Our Stories (PDF) - Mennonite Mission Network

Editor’s noteFollow-upIn service, Lord,to theeBy Andrew ClouseAll Christians—no matter what stage of life—are calledto live their lives in service to others.Service itself can be as simple as an afternoon work project, asdemonstrated at the 2011 Mennonite Church USA Convention inPittsburgh, when nearly 3,000 youth and adults served 47 organizationsin the City of Bridges (page 13). This type of service is important,and provides a powerful witness to the goodness of Christ.Moving beyond the mere project, however, is a lifestyle.Some people are called to a short-term stint with a serviceorganization (see Alayna Hyde’s reflection on page 9), orlong-term international service (see Anna Sawatzky’s and TerryWitmer’s reflections on pages 6–8). Many—perhaps most—are called to serve the communitieswhere they live.“Accept my talentsThe blog entries in this great and small,issue of Beyond Ourselves Choose thou theshow how those who servepath for me, Where Iare transformed by the experience.Alayna Hyde, servingshall labor joyouslyin Los Angeles throughIn service, Lord, forDwell, is making the connectionsbetween relationship-—HWB 548 Teach me thy truththee.”based and results-basedmission. Anna Sawatzky comments on how those involved inmission often affect change even when they don’t realize it. AndTerry Witmer writes about having the grace to be served by thosethey went to serve.Service is multifaceted—sometimes a single isolated experience,but, at its best, a life to be lived. Over time, everyone—the “server” and the “served”—has been changed for thebetter. Faith is deepened, communities are strengthened, andthe kingdom of God feels just a bit closer.God’s humor gets creative when it comes tograbbing people’s attention. For Moses, it wasa burning bush; for Balaam, a talking donkey. ForIrene Bornman, it was bathroom floor tiles.A ceramic floor tile pattern in a Senegalese guesthouse was the inspiration for two of the quilts thatwere showcased in the “Senegal Fabrics in IndianaPatchwork” exhibit at the Goshen (Ind.) CollegeLibrary Gallery this summer.Bornman chose beige fabric for the backgroundof one of her quilts as a symbol of the ever-presentsand in the region of Senegal where she ministeredfor nine years with Friends of the Wolof, a MennoniteMission Network partner.Web spotlightSenegalbathroomtiles inspirequilterIrene Bornman displayed her Senegalese-inspired quilts at Goshen College in August.Talking about textilesCheck out a video of Bornman’s quiltsby scanning the QR code or visitingBeyondOurselves.MennoniteMission.netAs Bornman worked on one of the quilts, called Sand and People, stitching the twosquares of African prints together, she interceded with intense longing for those seeking adeeper meaning to their lives.“O Lord, let them come together in churches,” Bornman prayed.Photo by Craig WelscottFeedbackLet us know what you think of this issue.What inspires you? Engages you? Infuriates you?BeyondOurselves@MennoniteMission.netPhoto by Craig WelscottBeyond Ourselves is published by Mennonite Mission NetworkOctober 2011—Vol. 10, No. 3Executive director/CEO Stanley W. GreenEditorAndrew ClouseArt director David FastDesigner Cynthia Friesen CoyleCopy editor Karen Ritchie© 2011 by Mennonite Mission Network. All rights reserved.Mennonite Mission Network exists to lead, mobilize and equip thechurch to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ. Offices inElkhart, Ind., and Newton, Kan.Toll-free: 1-866-866-2872Español: 1-877-665-6662www.MennoniteMission.netPOSTMASTER: Subscriptions and changes of address should be sentto Beyond Ourselves, Mennonite Mission Network, PO Box 370,Elkhart, IN 46515-0370.Cover: Mennonite Mission Network worker Anna Sawatzky sharesthe computer with her son, Jesse. Photo by David Fisher Fast.

