An Autobiography of the Bhutanese Ministry Apprentice

Written by Drew Hammond - Bhutanese Ministry Apprentice


As someone who was nearly a high school dropout, (and is currently, technically, a college dropout), obedience hasn't always been my strong suit. But when I realized that the Lord was calling me, and tugging on my heart, I began to listen and pray for Him to show me where he needed me. That was about three and a half years ago.


Naturally, I tried to keep things within the way I saw my life going, towards college for a degree in technical theater. That's when I tried community college, and all the while I was there, I felt the Lord was telling me something. "This is for some, but not for you."  So I left theater behind and walked away, closer to the Lord.


By this point, I was feeling pretty directionally challenged. Feeling left behind by my friends who went to college and not seeing my movie theater job sustaining me for my life, I continued to pray. I kept persisting that the Lord reveal where it was that He really wanted me. It took quite a bit of prayer, but "the Jesus" (as our Bhutanese friends refer to him) took me somewhere great.


Over winter break of 2009/2010, God gave me an opportunity to go to Israel and learn more about Him. After that, I asked the director of the organization who led the trip if he knew of any internships available in full time ministry. He directed me to Mission House, where I was sent to Mission Adelante to intern in January of this year. Over the course of my internship, my heart expanded. It expanded to love God more and more and more, but also found a community to love, the Bhutanese refugees in my own backyard.


Three years ago, if God would have told me that I was going to go to Israel, then move to Kansas City, KS and love an immigrant people more than I loved theatre, I would have thought He was crazy, kept to my own ways and I would still be searching to this day.  Thankfully, I gave God room to move in my own heart and my own life, and I finally found exactly where I need to be. It was a long haul, but here I am. I pray that God reveals His love to you.

In other news:

• The Mission Adelante staff members hosting Open Houses last Saturday really enjoyed connecting with those of you that were able to drop in for a visit!  Thanks for making the trip into our neighborhood to get more of a taste of what God is doing here.
• We've found that sharing a meal as part of our house church gatherings adds a really special element to the time we spend together.  Also, this past Sunday (just the second week that the Latino house churches met) attendees from the first week brought more family members and friends with them, demonstrating the immigrants' high ownership of the gatherings!
• Our budgeting and planning process in preparation for the new year turned out to be surprisingly fun for Mission Adelante staff.  It became an encouraging time to reflect upon the past year and the things we asked the Lord for and for Him to do, and to marvel at the things He surprised us with!

Prayer requests:

• Please pray for the health of Mission Adelante staff and family members, a number of whom are under the weather.

Important dates:

• Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs today or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23 - Saturday, November 26.
• Latino Christmas Party: Saturday afternoon, December 10
• Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 p.m.

Panza Llena, Corazón Contento

Written by volunteer Kathleen Powell


Several years ago, I spent a summer in Mexico living with my aunt and uncle. I was trying to master the Spanish language and to get to know my Mexican family better. After every meal, my Tío Toño would always say, "Panza llena; corazón contento." This roughly translates to: "full stomach, happy heart." Last Sunday I realized that it isn't just the eating that makes his heart happy; it's the act of bringing la familia (more than just relatives) together and conviviendo (sharing life).

Sunday night, Mission Adelante launched three different house churches. My group had the privilege of meeting in the home of one of the Latina moms who is relatively new in her faith. Her 11 year old son has a sweet and joyful heart and is one of my favorite kids to hang out with at LIT (Leaders in Training, Mission Adelante's after-school program).

This evening, for the first time since that summer I spent with my tío, I tasted the sweetness of what sharing life could look like in my neighborhood, in my life. My senses were awakened; the room was full of laughter, spices, color, and warmth. Everyone who came had a chance to speak and contribute; everyone brought something to the table (literally). We worshipped together and dug into the Word together. I felt alive again. We were doing church, being the church, and it had nothing to do with a program or a building.


In other news:

• There are now a total of five house churches meeting in Kansas City, Kansas; two of which include our Bhutanese friends and three of which include our Latino friends.  Kids Adelante Director Megan McDermott described the first meeting of her Latino house church last Sunday as feeling like a family reunion!  She was also delighted that kids with whom we're acquainted brought their parents, some of whom hadn't had any past involvement with Mission Adelante!
• We're grateful to Heartland Community Church and Christ Community Church for supplying winter coats for ALL of the children that participate in our outreach programs.
• Bhutanese Kids Club Director Kristen Maxwell and Intern Drew Hammond share their lives and a whole lot of their time with the families we serve.  This week, Kristen gave a 12-year-old girl her very first Bible and then watched as she immediately sat, opened it, and began reading aloud.  Also this week, some Bhutanese teen boys engaged Drew in conversation about Jesus and the implications of Christian faith in our lives.

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for our house churches to become well established, for immigrants to embrace leadership roles, and for new people to continue to come and feel welcomed.
• Pray for safety in the homes of some of the kids we know, and protection for them.
• Pray for a teen we know that is in legal trouble.

