Elaine Reimers
From a Coffee Shop Window: Thoughts on ...

In my day-to-day at Mission Adelante, I have the privilege of meeting people from all places and experiencing life with the special people I have grown to love who allow me into their circle. I have attended birthday parties and other events and shared meals at their homes. Throughout the years, I have listened to people talk about their home countries with such pride, longing, and nostalgia, and I have heard so many stories of their loyalty to the US that I have lost count.

From a Coffee Shop Window: Thoughts on Gratitude and Grace
Jarrett Meek
Adding Fuel to the Entrepreneurial Fire

When you walk down Central Avenue in Kansas City, KS, one thing stands out; there are a lot of immigrant-owned businesses.  Bakeries, taquerías, ethnic grocery stores, ice cream shops, and small clothing stores owned by immigrant entrepreneurs occupy spaces that were vacant and boarded up 20 years ago.  In our neighborhood, as is true in cities across the nation, immigrants are revitalizing urban neighborhoods, one new business at a time.

Adding Fuel to the Entrepreneurial Fire
Mission Adelante
Spanglish, Cats, and an Unexpected Friendship

A few days ago, I celebrated two years since I arrived in this beautiful country as a refugee. During this time, I have shared with you some of my fears, challenges, and what it has meant to begin a new life far from my home country. A few days ago, I also celebrated my first year at Mission Adelante. And as I look back, there is something I want to say from the bottom of my heart: more than everything I have been able to give, I feel that I have received so much more.

Spanglish, Cats, and an Unexpected Friendship
Mission Adelante
When the Whole Neighborhood Shows Up

Those moments have made me think a lot about what community really means. We often talk about community as a place or a group of people, but I think it is so much more than that. Community is people noticing. Community is people caring. Community is people showing up. And sometimes, in those simple acts of kindness, we get a glimpse of something much bigger than ourselves.

For me, that is where I see God's serving heart. The tree, the storm, the machine, and the helping hands may seem like completely unrelated moments. But together, they have reminded me of something I don't want to forget: we were never meant to do everything alone. There is so much beauty in people coming together. And honestly, I'm just grateful that I got to experience it.

When the Whole Neighborhood Shows Up
Erick Flores
Poured Into, Now Pouring Out

On Wednesday nights, Mission Adelante has a youth program called Youth Club. Youth Club is a program where we offer youth mentoring, fellowship, and encouragement as they grow in their walk with Jesus.

When I was younger, my sister Carla and her husband, Daniel, always tried convincing me to attend Teens Adelante, which is what Youth Club was called back then. I was always hardheaded and never wanted to join. Then, back in middle school, I got in trouble, and my mom forced me to attend Teens Adelante. Little did she know that it was going to be one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Poured Into, Now Pouring Out

Mission Accomplished

written by Jason Schoff


"Serving Immigrants to Christ and Mobilizing them to Serve." This phrase launched Mission Adelante on a trajectory nearly seven years ago. It gave our staff, volunteers, and immigrant friends a framework for why Mission Adelante exists. It continues to serve us as a clear mission statement that propels us in ministry, and this past month I saw a first hand glimpse of our mission coming to fruition.

Our morning English class for Latino immigrants is made up of just six students who did not know one another before the class. This hasn't seemed to matter, since every week our students bond more and become closer friends with one another. To my delight, Carmen*, one of the women in the class, has also begun to attend one of the three Latino house churches. Carmen has begun to embrace Christ and learn what is looks like to know and follow him.

One day in class, Laura*, another of the students, shared a prayer request and financial need: her husband needed an surgical procedure and they would have to come up with a few thousand dollars for it. Laura seemed discouraged by the obstacle, but Carmen quickly spoke up. 


 "Have you called the radio to see if you could ask them to collect donations for you? I would be willing to ask my coworkers for donations to help you." Wow! Carmen was serving! She wanted to help Laura in her desperate situation. Carmen was fulfilling our mission statement, first by being one of the immigrants Mission Adelante served and now by serving as a vessel for God's compassionate help. I praise God for showing us a mission accomplished in one immigrant's life!

*Carmen and Laura's name have been substituted to honor their privacy

In other news:

  • Both the Latino and Bhutanese Spring parties were outstanding!  They're a great way to honor kids and English students, and for the whole Mission Adelante Community to be together in one place celebrating.  We want to give a big thanks to the group of adults and teens from Christ Community Church and the Bhutanese outreach volunteers for all their help pulling off the Bhutanese party, and to the volunteers from New City Church of KC, MO and Mill Creek Community Church for all their help pulling off the Latino party.
  • A big thanks to the five volunteers from Heartland Community Church's Millennial Group that spent Saturday doing a lot of work around our facilities.
  • The Teens Adelante teens had a great time at Shoal Creek Community Church last weekend when they joined the Shoal Creek youth group for an overnight lock-in.
Prayer needs:
  • Pray for our two incoming summer interns, Blake and Lindsey.  Pray that God will prepare them for the weeks they'll spend with us, and that He'll bless their fundraising efforts and provide the necessary funds.
  • Pray for God's continued blessing and protection of our team that's presently traveling in India and Nepal, including the Stetler family, Kristen Maxwell, and Drew Timberlake, as well as a few volunteers.  They plan to return May 3.
  • We've applied for a visa in order for Yanelis, the leader of Raices the ministry we work with in Cuba, to come to Kansas City for training.  We'd love to have her with us during the summer trimester, so please pray that her interview with the U.S. embassy in Cuba would be scheduled very soon.
Current needs:
  • A couch has been requested through the resource center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274x5 if you have one to donate.
  • Teens Adelante is hoping for summer swimming lessons for 10-15 teenagers.  Please contact Brooke (brookec@missionadelante.org) if you can teach swimming lessons to full-grown teens or can help us find a good instructor.
  • A ceiling-mounted projector and protective cage
  • Large storage bins with lids (Rubbermaid-type)

Important dates:
  • Saturday, June 30 @ 9:00 a.m. Adelante Missions Institute Seminar.  We're pleased to announce that Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, will visit Kansas City at the end of June.  Mark your calendar!





In the Perfect Shepherd's Care


Written by Brooke Coon, Teens Adelante Director

As one of the volunteers, Karlie  Cooper, was sharing with Teens Adelante about her spiritual gift of Shepherding, something she said pierced my heart. “One of the drawbacks, or temptations of this gift can be that we are easily discouraged by the condition of the flock.” In the past two years, I have seen teens come and go. I have seen them step into their full potential and then watched them lured back into destruction, and I struggle through the choice between relentlessly pursuing these straying sheep and giving them space to grow, while focusing my energy on the ready disciples.  

Last week I felt a nudge to pursue a teenager that I had painfully let distance herself last Fall. Jesus reawakened  my heart to be with her, so I hesitantly called her, not sure how she would respond, and she jumped at my invitation to spend time together. 

By the end of our joyful evening together, I found myself humbled at what God had been doing in this young woman during the past few months. I asked her if she recalled one of the last spiritual conversations we had and we picked up from there. “Are you still angry at Him?” I asked. “No,” she simply replied, so lightheartedly.  I was kind of shocked and asked her, “How did that change happen?”  “Well, I pray,” she said. She continued on and I began to see that in her time away from this community, she has discovered what she doesn’t want to fill her life with. Some of us have to go through a process of elimination to get to the Truth and it can be painful to watch ones we love “turn away” from what we think is good for them. But I am so encouraged this week by the Good Shepherd.

I can so easily forget that he holds every sheep in his hand, no matter how ugly the battle appears.  As much as I wanted to gain all my energy from the encouragement of a lost sheep regained, I reminded myself of how I don’t want all my energy to be lost over a sheep gone astray. I thanked the Lord for this encouragement and his consistent pursuit of her, and worshipped him for being the perfect Shepherd, always full of patience and compassion for those who are lost. Always in control of the Teens Adelante flock, whether united or scattered. It seems that they are just learning to distinguish the sound of His voice by hearing the way all the others contrast.

