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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
by Kristina Flores, Children’s Ministry Manager
When I think about Mission Adelante, I don’t just see a place, I see God’s presence moving in powerful ways. From the volunteers to the staff, from the students to the spaces we gather in, there’s an undeniable anointing that flows through everything this organization touches.
by Erick Flores, Ministry Apprentice
Arts Community is filled with kids who love art and are always eager to learn something new! We offer six exciting classes and are always looking for more students and volunteers to join us on Monday nights. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to lead Arts Community, and I am incredibly grateful for our amazing volunteers — I couldn’t do it without them!
by Elaine Reimers, Adult Ministry Director
The majority of you know him. You'll probably hear him before you see him if you walk through the door of Mission Adelante on a Thursday night. I have never seen him have a bad day, or at least it never shows in class. In fact, when I think of Gregg Frost, our beloved and faithful volunteer who has served for nearly twenty years, I hear his heartfelt chuckle and see his kind smile, not to mention the excitement in his eyes about teaching another level 1 ESL lesson!
It's hard to believe that twenty years ago we were preparing to launch Mission Adelante! So many beautiful memories, friends, and so much ministry fruit! And now it's time to celebrate God’s faithfulness!
On Thursday, September 18th, Mission Adelante will host SHINE, our first ever gala event, to celebrate 20 years of "loving people from all places." Since this is the kind of thing that only comes around once every couple of decades, we're really planning a special event that is worthy of this milestone moment. We would love for you to join us!
Here are some details:
Date and Time: Thursday, September 18, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
Venue: Children's Mercy Park (Home of Sporting KC)
Reception: Food, live jazz music, stadium experience including access to player locker room, media room.
Special Guests: Dan Deeble (Emcee), Dániel Sallói (Sporting KC Forward and Team Captain), Brad Gregory Jazz Quartet.
Program: Inspiring in-person and video elements celebrating the past and igniting the future of Mission Adelante. This program will kick off our 2025 year-end fundraising campaign.
Tickets: Individual tickets are available on our website for $250 each.
We hope you’ll join us to celebrate and launch Mission Adelante into its next 20 years!
by Carla Garcia, Ministry Director
When people encounter Mission Adelante today, a vibrant multicultural ministry with deep community roots and a transformative impact. It’s easy to see the fruit. But what often goes unseen is the daily, faithful work that built it.
Our founder, Jarrett Meek, didn’t wake up one day with a fully formed nonprofit in his hands. Mission Adelante was built slowly, over days, weeks, and years. It was shaped by intentional relationships, consistent service, shared meals, hard conversations, and persistent prayer. The kind of work that is quiet and steady, and changes lives.
Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Manhattan, Kansas with our summer interns, staying at the home of Jarrett’s parents, Palmer and Marti Meek. What I saw there reminded me of how much of Mission Adelante’s DNA comes from this legacy.
Palmer Meek, a man of quiet strength, built a life for his family one day at a time. He didn’t rush to make a name for himself. Instead, he invested in things that matter: integrity, faithfulness, and community. Now in his later years, his legacy lives on in his children and grandchildren, and in the seeds he planted through consistent action.
And Marti—Marti has built a home. Her pride and joy is her family, and it shows in every room. The photos on the walls, the way she talks about her grandkids, the warmth in her hospitality. It all speaks to a life spent loving deeply and intentionally. As we sat around her kitchen table, surrounded by family photos and laughter, I saw the result of years of quiet, loving labor. She has built a family that is now her pride and joy, and that same care echoes through the culture of Mission Adelante.
It hit me deeply, the heart of Mission Adelante, the love, the patience, the commitment to people, isn’t just something Jarrett decided to pursue. It was woven into him by the family who raised him. It made me emotional, honestly. Because in so many ways, what Mission Adelante is today is a reflection of that same kind of slow, steady love. This weekend reminded me that the most meaningful things in life are built slowly, lovingly, day by day. That’s how Mission Adelante was built. And that’s how we’ll continue.
Now, 20 years in, we believe the best is still to come. There are more families to walk alongside, more leaders to raise up, more bridges to build between cultures and hearts. And as we look toward the next 20 years of Mission Adelante, I want to invite you to be part of it.
On September 18th, we’re hosting a gala, SHINE! It’s a night to celebrate all that’s been built so far and to dream about what’s still to come. I’d love to see you there—whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or are just getting to know our heart.
Come shine with us! Let’s keep building something that lasts—together.
Summer is here! We’d love to include you in some of the excitement during our summer trimester!
Come and See Nights: July 14, 15, 16, 17
Visit one of our programs and get a first-hand look at how you could make an impact as a volunteer. Learn more at missionadelante.org/serve
Summer Arts Camp: July 21-24
Contact Erick Flores about volunteer opportunities at Summer Arts Camp: erickf@missionadelante.org
by Patrique Harris, Ministry Director
Back row from left: Erick (Monistry Apprentice), Blake, Anisha, Sonia, and William
Front row from left: Patrique, Unisha, and Josée
It’s the most wonderful time of the (Mission Adelante) year—our summer interns are here! Each year, we welcome a few eager teen leaders to join our team, and this year may just be our best group yet. Last week, Josée, Sonia, William, Anisha, Blake, and Unisha came through our doors, excited to grow in their faith, deepen their friendships, and develop as leaders.
One of Mission Adelante’s core values is developing leaders. We are committed to equipping and empowering emerging leaders from our community through hands-on ministry experience and mentorship. This summer, our interns will be leading classes and activities for kids and youth, participating in exposure trips, serving the community, and engaging in a variety of training workshops.
Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to so far!
Connecting with Past Interns
We kicked off the summer with a special breakfast reunion with past summer interns, bringing together participants throughout the years. It was eye-opening to hear their reflections—favorite memories, biggest challenges, and how their summer internship experience shaped their lives. Though the structure of the program has evolved over the years (no more 7am exercise), many of the key learnings have remained strikingly similar. What a gift to witness the legacy of this program in action!
Visit to Epic Arts
As part of our exposure trips, we love introducing interns to other organizations doing meaningful work in the neighborhood. Our visit to Epic Arts stood out! Epic is a local clay studio on 6th Street that offers affordable pottery classes to the community. On our visit, the interns not only learned about the organization’s mission, but also had the chance to try their hand at pottery. For several of them, it was their first time on the wheel—and let’s just say the final pieces were beautiful, a few more abstract than others!
Retreat in Manhattan
Next, we hit the road for our much-anticipated opening retreat in Manhattan, KS. I’m always amazed at how quickly and deeply relationships form during retreats. We cooked meals, worshiped, explored the city, and of course, played a lot together. A favorite moment? When the gentlemen took charge of breakfast duty! The ladies (from just outside the kitchen) couldn’t help but offer a little guidance. It was a beautiful lesson in trust for the ladies and a crash course in teamwork for the guys.
The Summer Internship is intense, but our interns are already stepping up in big ways. Please join us in praying for stamina, wisdom, and continued growth for this group. Thank you to everyone who has supported this flagship program over the years. Because of you, we continue to raise young leaders who will shape the future of our neighborhood.
Summer is here! We’d love to include you in some of the excitement during our summer trimester!
Come and See Nights: July 14, 15, 16, 17
Visit one of our programs and get a first-hand look at how you could make an impact as a volunteer. Learn more at missionadelante.org/serve
Summer Arts Camp: July 21-24
Contact Erick Flores about volunteer opportunities at Summer Arts Camp: erickf@missionadelante.org
