Thursday, September 25, 2014

Turning the World Upside Down

By Hannah Hume, Bhutanese Teens Ministry Coordinator

At Mission Adelante we envision a growing multicultural community of disciples making disciples. This vision is the at the core of everything we do and how we do it. We believe that expanding God's kingdom through the transformation of individual lives is at the heart of God's call for us and is the only way to see lasting change in ourselves, our communities, our cities, and our world.

 As a Kansas City, Kansas resident I often get an front-row seat to the hard and broken aspects of the city. Drugs, domestic violence, bigotry, and unjust systems abound. It can be overwhelming at times. However, I know there is hope. I don't find this hope in government programs, or changing laws, or hungry bellies fed. Laws can always change again, and those who were hungry will be hungry again tomorrow. I find hope in stories of lives transformed, like Narbu.

A couple of weeks ago I sat with 19 year old Narbu in his living room while he shared his concern for many of the young men in our community, and his desire to see them know Jesus and have their lives transformed. Why is this young man so concerned about his peers? Because a few years ago, Narbu himself was in a gang. However, through a series of miraculous events, his Hindu family came to know Jesus. Narbu was exposed to the good news of Jesus as well, and responded with his own personal commitment of faith.  Narbu turned his back on gang life, and is now newly married and an avid participant in a house church and in our teens ministry here at Mission Adelante. He dreams of ministering to and seeing young men from similar backgrounds as his escape their current lives and embrace the full life Jesus offers.

Narbu's is just one of a number of stories like this. Jesus offers good news--not just eternal security, but an invitation to have full life today, and to participate in bringing full life to those around us. When we talk about making disciples, our aim is not to clean people up morally, or to teach a Bible class. Rather, it is to display a daily walk with Jesus that affects every area of our lives and calls others to walk with us, like Paul described in 1 Corinthians when he wrote, "Follow me, as I follow Christ."

I dream of the day when the Mission Adelante community is accused of "turning the world upside down" like Jesus' followers in Acts 17:6 (ESV).  Care to join us?

Prayer needs:

  • Please pray for Mon Maya Rai, the matriarch of one of our Bhutanese house churches, as she continues to struggle with health problems, and for the community surrounding her.
Current needs:
  • Bhutanese LIT is currently in need of 3 Thursday mentors to serve from 4:00-6:15 on Thursday afternoons.  If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Kristen Maxwell at Kristenm@missionadelante.org.
Important dates:

  • Get-acquainted Days: Tuesdays, October 14 & 21 (Bhutanese)/Thursdays, October 16 & 23, 6:30-8:30  Have you wondered what all goes on around here on a typical evening of programming?  Here's your opportunity to come and see for yourself!  Come on up to 22 S. 18th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102.
  • Thursday, September 18, 2014

    Becoming Found Together

    By Drew Hammond, Bhutanese Ministry Logistics Coordinator

    “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their possessions and property and were sharing with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”


    Acts 2:42-47 is a great passage. It is one of the first accounts of people gathering together after Jesus was resurrected and ascended to be with the Father.  It’s passages like these that gives inspiration for our vision at Mission Adelante. “We envision a growing multicultural community of disciples making disciples, where immigrants and others are thriving and using our gifts together to transform our neighborhood and the world for the glory of Jesus Christ.” That statement can be played out in a number of ways, through our various programs. For the Bhutanese Teens Ministry, it looks like what happened last night with the launch of our new trimester.


    We gathered in the home of one of our staff members with a team of volunteers and invited a group of 6 Bhutanese students to come and meet with us. These students all come from a Hindu or Buddhist background, and are people with whom we have been sharing life. They have all voiced interest in learning more about Jesus and how to follow Him as Lord. In response to their persistent interest, we gathered them together to mimic what we see in Acts 2:42-47, and to become a spiritual family, devoting ourselves to Jesus.


    To start off, we spent some time getting to know each other and shedding tears brought on by the spicy Nepali snack we were enjoying. We moved into a time of worship, singing in both Nepali and English.  The teaching time was focused on two passages: Genesis 3:9 and Acts 2:42-47. The focus of Genesis 3:9 was to draw out what it means for us as individuals to be people who choose to be found by God, through the work of Jesus, as He calls for all of us. Then we brought it together by reading Acts as our statement of how we do that together, become a spiritual family. We ended by sharing prayer needs and praises and by praying for those things, some in Nepali and some in English.

    Even on our first time bringing this group of people together, we had a sense of awe. Will you pray with us? Pray that many signs and wonders would take place in our lives. Pray for vision and clarity around who needs to be added to this group of people. And especially pray that we would increasingly become of one mind as we worship Jesus as Lord, and learn what it means to follow Him together.

    In other news:
    • Both our Latino Leaders in Training (LIT) program and our Bhutanese Leaders in Training (LIT) program launched this week, with 12 and 18 students, respectively! They're energetic and ready for a new year of learning and growing together. We are super excited to spend this school year pouring into these kids and their families.
    • The Bhutanese outreach had a great trimester launch on Tuesday night!  Many kids and English students were present, and it went smoothly. The Latino outreach launches tonight. Please pray for the ways God wants to work during this new trimester.
    • Five community members shared their stories at our volunteer training on Saturday.  Our immigrant community has taken more ownership in training incoming volunteers in the last year.
    • Gary Pauley has officially begun working part-time at Mission Adelante overseeing our Latino ESL program as he continues to raise funds to come on full time as our Latino Ministries Director.  We’re excited to have Gary on board!
    • Some of our staff members, volunteers, and participants were able to enjoy interesting experiences last week! Twenty five students and volunteers from Bhutanese English class went to a Royals game together. It was a first for many of them, and a great way to connect relationally outside of class. Additionally, a group of 15 Bhutanese teens and volunteers went to see The Blue Man Group at Starlight Theater. They had a lot of fun dancing and laughing!

    Prayer needs:
    • Please pray for the recovery of several staff members who are ill with the respiratory virus that is going around.
    • Please pray for new students and volunteers to make significant relational connections over the next few weeks.
    • Please pray for the last steps in our lease negotiations for a site for Adelante Thrift.  
    • Please pray for our our High School students that are beginning their Senior year. Senior year is a crucial and busy time for students and many of them have expressed feeling overwhelmed already with homework and preparations for graduation and beyond.

    Current needs:

    • Bhutanese LIT still needs----- mentors to help with homework and enrichment activities on THURSDAY afternoons from 4:00-6:30.  Please contact Kristen Maxwell if you are interested in helping out at kristenm@missionadelante.org.

    Important Dates:
    • September 24: No Latino LIT