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:3-4

In other news:
  • Our Easter celebration with our Bhutanese friends was a prayerful pursuit on the part of the staff to give families a context for worshiping Jesus that included elements familiar to their culture, so as to show them that commitment to Christ and the Lordship of Jesus does not mean a cultural conversion, but a new life in Jesus.  It was well-attended and a thoroughly enjoyable celebration!
  • Our Easter celebration with our Latino community was also very well attended, with immigrants leading the congregation through many parts of the worship.
  • There will be a Bake Sale and Jewelry Sale this evening (April 12) at 8:30 (immediately following programming) to benefit the L.I.T. Canoe Trip at the end of the school year.  This is a reward trip for the students that succeeded at meeting the expectations for L.I.T. participation throughout the whole school year.
  • Join us for our Spring parties this weekend!  The party with our Latino friends will be Saturday, April 14 at 5:00 p.m.  The party with our Bhutanese friends will be Sunday, April 15 at 4:00 p.m.  Both parties will be at Bethany Community Center, 1120 Central Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas 66102. 
Prayer needs:
  • Pray for staff members David & Holly Stetler and children, Kristen Maxwell, Drew Hammond, and several volunteers who will travel to Nepal/India next week for an exploratory-training-leadership trip.  Pray for the Lord to grant them easy and trouble-free travel.
  • Join us in praying for a couple of particular families going through really hard times right now.  Also pray for an abundance of patience, discernment and courage for the members of our staff that are walking with them.
  • Praise God for the amazing ways God was at work during Jarrett's trip to Q-ba last week, and for Jarrett's safe return to Kansas City on Monday.
Current needs:
  • A washing machine, which has been requested through our resource center.
  • Teens Adelante is hoping for summer swimming lessons for 10-15 teenagers.  Please contact Brooke (brookec@missionadelante.org) if you can teach swimming lessons to full-grown teens or can help us find a good instructor.
  • A ceiling-mounted projector and protective cage
  • Large storage bins with lids (Rubbermaid-type)

Important dates:
  • Saturday, June 30 @ 9:00 a.m. Adelante Missions Institute Seminar.  We're pleased to announce that Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, will visit Kansas City at the end of June.  Mark your calendar!

You're Invited to Our Spring Parties Next Weekend

Our spring trimester of programs will conclude next weekend with parties! These parties are the highlight of each trimester. Not only do the kids, adult English learners, and volunteers enjoy being recognized for their accomplishments and contribution, but the meal we share and the celebratory atmosphere make it a good time for everybody. These parties are also one of the best ways new people can get to know our ministry! That's why we encourage our program participants and worship community to bring their friends and family, and our volunteers to invite anyone they know that might be interested in the work that we do. We'd love to have you join us!


The party with our Latino friends will be Saturday, April 14 at 5:00 p.m.  The party with our Bhutanese friends will be Sunday, April 15 at 4:00 p.m.  Both parties will be at Bethany Community Center, 1120 Central Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas 66102.


In other news:
  • Last week's beautiful weather created opportunities for extra time spent outdoors with neighborhood kids. Drew Hammond played soccer with  group of Bhutanese boys and Kristen Maxwell played with a group of girls.  And last Wednesday, Kristen, Lauren Timberlake and Holly Stetler, their own kids and a collection of Bhutanese kids rode bikes to a playground to play together.  These are examples of the way our staff and a number of volunteers share life with our immigrant friends, by living in and becoming part of the neighborhood we serve.
Prayer needs:
  • Jarrett Meek is spending this week in Q-ba teaching at a discipleship training retreat.  Please pray for his last few days there to be a rich time with friends.
  • Please ask the Lord to continue providing the funds for some of our Bhutanese outreach staff to take an exploratory-training-leadership trip to  Nepal and India in April.
  • Please pray for our first Easter Celebration service with our Bhutanese friends, this Saturday.  This will be the first Easter celebrated by a number of new believers!  Pray for the non-believers that are in attendance to have clarity about the excellent news in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • Also pray for our Latino community's Easter Celebration on Sunday, that as we rejoice in the way God demonstrated his love to us through Jesus, everyone's faith will be nourished.
Current needs:
  • A washing machine, which has been requested through our resource center.
  • Teens Adelante is hoping for summer swimming lessons for 10-15 teenagers.  Please contact Brooke (brookec@missionadelante.org) if you can teach swimming lessons to full-grown teens or can help us find a good instructor.
  • A ceiling-mounted projector and protective cage
  • Large storage bins with lids (Rubbermaid-type)
Important dates:
  • Thursday, April 12 @ 8:30 p.m. (immediately following Thursday evening programming) Bake Sale and Jewelry Sale to benefit the L.I.T. Canoe Trip at the end of the school year.  This is a reward trip for the students that succeeded at meeting the expectations for L.I.T. participation throughout the whole school year.
  • Saturday afternoon, April 14 @ 5:00: Latino Spring Party at Bethany Community Center.
  • Sunday afternoon, April 15 @ 4:00: Bhutanese Spring Party at Bethany Community Center.
  • Saturday, June 30 @ 9:00 a.m. Adelante Missions Institute Seminar.  We're pleased to announce that Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, will visit Kansas City at the end of June.  Mark your calendar!

Teens Club Is Reaching Teenage Bhutanese Refugees

Written by Bhutanese Outreach Intern Hannah Hume

Mission Adelante believes that ministry is essentially relational in nature.  That's why we're so excited about what's happening with our Bhutanese Teens Club.

We all remember the difficulties of our teenage years: trying to figure out who we were; maneuvering dating, grades, and peer pressure; figuring out what we believed separate from our parents; enduring constantly fluctuating hormones. Now, imagine dealing with many of those same issues while being newly immersed in a foreign culture and language that you don’t understand. You're beginning to get a picture of what life is like for the Bhutanese teens that live in KCK.

The Purpose of teens club is to help students learn how to love God and love people as described in Luke 10:27, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" We believe that there is nothing that these teens need more during this incredibly malleable time in their lives than to know and love the only person who can be constant and unchanging: Jesus Christ.

Jesus is using Teens Club to change teens lives. We are seeing students who were at risk for joining gangs become followers of Jesus instead. This trimester students are getting to hear the story of Jesus, some of them for the first time in their own language, and they are becoming enthralled with Jesus. They want to know more about him. Some of the boys who used to be our most disruptive students during story time are now discussing the stories around their lunch tables at school, and some of the girls are whispering prayers to him at night before they go to sleep.

Teens club is still a new ministry, and in the formative stages. There continue to be challenges in helping our teenage friends. However, the spirit is undoubtedly moving. Please pray for the Bhutanese teenagers of Kansas City, Kansas, and for Teens Club, as we seek to continue to grow and learn together.

In other news:
  • David & Holly Stetler's, Kristen Maxwell's and Drew Hammond's visas were approved for an exploratory-training-leadership trip they and some volunteers will be taking to Nepal April 18 through May 2.
Prayer needs:
  • Jarrett Meek will be traveling back to Q-ba this Sunday to teach at a discipleship training retreat.  Please pray for a smooth and easy arrival, and a rich time there with friends.
Current needs:
  • A washing machine, which has been requested through our resource center.
  • Teens Adelante is hoping for summer swimming lessons for 10-15 teenagers.  Please contact Brooke (brookec@missionadelante.org) if you can teach swimming lessons to full-grown teens or can help us find a good instructor.
  • A ceiling-mounted projector and protective cage
  • A preschooler sized table and chairs or picnic table
  • A big-screen T.V. for use at a variety of times, including Kids Adelante Bible studies.
Important dates:
  • Thursday, April 12 @ 8:30 p.m. (immediately following Thursday evening programming) Bake Sale and Jewelry Sale to benefit the L.I.T. Canoe Trip at the end of the school year.  This is a reward trip for the students that succeeded at meeting the expectations for L.I.T. participation throughout the whole school year.
  • Saturday afternoon, April 14: Latino Spring Party
  • Sunday afternoon, April 15: Bhutanese Spring Party
  • Saturday, June 30 @ 9:00 a.m. Adelante Missions Institute Seminar.  We're pleased to announce that Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, will visit Kansas City at the end of June.  Mark your calendar!

Winter Jam 2012

The Winter Jam 2012 tour stopped in Kansas City on February 17 and many Mission Adelante youth, volunteers and staff got to attend together.  Winter Jam is reportedly Christian music's largest annual tour, and since its formation by NewSong in 1995, has featured many of the top names in Christian music. Molly Merrick, Mission Adelante Ministry Aide, took a few neighborhood girls to the show, who were thrilled by the live performance of songs they hear on the radio.  Of the nine bands that performed, their favorite was Skillet, much in part to their use of pyrotechnics!


