7 years ago this blog started as I came on staff at Mission Adelante. We were required to have a blog to keep our supporters and friends updated. As time has gone by, this blog has become less important to my ministry, and more important to me as I use it to remember how the Lord has worked in my life, and the lives of those around me. It only seemed appropriate that I share here an important email update sent to all of my supporters this past week.
Friends, family, supporters, dear ones,
Seven and a half years ago I moved back to Kansas City from Nashville, unsure of what plans the Lord had for me. I knew I loved serving refugees, was skilled as a teacher, and was temporarily living in my parent's basement. Seven years ago I attended my first volunteer training at Mission Adelante. Shortly after, I took on a leadership position and joined the staff of Mission Adelante as the Bhutanese Youth and Kids Outreach Director. When I said yes to joining God in this mission I was unprepared for the wild ride He had in store for me.
Over the past 7 years, I have seen the Lord move in a mighty way. I walked with families through births, deaths, hard decisions, health problems, joy, sorrow, celebration and sadness, all the while proclaiming the name of Jesus and the love God has for them over them through prayers, stories, and service.
Each year our team reflects on what the Lord has done and begins to pray what He may have for us in the future. We noted quite a few things in our reflection this year. The Bhutanese community has now been living in Kansas City for over 7 years, they are for the most part past the "crisis-mode" stage that many newly arrived refugees operate in. New families have stopped arriving in the US (for the most part), the kids are doing really well in school (again, for the most part), families are getting better jobs and buying houses, high-schoolers are going on to college or trade school and finding good jobs, the community is tight-knit and close both in physical space and relationship, families are advocating for themselves and know where to seek resources. As our staff began to think about these things, we realized that many of the goals that we had set out to meet had been met. Our neighbors felt welcomed, they were put into relationship with Jesus followers, their practical needs were met and the Gospel was communicated in both word and deed.
As we realized these things, each of our staff members also began to feel a shift in what the Lord was calling us to and what that might look like in the next season, myself included.
The realization that we had accomplished much of what we set out to do, partnered with what has felt like a very Holy Spirit led shift in callings, has led us to a place where we realized it was time to wind-down the formal outreach to the Bhutanese community through Mission Adelante. With the full support of our Board of Directors, we have set up a timeline to end formal ministry programs by the end of April 2017.
If you are reading this email, you have somehow supported our ministry to the Bhutanese over the years, whether that be as a volunteer, prayer partner, financial supporter, friend, or all of the above. We are so grateful for your partnership.
Through your partnership we have been able to:
- Develop 35 students through our Leaders in Training program, introducing them to new things, increasing their confidence, and pushing them towards academic success.
- Distribute close to 700 backpacks to Bhutanese students and their families to make back-to-school a little easier.
- Help over 6,000 books find new homes through kiddos in our programs and partnerships with neighborhood schools.
- Increase the knowledge and cross-cultural competence of teachers and staff members in schools in KCK that serve refugees by providing teacher development workshops on Bhutanese culture and the refugee resettlement process.
- Share the love of Jesus with literally HUNDREDS of kids, youth and their families.
Thank you for making these things possible!
So, what does this mean for me practically....
- We are going to be strategically dialing down the intensity of our youth and kids ministry programs during the last trimester. During this time the focus of our staff will be equipping volunteers to continue investing in the families they feel called to.
- I will be passing off roles and responsibilities at Mission Adelante that extend beyond the Bhutanese Ministry to enable the programs to continue when I am no longer with the organization (i.e. Book and Backpack distribution)
- I plan to continue relationships with the girls I have been discipling, and provide opportunities for them to walk with Jesus and learn about Him, whether or not the Lord keeps me in Kansas City, or calls me to a new place. It makes me so grateful for modern technology.
- My last day of employment with Mission Adelante will be in early/mid-May of 2017, allowing me to wrap up any loose ends.
How you can pray....
- Pray we finish well, that our last trimester would be fruitful.
- Pray for continued provision, I am still in need of the financial donations to finish well. If you are a financial supporter of the ministry please pray about continuing to support the ministry through April. In the coming weeks, I will be sending out more information on how to continue supporting the ministry of Mission Adelante after my departure if that is of interest to you.
- Pray for a spirit of celebration of what the Lord has done.
- Pray for direction as to what the Lord has next for me. I thought that I would work with Mission Adelante for a long, long time, but have clearly heard the Lord say that it is time for me to look for what He has next for me, which is quite counter-intuitive. Pray that I would also have the patience to wait for the right job.
Thank you for your love and support over the years!
Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
To read a letter in regards to the ministry transition from our Founder, Jarret Meek, check out the
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