Partnership for the Benefit of our Kids

Written by Megan McDermott, Latino Children's Ministry Director

Do you remember being asked as a child what you wanted to be when you grew up?  I remember that for me, that question had any number of answers, depending on the day.  Many of us had been told, "You can be anything you want to be!"

We can't assume the same for the kids we serve here in urban Kansas City, Kansas.  They may not approach the question of what they want to be and do with the same invincible sense of possibility that we did.  Many are exposed at a very young age to gangs, peer pressure, abuse, temptation to compromise their purity, and simply trying to fit in among the variety of cultures represented here.  Having become acquainted with many harsh realities of life at such a young age can rob them of their innocent enthusiasm to dream big, or to dream at all.

As we purpose to pour into the young leaders in our community by coming alongside them as they grow in their academic and character strengths, we recognize the absolute importance of the role the local public schools play. We have been working very hard these past four years to establish strong connections with the faculty at our neighborhood schools. We currently have active partnerships with ten different schools.  Kristen Maxwell (Bhutanese Children's Ministry Director) and I have been warmly accepted into many of these schools to share about Mission Adelante, the cultural concerns our kids face, and how we can better come alongside the teachers and administrators that fight so hard for the kids we love. Two weeks ago,  Kristen and I were given a few minutes to share with the Central Middle School faculty the beautiful things that the Lord is doing in some of their students' lives through LIT. 

As we look toward the future, I am excited to see our relationships with public school administrators and faculty grow stronger and deeper. We truly believe that the kids that we serve are the future leaders of our community.  Investing deeply in them now will produce the fruit of future Christian leaders that not only love the Lord but desire to see others come to love Him as well.

In other news:

• We had a great turnout and a great time at our Volunteer Orientation on Saturday morning.  We're so grateful for the Lord's provision of volunteers trimester after trimester.
• The leaders of the Kansas City Bhutanese community gathered together over the weekend to dream about what it would look like to work together on future projects.
• The Latino LIT (Leaders in Training) program launched this school year's program last week, and today is the very first day of Bhutanese LIT! Both groups are excited to begin growing together as a family, as they will by spending three afternoons a week together!
• A BIG thank you to Jarion Srack and her small group from Mill Creek Community Church for providing three months of snacks for Leaders in Training kids!
• If you'll be worshiping at Redeemer Fellowship this Sunday morning, stop by Mission Adelante's table at the LoveKC Fair and say hi!  LoveKC is a website launched by Redeemer Fellowship earlier this year to connect people and organizations to improve our city.

Prayer needs:

• We are engaging with ESL students to help them take on more leadership roles this trimester. Please pray for clear communication and good participation from our immigrant friends!
• Bhutanese Kids Club is taking on a whole new format and a new curriculum!  Please pray for a smooth transition for our mentors and kids.
• Pray for the Lord's guidance as all of our outreach programs get up and running this week for our Fall Trimester. Pray that He receives the glory in everything that we do!

Current needs:

• A folding card table and 4 folding chairs for use by the Bhutanese Leaders in Training.  Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org if you can provide one.
• Inexpensive floor lamps and extension cords to for Bhutanese Teens Club.  Contact Hannah Hume at hannahh@missionadelante.org for additional information.
• Three volunteers to serve at Kids Adelante each Thursday evening through December 6.  Please contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org for more information.
• Volunteers for Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons/early evening to mentor our Latino Leaders in Training kids.  Please contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org for more information.
• Thirty custom-printed t-shirts for our Leaders in Training to wear on field trips.  With an increased focus on enrichment this year we will be spending many afternoons out in the community!  Matching t-shirts will encourage a sense of unity, and will help us easily identify our kids in public places. Please contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org or Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org if you or someone you know would like to provide these shirts!

Important dates:

• Fall trimester launch: Latino Programs--Tonight! September 13, 6:30 p.m.

Check Out Our New Video!!

Mission Adelante Video 2012 from Mission Adelante on Vimeo.

Eleven Bhutanese Students Join the Ranks of Leaders In Training!