Also attending the concert was a teen boy that has begun learning to play drums in the past year and drums on the teens' worship band.  After arriving at Winter Jam in low spirits, he also got very excited about Skillet's performance.  Kids Adelante Director Megan McDermott said, "He is a very talented musician but tends to conceal his true feelings about things.  When we left the concert, he turned to me with a huge smile on his face and in an excited tone of voice asked me if I had seen the amazing drummer.  We so rarely get to see him genuinely excited and joyful.  It was a blessing to see music that praises God bring that out in him!"


Megan invited a teen girl whose birthday happened to fall on the same day as the concert.  It's been some time since this teen has been a part of the teen Bible study, and Megan really enjoyed spending the evening with her.  Megan said, "At one point during the concert, I felt the Lord lead me to whisper in her ear that it wasn't a coincidence that the concert was on her birthday.  He wanted to bless her and let her know that He loves her."


After hearing Brooke Coon (Teens Adelante Director) talking about plans to take a group of teens to the show, a teenage boy's mom decided to take a vacation day day from work to go along with the Teens Adelante group, and really enjoyed her first concert!  Brooke said, "I was challenged to rethink about the words I was singing to each worship song, as every now and then she leaned over and yelled over the blaring music, asking me to translate different words such as 'grace' into Spanish. Her generosity in buying food for all the teen girls (from a ridiculously priced concession stand) completely moved me. Her joy in giving is one of her most beautiful traits, and in that moment I longed to have a heart that sees each opportunity to spend my money on someone else as a privilege. Afterwards, I told her son about his mom's generosity. He replied, 'I know. She gives even when she doesn't have enough.'"


Brooke went on, "It has been amazing to see Christ's work, which began in this teen boy, spreading into his family, and then to see Christ reciprocating His glory through his mom, back to Teens Adelante, and to the others of her 5 children. I find myself being ministered to by the very people I minister to...all because of His great power!  I love every moment I get to spend with this woman; her hunger for God and her sacrificial generosity are constantly inspiring me and reminding me of God's compassion and provision. As my relationship with this woman grows, God is showing me how to walk 'alongside' instead of 'ahead of' my immigrant friends. This morning, the Lord used 1 Corinthians 3:7 to encourage me by reminding me of His sovereignty over the lives of the teens and their families that I love and serve. It says, 'So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.'"


After the concert ended, the question on the minds of most of the youth that got to attend was, "Did you know Christian music could sound like that?!"  We're grateful to our generous God for special occasions such as Kansas City's Winter Jam 2012 tour stop, and the many angles from which he uses them to encourage and refresh us!


In other news:
  • THANK YOU to those individuals that have supplied to us an abundance of goldfish crackers for Bhutanese kids club, a computer desk for a new work space, and a computer for use by LIT students!
  • Corporate worship among the Latino house churches last Sunday (which we hold once each month) was highly attended and highly enjoyed.  After several meetings in their individual groups, everyone was excited to see one another and enjoy fellowship.
Prayer needs:
  • Ask God to give wisdom to our board of directors as they consider how "business as missions" might fit into our ministry structure and allow our impact in our community to increase.
  • A number of Mission Adelante staff members will be traveling during the upcoming week which is our spring break.  Please join us in asking the Lord to grant safe travels.
Current needs:
  • Teens Adelante is hoping for summer swimming lessons for 10-15 teenagers. Please contact Brooke if you can teach swimming lessons (to full grown teens) or can help us find a good instructor! brookec@missionadelante.org
  • An industrial sewing machine: the Bhutanese women's sewing cooperative is beginning a new and very promising product line using recycled burlap that is allowing a few women the opportunity to use their cultural trade and skills to earn an income for their family.  We already have orders for these products, but we need an industrial sewing machine to use with the burlap material
  • A ceiling-mounted projector and protective cage
  • A 3- or 4-drawer locking filing cabinet with keys
  • A preschooler sized table and chairs or picnic table
  • A big-screen T.V. for use at a variety of times, including Kids Adelante Bible studies.
  • New vacuums or repair for our broken vacuums
  • Men's and kids' winter clothing to make available through our resource center
Important dates:
  • Spring Break: March 14-17 the Mission Adelante office will be closed.  No evening programs Tuesday, March 13 or Thursday, March 15.
  • Latino Spring Party: Saturday afternoon, April 14
  • Bhutanese Spring Party: Sunday afternoon, April 15
  • Adelante Missions Institute Seminar: Saturday, June 30 at 9:00  We're pleased to announce that Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, will visit Kansas City at the end of June.  Mark your calendar!

The Wait is Over!

Written by Lauren Timberlake, Bhutanese ESL Director


We moved into our house in Kansas City, Kansas, on Saturday. It was a long time coming, but this week I am praising God for his faithfulness to my family and for bringing us to this neighborhood in his perfect timing.

I was first introduced to Bhutanese refugees three years ago. I had a background in teaching English as a second language (ESL), and my church had asked me to help train some volunteers to become conversation partners. I had two small children at the time, so I didn’t think I could do more than one or two meetings. I decided to go to the first little class, and I was hooked! The Bhutanese people were so endearing and had such great needs. Soon after, we formalized a relationship with Mission Adelante and began offering weekly ESL classes. A year ago, I agreed to join staff and began fundraising. We bought a home to remodel close to Mission Adelante last April and put our southern Overland Park home on the market. It sold in one day. We found out we were expecting our third child and moved in with my (incredibly awesome) parents for the summer.

So we thought. The remodel of our home took longer than expected to complete. By the end of the summer, there were studs and wires, but not much else. Our baby girl was born in October, two months ahead of her due date. Praise God she was and has been perfectly healthy since then, but we needed a little more room, so we found a furnished apartment. Sometimes it was hard to understand why God didn’t help move things along faster with our house. We felt very much out of control and far away from what God was doing in our KCK neighborhood. But I think God used that to help us lean into him. Our friends and my Jesus Calling book kept reminding us that God uses time to make his sovereignty known, and that he doesn’t waste anything--that we could be close to him even if we physically weren’t where we wanted to be. Waiting can be very purposeful. So we waited.

As soon as there were flushing toilets and light switches, we moved. What seemed like an army of friends (including some Bhutanese teens!) came to help brush off the construction rubble from our things stored in the basement and move them upstairs. Still surrounded by boxes, we are humbled and blessed by where God has called us. We had three Bhutanese boys over to play with our kids on Monday, and it felt really good. We have been commuting to this neighborhood for three years, and we are eager to see what proximity does to grow our relationships here.

Please join us in praying for our Bhutanese friends and our family’s role as we begin to live among them. Pray for our children (8, 5, and 4 months) to adjust well and enjoy the adventure God is calling us to. God is definitely alive and active in this place, and we want to press in to what He is doing and use our resources well. The wait is over, but the adventure has just begun!

In other news:
  • We were glad to have Rachelle Pichardo and Chris Gorney of Redeemer Fellowship visit us this week.  Redeemer Fellowship exists to cultivate communities of transformed disciples who live for the glory of God and the good of the city, and we're thankful to be in partnership with them.
Prayer needs:
  • Mission Adelante's Board of Directors and Leadership Team traveled to Arkansas for a couple of days this week to observe a ministry with experience in "business as missions."  Pray for the Lord to grant wisdom as we explore whether particular business ventures could align well with our mission.
  • Pray for us as we finalize our selection of 2012 summer interns.  If you know someone that would be great for the internship this year, urge him or her to fill out this form.  We would look at a late application.

Current needs:
  • Teens Adelante is hoping for swimming lessons for 10-15 teenagers. Please contact Brooke if you can teach swimming lessons (to full grown teens) or can help us in finding a good instructor! brookec@missionadelante.org
  • An industrial sewing machine: the Bhutanese women's sewing cooperative is beginning a new and very promising product line using recycled burlap that is allowing a few women the opportunity to use their cultural trade and skills to earn an income for their family.  We already have orders for these products, but we need an industrial sewing machine to use with the burlap material
  • A ceiling-mounted projector and protective cage
  • A 3- or 4-drawer locking filing cabinet with keys
  • A preschooler sized table and chairs or picnic table
  • A small computer desk or computer table to create an additional workspace in our offices
  • New vacuums or repair for our broken vacuums
  • Men's and kids' winter clothing to make available through our resource center
  • Containers of Goldfish crackers/animal crackers for Bhutanese Kids Club snacks (Sometimes the repeated purchase of seemingly inexpensive things can eat up a budget!)
  • A well-working and Internet able C.P.U. or laptop for use by L.I.T. students
To respond to any of these needs, please e-mail Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org.