Beyond newsSimple pleasuresMenno Village in Japan offerschildren from Fukushima a safeplace to playOne of the hidden costs of thenuclear reactor meltdown inMarch is the theft of the joys ofchildhood. Nuclear contaminationof soils up to 60 miles away fromthe crippled nuclear reactors inFukushima has meant that childrenare not allowed to play outside.Akiko Aratani and Ray Epp,directors of Menno Village, areusing the trying situation to helpthese children regain simple pleasures—playingoutdoors, swimming,eating safe food, and drinkingclean water.Akiko spearheaded a community-widevolunteer effort thatresulted in 15 children and threemothers from the nuclear contaminationzone spending two weeksin August enjoying the spaciousMenno Village grounds andhospitality in the small town ofNaganuma.“In the disaster zone childrenKuaying Teng (left) met with Seng Soukhathivong, theLaotian ambassador to the United States.cannot play outside,” Ray said.“They have to have their bodiesfully covered at all times. Theyhave to wear masks at all times.The older elementary children arenearly going crazy staying insideall day, and the masks are very hotand uncomfortable in the 95- to100-degree heat.”One mother from Fukushimareported that in spite of all of theprecautions they have taken, theiryoung toddler’s favorite stuffedanimal that the child sleeps with iscontaminated with radiation.When Aratani and Epp floatedthe idea to others in Naganuma,many asked how they could help.Peace ambassadorMeeting with Laotian official promotes healingFor years, Kuaying Teng has patientlynurtured a vision in which a newgeneration of Laotians in Asia and NorthAmerica would lead their wounded landinto an era of healing and lasting peace.A recent meeting between Teng andthe ambassador from Laos, whose eldersremain pained by war during the 1960sand 1970s, has opened a key pathway forwhich Teng had been praying.Teng, the denominational minister ofAsian Ministries for Mennonite ChurchUSA, met July 18 with AmbassadorSeng Soukhathivong at the embassy inAkiko Epp, codirectorof MennoVillage in Japan,helps childrenfrom Fukushimamake rockets outof water bottles.Church members from Sapporo,an hour away, helped organizeactivities and prepare meals; localfamilies who live on farms hostedchildren in their homes. The mayorof Naganuma even offered to putthe children up at the town-ownedhot-spring hotel for one night.Menno Village is also exploringways to reduce the level ofradiation in contaminated soils bygrowing vegetable oil crops thatdraw out radiation, and using thepressed oil for heating.“The Spirit of God is at work inthe lives of people whether they areaware of it or not,” Ray said. “Wegive thanks for God’s goodness.”Washington. After several meetings overthe years with Laotian officials, this meetingwas a vital step in securing a diplomaticvisa and crucial government supportfor his ministry of reconciliation among theLaotian people.“The purpose of the meeting was tolet the ambassador know that when theLaotian people become Mennonite, theirperspective changes from what it wasbefore in terms of commitment to peace,”Teng said. “I want the ambassador tounderstand how to help me promotepeace among the Laotian people.”Photo courtesy of Ray Epp4 n October 2011

Photo by Ryan MillerAirmailChildren’s paper likenesses travel the worldMarie Unruh, a Radical Journey participantfrom Peabody, Kan., took her class around theworld—without leaving home.Unruh, who served with Mission Network inBradford, England, assisted teachers at Lidget Green,a primary school (pre-K to grade 6). One of Unruh’sideas was to do a “Flat Stanley” project with herkids, a class of 8- and 9-year-olds.Flat Stanley is a character from a series of books byJeff Brown. In these books, Stanley is flattened by abulletin board that hung over his bed, and as a result,Flat Stanley can be sent around the world by mail.Unruh helped her class create flat versions ofthemselves and send them to five different continents.Unruh’s connections helped make it possible forthe flattened students to “visit” South Africa, NewZealand, China, Germany and the United States.Unruh’s friends and acquaintances, who received theflat students, responded with information about thecountries where they live.At an assembly that followed, the students tookturns sharing what they learned about each countrythey “visited.” They told about a safari in SouthAfrica, performed a Maori dance called the Hakafrom New Zealand, and shared facts about China.They conversed in German and explained the UnitedStates’ pledge of allegiance, as well as the differencesbetween British and American English.Biblia booksByler finishes Spanish Bible trilogyWhen Dennis Byler, a longtime Mission Network workerin Spain, released Hablar Sobre Dios desde la Biblia(Talking about God using the Bible) in March, it was the culminationof an unexpected labor of love that lasted more than20 years and resulted in a trilogy totaling more than 1,000pages. Here, he discusses the history and purpose of each one.La Autoridad de la Palabra en laIglesia (The Authority of the Wordin the Church) In the first book, Iwanted to explore how the Biblefunctions as authority