Light in the Dark

Written by Andrew Pollock and Rachel Schwagerman, Mission Adelante summer interns

The Prescott neighborhood is across the street from Mission Adelante. The historic neighborhood is tight-knit with cute old houses, but over the years has become run down and is now home to many immigrants and aliens living below the poverty line. All of the problems that parallel poverty, such as drug abuse, drunkenness and gang activity have made it a less-than-desirable neighborhood. This is where many of the Mission Adelante families live. Last week we had the great privilege to host one of our kids camps in the neighborhood park and had the great help of the youth group from Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC). For three evenings, we took over the park, which included playing, dancing, singing, running, and laughing with around 40 children, transforming it from darkness to light for a couple of hours these evenings. To be able to provide that experience for those kids is such a great feeling, because certainly no one else is. We sang fun Bible songs, and neighbors drove by, some gawking and some smiling through their windows. These summer events are our outreach time and having the youth of EBC to help was a great blessing. As a result, several new kids came to Kids Adelante on Thursday night and hopefully they will keep coming throughout the year.

One of my (Rachel) favorite things about living in this immigrant neighborhood and serving as an intern for the summer is the availability that I have for the kids and families who live right in my own back yard. Getting to surprise-visit kids who have been sitting all day in their homes dying of boredom really excites me when I knock on their door and they see my face. One little girl who I spent a lot of time with this week by taking her to the kids camp was my sweet friend, seven year old Galilea. Previously that week, I promised her a visit and she grew in excitement. When I showed up at her door, she was ready to go in less than 30 seconds. We first took a trip to the Paleteria, a famous ice cream shop that is right behind Prescott Park where we had planted our kids camp. I got her a cool treat before we spent the next few hours playing games outside. The joy that she had on her face and the excitement that it brought me when seeing her participate in fellowship with her friends and singing songs, encouraged me for the rest of the week. I see the work of the Lord everywhere, even in places where you least expect it.

I (Andrew) have been playing around like a kid with several of the Adelante boys this summer, and I believe it is the most valuable work I do. There are so many heart-wrenching stories of lost dads, older brothers in jail and all kinds of traumatic events that fill our kids' lives. So when I can spend an afternoon riding bikes, or an hour kicking a soccer ball with one of these guys, I know my time is well spent because of the smile stuck on their face and the joy in their eyes. In a world that constantly crushes these families, having hope is a struggle. That’s why God blesses us by giving us hope and faith. The freedom that Christ brings us can be made real, here and now! Therefore, the Gospel is of tremendous worth to these young souls, and mine too, and even more so now that I have joined them in a small way in their experience of living as outsiders.

In other news:

• Immigration seminar on July 24: We're very excited to announce the next Adelante Missions Institute Saturday Seminar on Saturday, July 24. Dr. Danny Carroll and Jenny Hwang will speak on the timely and important topic of immigration. Please follow this link for all the details and to register!
• Two of the summer interns are celebrating birthdays this week. On their own initiative, they used the occasions to host a birthday party here in the neighborhood last Saturday and invited our whole Latino community to celebrate with them! We are so proud of the way they're fully engaged in Mission Adelante's vision.
• Last weekend the Board of Directors approved the Bhutanese outreach pilot as a permanent component of Mission Adelante's ministry! This came sooner than expected because of the obvious viability and relevance of the outreach. The approval opens the opportunity to begin to hire staff to fill key roles.

Prayer needs:

• Praise God with us! A Latino family that we've been pursuing for four years through our English classes and Kids Adelante outreaches took the step to come to our worship celebration for the first time on Sunday. Please pray that they would be moved to worship with us again.
• Please continue to pray for deep discussion and for the young people's understanding of spiritual things to be nurtured as Latino pre-teen girls, teen girls, and teen guys meet in separate Bible studies throughout the summer.
• Pray for refreshment for staff and volunteers during this break week, and that our outreach programs will not have suffered any loss of momentum when they meet again next week.

Current needs:

• We're looking for a couch to help furnish the home of a Bhutanese family. We can pick it up anytime during the day this Monday, July 5. If you have one that you would like to donate, please e-mail David Stetler, and attach a photo of the couch if possible.

Important dates:

• Today, June 29: Mid-Trimester Break. No Bhutanese outreach programs.
• Thursday, July 1: Mid-Trimester Break. No Latino outreach programs.