Important dates:
  • Observation Day: Thursday, February 23 (Latino) 6:30-8:30-  Have you wondered what all goes on around here on a typical evening of programming?  Here's your opportunity to come and see for yourself!  If these dates don't work for you, please contact info@missionadelante.org to schedule an alternate evening.
  • Spring Break: March 14-17 the Mission Adelante office will be closed.  No evening programs Tuesday, March 13 or Thursday, March 15.
  • Adelante Missions Institute Seminar: Saturday, June 30 at 9:00  We're pleased to announce that Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, will visit Kansas City at the end of June.  Mark your calendar!

Would You Pray?


Written by Jason Schoff, Director of Latino Outreach

Would you turn down a chance to pray?  We at Mission Adelante believe that dependent prayer glorifies the ultimate Provider and is the best weapon in a spiritual battle that can only be won if God moves.  That is why we decided a couple of years ago that all our Latino English (ESL) classes should include this component at the beginning or end of class.  Thankfully, our students have responded warmly to this important piece.  We might start with a beginning class by praying for simple and broad things like our students' success with learning and for God to take care of all our families and needs.  Later we transition into praying for the personal, individual needs of our students.  While this may not happen over night, we hope our groups grow in faith to believe that God cares about them enough to listen and He answers their prayers.  

Little by little, our classes become communities that begin to pray for one another.  They feel free enough to share about their needs and even express praise for ways God is responding to them.  We often begin asking our students to lead the prayer time by the second or third trimester of their studies with us.  It is an invitation, never an obligation.  Some in our groups have never in their lives prayed aloud and this becomes an open door for them to experience acceptance by their classroom community.  

Last week one of our volunteers asked Oscar* to pray.  She knew Oscar attended a church in our neighborhood and hoped he would take her up on the opportunity.  However, he wanted to pass!  He expressed how he stopped going to church several months ago and felt like he couldn't pray because God would not accept his prayers for that reason.  Ugh!  It was a sad moment.  The volunteer encouraged him and let him know that God would be very willing to receive his prayers.  What a humbling end to class!

Would you pray for Oscar to sense God's love and longing to hear his prayers?  Also, would you join us in praying that our Latino English classes will see prayer continue to touch people's hearts and draw them to God?  

*Name changed to protect privacy

In other news:

  • We were pleased to have Dan Deeble and the rest of the Heartland Community Church Management Team visit our staff last week, and to hear about their vision for a great number of Christians practicing evangelism as a lifestyle throughout Kansas City.
  • David and Holly Stetler attended a conference in South Carolina last week with 3d Ministries called Community of Practice and learned about leadership and community.
  • The third of three Latino house churches began meeting in an  immigrant home last Sunday.  This demonstrates the ownership of the gatherings that immigrants are taking as our focus remains on reproducing disciples and leaders who are capable of multiplying the work.
Prayer needs:
  • Join  us in asking the Lord's blessing of our staff's various fundraising efforts.
Current needs:
  • An industrial sewing machine: the Bhutanese women's sewing cooperative is beginning a new and very promising product line using recycled burlap that is allowing a few women the opportunity to use their cultural trade and skills to earn an income for their family.  We already have orders for these products, but we need an industrial sewing machine to use on the burlap material
  • A 3- or 4-drawer locking filing cabinet with keys
  • A preschooler sized table and chairs or picnic table
  • A small computer desk or computer table to create an additional workspace in our offices
  • New vacuums or repair for our broken vacuums
  • Men's and kids' winter clothing to make available through our resource center
  • Containers of Goldfish crackers/animal crackers for Bhutanese Kids Club snacks (Sometimes the repeated purchase of seemingly inexpensive things can eat up a budget!)
  • A well-working and Internet able C.P.U. or laptop for use by L.I.T. students
To respond to any of these needs, please e-mail Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org.

Important dates:
  • Observation Days: Tuesday, February 21 (Bhutanese)/Thursday, February 23 (Latino) 6:30-8:30  Have you wondered what all goes on around here on a typical evening of programming?  Here's your opportunity to come and see for yourself!  If these dates don't work for you, please contact info@missionadelante.org to schedule an alternate evening.
  • Adelante Missions Institute Seminar: Saturday, June 30 at 9:00  We're pleased to announce that Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, will visit Kansas City at the end of June.  Mark your calendar!

Engineered Ministry

Written by Operations Director Marla Hansen

In the years before joining the staff of Mission Adelante, I enjoyed a career as a manufacturing engineer.  My job was to improve the production and bottom line of the factories I worked in.  Throughout my career this ranged from factories that made anything from mailboxes to nuclear control valves.  My specific area of expertise was in the implementation of something called Lean Manufacturing and in Constraint Theory.  Basically both these ideas are based on the concept that individual efficiency is not always the answer, and can actually make both your production and your bottom line worse.  In brief this is how it works: when you first begin to work with a process, the first thing you do is just watch.  Take time to understand each step of the process, the equipment involved, the people involved, and the output capabilities at that step.  Constraint theory will lead you to identify your bottlenecks (the processes that can’t keep up) and you then focus your resources on improving them.  Lean Manufacturing will lead you to remove any waste (excess work) out of those bottlenecks.  It can be very counter-intuitive and counter-cultural.  In some cases you would actually be better off to pay workers to go home than to have them keep producing faster than the bottleneck process can keep up. 

As I have spent the last year being a part of Mission Adelante, I have come to realize that ministry done well works in pretty much the same way.  Jesus said himself, “the harvest is plenty, but the workers are few”.  It’s incredibly important to use resources strategically in order to make the biggest kingdom impact.  I have watched the leadership and ministry staff at Mission Adelante do much the same in the neighborhood as I did in the factory with one important difference:  where my job in factories was to get to know the processes and look for the bottleneck, the Mission Adelante staff gets to know the neighborhood and looks for where God is at work.  From there out, it’s really the same thing.  In manufacturing you subordinate your resources to the bottleneck whereas in ministry you submit your resources to God’s plan; both will allow you to be the most productive whether you are trying to produce mailboxes or Kingdom fruit.  And just like Lean Manufacturing, applying resource to the wrong place can be completely ineffective – regardless of the intention or hard work of any individual.  If it isn’t God’s will, you’d be better off sitting at home.   

So other than being interesting to nerdy types like myself what is the point of this comparison, you might ask?  Well I think there are two:
  1. If you’ve ever wondered if the time, talent or financial donation you share with Mission Adelante is being used in the most effective way, this engineer’s opinion is: Absolutely. 
  2.  If you’ve ever thought that maybe your talents don’t really fit any ministry role, ask God to show you differently and watch expectantly for Him to show you the answer.  This article narrates the answer I received when I asked that question.
In other news:
  • Drew Hammond, Bhutanese Outreach Intern, visited Xenos Christian Fellowship the weekend before last in Columbus, Ohio.  Like Kansas City, KS, Columbus is a resettlement location for Bhutanese refugees, and like Mission Adelante, Xenos is actively reaching out to their population to demonstrate the love of Christ.  Drew enjoyed conversing with Xenos leadership and meeting Bhutanese believers, including a young man who is one of the only believers in his family. Drew was able to encourage him with the news that there are many believers in Kansas City that share his last name!
  • It's really exciting to see the enthusiasm of people that are new to reading the Bible! The Latino teens are learning about the various spiritual gifts, and thereby finding very clear application of scripture to their lives. The Bhutanese kids are reading through the narrative contained in Genesis week by week, and are simply captivated by it.
Prayer needs:
  • Please pray for a family that has been away from our community for a period of time to begin coming to our church gatherings again, which they expressed interest in doing.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to provide Molly Merrick with guidance and wisdom as she mentors two pre-teen girls.
Current needs:
  • A 3- or 4-drawer locking filing cabinet with keys
  • A preschooler sized table and chairs or picnic table
  • A small computer desk or computer table to create an additional workspace in our offices.
  • New vacuums or repair for our broken vacuums
  • Men's and kids' winter clothing to make available through our resource center.
Upcoming dates:
  • Summer Internship Application Deadline--Wednesday, February 15: 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.  The internship lasts from May 26 until August 12.  To fill out the our interest form go to www.missionadelante.org/internform. You'll also find an attachment there with all the details.
  • Observation Days: Tuesday, February 21 (Bhutanese)/Thursday, February 23 (Latino) 6:30-8:30  Have you wondered what all goes on around here on a typical evening of programming?  Here's your opportunity to come and see for yourself!  If these dates don't work for you, please contact info@missionadelante.org to schedule an alternate evening.
  • Adelante Missions Institute Seminar: Saturday, June 30 at 9:00  We're pleased to announce that Noel Castellanos, CEO of Christian Community Development Association, will visit Kansas City at the end of June.  Mark your calendar!

