Teens Adelante Serves Together...And Plays

Written by David Coon

Teens Adelante had its first team effort towards serving together this past Saturday. I have to say that my expectations were not quite how it turned out to be, which is how I find being a part of God's plan typically goes. The objective was to help Marcia Merrick move the stored items for her ministry to a new storage location, and in the meantime bond with the kids while establishing authority: pretty simple. When asked to, "help move stuff," many of the kids immediately committed to going, which was shocking in itself. And Rachel and Andrew, two wonderful volunteers, were thrilled to spend their Saturday with the teens, along with my wife and I. Everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place. I figured we'd spend all Saturday afternoon moving the items, but I was wrong. I also figured getting the kids to help and be productive would be a lot like herding cats. Again, I was wrong. I was certainly underestimating God's plans in my estimation of the value of this activity.

So, Saturday after lunch I showed up to the loading point with a large borrowed box truck, teeth gritted and ready to go. I pulled up to the warehouse to see one of the girls whizzing by on a random office chair. Apparently, my arrival was just a few minutes too late to establish any sort of real authority. But, I saw something wonderful in the kids. They were having fun, and they were joyful in it! We proceeded to load what turned out to be only eight or ten large items that needed to be moved, and were off to the drop off locations in less than 30 minutes. Each of the stops proved to be a great opportunity for us to do just enough work together and then do something like throw snowballs at each other. Our final stop was the Coon house, so we decided it would be good to spend some time eating pizza and hanging out in the backyard together, as it was a gorgeous day. As we started to spend quality time together, playing soccer in the mud and making s'mores on an open fire, my wife Brooke whispered "hey they're being really good." And I noticed that they were getting along and respecting us, and that they had been all day! We were amazed at how our expectation to have to work at spending time with the kids was completely blown out of the water! It was a joy to simply be with them.

I'm sure we have no idea how much they really watch everything we do, but I do know that simply inviting them to come into our home and be our friends changed their attitudes toward us. The truly beautiful thing, however, was the breath of fresh air (literally) that our time together was. Daniel G. said multiple times that he "liked being there" and didn't want to go home. The truth is, they felt safe and cared for. This is the power of the Kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit living in us. Just one afternoon away from the bondage of gangs and the many other pressures of their age was like a starving family receiving Thanksgiving dinner. The victory of this day was that God planted a seed of hope in their hearts, that they are sons and daughters and the heirs of His Kingdom. The day was supposed to be a group exercise, and I wanted them to feel useful. God's desire was for them to feel loved and to feel welcomed by His Son for who they are. Brooke said " I've never seen Nayeli smile so big. It was joy." All four of us leaders were undoubtedly thinking the same thing as we spent that beautiful Saturday afternoon like a family with nothing to do. I love these kids!

In other news:

• The kids are studying Creation every Thursday this trimester in the Kids Adelante Outreach Bible Study, while the teens are exploring Jesus' different characteristics in the Teen Bible Study.
• About 30 people from Westside Family Church's Engage Community visited our KCK neighborhood on Saturday to prayer walk.
• Jarrett, Juan, and Antoine met again this week for their Trio meeting, as did several other Trios, for spiritual encouragement and study of the Proverbs. Two and a half months into this new discipleship strategy there are nine active Trios.

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for continued bonding among the teen girls and female Teen Bible Study leaders this Friday at a sleepover.
• Pray for David Stetler as he gets acquainted with four Bhutanese families that have just arrived in Kansas City. Pray for him to be received by them as a trustworthy new friend.
• Continue to pray for a strong finish to the year for our Leaders In Training, some of whom are presently enticed by outside activities and considering leaving the program early.

Current needs:

• Rice and summer clothes, both for distribution to families in need through the Resource Center.
• Gas grills in good condition. Four of ours were recently stolen, and we routinely use them for Trimester-end Parties and other community building events.

Upcoming dates:

• Monday, March 15 - Thursday March 18: Spring break. No regularly scheduled Hispanic or Bhutanese ministry programs, with the exception of Spanish Class on Monday evening, which will meet at it's normal time.
• Saturday, March 27: Adelante Missions Institute presents Officer Jeff Brownlee of the KCKPD for a Saturday Seminar on Gang Awareness and Prevention. For those of you who are involved in working with Kids Adelante or the Bhutanese kids club, we highly recommend this seminar to help you better understand the pressures our kids are surrounded by each day. A continental breakfast will be served, and there will be a $15 fee for participation collected at the door. Please invite whomever you know that would be interested, and RSVP by sending an e-mail to morganh@missionadelante.org.
• Monday, April 12, 6:30: Volunteer Team Meeting. All current volunteers are strongly encouraged to attend this final meeting of the trimester.

