by Kristina Flores, Children’s Ministry Manager

I’m sure most of you have prayed about something and then waited… and waited… and nothing seemed to change? Maybe you prayed for a situation to work out, for an answer to a problem, or even just for your day to go smoothly. And instead of a miracle, you got… the exact same situation you started with.  I think sometimes we treat prayer a little bit like a customer service request. We submit the request and then expect a quick response time. Preferably same-day delivery. But prayer isn’t Amazon Prime for life problems. 

by Erick Flores, Ministry Apprentice

Migrating to a new country without knowing any English, adjusting to a completely different environment and culture — that is a huge change that can easily discourage someone. But it can definitely surprise you how comfortable and confident you can become in the United States in just one year. Today, I will be talking about Elian Heredia and the huge impact he has made at Mission Adelante.

by Elaine Reimers, Adult Ministry Director

It has been a busy last few months in the Adult Ministry department at Mission Adelante. For those of you who are a bit newer to Mission Adelante, the Adult Ministry department consists of three weekly programs and church on Sunday evenings. The three programs are Latino ESL on Thursdays, Citizenship on Tuesdays, and Refugee ESL on Mondays. Between the three weekly programs, we have 58 amazing and dedicated volunteers and 102 determined students! Thank you, God, for all of them, because it is an honor and a pleasure to serve alongside our beloved volunteers in a place where our immigrant community has the opportunity to learn what they need to know to improve their lives educationally, mentally, and spiritually.

By Carla Garcia, Partner Engagement Director

In Mexico, you don’t just say “thank you.”
You invite someone to your table.

You make space. You warm tortillas. You stir the pot a little longer. You serve the best portion to your guest before serving yourself. In my culture, sharing a meal is one of the most sacred ways we express gratitude. It says: I’m thankful for you.

Some of my most meaningful memories are around a table: laughter echoing off kitchen walls, hands passing plates, stories flowing as freely as the salsa. Food isn’t just food in Mexico. It carries history. It carries sacrifice. It carries love. Recipes are not simply instructions, they are inheritance.

by Erika Guedez, Community Resource Manager

It all starts on a Tuesday at 6:00am.

I wake up and organize my day with my husband. I prepare lunch, get my daughter ready, and take her to daycare. Then I head to work. Tuesdays are the longest days for me. I arrive at Mission Adelante at 8:30am, update information, answer emails, messages, and calls, and prepare the attendance list to organize the citizenship class groups.

I know, I admit it: sometimes I'm a little intense about making sure none of the students miss class. For me, every day counts, especially because Tuesdays also exist thanks to people with hearts willing to serve. Volunteers, men and women who, like the students, come from demanding jobs, family responsibilities, and long days. However, they decide to give their time because they believe in this purpose.

by Patrique Harris, Ministry Director

Growing up in Jamaica, I have always been fascinated with the history of the Caribbean and Jamaica in particular. From the Indigenous peoples who first inhabited the land, to Europeans who arrived, killed, and colonized, and the brutal transatlantic slave trade that fueled sugar plantations, and fattened the purses of imperial “powers”, our past is marked by immense pain, violence, and exploitation. Yet, the story of our people is not defined by cruelty alone. It is also a story of vision, resolve, defiance, and authenticity. 

by Kristina Flores, Children’s Ministry Manager

There is a word in the English language that makes absolutely no sense to me. Ineffable: too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words. 

How can a word be used to describe something that cannot be described??? That feels illegal! Please tell me I’m not alone in thinking that makes zero sense. I need everyone to understand the severity of how much this word has caused me to lose my marbles. I can’t remember where or how I first heard it (definitely something I’ll be asking God one day), but I do remember the confusion hitting me immediately. I couldn’t keep this dumb word to myself, so naturally, I asked everyone if they were aware of this nonsense. People laughed. But I was serious. I needed answers. Who created this word? Why would they do such a thing? Were they okay? No one has answers. And so, for years, I’ve been stuck carrying the burden of this word.

by Elaine Reimers, Adult Ministry Director

I am in my third year of this blessed (pun intended!) ministry journey that began, truthfully, from desperation. In November of 2023, after six years of being cooped up in a corporate sales office and feeling disconnected from my family and community, I decided to leave my job (and, unfortunately, some really great friends I acquired over those years) in search of a more meaningful job. Never in my life did I imagine I would end up in ministry, and even if I had dreamed about a ministry job, I highly doubt I would have picked adult ministry! I have carried in my womb, birthed, and reared four children, so of course I would want to do children’s ministry, right?! Negative! Although I genuinely love children and definitely recognize the importance and value of children’s ministry, I am not the one! My hat goes off to people like (excuse me while I name drop!) Megan Fountain (McDermott), Patrique Harris, Carla García, Erick Flores, Kristina Flores-Muñoz (she´s my daughter-in-law!), and every single one of our Mission Adelante Children’s and Youth Ministry volunteers! Thank you for doing what you do so that people like me don’t have to!

by Erick Flores, Ministry Apprentice

I have now completed my 20th year of life. I often think back and reminisce about the past, and Mission Adelante is always present in my memories. Mission Adelante has made a huge impact on my life—it changed me for the better. Mission Adelante is a home to me.

Many people don’t often realize the huge impact volunteers make on our participants. They’re not just volunteers; they’re friends. I was once a participant myself when I was younger. I attended our former Youth Club, Latino Teens Adelante. My older sister, Carla, and her now-husband (then boyfriend), Daniel, tried to get me involved in teens for a long time. They were apprentices at the time. It wasn’t until I got in trouble at school that my mom forced me to go to teens. Little did I know, it would be the best reward I ever received for getting in trouble.

By Carla Garcia, Partner Engagement Director

As we step into 2026, we do so in a time that feels increasingly divided. It has become normal to close ourselves off, to stay within what feels familiar, and to hesitate when it comes to welcoming others. In the midst of this, Mission Adelante has been a place that lives differently, a community committed to radical welcome, even when it would be easier not to.

Mission Adelante has been that place for me. A community that welcomed me before I had a role, before I knew how I could serve, before I had words for what I was carrying. I was met with presence, patience, and care. And in that, I caught a glimpse of what Scripture means when it says, “You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but members of God’s household” (Ephesians 2:19). Belonging came first. Everything else came later.