Current needs:

• A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved.
• Male volunteer tutors for our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30  for the rest of the school year.  Please contact Megan at meganm@missionadelante.org.
• Adults' and children's winter clothing and shoes in all sizes to stock our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.
• An electric stove, which was requested through our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.

Important dates:

• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante Staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.  Drop in and let us thank you for your support of "our" ministry!
• Jarrett & Kristen Meek, Megan McDermott: 251 N. 15th Street
• Jason & Megan Schoff, Molly Merrick: 410 N. 15th Street
• David & Brooke Coon: 245 N. 17th Street
• David & Holly Stetler, Kristen Maxwell: 438 N. 17th Street
• Drew& Lauren Timberlake: 706 N. 17th Street
• Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs Tuesday, November 22 or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23-Saturday, November 26.
• Latino Christmas Party: Saturday, December 10
• Bhutanese Christmas Party: Sunday, December 11

Aradhna to Yeshu

Written by David Stetler

Chris Hale grew up in Nepal during the 70's as a
missionary kid where he was completely immersed in Nepali culture, language and music. Now, his passion is to build bridges between cultures through music. He plays the sitar as the front man of a band called Aradhna, which means worship. They travel the world singing worship to Yeshu (Jesus) in Hindi, Nepali and English.

Last Friday evening, Chris made a quick stop right here in Kansas City to teach us and our Bhutanese friends worship songs to Jesus in their own language and in their own ethnic Nepali cultural music. About 65 of us gathered together at Mission House, sat in a giant circle on Tibetan rugs, sang to Jesus in Nepali and shared an ethnic Nepali meal together.

For some, this was the very first time they had experienced the ever so familiar cultural tunes that they grew up with in Bhutan and Nepal while singing worship to Jesus. For many new Bhutanese believers this marked an extremely significant moment that connected their beautiful and rich culture with their new found faith in Yeshu.

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for the launch of three house Latino house churches this week!
• Please pray for wisdom and God's guidance in our planning and budgeting process.

Upcoming dates

• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.
• Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs Tuesday, November 22 or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23-Saturday, November 26.

Ministry is a Relational Endeavor

Written by Jason Schoff

From the moment a potential volunteer comes to our orientation, they learn how much we value relationships. We say ministry is a relational endeavor. However, we want this to be more than just a stated value; we want it to be a living reality. Our volunteers accomplish much more relationally with our immigrants than we could ever dream of.

Last month we saw major evidence of just how invested our volunteer force is in the relational endeavor. While our staff was out of town for a conference in Indianapolis, I was left with the options of cancelling our Latino adult English classes or challenging our students and volunteer teachers to meet together over dinner, a Coke, or ice cream. I put the challenge out and our volunteers marched "adelante", or forward, without much hesitation.

What resulted was priceless! It was a new level of friendship and relationship on which to continue building over the remaining six weeks of the trimester. One student shared about the transformation of his life, from a time when he domineered his wife to coming to see her as his equal, all while his classmate and volunteer teacher listened. Another student hosted her teacher and other students in her home--what a proud moment for Rosa. Several other volunteers decided to join their two students together and meet for ice cream in a local Mexican shop.

For many of our volunteers, this was a true first: spending time with an immigrant outside of a programmed activity and in a new cultural landscape. All this happened on a Thursday night while our staff was listening to conference speakers far away. I could not be any more excited for our volunteers and their commitment to becoming friends to our immigrant community!

Want to share in these fun adventures? Become a volunteer, too! For more information, go to  www.missionadelante.org/volunteer.


In other news:

• Our Leaders In Training--12 pre-teens and teens--are learning that serving can be fun and relational!  They've visited the residents of a local assisted living facility twice now, and last week enjoyed sharing popcorn and doing a craft together!
• Like our volunteers' efforts toward relational ministry that Jason described above, Mission Adelante staff is deeply committed to sharing life with the families we serve by getting involved on a personal level in their lives and activities.  Brooke and David Coon have been deepening their friendship with the families of several of the teens whom they lead by sharing meals and participating in a walk to support individuals with Down's Syndrome, the younger sibling of one of the teens being affected by the condition.
• Similarly, Molly Merrick continues to mentor two pre-teen/teen girls by spending a large amount of time with them.  Now, the girls' upstairs neighbor, another teen girl, is tagging along, too!  Molly's effectiveness lies in her consistent investment of time!

Prayer needs:

• Please pray for an upcoming house concert for our Bhutanese friends as we all learn to worship Jesus with Nepali music.
• Brooke and David Coon are taking two teens to a teen conference this weekend.  Pray that the teens will grow in their walk with Jesus and realize more of their leadership potential.
• Pray for the Lord to work in the lives of an immigrant couple struggling with marital conflict.
• As a way to better emphasize equipping immigrant leaders for ministry, our Latino worship community will begin meeting as several house churches in November.    Please pray for the training process of the leadership teams, and for momentum to continue.

