:

• Kids' and adults' winter coats, outerwear, and shoes to stock our resource center. With winter just around the corner in Kansas City, many families in our neighborhood are still unprepared.
• Three or four dining tables with chairs for Bhutanese families. Please contact David Stetler at 913-579-6115 or davids@missionadelante.org. It would be preferable if you could drop them off, but pick-up may be possible.
• Future volunteers! If you've been considering volunteering with one of our outreach programs, the next few weeks are a great time for you to come observe the program of your choice: Bhutanese or Latino kids Bible study or adult ESL class. Our next trimester, and the time you could come on board, begins in January.

Upcoming dates:

• Thanksgiving break: No LIT the week of November 22. No Bhutanese outreach activities on Tuesday, November 23; no Latino outreach activities on Thursday, November 25. Mission Adelante office closed Wednesday, November 24-Saturday, November 27.

Mobilized to Serve

Written by Jason Schoff

"Serving immigrants to Christ and mobilizing them to serve" has been our mission statement since the beginning of Mission Adelante in 2005. Not only does this communicate our heart for people to come to know Christ, it also emphasizes the importance of them growing in service for the kingdom.

For the past two years, three of our Latino church families have stepped in to help Molly Merrick staff our resource center every Saturday morning. This translates into coming early on Saturdays, cleaning and straightening the shelves, and befriending those in need with prayer. These small costs end up paying huge dividends when most of the families in need come back multiple times, no doubt due to the kindness and affection they experience. We often see them return with items they would like to donate to other families in need. What a fun sight to see!

Our resource center can better serve the needs of our immigrant community because of these few Latino volunteers who take part in serving and suggesting ways to best meet the needs of our neighbors around Mission Adelante.

Would you or your church be willing to do a winter coat and clothing drive? We are quickly approaching a season of cold weather during which we will be addressing needs of the Latino and Bhutanese communities. Please contact Jason or Molly if you interested in helping meet this need at jasons@missionadelante or mollym@missionadelante.org .

In other news:

• David & Holly Stetler and big sister Anna welcomed baby Isaac Michael into their family on October 24. Everyone is doing well.
• The Leaders In Training pre-teen girls got together Saturday night for a fun time organized by our new Kids Adelante Intern, Courtney Colin. They played relay games, watched a movie, and studied the Bible.
• Brooke Coon, our new Latino Kids Ministry Coordinator and other volunteers took 11 Latino Teens to Shawnee Mission Park last Saturday for hiking, a cook-out, Bible study and a bonfire.

Prayer needs:

• "The Art of Growing in Christ" is a series of training workshops for our Latino church members about learning how to disciple others. Please pray for those that attended the initial workshop last night to respond to the challenges that were presented.
• Please continue to join us in praying for God's presence and guidance for a mom in our community that has been separated from her family for a number of months.
• Please pray for peace for Bhutanese immigrant families who are encountering difficulties related to adjusting to life in a new country, and for wisdom for those of us ministering to them.

Current needs:

• Kids' and adults' winter coats, outerwear, and shoes to stock our resource center. The arrival of cold weather in Kansas City has found many families in our neighborhood unprepared.
• Beds, couches, tables, and chairs for newly arrived Bhutanese refugee families. Please contact David Stetler at 913-579-6115 or davids@missionadelante.org. It would be preferable if you could drop items off, but pick-up of items may be possible.

Upcoming dates:

• Thanksgiving break: No LIT the week of November 22. No Bhutanese outreach activities on Tuesday, November 23; no Latino outreach activities on Thursday, November 25. Mission Adelante office closed Wednesday, November 24-Saturday, November 27.