Nayeli’s Baptism:Three Generations of Hope

The ups and downs, the mundane, everyday routines, and the overwhelming challenges of urban ministry can cause a person forget why he began in the first place. But there are certain special divine moments in which God demonstrates his power in the lives of people and brings about the kind of fruit that causes us to rejoice and feel a renewed sense of conviction for the calling He has given us. The baptism of Nayeli, a participant in our Leaders in Training Program, was one of these moments.

I would not hesitate to declare our pilot year of the LIT program a resounding success. But it was not without its challenges and disappointments. We ended with nine of the 13 original participants, losing one to poor attendance, one to behavioral problems, and two because their parents had other plans for them. Each child who was not able to continue left a hole in the hearts of the volunteers as we all wrestled with feeling we had lost the time and love we had invested in them.

Along the way we made adjustments to our math and reading workshops and we will make even more before we start again in the Fall.

Despite the challenges we faced in this pilot year, there were a lot of things to celebrate. Fifteen amazing volunteers served throughout the program and made a real impact academically. One of our students applied to and was accepted in Sumner Academy, a magnet school in KCK for the brightest students in the district. And, for the nine students who completed the year and received their plaque at the Spring party, there was a tremendous sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that resulted from LIT.

Nayeli’s baptism, three weeks ago, was by far the highlight of the LIT year for me because we have been through so much with her. Two years of Kids Adelante, personal crises, a father in prison, and periods where it seemed like her behavior was turning for the worse. And there she was, affirming her faith in Jesus, a new creation in so many ways. And fittingly, her mom was baptized after her. And finally her grandmother. Three generations coming to Christ, beginning with the youngest. Praise God for his gracious work in the lives of lost and broken people like Nayeli and like me.

Reproducing Ministry

Last year our Board of Directors began working on a five year plan that includes reproducing our ministry two additional locations in the Kansas City area. Little did we know that we would have the opportunity to make an impact in Salt Lake City, UT and Hickory, NC before the first quarter of 2009 was complete.

Tony and Tanya Pruitt, long-time personal friends of the Meeks, are now living in the Salt Lake City area and attending a church that has been very successful at reaching Mormons. This church, called Alpine, also has a desire to launch a ministry to Hispanic immigrants in the heart of Ogden, a blighted city with a dense population of Latinos. At the end of February, Jarrett had the privilege of spending a long weekend on site with the Pruitts and other key leaders from Apline, dreaming and brainstorming ideas for this new ministry. While Alpine is still in the planning stages, the meeting was productive both strategically and relationally.

On the other side of the country in North Carolina, the Meeks’ former missionary colleague in Bolivia, Brandon Martin has just launched a ministry modeled largely after Mission Adelante. Their first ESL and Kids Adelante-like programs began in March with 18 adult English students, a small group of kids, and strong volunteer support. We are so excited to see Brandon and his wife Joy fulfilling their calling together and enjoying God’s grace in the beginning of their new ministry.

As far as our plans to reproduce Mission Adelante sites in Kansas City, we are still praying for the Lord’s direction and provision, as we look for the right places and people to start this work.