Stories

They just want me to learn

From Indonesia to Bolivia – a YAMEN year through the five senses: Taste: fresh food (especially the meat) Touch: tight hugs and kissing the cheeks with sound Smell: sun on the skin Hear: noise of a city (microbuses, taxis, people who talk loudly,... Weiterlesen

What does peace need to thrive?

A YAMENer’s reflection from Colombia Peace doesn’t look the same in every context. That’s a lesson that Hector “Ramon” Calix Dueñas says he’s learning during his YAMEN (Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network) year in Colombia. “Ramon” Calix... Weiterlesen

Meeting Jesus in another culture

Before Esther Aguilar began her Bolivian adventure, she asked God for one thing: to teach her in a deeper sense the commandment where Jesus says, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. (…) A second is... Weiterlesen

Graphic design and cooking pave the way to emotional resiliency

What do cooking and graphic design have in common? For Adi Nugroho, it’s never been about mastering either of these skills. Technical skills are simply the backdrop for developing emotional tools and creating a space for connection, even across... Weiterlesen

Unexpected placement equips for future service

Stephanie Setiawan from Sidoarjo, Indonesia, had no plan to go to Latin America. She applied for Mennonite Central Committee’s International Volunteer Exchange Program in 2013/2014, but the slot for her synod was already taken. The coordinators... Weiterlesen

Praising God together across barriers

“I can see one family with a lot of members, worshipping the same Father,” says Natacha Kyendrebeogo from Burkina Faso. She is one of four young people serving through YAMEN on the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Assembly team in Indonesia. YAMEN (... Weiterlesen

“God’s time was perfect”

“When I first signed up for the program, I never thought a pandemic would happen,” says Elda Antonio Garcia, a YAMENer from Mexico. “Now that I am living in the midst of it, instead of seeing it as a challenge, I see it as a blessing…. It is... Weiterlesen

Called to care, equipped to serve

How YAMEN put this doctor on the path she’d always hoped for Dr. Ela Castro always knew she wanted to spend her life serving those in need. By all outward appearances, this is what she was doing. She’d studied for years to earn her medical degree... Weiterlesen

Locked down but uplifted

“The love from Indonesia”: for YAMENers Enosh Rupamajhi, Jeu Song and Olicky Muchindu, the warmth of relationship – from their hosts and each other – is a hallmark of their year. YAMEN offers young adults from around the world an opportunity to... Weiterlesen

Spaghetti and chopsticks: Mutual transformation in YAMEN

This story was written in February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic became a worldwide threat. As of April 2020, Minear Mak is still serving in her YAMEN assignment, remaining in close contact with MCC and MWC administrators as health and... Weiterlesen

More curious, more daring

“During this year I have learned to be more curious and adventurous. When I return to my country, I hope to be a better servant for Christ and in my church, and also to be more daring when assuming responsibilities,” says Gerhard Peters, a 2018–2019... Weiterlesen

“Every second, God is here, helping me”

“A chapter of my story was written while with YAMEN,” says Diana Martínez. The young church leader from Colombia served as an educational assistant at Casa Hogar Belén, a children’s home in Managua, Nicaragua, 2017–2018 through YAMEN. YAMEN (Young... Weiterlesen

A recipe to cure homesickness

Laos and Indonesia are both in South East Asia, so some kinds of food are similar. But sometimes, as Laotian teaching English on YAMEN in Indonesia, I miss Lao food. When I make food from home, it helps me to not feel as homesick. Cooking Lao food... Weiterlesen

YAMEN ambassador of peace amid violence

Damaris Guaza Sandoval says her year of service in La Ceiba, Honduras, was about equipping young people to be God’s ambassadors of peace where violence is common. The 26-year-old from Cali, Colombia, worked as a social worker with Proyecto Paz y... Weiterlesen

How it works: Emergency food distribution

In many parts of the area near Kibwezi, Kenya, I see corn that has dried up. Driving around, it’s hard to find any corn that people will be able to harvest this season. In February 2018, MCC’s partner Utooni Development Organization (UDO), which I... Weiterlesen

A transformative year: YAMEN participants meet God and people

Bogotá, Colombia – “The gospel connects us all no matter where we are,” says Laurey Segura. She lived out this realization as a teacher and youth worker with the help of Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network (YAMEN), a joint Mennonite Central... Weiterlesen

Spanish speaking YAMENers face unique challenges in Latin American placements

Serving in an area of the world relatively close to your home country where the dominant language is the same as your own might seem relatively easy. But Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network (YAMEN) participants who hail from Latin American... Weiterlesen

YAMEN service builds faith

Bogotá, Colombia – Taking a risk and trusting in God are sure ways to grow in faith. For Marisela Dyck and Xavier Chen, serving with the Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network (YAMEN) program in 2015-2016 was a year of lessons in relying on God... Weiterlesen

Offering our blessings to the world

Sindy Novoa Caro lives in Bogotá, Colombia, where she belongs to the Casa de Oración church, a Mennonite Brethren congregation. In 2010–2011, Sindy served with YAMEN in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, as a teacher´s assistant in a school for children living... Weiterlesen

Healing wounds through art: A YAMEN experience

Bogotá, Colombia – For Keila Viana, seeing how art can heal wounds deepened her understanding of God and his love during her international service in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. “I believe that during this time God worked a lot in my life,” says Viana, a... Weiterlesen