We Are a Family!


Written by Kids Adelante Director Megan McDermott
Over the years, church has come to mean many different things to me. It has been a place of worship, a place to pray, a place to grow in fellowship with other believers, and an environment that invites the Holy Spirit to come and dwell. As we have begun the exciting new chapter of planting house churches within the Mission Adelante community, I was blessed to be able to open my home up to our Mission Adelante family for a few months.

A typical Sunday night for us begins with a potluck meal that allows everyone to contribute and fills us with yummy food as we catch up with each other. This is one of my most favorite times because we are able to invest in each other in a more intentional and relational way. Then, we are led in lively and reverent worship by David Coon, who is accompanied by Edgar, one of the many amazing teens in our community. As we dive into the Word together and explore, with our head (intellect), heart (spirit) and hands (will and actions) what we feel the Lord is saying, a lively discussion often breaks out as we share our individual interpretations. We end the night by splitting into small groups to share on a more personal level, how the passage has touched our hearts and more importantly, how we desire to live out what we have learned. I get to spend intentional, discipleship time with with the young women of our community and walk with them through the challenge of following the Lord in their teen years. This is an especially sweet time for me personally to reconnect with them and encourage them through the trials of their lives.

During the past few weeks, we have had the exciting blessing of our house church moving to one of the Hispanic homes! We pray that this move will allow more friends to join our church family. I have felt the Holy Spirit in a very tangible way during our Sunday night house church. It has felt like I am having a family reunion each Sunday complete with the joy, chaos, and love that only real family could bring. It has been beautiful to watch, as the weeks pass, how our community is becoming a real family!


In other news:
  • I (Morgan, administrative staff member) am impressed over and over by the ways our ministry staff dedicated to kids and teens use the situations in the youth's lives to help them grow in maturity and personal responsibility.  Whether Megan McDermott inspiring our Leaders In Training to take ownership of their participation in the selective leadership development program, or Brooke & David Coon, Teens Adelante Leaders, mentoring two of the older teens that have begun dating, I am humbled (being a parent, myself), and inspired, as I hear about the many ways they steward so well their roles of influence over the next generation. 
  • We are persistently thankful for the many volunteers (currently 177 of them!), both North American and immigrant, who take part in carrying out Mission Adelante's mission of serving immigrants to Christ and mobilizing them to serve.  Molly Merrick arrived at our Resource Center late on Saturday after having a flat tire to find it fully operating under the care of two immigrant ladies.
Prayer needs:
  • Praise God!  He enabled us to stay within our 2011 budget, and provided year-end gifts exceeding our goal which made us eligible for a partial matching grant!  We praise Him for abundantly supplying for our needs!  On a related note, help us ask God to provide some more long-term donors, particularly for staff support.
  • Thank you for praying over the past week for the Latino family for whom we petitioned prayer.  God has been active in their lives this week and has calmed the situation.  Please be in continued prayer that God will make the way for good communication and healing of relationships, and that the family will take advantage of resources being offered to them.
  • Pray for peace in the adjustment period for three Bhutanese families that have recently arrived in Kansas City.  Pray for God to provide opportunities for Mission Adelante staff to make significant connections with them this month that will lead to lasting, trusting relationships.
Current needs:
  • Two more Tuesday-evening volunteers for the Bhutanese Kids Club (contact Kristen at kristenm@missionadelante.org), and one more Wednesday afternoon male L.I.T.  volunteer (contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org).
  • A locking 3 or 4 drawer filing cabinet.  Please contact Marla at marlah@missionadelante.org.
  • Nonperishable food such as canned vegetables and soups, pasta, dry cereal, etc. to make available to families in need through our resource center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange a time to drop off.)
Important dates:
  • Summer Internship Application Deadline: February 15  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.  The internship lasts from May 26 until August 12.  To fill out the our interest form go to www.missionadelante.org/internform. You'll also find an attachment there with all the details.
  • Observation Days: Tuesday, February 21 (Bhutanese)/Thursday, February 23 (Latino) 6:30-8:30  Have you wondered what all goes on around here on a typical evening of programming?  Here's your opportunity to come and see for yourself!  If these dates don't work for you, please contact info@missionadelante.org to schedule an alternate evening.

There and Back Again - A Himalayan Journey back to Kansas City

written by Mission Adelante Intern Hannah Hume


Two years ago, I got on a plane and headed to India. I had no clue what to expect. However, over the five months that I was there the Lord changed my heart and the course of my life forever. I worked in the Himalayan mountains with Nepali refugees, seeking to spread the gospel and plant churches. I loved it.  I loved the Nepalis. I loved church planting.  And I desperately wanted this people group, who lived in one of the most beautiful places in the world, to honor, worship and know the God who made the mountains they lived in.


When I returned to the states five months later, my heart felt broken. You would think I would have been excited to see my family and return to the comforts of American life, but I wasn’t. All I wanted was to go back. I had seen the Lord move in miraculous ways like you read about in the book of Acts. The Lord had put a  love for church planting and the Nepali people in my heart, and it felt like being among those people was where I needed to be. I didn’t understand why God had brought me back to Kansas City. Praying over, and seeking the answer to that question became the majority of my prayer life.


Then, about a year ago I stumbled across Mission Adelante through a link on a church website. I wasn’t familiar with who Mission Adelante or the Bhutanese refugees were. I just knew I wanted to serve in a cross cultural context, so I went to check it out. Upon arrival, I was shocked to hear the Bhutanese refugees speaking Nepali, the same language spoken by the people I worked with in India. I learned that the Bhutanese were ethnically Nepali, and nationally Bhutanese. The Lord had brought Nepali people to Kansas City!


Since that time, I have been serving among the Bhutanese of Kansas City, Kansas through Mission Adelante. When I got on that plane to India two years ago I never thought that I would end up back in Kansas City working with Bhutanese Refugees. When I returned to the states five months later I never would have dreamed that the Lord had a plan to fulfill his purposes for me in my own backyard. Its been a long, and at times frustrating, journey to get where I am today. However, I wouldn’t want the trek to look any different than how God planned it. God’s ways truly are higher than ours and He is faithful.


Now, I am setting out on a new adventure with Mission Adelante and the Bhutanese of Kansas City, KS. After serving with Mission Adelante as a volunteer for two trimesters, I am joining Mission Adelante as a year long intern. This new opportunity will help to fill a serious need for a person who can invest more time into the Teens Club program, and more importantly, into the teens themselves. The Bhutanese teen girls  need someone to come alongside them and help them navigate the trials of being a teenager in America. They are struggling with issues of identity, school, boys, etc. all while being in a totally new foreign environment, and attempting to understand and speak the language around them. Please join me in prayer as the Lord gives me opportunities to assist these girls in navigating these trials, and ultimately point them to Christ. He is the only one that can deal with their biggest need, which is a personal relationship with Him.



