6: You feel a strong urge to be a positive presence in the world.
Ever hear anyone say, "You can tell what people care about by how they spend their time?" It’s a simple idea, really. Rather than allowing your convictions to stay trapped in your head (or in an argument on social media!), take a year or two to put them into action. See which service placement on ChooseService.org lines up with the issues you care most about.
5: You are itching to venture off the predicted path for your life.
It’s hard to follow the road less taken. If it was easier, it wouldn’t be … you know, less taken. Yet pushing yourself beyond what’s "expected" can lead to opportunities you may have thought were unattainable. Find freedom in the idea that your life is not made up of a single "calling," but of many. Maybe your "calling" for this time in your life is nudging you toward intentional service.
4: You long to experience community in a new way.
As Peter Block states in his book Community: The Structure of Belonging, "Community offers the promise of belonging and calls for us to acknowledge our interdependence. To belong is to act as an investor, owner, and creator of this place. To be welcome, even if we are strangers. As if we came to the right place and are affirmed for that choice." Read how Karen Spicher, a mission worker in South Korea, experiences this feeling in her blog post.
3: You are eager to get your foot in the door with agencies who are making big changes.
Maybe you’ve heard that it’s difficult to stand out in the vast sea of applicants. One way to "swim to the top" is to do an internship! Service gives the opportunity to work in a placement that may be difficult to otherwise get in. Not only will this build your resume, but it could potentially transform into a paying job when your term is over.
2: You get excited about assisting local leaders in their vision to help their communities.
Don’t want to get wrapped up in a savior complex? Don’t worry — we don’t want you to either. That’s why Mennonite Mission Network doesn’t go anywhere we aren’t invited, and we take direction from local leaders who best know the needs of their communities.
1: You can feel good about the fact that Mission Network has employees who themselves have been program participants, international workers, or are parents who send their children through Mission Network programs.
It’s true. Many employees at Mission Network are either alumni or have sent their children through our programs. The reason? We believe in our programs and have seen the benefits firsthand. It’s why many of us are here! I invite you to join us — as a service participant yourself or as a person who encourages others to consider serving with Mennonite Mission Network.
