Meditation and inspiration at SENT 2019
ENGLEWOOD, Colorado (Mennonite Mission Network) – Over 80 church leaders from across the country came together for SENT 2019 at Beloved Community Mennonite Church on April 26-28 in Englewood, Colorado. The SENT conference, now in its fourth year, is a peace church conference hosted by Mennonite Mission Network that helps connect, inspire, and equip church […]
Alumni service-learning tour to Mississippi
The civil rights struggle stepped out of history and came to life for 12 alumni of Mennonite Mission Network short-term service programs. From Mar. 9–16, Arloa Bontrager, SOOP and Youth Venture director, and Susan Nisly, Service Adventure director, led a learning tour through Mississippi. Each tour participant had served in one of Mission Network’s smorgasbord […]
Glimpsing God through everyday life
When I came into Service Adventure, I had a very open mind to what I would learn. I was not expecting to love more deeply or appreciate the little things in life more. At my work placement, I work with adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The day program I am with teaches them […]
To care for the land is a missionary calling
Benin is an agricultural economy with more than half of its population still working the land. Even in urban areas, people know the geography of their ancestral roots. They return to their family’s rural compounds when times get hard in the city. They know they will find food and a community to help them carry […]
Open to life-changing nudges – Interview with MVS alum Dana Tolle
Susan: This is Susan Nisly and I’m collecting another Mennonite Mission Network alumni story, so my guest today is going to introduce herself and tell us her name and where she served, and with what program. Dana: My name is Dana Tolle and I was in Boulder doing Mennonite Voluntary Service in 2006-2007. And I […]
God’s economy, not empire economics
I have met many Christians who say, "The story of a man building an enormous boat to save every type of animal that exists while the entire earth is covered in water is clearly literal and historical." In the next moment, they say, "Jesus’ call to radically love our enemies is an ideal that’s definitely […]
Celebrating 75 years of formation for young adults in shifting times
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – When Gilberto Perez was 12, he hung out with the older guys who came from their Brownsville, Texas, Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) unit to help his parents, Elizabeth and Gilberto, build a Hispanic Mennonite church in Robstown. When he was 19, he said those memories emerged as a powerful […]
From participant to leader—Interview with the Rittenhouse sisters
Susan: I’m sitting here today with Krista and Leah Rittenhouse. Can you say what years you were in Service Adventure? Leah: I was in Service Adventure as a participant in 2008/2009 and then served as a Service Adventure leader from 2015 through 2018. Susan: I am wondering if you could share a little about how Service […]
Keep an open mind—Interview with Service Adventure alum Renee Neufeld
Susan: Hi. This is Susan Nisly (director of Service Adventure) and I’m sitting here with Renee Neufeld. And Renee was a Service Adventure leader for three years in Anchorage, Alaska, and then completed another term when there was an accident in one of the other locations that took the leaders away from there. So, Renee, I guess the […]
Inspiring a sense of plenty
In Alta Verapaz, the department (like a state) of Guatemala, where I live, corn planting is a very important occasion. In April or May, a couple will invite their friends and relatives to help plant corn. No one does it alone and it usually ends with a shared meal of caldo, tortillas, and ponch. Caldo […]
Church clinic helps community members navigate the jungle of photo ID registration
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – Sharon Williams’ Bible study group had just concluded when she heard the news. It was the spring of 2012, and the Pennsylvania State legislature had passed a law requiring photo IDs in order to vote, catching many people, Williams included, off-guard. Donna Windle, who had brought the news to […]
Bucket list wish brings family together to serve
NEWTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network) – For many, creating a bucket list means putting to paper the experiences that one would not want to leave this world without having savored at least once. For Lois Plank of Wellman, Iowa, service with SOOP was high on her list. Plank, who lives with cancer, was drawn to SOOP […]