for the doctrineand decision-making of the church. Theworking assumption for many Spanishspeakingevangelicals is that the Bible issome sort of self-evident set of rules of conduct and set ofbeliefs, which, if held rigorously, delivers human souls fromthe threat of hell into the promise of heaven. This bookexplores what the Bible is, how it came into being, and howGod leads the church by means of the Holy Spirit and theexample and teaching of Jesus, as communities of believersgather around the Bible seeking God’s leading.Todo lo que te Preguntabas sobre laBiblia (Y algunas cosas que prefeririasno saber) (Everything You wereWondering about the Bible [And aFew Things You Would Rather NotKnow]) contains an overview of the Bible,brief reviews of each of the Bible’s books,and a section of frequently asked questions about the Bible.Dennis Byler in theseminary library atEl Escorial, Spain.Lidget Green Primary School students Zishaan Rauf, Omar Bin Melha,Maryam Sadiq, Usaid Shah, Ayesha Malik and Nafisah Kiran showoff the “flat” versions of themselves that they shipped around theworld. Marie Unruh, a Radical Journey participant who volunteeredat the school, used the project to help the students learn about othercountries and cultures.Photo courtesy of Marie UnruhHablar sobre Dios desde la Biblia(Talking about God using the Bible)Several years ago, I was requested by theseminary where I teach to write a coursefor congregational study in “biblicaltheology,” which resulted in this book.While the first book was about how theBible functions in order to give shape to the teaching andpractice of the church, this third book is about 12 specificsets of ideas we derive from the Bible as we think aboutGod (and about life and meaning, and the universe).FollowMennoMissionNeton Twitter for allthe latest news.Find Mennonite Mission Network on Facebook.BeyondOurselves.MennoniteMission.net ■ 5

Our storiesMission workers blog aboutwhat’s happening on the groundAnna’s blogSouth Africa:Choosing life over deathBy Anna SawatzkyPhoto by Ryan MillerAt our Mennonite Ministries in South Africa retreat overthe turn of the year, we were privileged to have severalsessions with the former general secretary of MennoniteChurch Canada, Jack Suderman. We spent morningswith Jack while he shared biblical insights for mission and discussedthese insights in light of situations that we deal with.Jack shared about the importance of good biblical interpretation.Looking at the story of the wise men who come to visit Jesus, wesee the life and death consequences of incorrect biblical interpretation.The Magi came to Jerusalem following a star that signaledto them the birth of the “king of the Jews.” Based on their study,they believed that the king of the Jews had to be born in Jerusalem.And so they come to Herod to inquire about the new king. Herod,feeling threatened, summoned his wise people. His scholars readprophecies of a king to be born and saw that such a king must beborn in Bethlehem—“geographically close, but theologically veryfar apart,” says Jack.As a result of this exegetical “mistake,” King Herod has all thebaby boys in Bethlehem killed.The task for us is to at least do no harm through our exegesis.Over Christmas, a woman from our church in Mthatha releasedher husband to go home to his family for part of the holidays. Whenhe did not reach home, people began to look for him. He was foundmurdered in town. We attended his funeral several weeks later. The6 n October 2011

started checking the fuel injection system. It turns out he was a formermechanic who happened to have owned two Chevrolet Rodeosjust like the one we were driving.Within five minutes he had diagnosed the problem as a burnedupsensor on the fuel injection system. He called a friend in town,had him deliver the part, and installed it without any difficulty.The vehicle started immediately.We found an ATM from ourAs we drove home, wemarveled at the ways Godreveals his love for us, thistime, hand-delivered bythe husband of a womanthree months pregnant…bank right across the street,withdrew the money for the newsensor, and sent it along withFabian to the parts store owner.Before we left, we told Fabianthat he had been our answerto prayer. He seemed surprisedand thoughtful. Our familiesexchanged names and contactinformation, offering hospitality in our respective towns. As wedrove home, we marveled at the ways God reveals his love for us,this time, hand-delivered by the husband of a woman three monthspregnant and the father of a 9-year-old daughter, who took an hourand a half out of his life to help a bunch of foreigners he didn’tknow. That’s Colombia. That’s our God at work. In our weakness,his strength is made known.About usPhil and Terry Witmerwith sons, Luke and DestinLocation: La Mesa, ColombiaTerm start date: 10/01/2010Home congregation: Mount Clinton Mennonite Church,Harrisonburg, Va.Ministry: Phil and Terry work with the Mennonite churchand Colegio Americano Menno in La Mesa, participating in avariety of local and regional ministries.Blog: colombianwit.blogspot.comPhoto by Ryan MillerLos Angeles:It’s in the lovingAlayna’s blogBy Alayna HydeOn a beautiful Friday in January of the most exhaustingweek of my time here in Los Angeles, with a tired andsomewhat defeated attitude, my co-worker, Richard, andI turned down an alley in search of a client, who we’llcall Jimmy.After more than a year of working with him, Jimmy admittedhe was ready for rehab. My supervisor decided Jimmy would bemy first client, making it my responsibility to look into where heshould go and what it would take to get him there. I did a littleBeyondOurselves.MennoniteMission.net ■ 9