Current needs:

• A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved.
• A female volunteer to tutor two girls in our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30 beginning November 28 through the rest of the school year.
• Adults' and children's fall and winter clothing in all sizes, and especially winter coats for 5-7 year-old boys to stock our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.
• Board games appropriate for kids ages 3-12, in good condition and containing all of their pieces.

Upcoming dates:

• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.
• Fall Break: There will be no outreach programs Tuesday, November 22 or Thursday, November 24.  The Mission Adelante office will be closed Wednesday, November 23-Saturday, November 26.

The Light of Sixteenth Street

Written by Brooke Coon


One year ago, David and I were wrestling with God for the house we wanted here in KCK. God had a better plan for us that took months for us to realize, which is now our house on 17th street. Once here, we quickly realized that there is a darkness lingering on the street behind us. You can nearly feel the dividing line of peace and chaos running through our alley. As we heard rumors of things that went on behind us, we felt burdened and began to pray for 16th street.

Anxious about the dangers that were threatening the children on that street, we prayed that God would show us our role in it all. Two boys from that street, Johnny and Tony, seemed to be drawn to the light of the Holy Spirit in David, and started showing up at our door more frequently. Through those boys David began to learn about the realities of gangs, drugs, and violence on that street. 

About the same time, Jessica, a girl we knew from Teens Adelante, moved onto that street. Jessica and her younger friend began to show up on our porch seeking refuge and fellowship. I learned more about bullets going through walls, siblings in jail, gang allegiances, screaming arguments between parents, and the physical violence that goes on even between young kids. It's hard to believe that the things I hear from these two sweet girls are happening just yards from our peaceful front porch.

Then Johnny started coming to Teens Adelante and one night I heard it, I saw it; the Lord opened my eyes. The answer to our question, "What are we supposed to do with this overwhelming burden on our hearts?" Johnny and Jessica. These two teens are David's and my opportunity for obedience to change darkness into light on 16th street. It wasn't to start some alley restoration project, or neighborhood watch, or prayer team. It was to use the light that HE HAD ALREADY PLACED there; to invest in and nurture these teens.

Johnny and Jessica are only 14 and 15, but age doesn't hinder the Holy Spirit. I am humbled by the fact that I didn't need to find a solution to the problem. That street is the Lord's and He is fighting for it. He was on it, and there is a role for me to support and guide these teens, who will have more impact than David or I ever could on that street. I was overwhelmed with the size of the problem and I almost forgot that the burden, that compassion, was from Him. He was already moving. It was and is His heart in me that cries for 16th street. It is His heart that burdens me to pray, that beckons me to ask, “What is my role there?”

As I sat in church with Jessica last night, she passed me a note that said that Matthew 5:13-16 is her favorite passage of the Bible.  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

I was struck. I wrote her back, “That is awesome because I have always seen you as the light of your family...and the light of 16th street.”  Her smile was eternally beautiful.


In other news:

• One of the Bhutanese families that we have been praying for and walking with for over two years experienced a death in their family that sparked a spiritual breakthrough in their family.  We are excited to continue walking with them in their pursuit of Jesus.
• Our staff enjoyed a visit this week from David Chan, Missions Pastor at Hillcrest Covenant Church.  David explained to us the ways that he and the rest of the Hillcrest Covenant Church leadership are striving to empower and equip every person to live missionally through their individual skills and passions, right where they live.

Prayer needs:

• As a way to better emphasize equipping immigrant leaders for ministry, our Latino worship community will begin meeting as several house churches in November.  Praise God for the turnout of nearly all the individuals making up the leadership team for each house church last Sunday at the first meeting in preparation for this transition.  Please pray for the momentum to continue.

Current needs:

• A Multi-Media Specialist, who will devote two to three hours a week to the use of multi-media to tell the story of Mission Adelante, its programs, and its people in ways that increase ownership and passion and inspire others to get involved.
• A female volunteer to tutor two girls in our Leaders In Training program on Mondays from 4:00-6:30 beginning November 28 through the rest of the school year.
• Adults' and children's fall and winter clothing in all sizes to stock our Resource Center.  Please call Molly at 913-281-6274 x5 to arrange dropping off your donation.
• Bibles for use in Kids Adelante Bible studies.  These are our preferred type.  Feel free to have them shipped to Megan McDermott's attention at Mission Adelante, Inc., 22 S. 18th Street, Kansas City, KS 66102.
• Board games appropriate for kids ages 3-12, in good condition and containing all of their pieces 

Upcoming dates:

• Observation Days: Tuesday, November 1 for Bhutanese outreach; Thursdays, October 27 and November 3 for Latino outreach.  If you've never seen how we serve immigrants, please come observe.  If you're a regular volunteer, bring a friend who would be interested to find out about the mission field in our own backyard.
• Staff Open Houses: Saturday, November 19, 3:00-6:30, Mission Adelante staff homes in Kansas City, Kansas 66102.