Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Immigrants

This past weekend, Dr. Daniel Carroll from the Denver Seminary came to Mission Adelante to talk about the issue of immigration in the Christian perspective. He gave us some insight on this issue and what we should do as Christians to not let the media, politics or selfish ambitions take hold of what is truth and what is right for a group of people that should be loved.

Dr. Carroll wrote the book "Christians at the Border" which is a great resource for immigration and where its in the Bible. Its a comprehensive study that's practical and thought provoking of immigration in the Old and New Testament.

There was so many mind blowing things talking to Danny and hearing his experiences as a Guatamalen-American man. I never realized how my perspective was so narrow-minded.

Leviticus 19:33-34 says: 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

That is a COMMAND! To love the alien who is living in our land.

Let us not grow naive or forgetful of what God has called us to do.

These immigrants that we hear about that are 'taking over' our country are just as much human as us. These immigrants who can be stereotyped as criminals, gangsters or uneducated are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters who can benefit our society and really Bibically be more opportunities to share the Gospel.

We need to think Bibically and Christ-like.

When I think of immigrants-I think of Nayeli, Iris, Salma, Edgar, Jaime, Odalis, Perla, Raul, Mayra, Luz, Meme, Felipe, Marta, Fernando, Alejandro. These are the immigrants that I am trying to follow the commandment Levitcus 19:33-34 with many of these immigrants (many of them undocumented and illegal) I am called to love them, not to know if they are supposed to be here.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Summer Spotlight --- Mission Adelante group 1 (the little littles)






So I have decided that I want to highlight some of the groups that I have been serving for the summer so you can get a sneak peak of the things that I do on a day to day basis.

The first thing that I want to spotlight on is the little littles that me and Molly Merrick teach each week for our kid outreach bible study. We are with the littlest kids who come to kids Adelante. Kids Adelante is our weekly time where 70+ kids ranging from 5 to 12 year olds (Pre K-7th grade) come we sing, play games and follow a expository curriculum where we go through the entire Bible in a year. It is a great time where about 20 volunteers love on the kids for a couple of hours and teach them about the Love of Christ and what we have when we follow HIM!

Molly and I have group 1 (there are 7 groups total) and I just love these little kiddos! we have generally 9-12 kids on any given week and have been doing the curriculum a little bit more differently than the other kids. It is story based lessons that focus on Creation, the fall of man and our redemption. We have been teaching them concepts such as trusting God, what sin can do in our lives and how we need Jesus. Its been so great learning with these kids and having a great time seeing them grow, learning memory verses and key Bible Stories.

Throughout the summer, I have really experienced the Lord's favor be poured out onto these kids.

On other news:

Prayer request for 2 of the Teenage girls that I have been mentoring and ministering to, 2 cousins (Nayeli and Salma) had a tragic death in the family (Nayeli's Dad, and Salma's Uncle) please be praying for these families as it has affected many people, including Nayeli's three little brothers who no longer have a father. Pray for protection of the families because Nayeli and Salma's mothers have traveled to Mexico where the death took place. Pray for protection of the kids who have stayed here with limited supervision and other circumstances that complicate this matter. It is so hard to see the community hurt so much from tragic circumstances. Please pray with me as these families grief and try to see the joy that the Lord can give.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Midterm

I have been featured with Andrw at the Mission Adelante official blog!

http://www.missionadelante.blogspot.com/

These past 5 weeks have been incredible full of memories and growth day after day. We just finished our midterm break and Andrew and I went to a music festival called Cornerstone in Bushnell, Illinois, about 6 hours away from KCK. It was a great break to the busy city life. We lived in a tent for about 4 days among thousands of other patrons of music. It was completely in the middle of nowhere, with nothing except encouraging music and speakers. We just got back yesterday, just in time for 4th of July festivities at mission adelante!

The previous weeks, we have done 3 VBS camps, one of the them being a soccer camp for both for the Bhutanese refugees and the Hispanic kids. There have been so many other highlights that I would love to mention, but processing them in my brain seems daunting and long, so I will save you the time.

One thing that I would like to share is the Teen girl's Bible Study that I have been helping lead. We have been reading and discussing from the book, Lies Young Women Believe, and the Truth that sets them Free. Megan, Brooke and I (Teens Adelante people) have been preparing for this study since the end of the last trimester in April and have been extremely excited to finally kick off last tuesday. I led the first study talking about lies about God. Preparing for it, I knew it was going to go deep and personal with some of the discussion. One being that we shouldn't look at God as our earthly father, many of the girls in the study don't even even know their dads, so I knew talking about it, we would come across words such as bitter, resent, even hate. And we did. it was so amazing to break some of the lies that these girls look at God like and really find God to be not a distant, far away being who is like our fathers who doesn't know us or love us conditionally, but something much more, more real, close and perfect. It was so amazing and I am still trying to process what all came about from this time with the girls. It was more deep than I ever thought I had planned. God is working in these girls lives and its amazing to be present for it!

I am overwhelmed by the encouragement and the growth that I have received from the staff at MA, its great working here. Its great living in KCK and I feel right at home. I want to continue to remain in this community, live and dwell with these great people that I now call my friends. We will see what happens in the fall with opportunities on remaining to live here as I finish my last year with school and student teaching at the neighborhood school that so many of the Mission Adelante Kids go to! (I am so excited for this!!)

This coming week, I plan on doing some great contact work with some neighborhood kids, like swimming, going to Deanna Rose farm and treating some kids to yummy ice cream or lunch.

Continue to pray for the willingness to reach more of the teens that have been rather unreachable and hard to really have deep, intimate times with them this summer, also pray for the Girls Bible Study, pray that we continue to see more of the Lord's work during that time. ALso, pray that someone's heart will stir to help me raise support. I am behind in receiving my final $800 dollars or so and that I keep putting my hope in the lord that he will provide.

Thank you readers for following me, praying for me and seeing the hope that I see for the KCK community.

Blessings to you all.