Written by Kristen Maxwell, Bhutanese Children's Ministry Director

About a year ago I had the privilege of walking two of our Nepali sixth grade girls--refugees whose families had resettled in Kansas City--through the application process for an afternoon scholarship program.  Part of the application involved a placement test which had three portions to it:  reading, math and writing.  When I picked the girls up from the placement test,  I asked them how it went.  With a panicked expression they asked me, “Kristen, what is a spaceship?”  The writing assessment prompt that they were asked to respond to involved a spaceship, and they didn’t know what that was.  Two of our brightest girls who spoke very good English had no clue what a spaceship was.  

This fall, we are setting out with the goal of teaching everyone what a spaceship is.  Well, not really, but we are hoping that through partnership with students, families, community members and volunteers we will be able to expose a select group of students to enrichment activities and experiences that will set them up for success!  Who are these kids?  They are the 11 new Bhutanese Leaders in Training students!  

We are thrilled to be launching this new branch of Mission Adelante’s Leaders in Training program to our Bhutanese students.  This fall marks the fifth year of the Latino Leaders in Training and the first for the Bhutanese.  We are excited about dreaming of the future the Lord holds for these kids, and what it will hold as they become leaders, changing their lives, families and communities!

If you are interested in investing in our Leaders in Training we are currently in need of volunteer tutors for both the Latino and Bhutanese ministries, which take place Monday through Thursday afternoons in the 3:00 to 7:00 time frame.  We also have a list of current material needs.   For information on the Latino LIT Program, contact Megan McDermott at Meganm@missionadelante.org.  For more information on the Bhutanese LIT Program, contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.

In other news:

• The Latino Leaders in Training Program had a Volunteer Training and Ice Cream Social on Tuesday evening to gear up for this school-year.  All 13 of the children invited were present with their parents! We are excited to kick off the program next week. 

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for our volunteers and students as they make commitments for the fall trimester. We are thankful that the Lord is so faithful, leading some to serve and others to rest. May his purposes be accomplished by the teams he puts together this fall!

Current needs:

• Six volunteers to serve in Bhutanese Kids Club on Tuesday evenings from September 11 through December 4. Please contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org.
• A folding card table and 4 folding chairs for use by the Bhutanese Leaders in Training.  Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org if you can provide one.
• Sixteen-ounce packages of pasta, pinto beans, and bottles of oil, which we include in food staple bags that are distributed through our Resource Center. Please contact Molly at mollym@missonadelante.org if you can provide any.
• Christ-following men and women to volunteer as mentors in Leaders In Training, our after-school tutoring program. Four females and seven males are still needed. Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org to find out more!
• Materials for this year's Leaders In Training programs:
• 4 wireless capable laptops (Used is great as long as they are wiped clean)
• Snacks for a month at a time (purchased in bulk for 25 kids, three days a week)
• Matching tee shirts to wear on field trips/service projects for 35 adults and kids
• Team Kid Character Challenge: Lifeway: Leader Guide and Enhanced CD for grades 1-6:

http://www.lifeway.com/Product/teamkid-character-challenge-leader-guide-enhanced-cd-P005124727

• 13 Team Kid Character Challenge: Activity Book for 4-6 grade: 15 copies

http://www.lifeway.com/Product/teamkid-character-challenge-activity-book-for-grades-4-6-P005124729

http://www.officemax.com/office-supplies/labels-labelmakers/name-badges-accessories/name-badge-accessories/product-prod3800466

• Stickers/construction paper for cards/activities/thank you notes
• Walmart gift cards for science experiment supplies
• Small groups to sponsor small reward activities/enrichment fields trips for 25 kids ($7 -$10 per kid)

Important dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training--Saturday, September 8 @ 9:00 a.m.  All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante.  It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante.  If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about what we do, and about our volunteer opportunities, please plan to attend/encourage him or her to attend this informative training.
• All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert--Monday, September 10 @ 6:30 p.m.  We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our fall trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch.
• Fall trimester program launches--Week of September 10