Partnering to Bless Neighborhood Kids

It's no surprise that Latino children love soccer, but it was obvious last week that Bhutanese kids also share this passion! Goran Hunjak with Victory through Soccer ministry teamed up with Christ Community Church and Mission Adelante to offer a three-day soccer camp to the kids of our community. Despite some challenging logistics because of rain, the camp was amazing.

On Tuesday night around 130 kids from our neighborhood converged on Regan Field near Mission Adelante, and participated in what to me was a community spectacle. Youth from Christ Community Church served as volunteer coaches, Bhutanese and Latino children moved from station to station practicing drills, and parents sat in the stands and marveled that their children were being loved by this group of young strangers who might just as easily have rejected them as different if not for Jesus.

One of the stations brought about more excitement than the others; it was the station where each child received a new pair of soccer cleats and a backpack with Mission Adelante's logo embroidered on it! As I watched the event unfold I was filled with thanksgiving for what God is doing among our immigrant friends, for the amazing staff and volunteers that He has brought to serve with us, and for the generosity of so many people who give so that we can serve and bless the Mission Field in our Own Backyard!

In other news:

• We want to give a big "Thanks!" to the Alexander family for spearheading the cleat collection that allowed each child at the soccer camp last week to receive a pair!
• We also want to thank Matt Totsch for answering our call for computer networking support! Thanks to Matt, things are running more smoothly around here.
• This has been the month of summer VBS activities for our kids! The youth group from Emmanuel Baptist Church kicked off this week's evening activities Sunday with supper and a movie on our soccer field.

Prayer needs:

• Mayra and her family have been a faithful part of our community for a couple of years. Last week her brother was killed in Mexico. The tragedy was compounded for Mayra by her inability to return to Mexico for the funeral and to be with the whole family. We held a memorial service for Mayra's brother on Saturday, and the family was comforted to be surrounded by so many supportive friends. Please pray for continuing comfort for Mayra and her family, and that they'll find God faithful and their faith will be strengthened during this difficult time.
• Please pray for safety to cover everyone present at the evening kids' activities this week. For the sake of outreach, the activities are held in a local park, but it is known for gang activity.
• The Latino teen guys and gals will be in separate Bible Studies for the course of the summer, which begin this weekend. Please pray for them to go deep in discussion and in seeking God.
• Pray for the Mission Adelante Board Meeting this Sunday, for wisdom to make decisions pertaining to the Mission's future direction.

Current needs:

• A 13" or larger T.V. with a built-in DVD player or a separate DVD player for use in our children's ministry.
• Books and DVDs with Christian content suitable for small children, such as Veggie Tales.
• Fans to cool our offices and classrooms (we're trying to save money on electricity!)

Upcoming dates:

• June 29: Summer break. No Bhutanese outreach activities.
• July 1: Summer break. No Latino outreach activities.

He Saved the Best for Last!

Written by Megan McDermott

The summer is an exciting time at Mission Adelante, particularly for the children of Leaders in Training. LIT is an after-school leadership development program for select kids who have demonstrated faithfulness in the Outreach Bible study and a have a hunger to learn more about God. The kids attend the program three days a week during the school year and as a reward for their hard work, we take a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in December and a lake trip in June.
We loaded up and set off Friday afternoon for the lake trip with a group of twenty-five kids, volunteers, and families. For many of the kids, this was their first time camping and really experiencing nature outside the city. After we arrived and set up camp, the kids were anxious to get in the water. We spent that first night playing, laughing, swimming, eating amazing tacos and s'mores, and enjoying the beauty that surrounded us.
As we sat around the campfire and enjoyed the stillness of dusk, I asked the group to close their eyes and really listen to the sounds of the forest. We talked about the story of Creation and how God intentionally created so many glorious things for us to care for and enjoy. I asked the kids why they thought God waited until the sixth day to create man. They realized that God loved us so much that He, "...wanted to save the best for last."
Our trip was cut a little short due to inclement weather but I believe that God's desire was for them to experience His creation in a new and tangible way. I am so thankful for the time that we got to spend together and I pray that next year's trip will be even better!

In other news:

• Mission Adelante acquired a twelve passenger shuttle bus from Heartland Community Church. It is going to facilitate transportation considerably!
• The Christ Community Church youth group is on a Missions Trip to Mission Adelante this week. They're completing work projects in the morning and engaging with Latino and Bhutanese kids at a 3-day Soccer Camp during the evenings. Yesterday, more than 70 kids came for the first evening!