All-Star Volunteer: Brad Gregory

Written by Jarrett Meek and Megan McDermott

Mission Adelante would not be the same without the amazing volunteers who have locked arms with us and answered the call to reach out to a mission field in their own backyard. Because we hold relationships as a core value in our ministry, ongoing, consistent involvement by volunteers is critical to our mission. A couple of statistics will give you a picture of the integral role volunteers play at Mission Adelante. This trimester 113 volunteers are serving in ongoing roles that range from bookkeeper to math tutor to ESL conversation partner. This is a huge increase over last year's average, which was right around 70. And, their relational impact is made greater by the fact that they are serving an average of 3.5 trimesters each, which is just over a year!

Brad Gregory is one all-star volunteer whose passion and commitment are contagious. Brad began serving in the Spring of 2007, just as the Kids Adelante program was beginning to take shape. When you first meet him, you will notice his infectious joy and love for the Lord; and right along with that, his passion and commitment to the kids.

Brad says, "My ultimate hope is that at some point in their life, when they most need it, they're going to reach back and dig down to something they learned at Kids Adelante. And that's going to affect their lives."

Brad works with the oldest kids of the Outreach Bible study with ages ranging from 10-12. This can often times be the most challenging age group because the kids are constantly testing their limits and boundaries. The kids in this group often encounter the harsh reality of life a bit more than the younger ones, because they are old enough to understand what's going on around them. This is why Brad's consistent commitment to the Outreach Bible Study has made such an incredible impact. The kids trust a volunteer more when they see his level of commitment to them. This commitment might be in consistent attendance, supporting the kids when they need advice, teaching about the grace of God, and even conveying the hard truth about sin. Brad Gregory has done all this and much more.

Each Thursday night, Brad dons his fishing cap to transform into, "Uncle Don," the friendly guide who shares a skit with the kids about God's great love for them. Brad has also given much of his free time to work on the Mission Adelante building, he attends the Monday night Spanish class, and he will be joining us for our first ever missions training trip to Costa Rica this May. On top of all this, Brad's great attitude and kind words are an encouragement to everyone on the Mission Adelante team. We are very blessed to have a volunteer like Brad Gregory!

In other news:

• Our first Adelante Missions Institute Seminar went really well last Saturday with 28 people in attendance. One person reflected that guest speaker Kirk Ogden "guided us through an experience, rather than giving a presentation."
• A healthy baby girl named Emily was born to a family in our worship community on Sunday afternoon. Please pray for continued good health for her, and a quick recovery for her mom.
• Mission Adelante staff enjoyed visiting Emmanuel Baptist Church on Sunday morning. The congregation donated stamps and paper goods for us. We're so thankful for EBC's partnership and generosity!

Prayer needs:

• Pray for Teens Adelante volunteers to have favor with the teens as they begin to spend more intentional time together building trusting relationships.
• Following a sermon on marriage and divorce last Sunday, please pray for our worship community to rally around one another in support of our marriages.
• Pray for a strong finish to the year for our Leaders In Training, some of whom are presently enticed by outside activities and considering leaving the program early.

Current needs:

• A furniture dolly for moving our offices upstairs.
• Brown paper bags for resource distribution in the Resource Center

Upcoming dates:

• Monday, March 15 - Thursday March 18: Spring break. No regularly scheduled Hispanic or Bhutanese ministry programs, with the exception of Spanish Class on Monday evening, which will meet at it's normal time.

Character and Cross-cultural Ministry

Saul was a head taller than his peers, but his downfall as a leader was his lack of character. As Israel's first king, Saul seemed to have a promising beginning. His powerful display of leadership in defending the people of Jabesh Gilead against the Ammonties won the support of all of Israel, putting to rest the doubts that some had expressed about his kingship.

However, it wasn't long before Saul's lack of faith, the foundation of true character, was revealed. As pressure mounted and the Philistine forces assembled with superior numbers to fight the Israelites at Gilgal, Saul disobeyed God's command by taking matters into his own hands. "You acted foolishly", Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people..." (1 Samuel 13:13-14).

In ministry, our faith, our character, and our obedience to Christ are the foundation of our service. In other words, our service to Christ begins to crumble quickly if our hearts are not in submission to our Lord. It is easy to appear strong or spiritual on the outside, but blessing in ministry comes over time with genuine character and faith. Saul learned this the hard way. Relying on his own strength, he felt that he had a better way to do things than the way the Lord had prescribed. Instead, his lack of character brought about the eventual collapse of his reign over Israel. In his place God chose "a man after his own heart."

