Letting go, pressing forward
When Debbie and Rick Lee were invited to uproot their lives in Homestead, Florida, to lead Mennonite Mission Network’s Service Adventure unit in Jackson, Mississippi, Debbie Lee said that she initially resisted the idea. Debbie Lee, who is artistically gifted, felt deeply bonded to what she described as her "mid-life dream home" in Homestead. After […]
Soltar y avanzar
Debbie Lee dijo que al comienzo, cuando les invitaron a ella y a Rick Lee a dirigir la unidad de Servicio Aventurero de la Red Menonita de Misión en Jackson, Misisipi, y dejar atrás su vida y raíces en Homestead, Florida, se resistió a la idea. Debbie, quien tiene dones artísticos, se sentía muy apegada a […]
The wind blows where it wishes
In March 2020, two anniversaries were celebrated in Ecuador. One anniversary marked 30 years of Mennonite Mission Network’s presence in Ecuador. The other marked 20 years of the partnership formed for ministry in Ecuador, which includes Mission Network, Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia (IMCOL–Colombia Mennonite Church), and Central Plains Mennonite Conference (CPMC), an area conference of Mennonite […]
Awakening to God’s love
Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century anchorite mystic, is well known for her book Revelations of Divine Love. It’s the oldest surviving book in the English language known to have been written by a woman. Still readily available in print and e-book forms, Julian reminds us that in brokenness and strain, "all shall be well, and […]
Sharing God’s abundant hope during uncertain times
Etty and beauty By Laurie Oswald Robinson If I could channel the resilient spirit of anyone during this pandemic, it would be the late Esther "Etty" Hillesum(Jan. 15, 1914 – Nov. 30, 1943). She was the Dutch author of confessional letters and diaries, which describe both her religious awakening and the persecutions […]
Repentance that leads to life
November is mission month. Racism harms the body of Christ and God’s reconciling mission. But God has made a way to receive forgiveness — the repentance that leads to life! Mission Network November mission month materials invite MC USA to witness across the church to God’s plan for reconciliation. Introduction Two plagues have erupted in 2020 — […]
Mennonite peace witness
Peace with God, peace with neighbor, peace with the world. If we are pursuing peace in those areas, we are on the right track, because that is the track Jesus modeled for us. The time spent in prayer and communion with God gave Jesus strength and wisdom to do his work in the world. […]
Farewell and blessings to my successor
Leaving is always bittersweet. Even if it is a decision for good reasons, I find no consolation in stepping away from a job that I have loved and felt privileged to be engaged in for almost three decades. During those years, I had the honor of visiting with you in your office, at home, or […]
Responding to a renewed peace commitment
When they launched the Brooklyn Peace Church and Center in New York City this past January, Jason and Vonetta Storbakken and Ruth Yoder Wenger did not know that two months later a pandemic and protests would threaten to stop them in their tracks. Rather than stopping them, however, the COVID-19 lockdown and protests over the […]
En respuesta a un compromiso renovado con la paz
Cuando en enero inauguraron la Iglesia y el Centro de Paz de Brooklyn en la ciudad de Nueva York, Jason y Vonetta Storbakken y Ruth Yoder Wenger no sabían que dos meses después una pandemia y múltiples protestas repentinamente amenazarían con inmovilizarlos. Sin embargo, en lugar de paralizarlos, la cuarentena por el COVID-19 y las […]