Prayer needs:

• Pray for security and peace of mind for Bhutanese refugee families that have been the victims of recent break-ins. Also pray that those living in unsafe locations will have the opportunity to move to a better location.
• Please pray for the Bhutanese Outreach Ministry Team that has just formed to have unity of vision and to develop deep relationships.
• Please pray for David & Brooke Coon as they try to find a home in our neighborhood and begin the process of fundraising and preparing to come on staff as apprentices.

Current needs:

• We have great need for a volunteer computer technician to help us with some wireless networking. Please call Jarrett Meek at 913-909-0627 or e-mail him at jarrettm@missionadelante.org if you can help us!
• Fans to cool our offices (we're trying to save money on electricity!)
• Paper towels for use in our facility
• A window air conditioner, which was requested in the Resource Center
• Volunteers for L.I.T.-our after-school tutoring program-which will begin again in September. If you would like to find out more, please call Megan McDermott at 816-210-2187.

Upcoming dates:

• June 29: Summer break. No Bhutanese outreach programs.
• July 1: Summer break. No Latino outreach programs.

Maybe We're Not So Different After All...

Written by Megan McDermott

Remember when you were a kid and the freedom of those first few days of summer vacation loomed in front of you? At Mission Adelante, the summer is always an invitation and an exciting opportunity for our community to invest deeply in the children. This past week, a group of about twenty volunteers from Shoal Creek Community Church came to help launch the Bhutanese and Hispanic children's ministries. We were excited to begin our summer with our very first joint VBS with both the Hispanic and Bhutanese children. Between games, Bible study, crafts, and some yummy ice cream, an incredible change began to happen.

Many of the kids attend the same local schools and know each other. However, cultural differences can sometimes make friendship difficult. Both groups of kids are often torn between finding their niche between their native cultures and the American culture. The first night of the camp, amongst eighty-five exuberant children, we noticed that the kids were shy around each other. They didn't know what to make of each other and were hesitant to interact.

As the camp proceeded, though, we noticed that through passionate soccer games, dance parties, and incredible teaching from the Shoal Creek group, the kids began to play and laugh together. The shyness evaporated as the kids began to see that they weren't so different from each other and that maybe, just maybe, this new friend that they had made might be able to understand them in a really deep way.

As the summer goes on and the kids continue to engage in various activities, we are excited to see how God moves. His heart for these children is amplified when they are in a mixed context because, though these kids seem to be so different, they are all children of the Most High God.

In other news:

• Our three summer interns are here! Jill Berghaus, Andrew Pollock, and Rachel Schwagerman are well into their second week and have hit the ground running. The three of them are excited to be living in our neighborhood and immersed in our community.
• The Bhutanese ESL outreach has grown from one class in the winter to three classes this summer. It has been challenging to coordinate, but the Bhutanese people are grateful and undemanding.
• Brennan Nicholas Schoff was born to Jason, Megan, and big brother Declan on Wednesday, June 2. He had a safe delivery and according to dad, "he's phenomenal!"
• Mission Adelante is continuing to explore ways to support indigenous ministry efforts in Q-ba.

Prayer needs:

• The eight preteen Leaders In Training students that completed the program year are going camping at Hillsdale Lake this weekend as a reward. Among a few of their families, volunteers, and staff, 25 people will be on the trip. Please pray for safety throughout the weekend and good fellowship.
• Please pray for God to iron out the remaining logistics for our youth soccer camp next week, and that the camp would run smoothly, attracting new kids from the neighborhood to God.
• Pray for our interns as they get deeply involved in our community this summer. Pray for abundant opportunities for them to connect with people relationally and for learning.

Current needs:

• We have great need of a volunteer computer technician to help us set up computer systems and some wireless networking. It would all amount to about a day's work. Please call Jarrett Meek at 913-909-0627 or e-mail him at jarrettm@missionadelante.org if you can help us!
• Fans to cool our offices (we're trying to save money on electricity!)
• Paper towels for use in our facility
• A window air conditioner, which was requested in the Resource Center

Upcoming dates:

• June 29: Summer break. No Bhutanese outreach programs.
• July 1: Summer break. No Latino outreach programs.