About usAlayna HydeLos Angeles Dwell participants (L to R): JoshOrem, Alayna Hyde, Robert Morrison, AlexDavis, Brady Vanes, Kyle CliftonLocation: Los Angeles, CaliforniaTerm start date: 9/1/2010Home congregation: Madison Avenue Church of Christ,Pierre, S.D.Ministry: During Dwell, Alayna volunteered at PATHAchieve Glendale, a homeless services provider in Glendale,Calif. Her work included assisting with outreach and casemanagement, forming relationships with the chronicallyhomeless, working at Glendale’s winter shelter, and assistingcase managers with clients who needed extra attention.Blog: alaynahyde.wordpress.comPhoto courtesy of Alayna Hyderesearch, and the next time we found him, we scheduled a time tomeet and drive to the facility.After he failed to show up for the appointment, we finally foundJimmy and set out for the clinic in West LA, 30 minutes away if wewere lucky, over an hour if we weren’t. And we weren’t. The wholeprocess took forever. We got lost. Richard was late for his secondjob. Four families were waiting on us back at the office. I was anhour late to pick up my parents from the airport.Despite all that, we sat there with Jimmy. We watched TV; wechatted. He opened up more about his past and his family than heever had before. I couldn’t just leave him there. I didn’t want to makehim sit by himself, nervous and alone. So we waited. After occupyingseveral different uncomfortable plastic lobby chairs in several differentwaiting areas, Jimmy finally got to where he needed to be. I wasanxious about leaving him, but I tried to be encouraging.“We have to go now. You’re OK, right? You’ll do great. This willall work out. Do you have my number?”He smiled and assured me he was fine. I was nervous to leavehim. What if he walked out right after we left? What if we went“The success of love is inthe loving—it is not in theresult of loving. Of course,it is natural in love to wantthe best for the otherperson, but whether itturns out that way or notdoes not determine thevalue of what we havedone.”—Mother Teresato all this trouble for nothing?I knew I couldn’t hold his handthrough the whole process. Wecould only show him the doorand hope he stepped through.After the madness had alldied down, I was still strugglingwith the possibility that it mayall have been for naught; Jimmymight have decided to leave,and we might have failed. ThenI happened upon this quote byMother Teresa: “The success oflove is in the loving—it is not inthe result of loving. Of course, itis natural in love to want the bestfor the other person, but whether it turns out that way or not doesnot determine the value of what we have done.”I invest my time and energy and passion into the people I meet.But I cannot make Jimmy stay at the rehab facility. I cannot wishhim sober. Whether he stays does not detract from the fact that wecared enough to keep visiting him, find him help when he asked,and will continue to work with him, no matter the outcome ofrehab. A success story would be great, but it’s OK if it doesn’t turnout just the way I hope because, as I’m learning, the success of loveis in the loving.10 n October 2011

Philippi, W.Va.:Simple living challengeCompiled by Andrew ClousePhilippi blogAfew months ago, the Philippi,W.Va., Service Adventure unitfelt they needed some newchallenges.So the unit decided that eachparticipant would write down somechallenging ways to live simply orgenerously on slips of paper, andeach week they would drawout a different challenge thatthe house had to complete.Here is a list of the weeklychallenges they completedduring the year.For more background andstories, visit the unit’s blog atphilippiserviceadventure.blogspot.com.5.2.CHALLENGES1. Do random yard work for someone in need.No meat.(one challenge per week)3.(L to R) Ranita Shenk, Tara Corey, Ella McHugh, Christina Weaver,Mike McHugh, Ian McHugh and Heidi McHugh are all part of the2011 Philippi, W. Va., Service Adventure unit.Use only the food already inthe house for meals, withonly buying staples.4. NO sweets!No electric kitchen appliances.6.8.7.Reduce water usage.Spend only half the grocery budgetand donate the rest.Only eating foodfrom West Virginiaand bordering states,or fairly traded food.10.9. No using the car.No electricityafter 7 p.m.11.No computer use,except for work.BeyondOurselves.MennoniteMission.net ■ 11

