Holy moments
The Assembly for the Colombian Mennonite Church, similar to the MCUSA convention, often includes a lot of tense conversations. Fellow brothers and sisters disagree; we unintentionally hurt each other. The assembly had much to talk about this year and had many tense conversations. We observed some of this with the youth. While the adults were […]
Sharing Anabaptism throughout Latin America – a life of study and service
Elkhart, Indiana (Mennonite Mission Network) – Laverne Rutschman, son of David and Lizzie (Elise) Zuercher Rutschman, born Mar. 31, 1919, in Newton, Kansas, passed away Mar. 21, 2018. Brought up on a farm three miles southeast of Elbing, he attended Elbing Elementary School and Whitewater High School, graduating in 1936. On May 31, 1937, two […]
Long-term mission worker in Algeria provided framework for short-term volunteers
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Mission Network) – Robert Milton Stetter, 86, died of pneumonia on Jan. 4 in Plant City, Florida. Stetter and his wife, Lila Rae, served in Algeria from 1958-1971 with Mennonite Board of Missions, a predecessor agency of Mennonite Mission Network. Mission personnel served alongside Pax volunteers and, after 1961, with Mennonite Central […]
Right where God wants me
Service Adventure wasn’t my initial plan, and it wasn’t until the last minute that I decided it was the right plan, but I have come to find that sometimes that is just the way God works. I applied and was accepted to Service Adventure just about two or three weeks before the day it was […]
Called to serve
I remember hearing about Service Adventure all throughout high school in chapels at Dock Mennonite Academy, and presentations from past participants at my church. I thought it was a cool idea, but for the longest time, I thought I had to go straight to college after high school or I would be considered a failure. […]
Trading comfort for the unknown
I spent most my senior year of high school thinking of excuses to avoid service. Growing up, taking a year of service before college seemed like the norm. My church commissioned at least one or two young people for service each year, most of my cousins had taken a year of service, and my dad […]
Smart ways to give
BERLIN, Ohio (Mennonite Mission Network) – Wish you could be generous, but are buried in student debt? Here are some ways to give to your favorite charities (ahem, Mennonite Voluntary Service or another ministry of Mennonite Mission Network!) without spending an extra dime of your own money. It’s a win-win situation when you stay […]
The Olympic dream of a unified Korea
NAMYANGJU, SOUTH KOREA (Korea Peacebuilding Institute) – If you watched the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, you witnessed athletes from both Koreas walking together under the Korean Unification Flag. The people of Korea, and the international community, melted the tension and fear that had just peaked a month before. In that moment, it was hard […]
Congolese Mennonites worship in face of atrocities
“Though the fields produce no food, though there are no goats in the compound, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:17-18 (adapted) ELKHART, Indiana (AIMM/Mennonite Mission Network) – The terror continues in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country has experienced horrific violence for centuries […]
Contemplative prayer in the chaos
One of the best parts of living in a home owned by our local Mennonite church is being at the center of church activities through the week. It means that our home is often filled with different faces doing different activities. One of those activities that started recently and will continue over the next few […]
Ain’t I a woman—reflections on race, gender and the wholeness of God
Ann Jacobs, a church relations representative for Mennonite Mission Network, delivered the message during chapel at the Mennonite Church USA offices in Elkhart, Indiana, on February 1, 2018. "Womanist Theology helps us see that God created all humanity to share in his gift of life, to fulfill his purpose through salvation by Jesus Christ, offered […]
Steadfast and Immovable: King, Harding and “Beyond Vietnam”
Wil LaVeist, senior executive for resourcing and engagement at Mennonite Mission Network, speaks at the Mennonite Church USA offices in Elkhart, Indiana on February 15, 2018. LaVeist explores the relationship between Vincent Harding and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Harding wrote King’s famous "Beyond Vietnam" speech.