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 offered her a YAMEN placement in Colombia instead.  

As a result, Stephanie Setiawan discovered a love for Latin culture and training for future service. “I am so grateful to have served in Colombia. There, God prepared me for serving at Assembly in Indonesia,” she says. 

The Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network (YAMEN) program is a joint program between Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Central Committee. It places emphasis on expanding the fellowship between churches in the Anabaptist tradition and developing young leaders around the globe. Participants spend one year in a cross-cultural assignment starting in August and ending the following July. 

“I’d never paid attention to Colombia before,” Stephanie Setiawan says, but she began to learn. She initiated correspondence with a young person from the church where she would be serving. “It felt great to have a friendship before I went there.” 

“When I arrived, I didn’t speak any Spanish and my host family could not speak English. They were so committed to teaching me the language,” she says. “They explained Spanish words; if there were things, they showed them; if there’s an action, they acted it out for me. Every time we had free time, they gave it to conversation with me.” 

In her service placement, “the children were so patient,” she says. She showed them pictures to teach English vocabulary and the children taught her Spanish in turn.  

After several months, Stephanie Setiawan was able to speak and understand Spanish, but “I still didn’t get the jokes. It’s weird when people are talking and I couldn’t see the funny things. One day when I laughed, it felt really good. Finally, I could get the interactions.” 

“It would be great to meet more people from other cultures,” she thought, as the YAMEN program introduced her to friends from around the world. She began to anticipate the MWC Assembly in Indonesia which her host mom told her about. “It would be really powerful to worship God together with our diversity.” 

When Assembly arrived, Indonesian language coordinator Ary Rusdianto turned to Stephanie Setiawan, now working as web communications assistant for MWC. Interpreters for Spanish and Indonesian were scarce: she knew both languages.  

“I’ve never been a translator. I rarely talk in a big group. This is the biggest stage in my life. If I had an option I would say no,” says Stephanie Setiawan. Friends encouraged her and helped her prepare.  

And she remembered the neighbourhood Barrio Tokio in Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia.  

Part of her YAMEN work took her to this neighbourhood with a difficult reputation. “Never once did I feel afraid,” she says. “My interaction with children and parents is still fresh in my memory. I felt the peace of God in that place and the warmness of those people.” 

The miracle of peace amid uncertainty occurred again on stage in Salatiga as she interpreted for José Rutilio Rivas. “It was an honour to serve in this way.” 

“I feel it is really important to have connections to people from around the world,” she says. “When you embrace the differences and diversity you can grow, and your soul can be rich. There is always something good in another culture just waiting to learn.  

“When you know someone from far away is praying for you, it will touch your heart. It’s important for us to pray for our brother and sister around the world especially when you know they are facing difficulty.”  


YAMEN 2022-2023 Participants

Name  Country of origin  Country of placement  Member church  
*indicates MWC member church 
Emilia Macono Guzman  Bolivia  México  Sinai Evangelical Mennonite Church (IEMB) *
Uziel Zambrana Hurtado  Bolivia  Colombia  Smyrna Evangelical Mennonite Church*
Sina Dy Cambodia  Kenya  Community of Changed Hearts Church 
Sokvoleak Chum  Cambodia  Uganda  Tumnup Tek Khmer Evangelical Church 
Sovanich Chhoun  Cambodia  Nicaragua  Nation Church Phnom Penh 
Lilibeth Guzman Macea  Colombia  Honduras Communidad Menonita Nueva Vida en Cristo Jesus 
Nidia Marleny Linares Martinez  El Salvador  México  Mennonite Evangelical Church of El Salvador* 
Esther Abigail Aguilar Velasquez  Honduras  Bolivia  Iglesia Evangélica Menonita de Santa Rosa de Copan 
Eve Franklin  India  Kenya  Mennonite Church Durg (MCI, Dhamtari)* 
Mahima Tandi  India  Uganda  Bethlehem Mennonite Church Memra Pithora (BGCMC)* 
Shepher Sona  India  Cambodia  Hebron Mennonite Church (BGCMC)* 
Cahya Putri Wulansari  Indonesia  Rwanda  GITJ Kelet* 
Johana Christianti  Indonesia  Burkina Faso  GKMI Bogor* 
Setyawan “Adi” Nugroho  Indonesia  Bolivia  GKMI Kudus*
Rael Kiptoo  Kenya  Uganda  Shalom Mennonite Church 
Sarah Pariken  Kenya  Cambodia  Dominion Chapel International Ministries 
Febe Daniella Madirgal Salgado  Nicaragua  Guatemala  Fuente de Vida (Convención de Iglesias Menonitas)* 
Melania Elizabeth Chaparro  Paraguay  Honduras  Dulce Refugio 
Monika Warkentin  Germany/Paraguay  Palestine and Israel  Iglesia Hermanos Menonitas Concordia (AHM)* 
Denise Dushime  Rwanda  India  Gatenga Evangelical Friends Church 
Yejin Kim South Korea  Bolivia  Jesus Heart Church 
Sondobi “Daniel” Chacha Sondobi  Tanzania  Cambodia  KMT Bukiroba*  
Ladia Zulu  Zambia  Cambodia  Baptist Community Church 

 

—A Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Central Committee joint release by Karla Braun, a writer for Mennonite World Conference who lives in Winnipeg.   

The Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network (YAMEN) program is a joint program between Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Central Committee. It places emphasis on expanding the fellowship between churches in the Anabaptist tradition and developing young leaders around the globe. Participants spend one year in a cross-cultural assignment starting in August and ending the following July.  

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