Service workersNew workers enter serviceMission workers beginning assignments between March and September 2011MVSSara Beachy, Baltic,Ohio, is a program assistantwith Boys and GirlsClubs of Fresno Countyin Fresno, Calif.Elaine Birkey,Foosland, Ill., is anadvocacy counselor withProject PLASE Inc. inBaltimore.Tina Bolt, GrandRapids, Mich., is a compassionatecompanionwith Joseph’s House inWashington, D.C.Aaron Clemmer,Harleysville, Pa., is avolunteer and supportcoordinator withMission Graduates inSan Francisco.Audrey Engle, Salem,Ore., is a paralegal withProBAR in Harlingen,Texas.Jesse Erb, Hesston,Kan., is a barista withGuadalupe Street Coffeein San Antonio.Mark Fenton, Tremont,Ill., is a story productionassociate withLutheran Immigrationand Refugee Service inBaltimore.Emma Fenton-Miller,Marcellus, Mich., is aprogram manager withThe Gubbio Project inSan Francisco.Natalie Friesen,Freeman, S.D., is ateachers’ assistant withSouth Side Day Nurseryin St. Louis.Rachel Friesen, Filley,Neb., is a New Rootsfor Refugees communitygarden developer withCatholic Charities inKansas City, Kan.Stephanie Friesen,Denver, is assistant tothe education directorwith the Boys and GirlsClub of Hutchinson inHutchinson, Kan.Denay Fuglie,Harrisonburg, Va., is amedical clinic coordinatorwith Bread for theCity in Washington, D.C.Laura Good, Fisher,Ill., is an administrativeassistant/client liaison/data analyst with ProjectPLASE Inc. in Baltimore.Megan Grove,Greencastle, Pa., is anintake/outreach coordinatorwith Urban JusticeCenter in New York City.Johann Hertel, Lemgo,Germany, is a housingand maintenance technicianwith InterfaithHousing Services Inc. inHutchinson, Kan.Sarah Hiebert, Fresno,Calif., is a children’sprogram assistant withLa Puente Home Inc. inAlamosa, Colo.Benjamin Histand,North Newton, Kan., isa supportive housingassociate with DISH(Delivering Innovation inSupportive Housing) inSan Francisco.Justin Hochstetler,Iowa City, Iowa, is acommunity literacy programassistant with ErieNeighborhood House inChicago.Asha Holsopple,Goshen, Ind., is a victimadvocate with Tu CasaInc. in Alamosa, Colo.Christopher Johnston,Goshen, Ind., is aprogram assistant withMadison-area UrbanMinistry in Madison, Wis.Scott Kempf,Libertyville, Ill., is a farmers’market assistant withTucson Community FoodBank in Tucson, Ariz.Hannah Kraybill,Harrisonburg, Va., isa dependency drugcourt program assistantwith Superior Courtof California in SanFrancisco.Kristina Krieger,Augustdorf, Germany,is a dietary/activitiesaide with MennoniteFriendship Manor inHutchinson, Kan.Micah Kulp, Salunga,Pa., is an IT consultantwith Danenet inMadison, Wis.Kelsey Landes,Harrisonburg, Va., is amiddle school collegeand career planningcoordinator withTreehouse in Seattle.Mark Massey,Columbus, Ohio, isa sentencing mitigationspecialist withMonroe County PublicDefender’s Office inRochester, N.Y.Chloe Mathonnet-VanderWell, Pella,Iowa, is a communitysupport coordinator withSt. Martin’s on Westlakein Seattle.Clayton Matthews,Wauseon, Ohio, is agleaners’ specialistwith Community ActionCoalition in Madison, Wis.Jordan Michelson,Maple Valley, Wash.,is an adult educationinstructor with Academyof Hope in Washington,D.C.Joshua Miller,Fishersville, Va., is a caseaide with Lutheran SocialServices, Refugee andImmigration Programs inSioux Falls, S.D.Sally Mitchell,Chesterfield, N.H., isa program/campaignassistant with GlobalExchange in SanFrancisco.Jason Mueller,Halstead, Kan., is amechanic/maintenanceworker with HopiMission School inKykotsmovi, Ariz.Maria Post, Oak Park,Ill., is a paralegal withProBAR in Harlingen,Texas.Sierra Pryce, NorthNewton, Kan., is a projectvolunteer with MigrantFarmworkers Project inKansas City, Kan.Amy Regier, Haysville,Kan., is a lead teacherwith Daughters ofCharity in San Antonio.Sarah Rich, NorthManchester, Ind., is avolunteer coordinator/trail crew leader withWashington TrailsAssociation in Seattle.Brian Schaap, Holland,Mich., is a refugee socialservices case aide withCatholic Charities inKansas City, Kan.Laura Schlabach,Goshen, Ind., is a marketingassistant withGrist in Seattle.Hannah Shelly,Bluffton, Ohio, is amedia arts assistant withVisual Studies Workshopin Rochester, N.Y.Nickolas Simons,Bristol, Ind., is a CSAgardener with Rise UpFarms in Elkhart, Ind.Elizabeth Speigle,Telford, Pa., is a caseaide with CatholicCharities, Archdiocese ofSan Antonio, Inc. in SanAntonio.Emma Stahl-Wert,Pittsburgh, is a gardencoordinator withPrimavera Foundation inTucson, Ariz.Alex Stucky, Galva,Kan., is a programinstructor with ForLove of Children inWashington, D.C.KatherineVanderHeide, Holland,Mich., is a youth programassistant with ErieNeighborhood House inChicago.Paul Versluis IV, AnnArbor, Mich., is a programstaff member withBoulder Shelter for theHomeless in Boulder,Colo.Brittany Voth, Newton,Kan., is a tenant advocatewith MetropolitanSt. Louis Equal HousingOpportunity Council inSt. Louis.Katherine Walker,Ephrata, Pa., is a WorldVision intern with WorldVision International inNew York City.Chelsea Weaver,Pinellas Park, Fla., is anESL/computer adult educationinstructor withMary’s Center Even Startin Washington, D.C.Brett Wedel,Hutchinson, Kan., is acommunications andevent planning assistantwith Northeast OrganicFarming Association inRochester, N.Y.Terra Wiens, Newton,Kan., is a case aidewith Lutheran SocialServices, Refugee andImmigration Programs inSioux Falls, S.D.LynAnne Wiest,Kingsburg, Calif., is anassistant manager withPlowsharing Crafts inSt. Louis.Jessica Wright,Bluffton, Ohio, is ahome delivery and