In other news:

  • We had a great trimester launch last week and are amazed at the volume of relational ministry that our volunteer team of 177 individuals can accomplish!  That army is many times multiplied from the 25 volunteers that were serving at this time six years ago!
  • A Bhutanese couple eagerly dedicated their newborn baby girl to Jesus last Saturday morning at the house church they're part of.  David Stetler, Director of Bhutanese Outreach, encouraged the new parents and the Bhutanese community to raise the little girl in Christian faith.  Worship the Lord for this evidence of the family's surrender to Jesus!
  • We continue to be encouraged by both our Bhutanese and Latino friends' growing initiative in driving the house churches, in some cases such that Mission Adelante staff feel that we're being swept along by them!
Prayer needs:
  • Please pray for the Lord to grant wisdom to the Bhutanese Outreach staff to know how to respond to a family of peace they've identified among the Bhutanese community of Kansas City.
  • Pray for unity among the Leaders In Training students, and that they'll grow in their ability to work more like a family during this trimester.
  • Pray for healing in the family of one of our teenage participants, and wisdom and discernment for Mission Adelante staff to help them keep walking forward.
Current needs:
  • Two Bhutanese Kids Club volunteers on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30. Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274x9.
  • A male Leaders In Training tutor for Wednesday afternoons from 3:00 to 7:00. Contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274x2.
  • Men's, children's, and babies' winter clothing to make available to families in our Resource Center.  Contact Molly Merrick at mollym@missionadelante.org or 913-281-6274x5 to arrange a time to drop off your donation.  Please do not leave donations without them being received by a Mission Adelante staff person.
Upcoming dates:
  • Summer Internship Application Deadline: February 15  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.  The internship lasts from May 26 until August 12.  To fill out the our interest form go to www.missionadelante.org/internship. You'll also find an attachment there with all the details.
  • Observation Days: Tuesday, February 21 (Bhutanese)/Thursday, February 23 (Latino) 6:30-8:30  Have you wondered what all goes on around here on a typically evening of programming?  Here's your opportunity to come and see for yourself!  If these dates don't work for you, please contact info@missionadelante.org to schedule an alternate evening.

Summer Internship in Cross-Cultural Ministry! Apply by February 15


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 26 until August 12.  Applications must be received by February 15.  For all the details about the summer internship, click here.  To fill out the our interest form and receive the application, click here.

Teens Adelante Retreat 2011

Eight teens and five adults went on an overnight retreat to Heartland Presbyterian Center in Parkville this December. For many of the teens, being apart from siblings and out of the urban core was a new and exciting opportunity. The teens did an indoor challenge course where they grew as a team, learned about the Body of Christ, and constructed a puzzle designed to encourage each of their unique roles. They also got to worship together, eat tacos, and play "sardines" until way past bedtime! We were amazed by the walls that the Lord took down, and the unification that He restored in these eight kids who have been the core for the rest of the newer teens who couldn't be present. Here's more from the perspective of volunteers Brian and Sandy Teachout:

What a blessing the volunteers received when we celebrated the 2011 retreat with the teens! We saw God's hand in it from the moment we arrived at the retreat center. But to continue this story we need to back up a couple of years. The teens we met then are not the transformed teens we know today. They were, to say the least, a bit rough around the edges, hurting, confused, and at times even disrespectful. But they were also very bright, curious, and full of life. These kids never stopped coming to our newly-organized Teens program when it started in 2010, and we have grown to love them since then.

Let's just say that this retreat was a milestone for our lives as well. The retreat was what we call the epitome or crescendo of all the months spent with the teens. It was a refreshing time of team work, personal responsibility to each other and a precious time of sharing our hearts. There was laughter, joy, comedy, quiet time, sharing and tears. Some of the tears were the fruit of sharing their hard times, their challenges, even their past frustrations in light of the difficult challenges they have lived as such young hearts. But the greatest blessings were the tears of joy as they opened their hearts to show how God had been part of their every experience as He is soothing their hurts and healing their scars. The joy of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is touching a part very deep within them and their confession that Jesus is now the Savior of their lives gives us a joy that is inexpressible. The love we have for these wonderful, challenging teens has increased in our hearts to the point that we see them as our own and we know God has a wonderful plan for each of their lives. We know beyond a shadow of doubt that if any new volunteers join us in this awesome ministry they will fall in love with these kids and will find themselves hard put to leave it if they have to in the future! All we know is that our own lives have been enriched beyond what we could have imagined by having been part of their lives.

In other news:

  • Thank you, Westside Family Church, for giving us a 19 passenger mini-bus.  It will be extremely helpful for facilitating transportation to ministry events!
  • The second Latino house church has begun meeting in a Latino family's home.  Similarly, some of our Bhutanese friends are demonstrating an increase in their ownership and leadership of their own house church, with a 12-year-old girl who recently became a new believer leading the other kids last weekend.  These are exciting developments because we believe that the essence of the great commission is reproducing disciples and leaders who are capable of multiplying the work!
  • We had a full house on Monday evening for our All Volunteer Huddle and Dessert, with a festive atmosphere.  The Bhutanese team launched our spring trimester on Tuesday evening, and the Latino team are eager to do the same this evening.
Prayer needs:
  • Praise God for supplying many of the volunteers we needed for this trimester in a variety of ways, including full rosters of ESL conversation partners in both the Bhutanese and Latino outreaches!  Please help us pray for the volunteers that are still needed to round out the volunteer teams in the other programs.
Other needs:
  • Dining room chairs
  • Volunteers for the Spring Trimester, beginning immediately:
    • Tuesday evenings:
      • Bhutanese Kids Club: two volunteers needed
    • Wednesday afternoons:
      • Leaders In Training: male tutor needed
    • Wednesday evenings:
      • Latino Teens Adelante: female volunteer needed
    • Flexible times:
      • Resource center: several volunteers to help sort donations/organize needed
  • Hats and gloves to make available in the Resource Center.
  • 1" wide blue painters tape: several rolls.  We use it to define spaces on the carpet.
Important dates:
  • February 15: Application deadline for summer internship.  Click here for information about the internship, and click here to fill our our Internship Interest Form if you would like to receive an application.

Happy New Year :: 2012

written by David Stetler

The New Year is here and as we look back on all that the Lord has done through Mission Adelante this past year, we are especially grateful to our church partners, donors and volunteers who give of their lives in so many ways to bring the Truth and Love of Jesus to our immigrant friends here in Kansas City, Kansas.  Most importantly we are grateful to our Father in heaven for giving us love, life and mission.

Two-thousand eleven was full of so many highlights.  Whether it was the overseas mission trips or the amazing training we received in Indianapolis at CCDA, our experiences outside Kansas City seemed to only further the ministry in a huge way and increase our passions for the things that God has called us to do.

We also launched a new ministry that grew overnight. The Bhutanese Teens Club started over the summer with about 15 Bhutanese teens and now it has over 40 teens every week! In Teens Adelante we continue to watch as the Latino teens rise to the challenge of becoming leaders.  We've watched them mature and grow in ways that we hadn't ever imagined…leading worship on Sundays, serving on Tuesday nights and caring for one another in deep and real ways.

Lastly, we saw new believers baptized and new house churches planted.  As we continue to set our hearts on the Great Commandment of loving our neighbors and the Great Commission of making disciples that make disciples that make disciples…we watch as the One who holds it all together gets all the glory!

Every year is an adventure and as we look forward to 2012 we can only anticipate this journey to continue to be an amazing one.  We look forward to watching God unfold His plan and move in power over our city, our ministry, our friends and our very lives as well.

Happy New Year,
           Feliz Año Nuevo and
                     Naya Barshako Shuvakamana!

May the Lord bless you all in this new year.

In other news:

  • Both the Latino and Bhutanese communities worshiped together on Christmas Eve.  In fact, about 30 Bhutanese individuals celebrated Christmas as followers of Jesus for the first time this year!
Current needs:
  • A dining table and chairs
  • Volunteers for the Spring Trimester, beginning the week of January 16:
    • Tuesday evenings:
      • Bhutanese Teens Club and Kids Club: several male volunteers needed
      • Bhutanese Teens Club: worship leader needed
      • Bhutanese ESL class: 2 conversation partners needed
    • Wednesday afternoons:
      • Leaders In Training: male tutor needed
    • Wednesday evenings:
      • Latino Teens Adelante: female volunteer needed
    • Thursday evenings:
      • Latino ESL class: 4 conversation partners needed
      • Kids Adelante: 4 volunteers needed
    • Flexible times:
      • Resource center: several volunteers to help sort donations/organize needed
Upcoming dates:
  • Saturday, January 14, 9:00-12:30: Volunteer Orientation & Training
  • Monday, January 16, 6:30-8:30: All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert
  • Tuesday, January 17, 6:30: Bhutanese programs launch
  • Thursday, January 19, 6:30: Latino programs launch

Celebrating God's Movement in 2011!

