A New Video for Mission Adelante

In this week's edition of The Adelante Express we invite you to watch our new video and catch a glimpse of the vision, heart and strategy behind our ministry to Hispanic immigrants. We also invite you to consider the call to get involved by Praying, Serving, or Giving.

Thank you for your support!




Mission Adelante Video from Jarrett on Vimeo.

A big thank you to Andy Michael and Heartland's HEMI division for producing this exciting tool!

An Immigrant's Vulnerability

Imagine being faced with this choice—leave your daughter back home in Honduras and find work in the United States so you can send money home for tuition for her to become a teacher and have a future and opportunity. Or, stay home and know your daughter and participate in her childhood and upbringing, but sacrifice any real chance for her to gain the education necessary to break the cycle of poverty and despair.

That was the choice that Noelia, an English student in our program on Thursday nights, faced. About five years ago, she made the decision to leave her daughter and come here looking for work. Two years ago, she married a Mexican man to whom a friend introduced her. Due to abuse in the relationship, Noelia left her home and lived in a friend’s basement for several months this summer.

Through her relationship with her conversation partner in our English program, we were made aware of Noelia’s situation and needs. Jason Schoff and Seth Sears were able to meet with her, pray with her and provide donated goods for her to use in her new home.

We’re thankful that God has provided us an opportunity to care and provide for Noelia. Her situation is a stark reminder to us of the vulnerability that many immigrants here in the area face. However, it’s this very vulnerability that God uses to reach people’s hearts and turn them to him.

Please pray with us for Noelia and her family, that God would continue to provide for and protect them. Pray also that he would continue to reveal his love and grace to her that she might come to know and worship him.

In other news:

• Thirty-five adults and 36 kids attended the Worship Celebration at the Mission Sunday evening. Five Hispanic adults played supporting roles, including serving communion.
• Elaine, a member of our community, invited an acquaintance to the Worship Celebration, and he brought his family.
• Adiella was born to volunteers Jacob and Michelle Holland last Tuesday, October 7. The delivery went well and Michelle and Adiella are both doing fine.

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for Hispanic co-leaders in both Bible study groups to embrace their roles and grow in leadership.
• Please pray for the continuing development of the Sunday evening children's ministry, which corresponds to Worship Celebrations and Bible studies. A strategy is in place, but further development is necessary.

Current needs:

• Salma, a 12 year old Leaders In Training student, needs a winter coat. Her family also needs a washing machine.
• Help us stock the Resource Center with winter apparel including coats, hats, scarves, and gloves, especially women's and children's items.

Upcoming dates:

• November 1: Christmas family adoption begins. If you, your family, or your small group, etc., is interested in buying gifts for a needy family in our neighborhood this Christmas, e-mail Seth at seths@missionadelante.org!
• Monday, December 1 @ 6:30: All Volunteer Team Meeting @ The Mission.
• Saturday, December 13: Trimester-end Party

Friendship Contributes to Language Learners' Success

How do you make learning English enjoyable for adults? We combine English with friendship. Mission Adelante's English classes are unique because we emphasize relationships. We believe that students are most successful when they have a friend and fluent English speaker teaching them. Although a staff member or veteran volunteer teaches the class, we alone are limited in our impact. Each of our weekly volunteers play a key role in connecting with students, helping them meet a real need, and giving us a platform for sharing about Christ. This is great in theory but seeing it work is very rewarding.

Monday night, volunteer Irene and her student, Yolanda, came to study together during open tutoring. Yolanda shared how she tells all of her coworkers about Irene. “My coworkers know you by name! I tell them how much you are helping me and how they, too, should come study English with Mission Adelante.” What a sweet story! Irene, like many others, has helped us build trust with our students. This opens the door to pray with students, invite them to our church activities, and share personally about Christ’s love. Thanks, Irene, and all who serve with English Adelante!

In other news:

• We're six weeks in to the first year of Leaders In Training. We've been pleased with the twelve students' consistent attendance and growth in attitude and character!
• Many thanks to Jenny Evans of Redemption Church for providing a complete meal for Leaders In Training students and volunteers each Wednesday afternoon.
• The fence is going up and grass is sprouting in the soccer field we're building on the Mission's property.

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for good attendance at the worship celebration this Sunday. Alberto, an emerging leader in our community of faith, will lead communion for the first time.
• Please pray for Michelle Holland, Kids Adelante and LIT volunteer, as she delivers her & Jacob's first baby this week, and recovers from the delivery.

Current needs:

We know that work opportunities for those in our community become more scarce during the winter. The Resource Center is dedicated to providing necessities for families in need. However, the shelves in our Resource Center for food items are becoming bare.

If you come to the Mission or the neighborhood routinely, we'd like to encourage you to pick up a couple of the following items the next time you're at the grocery store, bring them up with you, and drop them off!

• bagged beans, black or pinto
• rice
• vegetable oil
• sugar
• cereal

Important upcoming dates:

• November 1: Christmas family adoption begins. If you, your family, or your small group, etc., is interested in buying gifts for a needy family in our neighborhood this Christmas, e-mail Seth at seths@missionadelante.org!
• Monday, December 1 @ 6:30: All Volunteer Team Meeting @ The Mission.
• Saturday, December 13: Trimester-end Party