volunteercoordinator withUniversity District FoodBank in Seattle.Stephanie Wyse,Mount Pleasant, Iowa,is an elementary teacherwith Hopi Mission Schoolin Kykotsmovi, Ariz.Blake Zickafoose,Lima, Ohio, is a churchcoordinator withChicago CommunityMennonite Church inChicago.RadicalJourneyPaul Dyck, Winnipeg,Manitoba, serving inChinaJoanna Epp, Newton,Kan., serving in SouthAfricaLaird Goertzen,Newton, Kan., servingin ChinaAndrew Gordon,Harleysville, Pa., servingin BoliviaRachel Mast, Corvallis,Ore., serving in EnglandRiley Pierce, Pueblo,Colo., serving inParaguayTimothy Regier,Newton, Kan., serving inParaguayHannah Sauder, Lititz,Pa., serving in SouthAfricaKaihle Sauder,Archbold, Ohio, servingin EnglandCara Scandrett-Leatherman, St. Louis,serving in ParaguayIsaac Shue, Harper,Kan., serving inParaguayKathryn Swartz,Spring City, Pa., servingin ChinaKatie Wahl, Phoenix,serving in ParaguayBrittany Wyse,Archbold, Ohio, servingin EnglandServiceAdventureLisa Bailey, NorthCanton, Ohio, began aterm in Johnstown, Pa.Jeanna Beiler, Mobile,Ala., began a term inAnchorage, Alaska.Tylan Coblentz,Goshen, Ind., begana term in ColoradoSprings, Colo.12 n October 2011Find Mennonite Mission Network on Facebook. 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BRIDGES TO CROSSTHEMayor praises MennosMore than 2,900 youth gave 10,000 hours to 47 local organizationsYouth at the 2011Mennonite ChurchUSA Conventionin Pittsburgh didn’tjust go for the amazing speakersand music; they also donatedtheir time—lots of it. During theweeklong event, 2,900 youth spent10,000 hours working for 47 localorganizations.They cleaned up illegal dumpingsites, restored riverbeds, helpedbuild homes for Habitat forHumanity, packed medical supplies.Their work earned them citywiderecognition with a front-pagearticle in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and a public statementof gratitude from the mayor, LukeRavenstahl, who issued a publicproclamation, calling the service“an enormous benefit to manycommunities and neighborhoods inthe Pittsburgh area.”Mennonite Mission Networkcoordinated the servant projects.Youth from churches in the Mountain States Mennonite Conference clean up a ravine inPittsburgh during the 2011 Mennonite Church USA Convention.Photo by Andrew Clouse(L to R) Rebecca Padilla of Iglesia Menonita del Buen Pastor, Goshen,Ind.; Mendy Fritz of Community Mennonite Fellowship, Sterling, Ill.;Stephanie Chase of Chambersburg, Pa.; and Betsy Coleman, directorof the garden program; celebrate digging out a stubborn root at theManchester Native Plant Garden at Shelby’s Corner in Pittsburghduring the servant projects at Pittsburgh 2011.Photo by David Fisher FastAbigail Drader,Valparaiso, Ind., began aterm in Raleigh, N.C.Lauren and MarkEash Hershberger,Bristol, Ind./Pittsburg,Texas, began a two-yearterm in Albany, Ore.Isaac Fox, Blacksburg,Va., began a term inAnchorage, Alaska.Anita Garber,Bainbridge, Pa., began aterm in Johnstown, Pa.Cody Helmuth,Lagrange, Ind., began aterm in Johnstown, Pa.Sofia Hess, Goshen,Ind., began a term inRaleigh, N.C.Juliane Horsch,Schaenitz, Germany,began a term in Albany,Ore.Renee Hostetler,Homestead, Fla., begana term in Philippi, W.Va.Dorothea Isaak,Bruentrup, Germany,began a term in Raleigh,N.C.Jennifer Isaak, Detmold,Germany, began a term inAlbany, Ore.Melissa Jantzi,Harrisonburg, Va., begana term in Albany, Ore.Linda Jotter,Espelkamp, Germany,began a term inJohnstown, Pa.Amanda Keegel,Apple Creek, Ohio,began a term inAnchorage, Alaska.Kelsey Klaiber,Sugarcreek, Ohio, begana term in Albany, Ore.Carina Kuebler,Haiterbach-Oberschwandorf,Germany, began a termin Colorado Springs, Colo.Peter Manickam,Portland, Ore., begana term in ColoradoSprings, Colo.Hannah Martin,Greencastle, Pa., begana term in Albuquerque,N.M.Michelle Peachey,Manheim, Pa., begana term in Albuquerque,N.M.Melanie Pilz,Rangsdorf, Germany,began a term inAlbuquerque, N.M.Erin Regier, Newton,Kan., began a term inAlbuquerque, N.M.Benjamin Reim,Lichtenberg, Germany,began a term in Philippi,W.Va.Abigail Schrag,Newton, Kan., began aterm in Philippi, W.Va.Elizabeth Schrag,Newton, Kan., begana term in Anchorage,Alaska.AlexanderSchuhwerk, Durach,Germany, began a termin Johnstown, Pa.Allison Shetler,Orrville, Ohio, began aterm in Philippi, W.Va.Carl Snyder, Danboro,Pa., began a term inAnchorage, Alaska.McKenzie Stutzman,Albany, Ore., began aterm in Albuquerque,N.M.ChristopherWagoner, Newton,Kan., began a term inRaleigh, N.C.Bethanie Wedel,Newton, Kan., began aterm in Albany, Ore.Delaney Wilson,Hopedale, Ill., begana term in ColoradoSprings, Colo.Anna and BrianYoder Schlabach,Goshen, Ind./Denver,Colo., began a two-yearterm in Albuquerque,N.M.Micah Yoder, Canby,Ore., began a term inPhilippi, W.Va.Jack Younger, Stratton,Colo., began a term inRaleigh, N.C.Continued onpage 15BeyondOurselves.MennoniteMission.net ■ 13