Written by Jarrett Meek

On Tuesday our staff sat around the table in our small conference room reflecting on all the highlights and milestones that our Lord provided for us in 2011.  It was a celebratory atmosphere with caramel popped-corn, caramel-filled chocolate cookies, and pizzelles, all homemade.  We celebrated and wrote down a list, a HUGE list, a too-long-to-share-it-all-here list, of blessings that God bestowed on our ministry this year.  I would like to include a few of the most exciting ones here.

Latino Outreach Highlights
Brooke Coon with Latino Teens
  • Celebrating new life in Christ on our Soccer field: Several Baptisms in an inflatable pool!
  • Teens Adelante TAKES OFF under the leadership of new staff member Brooke Coon, in many ways setting pace for the rest of our ministry in the area of relational disciple-making and leader development.  
  • One of our English Classes became a Discovery Bible study when the students graduated!
  • We launched 3 House Churches and involved many more immigrants in leadership roles on the church side of our ministry.
Bhutanese Outreach Highlights
Kristen Maxwell with Bhutanese Kids
  • Bhutanese Teens kept coming to Kids Club, so we launched a Teens Outreach in partnership with Mill Creek.  Forty teens are involved!
  • Nine of our Bhutanese friends were baptized this year and many more are investigating Jesus.
  • God birthed two House Churches for the Bhutanese in our neighborhood.
  • New staff are joining/have joined our team...Kristen Maxwell (raising funds to join as Kids Club Director), and Lauren Timberlake (Bhutanese ESL Director).
Resource Center
  • Launched Canasta Básica, an exciting initiative to provide basic food staples to immigrant families in need.  
  • Immigrants are helping lead the Resource Center Team
  • Provided backpacks, schools supplies and coats for over 200 kids and teen
Jarrett Meek and the RAICES team
RAICES (Discipling Ministry in Q-ba)
  • Discipleship Vision planted deeply in their home church
  • Experimenting with a Micro-Finance ministry to help start new businesses in the community
  • Prepared to multiply their ministry to another community through relationships with emerging leaders there.

Leadership and Administration
Summer Interns ROCK!!
  • Hired Marla Hansen as Operations Director.  Marla spent the year revamping our internal systems and positioned us to take advantage of future opportunities that God may bring our way!
  • Greatly improved our Summer Internship.  Hosted and equipped six interns this summer!
  • Staff training trips to Cuba (Latino Team) and Nepal (Bhutanese Team) this year!
  • Our Staff attended the Christian Community Development Association annual conference.

A Special Messenger

Written by Jason Schoff


Who is the best suited to deliver a message? Is it a friend, a neighbor, a countryman or just anyone? We often times listen most closely to those who are most like us and understand our lives best. It made perfect sense to invite our Latino friend, Edwin, to share the gospel message at our Latino Christmas party this past Saturday. Edwin loves Jesus like few others you will ever meet and he and his wife, Zeidy, know what it means to care for the foreigner living in their midst.

We sometimes think of Edwin and his family as the grandfathers of Mission Adelante because they showed incredible friendship to the Meek family, Mission Adelante's founders. In 2001, the Meeks arrived in Costa Rica as outsiders and Edwin's family befriended them, watched out for them, and patiently tried to help them learn Spanish through conversational practice. A real life model was presented for how to love your neighbor--your immigrant neighbor, and a seed was planted for Mission Adelante. Since 2001, Edwin and Zeidy have continued to host several Mission Adelante staff families, including my own, in their Costa Rican home.

Earlier this week Edwin, Zeidy and their daughter, Monica, boarded a plane back to Costa Rica after sharing a week full of wonderful moments with the Mission Adelante family. Edwin's message at the Latino Christmas party hit the bulls-eye with our community and despite being foreigners here, they reached out to immigrants and Americans with the same conviction to love their neighbor--the one standing next right next to them wherever they are! Thank you, Lord, for Edwin, Zeidy, and Monica.


In other news:
  • Thank you to the volunteers from Shoal Creek Community Church and Hillcrest Covenant Church who helped us set up for the Latino Christmas Party last Saturday, and who engaged all of the kids in special and very fun activities!
  • Thank you to the volunteers from Christ Community Anglican Church who hosted the Bhutanese Christmas Party last Sunday!  Our Bhutanese friends were very lovingly served in many thoughtful ways.  It was the most well-attended Bhutanese party yet, and one Bhutanese man and few "assistants" were dignified  by being hired to prepare the food for the 320 people who attended the party!
  • Thank you, Christ Community Evangelical Free Church for proving the Tuesday meal for our Leaders In Training this whole school year!
  • We were honored to have Glenn Kahler from The Gathering Network and Matt Adams from Young Life visit our staff this week.  Glenn described the ways that he and the other Gathering Network leaders are encouraging people to go beyond church attendance and take on ministry as a lifestyle.
  • The Latino teens shared a special experience the weekend before last on a retreat at which they practiced team-problem-solving skills to conquer an indoor challenge course.  Later that evening, they began to offer one another verbal encouragement that continued to go on and on.  Teens Adelante Coordinator Brooke Coon could sense the Holy Spirit moving the kids to support one another, and it created an atmosphere of fellowship with the quality of purity.  Brooke was very surprised by the respect and maturity that each and every one of them displayed, and said that upon returning from the retreat, the group feels like a big family!

Prayer needs:
  • The weekend before last, 12 Leaders In Training students had a great time on an overnight reward trip to Great Wolf Lodge.  On Saturday, the group discussed forgiveness.  That whole day, one of the student's tutors, who was not on the trip, felt prompted in her spirit to pray for that student's heart to change.  The 13 year old girl had been displaying a negative attitude for some time, but responded to God's conviction by apologizing to her mother after returning home.  In return, her mom apologized to her, and her younger siblings to one another!  Praise God for being in the business of restored relationships, and help us pray for continued healing in this particular family!
  • Please continue to help us petition the Lord to provide for our ministry through generous year-end gifts.

Current needs:
  • Walmart gift cards, to purchase ministry supplies
  • A gas stove, which has been requested through our resource center.  If you can donate one, please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping it off.
  • Men's, women's and children's winter clothing, outerwear, and shoes, to offer in our resource center.  Please contact Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange a donation.

Important dates:
  • The Mission Adelante office will be closed December 25 - January 1.
  • Saturday, January 14, 9:00-12:00: Volunteer Orientation & Training  All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante.  It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante.  If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about what we do, and about our volunteer opportunities, please plan to attend/encourage him or her to attend this informative training.

Matching Gift!! Strategic Year-End Giving Opportunity!!

Dear friends,

We all wish our Kingdom giving could be multiplied to make a bigger impact! I'm excited to share that a generous foundation has offered a partial matching opportunity to support Mission Adelante! If we meet our year-end giving goal of $45,000, the foundation will contribute an additional $14,000 to help towards next year's salary for our Operations Director! Your gift gets multiplied!! 

This has been an outstanding year of ministry fruit and growth for Mission Adelante's ministries. Our Bhutanese Outreach launched a teens ministry and two new house churches. Our Latino ministry emphasized disciple-making and saw several immigrants move into volunteer serving roles. God equipped six emerging leaders through our summer internship program. And, our organization and infrastructure was improved and positioned for future initiatives that we see God putting in our path. We approach the final weeks of the year energized and encouraged about the work we have seen Him do in our midst, and enthusiastic to see what He will do next year. So, we invite you to partner with us! Help us finish the year strong financially and launch into 2012 with a boost! We appreciate you and your support for our ministry.

Support checks may be made to:
Mission Adelante 22 South 18th Street
Kansas City, KS 66102
("year-end gift" in the memo)

In His Grace,
Jarrett Meek, Founder/Executive Director
Mission Adelante, Inc.

Discovering Truth

Written by Hannah Hume - a volunteer-mentor for Bhutanese Teens Club

Discovering truth is a beautiful endeavor. It's one thing to be told something is true. We may believe it, or we may not. We will judge the validity of what we have been told on many things, mainly the reliability of the messenger. However, to discover truth for ourselves means that we have to interact with it, and wrestle with its claims. When we do this, we haven't borrowed someone else's ideas but have created and taken ownership of our own convictions. Once we we do this, its nearly impossible for someone to persuade us to think otherwise, because we are certain of what we ourselves have seen, touched, and experienced. This is what I love about discovery Bible studies.