This weekend Adelante Missions Institute will hold its first Saturday Seminar on the topic of Character and Cross-cultural ministry. Kirk Ogden, Executive Director of South America Mission, will be leading this interactive seminar to challenge and equip Mission Adelante volunteers, supporters and anyone who wishes to come to build their ministry on a solid foundation of faith and character. All are welcome to attend. The Seminar will be held from 9:00-11:30 on Saturday at Mission Adelante. The cost is $15 at the door, and a continental breakfast will be served. Please let us know if you are planning to attend by e-mailing morganh@missionadelante.org.

In other news:

• A group of twenty-five or so teens and parents from Christ Community Church spent several hours doing projects at our facility on Saturday morning. We're so grateful for groups like theirs that are willing to pitch in to help us keep the building in good condition!
• Megan McDermott has nailed down the dates for a three-day soccer clinic for neighborhood kids this summer presented by a former professional soccer player and Christian.
• Megan M. and volunteer Brooke Coon attended a gang awareness and prevention seminar presented by the KCK police department last week. They found it very informative and relevant to the neighborhood in which we minister, and are eager to share their knowledge with our community.

Prayer needs:

• Praise God with us! Jarrett Meek's neurosurgeon is not recommending surgery following the improvement of Jarrett's symptoms. They will wait and see if the cervical disc extrusion will heal on it's own.
• Please pray for the preparation and God's provision of funding for our first missions training trip to Costa Rica in May.
• Pray for immigrant individuals that have recently shared spiritual conversations with Mission Adelante staff. Pray that God would continue to reveal Himself to them.
• Continue to help us ask God to bring candidates to Mission Adelante for the summer internship.

Current needs:

• Two vacuums to keep our facility clean.
• Dishes, silverware, glasses, mugs, serving plates and platters, pitchers, and a colander, now that we have a kitchen in our facility!
• Brown paper grocery bags for resource distribution. If you're a routine volunteer, would you request "paper" the next time you're at the grocery store, and then bring those bags with you when you come here?

Important dates:

• Monday, March 15 - Thursday March 18: Spring break. No regularly scheduled Hispanic or Bhutanese ministry programs, with the exception of Spanish Class on Monday evening, which will meet at it's normal time.

Reflections on Friendship with a Bhutanese Refugee

Written by David Stetler

I met Ram about a year ago during a Bhutanese community gathering and since then have become dear friends with him. Ram has helped me understand their culture better, the trials they face and what life as a refugee is like. He has played a major role in helping me organize many of the ministry programs and has been a key leader in the development, growth and unity of his community. Most importantly, he has taught me about friendship, loyalty and trust. I consider Ram a very close friend and I would trust him with anything.

One evening when we were visiting him and his family, his mother, Krishna said to me "Medo chorah", which means "my son". It was such an honor to hear those words from her. She is such a dear lady and she not only calls me her son, but treats me like her son, too. Every time I step foot in their house she serves me cheeya, ahlu and bhaht (tea, potatoes and rice).

Recently Ram wrote the following comments about his experience with Mission Adelante:

"We the newly resettled Bhutanese in KCKS would like to give hearty thankful to ministry since the minitry and volunteers are helping our illitrate community.With the involvement of David and his family member as well as volunteers the hope of our old people to stay in America show the possitive attitude towards life. I am very very happy to see “the smile face” of people who are learning in ESL class."

What an honor and privilege it is to serve these wonderful people, do life with them and build meaningful friendships with them. May they know the love of Jesus as we share our lives with them.

In other news:

• A family that belongs to our faith community has been without a vehicle for a couple of months, and has therefore been unable to attend worship for that period of time. However, having obtained a working vehicle last week, they were greeted with applause and cheering upon arriving at worship on Sunday! We're so encouraged to see our congregation's sense of community growing.
• A man that has occasionally come to Bible study and worship over the past couple of years approached Jarrett two weeks ago wondering how to begin a relationship with God! His wife accepted Christ through Mission Adelante about two years ago and has faithfully prayed for him to do the same since that time. On Sunday night he publicly professed his new faith to our worship community!
• ESL volunteer Jenny Pauley visited her Bhutanese conversation student at home and introduced the family to Jell-o jigglers! Imagine experiencing this unusual food for the very first time as an older child, teenager, or adult!
  

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for a couple in our community that has sought us out for marital counseling. It's culturally unusual for a Hispanic couple to seek outside advise, so pray for openness to the council they'll receive.
• Jarrett Meek has an appointment with a neurosurgeon tomorrow to investigate treatment options for the cervical disc extrusion in his neck. Please continue to pray for healing without surgery.
• Pray for God to provide job opportunities for Bhutanese refugees.
• Help us ask God to bring candidates to Mission Adelante for the summer internship.

Current needs:

• Two vacuums to keep our facility clean.

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.

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.