Point 11 Camp: Overcoming Fears and Laying Down Struggles

Written by Brooke Coon, Latino Teens Ministry Coordinator

In mid July 15 teens and 6 adults from Teens Adelante spent a week at Point 11 Camp on Table Rock Lake. It was our first trip as a group out of Kansas City and for some, the longest they had been away from their family! We did lots of fun and challenging activities that pushed our faith in God and our trust in each other. Overcoming a fear of swimming was enough to humble some of the teens before God. For others, the challenge was in the high ropes team-building course or in the inner struggle of letting God and new people into their hearts. Whatever the fears and struggles, Jesus was there to ask us to lay them down. I think many of the teens returned to Kansas City with a new found courage to face their struggles in areas where they have given up hope.  Here are some different teens' perspectives: 

Talking about summer camp with teens Johnny, Alejandra and Salma

"I have had a lot of fun this year. Our group, Teens Adelante, went to camp for a week. Best experience ever. I will never forget those days when we gathered around and just worshiped."  -Johnny

What kind of stuff did you do at camp? 
"We did some pretty cool, fun stuff like swim in the lake, have pool parties at night, go tubing in the lake, and a lot more activities."  -Alejandra
What was your favorite thing? 
"One of my fav things was tubing when it would go fast ^.^"  -Alejandra

What did you learn about yourself? 
"I learned that I could do things that I used to say I couldn't do."  -Alejandra

What did you learn about God during small group times (when we went to the beach to do Bible studies)? 
"I learned about God que El perdona a todos (that He forgives everyone.)"  -Alejandra

Why did you decide to go to camp? 
"Because my friend said to go with her and because Sam said camp helps a lot with life."  -Alejandra

Have you changed since you came home?

"Yeah I think I changed a lot like I don't be going out, party anymore like back then, and now my mom and me we have a great relationship."  -Alejandra

 
When did you say "I can't do this" and realize fear?
"When we went tubing and also talking to a girl that I heard stories about."  -Salma
What did you decide to give to God at the end of the week when we said, " I can't ______, but I trust you with this."?
"I decided to give him my fears of going back home and dealing with many things. I also trust Him with the things He wants to send me."  -Salma
View more photos from the teens' trip to summer camp at  http://www.immigrantheart.org/.

In other news:

• We are excited to announce that Yanelis López, the leader of RAICES, our partner ministry in Cuba, was approved and has received a visa to come visit Mission Adelante next month! We’re excited to host her and see how God uses this opportunity to further deepen our partnership!
• Our partnerships with local schools are going deeper and wider!  Staff and volunteers working with our Leaders In Training programs are having more and more opportunities to work with teachers and principals in KCK schools.  This year we have connections in 10 local schools!
• The Bhutanese refugee community held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday morning in partnership with New Roots for Refugees to celebrate a successful harvest of the first season in their new community garden on 14th street.

Prayer needs:

• Ask the Lord to increase the faith of our staff as we trust Him to provide more donors to come alongside us with financial support.
• One teen boy in our community has partial face paralysis right now from an unknown cause. Please pray for healing and protection against permanent damage.
• Please pray that God would continue to reproduce healthy leaders in our house churches, and that He would raise up leaders who are passionate for Him from within the immigrant community to lock arms with us in impacting the community at large.
• Please continue to ask the Lord to supply wisdom as we allow Him to possibly reshape the Bhutanese Teens Club.

Current needs:

• A folding card table and 4 folding chairs for use by the Bhutanese Leaders in Training.  Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org if you can provide one.
• Sixteen-ounce packages of pasta, pinto beans, and bottles of oil, which we include in food staple bags that are distributed through our Resource Center. Please contact Molly at mollym@missonadelante.org if you can provide any.
• Christ-following men and women to volunteer as mentors in Leaders In Training, our after-school tutoring program. Four females and seven males are still needed. Contact Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org or Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org to find out more!