In teens club at Mission Adelante we have been taking the teens through Jesus' life using discovery Bible studies. This method of study doesn't teach the teens what to believe, instead it allows them to discover truth from the Bible for themselves. We go through the story from the Bible together and then ask questions about who God is, and how these stories interact with our own lives, using scripture as the ultimate guide for our discussion. We only discuss what is in the story, and any conclusions we arrive at need to clearly be seen in the story. Having the freedom to discuss, and interact with the scripture is a lot of fun for all of us, and it's amazing to see some of the truths the teens are discovering for themselves.


A few Tuesdays ago we learned the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. As we began to ask questions about who God is, and what we could learn from it, the teens discovered some astonishing truths. After asking questions about and considering the roles the two thieves played in the story of Jesus' death, the teens concluded that the only way to get to get to heaven is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God! They also discovered that even though they have done some bad things, all they would have to do to go to heaven is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. These are truths I could have told them, but it's so much more wonderful to see them discover them for themselves, with the Spirit and scripture as their guide. I am so excited to see what the Lord will continue to allow us to discover together in the upcoming weeks.

In other news:
  • Thank you, Heartland Community Church, for sharing five complete Thanksgiving dinners with families in our neighborhood.
  • The Mission Adelante staff enjoyed a refreshing holiday weekend.  It offered the rare opportunity to unplug from ministry responsibilities for a few days, as well as extra rest for staff that had been under the weather.
Prayer needs:
  • Help us pray for God to supply for Mission Adelante through abundant end-of-year giving.
  • This weekend, the Latino teens will go on a retreat.  Pray that a challenge course will aid in team building, and that an introduction to spiritual gifts will help them begin to learn their roles in the body of Christ.
  • Twelve Leaders-In-Training kids are going on an overnight reward trip to Great Wolf Lodge this weekend.  Pray for fun and safety for them, and that they would grow deeper in their relationships with the Lord as they discuss forgiveness.
Other needs:
  • A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved. Please contact Jarrett at jarrettm@missionadelante.org
  • Male volunteer tutors for our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30  for the rest of the school year.  Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.
  • Kids' and adults' hats, gloves, and scarves to make available through our resource center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation
Upcoming dates:
  • Latino Christmas Party: Saturday, December 10 at 5:00, Bethany Community Center, 12th Street and Central Avenue in Kansas City, KS 66102.
  • Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 11 at 4:00, Bethany Community Center, 12th Street and Central Avenue in Kansas City, KS 66102.

An Autobiography of the Bhutanese Ministry Apprentice

Written by Drew Hammond - Bhutanese Ministry Apprentice


As someone who was nearly a high school dropout, (and is currently, technically, a college dropout), obedience hasn't always been my strong suit. But when I realized that the Lord was calling me, and tugging on my heart, I began to listen and pray for Him to show me where he needed me. That was about three and a half years ago.


Naturally, I tried to keep things within the way I saw my life going, towards college for a degree in technical theater. That's when I tried community college, and all the while I was there, I felt the Lord was telling me something. "This is for some, but not for you."  So I left theater behind and walked away, closer to the Lord.


By this point, I was feeling pretty directionally challenged. Feeling left behind by my friends who went to college and not seeing my movie theater job sustaining me for my life, I continued to pray. I kept persisting that the Lord reveal where it was that He really wanted me. It took quite a bit of prayer, but "the Jesus" (as our Bhutanese friends refer to him) took me somewhere great.


Over winter break of 2009/2010, God gave me an opportunity to go to Israel and learn more about Him. After that, I asked the director of the organization who led the trip if he knew of any internships available in full time ministry. He directed me to Mission House, where I was sent to Mission Adelante to intern in January of this year. Over the course of my internship, my heart expanded. It expanded to love God more and more and more, but also found a community to love, the Bhutanese refugees in my own backyard.


Three years ago, if God would have told me that I was going to go to Israel, then move to Kansas City, KS and love an immigrant people more than I loved theatre, I would have thought He was crazy, kept to my own ways and I would still be searching to this day.  Thankfully, I gave God room to move in my own heart and my own life, and I finally found exactly where I need to be. It was a long haul, but here I am. I pray that God reveals His love to you.




In other news:
  • The Mission Adelante staff members hosting Open Houses last Saturday really enjoyed connecting with those of you that were able to drop in for a visit!  Thanks for making the trip into our neighborhood to get more of a taste of what God is doing here.
  • We've found that sharing a meal as part of our house church gatherings adds a really special element to the time we spend together.  Also, this past Sunday (just the second week that the Latino house churches met) attendees from the first week brought more family members and friends with them, demonstrating the immigrants' high ownership of the gatherings!
  • Our budgeting and planning process in preparation for the new year turned out to be surprisingly fun for Mission Adelante staff.  It became an encouraging time to reflect upon the past year and the things we asked the Lord for and for Him to do, and to marvel at the things He surprised us with!
Prayer requests:
  • Please pray for the health of Mission Adelante staff and family members, a number of whom are under the weather.
Important dates:

  • Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs today or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23 - Saturday, November 26.
  • Latino Christmas Party: Saturday afternoon, December 10
  • Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 p.m.

Panza Llena, Corazón Contento

Written by volunteer Kathleen Powell


Several years ago, I spent a summer in Mexico living with my aunt and uncle. I was trying to master the Spanish language and to get to know my Mexican family better. After every meal, my Tío Toño would always say, "Panza llena; corazón contento." This roughly translates to: "full stomach, happy heart." Last Sunday I realized that it isn't just the eating that makes his heart happy; it's the act of bringing la familia (more than just relatives) together and conviviendo (sharing life).

Sunday night, Mission Adelante launched three different house churches. My group had the privilege of meeting in the home of one of the Latina moms who is relatively new in her faith. Her 11 year old son has a sweet and joyful heart and is one of my favorite kids to hang out with at LIT (Leaders in Training, Mission Adelante's after-school program).

This evening, for the first time since that summer I spent with my tío, I tasted the sweetness of what sharing life could look like in my neighborhood, in my life. My senses were awakened; the room was full of laughter, spices, color, and warmth. Everyone who came had a chance to speak and contribute; everyone brought something to the table (literally). We worshipped together and dug into the Word together. I felt alive again. We were doing church, being the church, and it had nothing to do with a program or a building.


In other news:
  • There are now a total of five house churches meeting in Kansas City, Kansas; two of which include our Bhutanese friends and three of which include our Latino friends.  Kids Adelante Director Megan McDermott described the first meeting of her Latino house church last Sunday as feeling like a family reunion!  She was also delighted that kids with whom we're acquainted brought their parents, some of whom hadn't had any past involvement with Mission Adelante!
  • We're grateful to Heartland Community Church and Christ Community Church for supplying winter coats for ALL of the children that participate in our outreach programs.
  • Bhutanese Kids Club Director Kristen Maxwell and Intern Drew Hammond share their lives and a whole lot of their time with the families we serve.  This week, Kristen gave a 12-year-old girl her very first Bible and then watched as she immediately sat, opened it, and began reading aloud.  Also this week, some Bhutanese teen boys engaged Drew in conversation about Jesus and the implications of Christian faith in our lives.
Prayer needs:
  • Please pray for our house churches to become well established, for immigrants to embrace leadership roles, and for new people to continue to come and feel welcomed.
  • Pray for safety in the homes of some of the kids we know, and protection for them.
  • Pray for a teen we know that is in legal trouble.
Current needs:
  • A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved.
  • Male volunteer tutors for our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30  for the rest of the school year.  Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.
  • Adults' and children's winter clothing and shoes in all sizes to stock our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.
  • An electric stove, which was requested through our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.
Important dates:
  • Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante Staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.  Drop in and let us thank you for your support of "our" ministry!
    • Jarrett & Kristen Meek, Megan McDermott: 251 N. 15th Street
    • Jason & Megan Schoff, Molly Merrick: 410 N. 15th Street
    • David & Brooke Coon: 245 N. 17th Street
    • David & Holly Stetler, Kristen Maxwell: 438 N. 17th Street
    • Drew& Lauren Timberlake: 706 N. 17th Street
  • Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs Tuesday, November 22 or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23-Saturday, November 26.
  • Latino Christmas Party: Saturday, December 10
  • Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 11