Mission insightYou can’t do mission without inclusionBy Wil LaVeistrecent opinion piece in The MennoniteA titled, “Confessions of a white antiracist,”gripped my attention. The commentaryby Sarah Shirk is about her initially coldreaction to the changed worship style at theadult services during the annual Mennonite Church USAConvention in July. Shirk wrote honestly about how she wasrattled and disappointed by the missing four-part harmonyhymns she and other white friends had anticipated. Instead,the predominantly black Calvary Community Church bandof Hampton, Va., led worship with contemporary guitars,syncopated drums, and keyboards blended with soulfulvoices singing unfamiliar gospel tunes.“I didn’t know the songs the worship band led. I missedthe hymns I had grown up singing and come to love,”Shirk wrote.But as the week went on, something happened.“I noticed a middle-aged black woman standing a fewrows ahead of me. She had her head tilted back, faceraised, and was swaying and clapping along with themusic. I wondered how many conventions and how manychurch services she had previously sat through, feeling asI now did—disconnected and a bit out of my element.But today it was her turn to worship in a style familiarand nurturing to her. So this music is Mennonite music.”As a black American and member of Calvary attendingmy first Mennonite convention, I was proud that God hadused my church to be such a bridge to understanding. ButI was even more intrigued by the reactions posted at thebottom of Shirk’s column, particularly those ripping herpoint of view.Jono11 posted:“…You don’t walk into an Amish service and demandthat they stop singing the way they sing, or that they startdriving SUVs and watching satellite TV... And you don’tjoin the Mennonite Church just to change the way we worship,change the way we sing, and ultimately transform usfrom a vital, unique peace church into just another blandvanilla-Christian nothingness.”Hmmm. I respect Jono11’s valid point, which is sharedby many Mennonites, I thought to myself. I wouldn’t wantsomeone to attend Calvary and insist the flava be dilutedfrom the worship music.I get it because I, too, believe that my unique blackAmerican cultural context is as equally relevant, valuableand godly as the European. The same is true forthe Asian, Middle-Eastern, African, South American andNative American.Anyone who understands the history of persecutionthat European Mennonites suffered over generations thatforced them to North and South America, and how thathas deeply shaped the church we appreciate today, shouldunderstand the need to preserve this great heritage, right?Is the distinctive European-inspired singing style as mucha pillar of what makes Mennonites unique and attractiveas our emphasis on peace, justice and missions?Ironically, therein lies the angst and the answer.Working as a staff member in the marketing departmentof Mennonite Mission Network, it has become clear tome that you can’t truly believe in missions without alsobelieving in cultural inclusion. If you serve and witnessto someone outside of your culture, as Jesus has clearlycommissioned Christians to do in commanding that we“therefore, go and make disciples of all nations,” a naturalresult is that the people we lead to Christ would want tojoin us in worship at church. This has been my personalexperience over the years and has been the experience ofmany mission workers I’ve been honored to write aboutrecently. So, it must also follow that through missions, Godis bringing about the “house of prayer for all nations,”and through our individual and collective spiritual growth,God’s will is being “done on earth as it is in heaven.”Inclusion is God’s intended consequence.What Sister Shirk shared was that in experiencing what itis like to be a cultural fish out of water at church, and allowingthe Holy Spirit to lead her beyond her initial discomfortzone, she grew another level closer to heaven. If we focuson the superior Spirit that unites us, we’ll find there is morethan enough room at the table for us to sample, appreciateand value each other’s equally godly styles.Personally, one of the most beautiful moments of theadult worship experience at the convention was whenwe took communion together and sang hymns in unity.Our blended voices sounded angelic, especially mine as Itucked it below the voice of the white brother next to mewho could really sing.Praise God for him.Wil LaVeist is managing editor for multimedia at Mission Network.14 n October 2011

Mennonite Church USANot a sage on the stage,but a guide from the sideBy Ervin StutzmanThis issue of Beyond Ourselves featuresworker blogs. It’s a helpful way to geta perspective from the field. In June, I hada similar opportunity when I met with asmall group of mission executives who wereinterviewing three veteran Mennonite Mission Networkworkers in the Argentine Chaco—Willis and ByrdaleneHorst and Keith Kingsley. They shared about the dramaticshift in mission strategy and practice they had experiencedamong the indigenous people of South America. In keepingwith the long-time mission workers who had precededthem, they paid particular attention to the ways that theycould support the work that God was doing among theIndians of the Chaco. Rather than seeing themselves as asage on the stage with authoritative answers, they committedthemselves to being a guide on the side, learningfrom the Scriptures alongside the indigenous people. Theylearned to read the Bible in an intercultural way, exploringthe