Important dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training--Saturday, September 8 @ 9:00 a.m.  All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante.  It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante.  If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about what we do, and about our volunteer opportunities, please plan to attend/encourage him or her to attend this informative training.
• All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert--Monday, September 10 @ 6:30 p.m.  We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our summer trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch.
• Fall trimester program launches--Week of September 10

Everybody Loves a Party

Everyone loves a party!!  Well, almost everyone... and I guess it depends on the kind of party and whether or not you feel like you fit in.  For example, if you like country music and the partiers are playing heavy metal, you might feel out of place.  Or, if you are a Wildcat fan and everybody is dressed in crimson and blue and yelling "Rock Chalk", you might wish you were somewhere else.  Or if you're over 25, at a wedding reception, and the song "Call Me Maybe" suddenly comes on, you might end up sitting on the sidelines wondering what is happening around you.  The point is that common cultural preferences and experiences go a long way toward making us feel like insiders...or outsiders.

When it comes to planning parties for people from other cultures, I have to admit it's not easy to know how to create the kind of experience that will really allow them feel like insiders.  Maybe the key is to let them run it their way!  Last Sunday night something exciting happened at Wyandotte County Lake Park.  At shelter #6, 200+ people from our Bhutanese ministry gathered to party, while just up the road at the beach shelter, another 200+ from our Hispanic ministry were together celebrating.  Though we had done parties like these many times in the past, there was something different this time.  The Bhutanese party felt a little more Bhutanese, and the Hispanic party felt a little more Hispanic.  At Shelter #6, Bhutanese and Americans sat and stood together conversing in a very comfortable environment, while Jonga, an emerging Bhutanese leader, emceed for the the awards ceremony.  At the beach shelter, Alejandro was on the microphone sharing about what God has done in his life and marriage, the teens were showing a video they had made about their experience at summer camp, and Janoy and Jaime were leading a Latin dance party.  A shift had taken place! Our parties were beginning to feel more like they were for the immigrants in our neighborhood than for the American neighbors and volunteers who serve and share life with them!

It's pretty hard to separate our culture from our faith.  But as missionaries and friends of people from other places, we can never stop evaluating this and working at it.  Whether it's learning their language, understanding their values, or partying the way they do, we must follow Jesus' example of incarnation and become like those we wish to serve.  After all, as much as I love my country, my goal in life is not to make converts to my culture and preferences, but to make disciples who love Jesus and treasure Him above all else.

In other news:

• New Bhutanese families continue to arrive from Nepal each month needing assistance and support.  This month we received 3 new families: 2 families from Nepal (primary migrant refugee) and 1 family from Kentucky (secondary migrant refugee).
• A passionate volunteer at Mission Adelante, successful businessman and entrepreneur has begun coaching a few Bhutanese community leaders in a possible business start up.  We look forward to the possibility of empowering the leaders of these communities in business.
• Nine Latino teens turned in applications to attend the CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) conference!  Three will be selected to join the staff and key volunteers at the conference the last week of September.

Prayer needs:

• We’ve been getting reports that many of our ESL students are practicing English at home! Praise God for the gains they have made, and pray they continue to speak English outside of class during the break.
• Please pray for some teens who are retaking the same grade (or barely made it into the next) to start the school year off strong and to stay focused. Please also pray for one teen who has a new found interest in college, but has a financial obstacle to overcome in order to start college classes this year.
• There is conflict between the children of a particular family in the community.  Please prayer for discernment and wisdom for the mom to prayerfully make the right choices in leading her family.

Current needs:

• Wireless Internet-capable laptops for use by our Leaders In Training during the upcoming school year.  It's okay if the battery doesn't work!  Contact Megan McDermott at meganm@missionadelante.org Kristen Maxwell at kristenm@missionadelante.org if you can provide  one.
• A  gas stove and a refrigerator have been requested in our resource center.  Please contact Molly Merrick at mollym@missionadelante.org if you have one to donate.

Important dates:

• Volunteer Orientation & Training--Saturday, September 8 @ 9:00 a.m.  All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante.  It's also a great way for someone to become familiar with Mission Adelante.  If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about what we do, and about our volunteer opportunities, please plan to attend/encourage him or her to attend this informative training.
• All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert--Monday, September 10 @ 6:30 p.m.  We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our summer trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch.
• Fall trimester program launches--Week of September 10