Ministering to Newcomers
Thousands of people coming from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Colombia have come to the United States in the last ten months. Some of those people have come to the Kansas City area. They have left their country for distinct reasons; some were being persecuted for the dictators of their own countries, others were tired of the economic situation and most of them are just looking for an opportunity to accomplish their financial, educational, and personal goals. To achieve what we call the American Dream. The concept that if you work hard and make a lot of sacrifices, you can become a successful person in this country of opportunities. Nonetheless, the road to achieving the “American Dream” is anything but easy for these newcomers. In fact, the road is filled with obstacles and difficulties. For starters, those who have decided to move to the Kansas City area find the language is a significant barrier. We are grateful that at this point in the history of immigration, many employers hire people who do not necessarily speak the English language.
But language is not the only hurdle these people have to overcome in order to achieve success in this generous country. They have to find places to live, transportation to move around from place to place, secure jobs, enroll their kids in the school, attend immigration appointments on a regular basis, work towards preparing their asylum cases before an immigration judge. Furthermore, they have to fulfill their financial obligation with their relatives or friends who lent them money to travel to the United States. In addition, they have to send money to the rest of the family who stayed in their countries of origin. As you can see, their situation in this country is not necessarily the easiest one. Nevertheless, as soon as they come, they love this country, and appreciate the fact that this country, The United States of America, is giving them an opportunity to be successful, a chance that might have never existed in their own countries.
The Multiethnic Church Planting Center/Welcome Center in cooperation with Seekers of Liberty, some other local organizations and individuals, have been working hard to help these people achieve the objectives mentioned above. It is true that most of the goals immigrants have to accomplish are pretty much the same things that most citizens of this country have to achieve. The main difference is that it is much harder for them. We are so grateful that our association, through the ministry I lead, is willing to invest in the lives of these newcomers. Fulfilling this way, first, a basic command found in the Scriptures about foreigners and the way that they should be treated, “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34 NASB). And secondly fulfilling the will and command of Jesus “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ministering to Pastors and Leaders
One of the fundamental objectives of this ministry is the welfare of all international pastors who minister daily to their congregations here in the Kansas City area and even beyond. We have made it a priority to spend time with them in a personal way, to learn and know about what is going on in their lives, families, and ministries. These meetings have been a great blessing both for them but also for us. We have been encouraged, blessed, and motivated to move forward helping the people God has called us to minister to.
We have also been meeting collectively to learn from each other, learn what is happening in each ministry, determine what ministry tools are working in each area, and potentially applying them in our own ministries. In addition, we have started a mentoring program for the laity. This new emphasis is intended to train believers to lead Bible studies in different areas of the city where there is a need to start new Bible studies in other languages.
Partnering with other Ministries
We are working together with other ministries to help us fill the felt needs that the international community has. These ministries and activities include English as a Second Language classes, clinics for people who need glasses, and help for people who need to file cases with immigration. In addition, other organizations in the community use these facilities to conduct some of its activities/ministries. We also host three different congregations that meet on a regular basis.
We thank God who allows us to be part of this significant effort to shine His light in the midst of the dense darkness that surrounds us. We take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to each of the churches that are part of our association. Thank you for trusting us to minister to the foreigners who live in our communities. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you would like to help us in fulfilling our ministry.