meaning of Scripture as understood through a differentcultural lens.This idea, of course, is as old as Christianity itself. Theearly Christians (re)interpreted the Hebrew Scripturesin light of the coming of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paullearned to read the Scriptures alongside the Gentiles inAsia and Europe who embraced the way of Jesus.The Horsts and Kingsleys learned to listen for thevoice of the Spirit as the Scriptures were read aloud to theToba people. They sat in a circle with the people, discerningtogether with them the meaning of Scripture for theirlives. Whereas this was once called cross-cultural work,they prefer to call it intercultural work. The missionworkers are not simply bringing insights and teachingfrom their own culture and background; they are receivinginsights from those who are hearing the Scripturesin their own language for the first time.As I interacted with these veteran communicators ofthe gospel, I thought about the priority of MennoniteChurch USA that we call intercultural transformation.Like the mission workers from Argentina, we must learnto sit in circles with people from other cultures, listeningfor the Spirit of God in our midst.Ervin Stutzman is executive director of Mennonite Church USA.New service workers, continued from page 13SOOPErma Edwards,Oskaloosa, Iowa, servedone month in Elkhart, Ind.Florence and VernardGuengerich, Goshen,Ind., served two weeksin Macon, Miss.Marilyn and PeterHartman, Hesston,Kan., served two monthsin Lincoln City, Ore.Anne and BruceHummel, Millersburg,Ohio, served one weekin San Antonio.Jennifer and RobertKoehn, Cordell, Okla.,served one week in SanAntonio.Elizabeth and RonaldMartin, Wooster, Ohio,served one week in SanAntonio.Dave and KarenMast, Ephrata, Pa.,served three months inEphrata, Pa.J. Kevin and LoreneMiller, Goshen, Ind.,served one week inMacon, Miss.Frank and HelenNachtigal, NorthNewton, Kan.,served one month inShipshewana, Ind.Fannie Schlabach,Middlebury, Ind., servedone week in Meridian,Miss.George B. and MaeStoltzfus, Landisville,Pa., served one month inHickory, N.C.Cindy and Tom Yoder,Goshen, Ind., served oneweek in Macon, Miss.Elaine Yoder, Middlebury,Ind., served one week inMeridian, Miss.YouthVentureLaura Alderfer,Sellersville, Pa., served inGuatemala.Leah Amstutz, Goshen,Ind., served in Botswana.Nicole Bartel,Hillsboro, Kan., served inLos Angeles.Lacey Brinegar, Paoli,Ind., served in Botswana.Katelyn Derstine,Sellersville, Pa., served inGuatemala.Isabella Gomez, LosFresnos, Texas, served inLos Angeles.Lydia Good, Souderton,Pa., served in Guatemala.Chaz Graber, Topeka,Kan., served in LosAngeles.Hannah and JustinHeinzekehr, Claremont,Calif., served in LosAngeles.Annaka Miller,Hanston, Kan., served inSanta Cruz, Bolivia.Elisabeth Miller,Laramie, Wyo., served inSanta Cruz, Bolivia.Laura Pound, Fresno,Calif., served in SantaCruz, Bolivia.Jill Schmidt,Whitewater, Kan., servedin Santa Cruz, Bolivia.Elizabeth Schrag,Galva, Kan., served inPhoenix.Kendra Scott, Newton,Kan., served in LosAngeles.Lynford Seibel,Lawrence, Miss., servedin Santa Cruz, Bolivia.Justin Shenk,Lancaster, Pa., served inGuatemala and Phoenix.Valerie Showalter,Lancaster, Pa., served inGuatemala and Phoenix.Immanuel Sila,Denver, Colo., served inBotswana.Vanessa Silverman,Miami, Fla., served inBotswana.Marissa Souder,Souderton, Pa., served inGuatemala.Kaitlyn Terry,Federalsburg, Md.,served in Santa Cruz,Bolivia.Braden Unruh,Canton, Kan., served inPhoenix.InternationalKatrina Bechtholdbegan a one-year assignmentteaching Englishfor the Korea AnabaptistCenter in Seoul, SouthKorea. She is fromGreentown, Pa., and amember of Lords ValleyCommunity Church.Lois and Tom Harderserved two months asfraternal musicians inParaguay. They are fromWichita, Kan., and aremembers of LorraineAvenue MennoniteChurch.Sydney McCullybegan a one-yearassignment teachingEnglish for the KoreaAnabaptist Center inSeoul, South Korea. Sheis from Wylie, Texas, andattends Lords ValleyCommunity Church inGreentown, Pa.Brian and JessicaReece began a oneyearassignment teachingEnglish for the KoreaAnabaptist Center inSeoul, South Korea.They are from StateCollege, Pa., and aremembers of UniversityMennonite Church.Donald and MarieGaeddert have beguna two-year assignmentteaching English in Chinawith Mennonite Partnersin China. They are fromLarned, Kan., and aremembers at BergthalMennonite Church.BeyondOurselves.MennoniteMission.net ■ 15

Getting duplicate copies?If you are receiving duplicate copies ofBeyond Ourselves, or have a change ofaddress, call toll-free 1-866-866-2872.lookinside2011 Gift CatalogGod showed amazing lovefor us through the gift of Jesus. AtMission Network, we continue to sharethat love through mission and ministry.Look for the enclosed giftcatalog and discover ways you canhelp continue the work of God’sperfect gift to us.A window into God’s perfect love—From front to back: Milenca Rios, SebastianJustiniano and Herlan Zambrana, children in the Samuelito Guardería Day Care in SantaCruz, Bolivia, a Mission Network partner.Photo by Alan Stucky, pastor of Pleasant Valley Mennonite Church in Harper, Kan.PO Box 370Elkhart IN46515-037012-013/92011/45M