Immigrant Kids Pitching in for Haiti

Written by Megan McDermott

I am always amazed at the heart of a child. Children seem to have such a pure heart for those that are less fortunate than themselves. As adults, we often get swept up in the everyday activities of work, family, and many other responsibilities. It often takes something as dramatic and heart breaking as an earthquake to get our attention. The earthquake in Haiti especially affected the children involved in our LIT (Leaders in Training) program. One pre-teen girl, Odalis, approached me right after it happened, asking if we might pray for the families affected by the earthquake. As we prayed, such a purity and love for the people of Haiti rose up out of the kids. It brought tears to the eyes of all the volunteers as children that had so little recognized that the most important thing they could offer was prayer.

Odalis approached me again the next day, expressing that she wanted to really DO something for the victims of the earthquake. We discussed it, and the kids voted in favor of hosting a bake sale and contributing all of the proceeds to World Vision. As last Thursday approached, the LIT kids were anxiously deciding what treats to bring and how much money they might raise. They were hopeful that if many people came, we might raise fifty dollars. The night of the bake sale, there was an excitement in the air during the Outreach Bible Study. The kids were so excited to partake in some cupcakes, chocoflan, cake, cookies, and flan cheesecake! Parents from the community, students from ESL classes, and other children poured through the doors at 8:30. At the end of the night as we counted up the total, we found that due to incredibly generous donations and support from our community, the LIT kids raised $220 dollars! They were extremely excited about the great blessing for the earthquake victims of Haiti that their efforts yielded. I always tell the kids to dream big and that God will provide even more than they can imagine. I am just so proud of their servant-hearts and how they constantly choose to place others before themselves. Thank you to all of the volunteers, parents, and friends that came down to support the bake sale!!

In other news:

• Eight adults from Mission Adelante will be traveling to Costa Rica in May for an eight-day Missions Training Trip. We'll be taking our ESL program on the road, connecting with the Sears family, and further equipping our volunteer team.
• Mission Adelante is blessed to be in partnership with a number of local churches. Last Sunday, Christ Community Church hosted our ministry along with their fourteen other local ministry partners in their commitment to local and global missions. We were grateful for the exposure and networking opportunity.
• Last week was a record week for kids' attendance in both the Hispanic and Bhutanese outreaches. Seventy-one kids came for Teens Adelante and Kids Adelante, combined, and 25 kids came to the Bhutanese kids club, including one boy that had arrived in the United States just three days before!

Prayer needs:

• An immigrant woman belonging to our faith community is expecting the arrival of a new baby any time now. Please join us in praying for a safe and smooth delivery and a very healthy baby girl!
• Please continue to pray for the cervical disc extrusion that Jarrett Meek has suffered in his neck. He is feeling some relief from the pain which he credits to prayer, and has an upcoming appointment to learn about treatment options. Please pray that the condition will be healed without surgery.
• Join us in praising God for several new families that have begun attending our worship services consistently.
• Please continue to pray with us for a good, long term solution to the dilemma of transporting the Bhutanese population to our outreach programs.

Current needs:

• A refrigerator for the newly constructed kitchen on the second floor of our facility.
• Diapers, sizes 3-5, in any size package, for distribution through the Resource Center.

Important dates:

• Saturday, February 27, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.: Adelante Missions Institute presents South America Mission’s Executive Director, Kirk Ogden from South Carolina to lead an interactive workshop on Character and Cross-Cultural Ministry. Kirk will explore the personal, spiritual, and character qualities that are essential for making a lasting impact in a cross-cultural context, as well as the pitfalls that the enemy commonly uses to sideline God’s people. I am convinced that the foundation of our ministry effectiveness lies more in our character than it does in our skills or abilities. So, let’s come together as a team, invite whomever you’d like, and spend some time diving deeper into this important topic. A continental breakfast will be provided. The cost will be $15 per person at the door. Please let us know if you plan to come by replying to morganh@missionadelante.org.
• Thursday, March 18: Spring break. No morning or evening activities.