Participant insight: A smile from the heart

MCC photo/Carol Peters
Stefanny Sierra Mendoza, an IVEPer from Colombia working the register at Nearly New MCC Thrift Shop in Reedley, Calif.

I remember one occasion when someone told me, "keep smiling because it is your precious treasure." I immediately smiled at that moment, but then I kept the phrase in my mind. I tried to understand what that meant. During my service as an IVEPer, I have been living good and bad moments, and the challenge is how to manage them through Jesus' way.

First, I have the opportunity to serve in three different places — Nearly New MCC Thrift Shop, the Mennonite Quilt Center and the material resource center located in downtown Reedley, Calif. It sounds complex, but I'm grateful for it. I like to have a dynamic schedule and constant learning. Each place is unique, but they have something in common — each place is helping people. At Nearly New, through their sales, they're allowing the community to buy good stuff at low prices. The quilt center is a way to collect resources for MCC and a place where people can express their emotions and thoughts through their quilts and comforters. The material resource center offers relief through different kits to help the most vulnerable people worldwide.

Thanks to the different ways to help others, I have served with a good attitude and offered my experience and knowledge in different areas. My first impression when I arrived in Reedley was the manner in which volunteers and workers are passionate and enthusiastic about the work they do. The majority of them are retired, others are still working, but they come after their job or on their days off. My reflection about it is how God uses our lives and abilities for an important cause, sometimes it’s difficult because those places are busy most of the time. 

Stefanny Sierra Mendoza, IVEP Participant 2021-2022

Host insight: Time is flying by with our IVEPer

Photo/Joy Detweiler
IVEPer Monica Raharjo form Indonesia enjoying a Christmas meal with her host family, the Detweilers, at their home in Wakarusa, Indiana. (L to R): Hillary Harder, Micah Detweiler, Kayci Detweiler, Monica Raharjo, Joy Detweiler, Randy Detweiler

Our journey with IVEP began more than 30 years ago when Joy worked for Oaklawn in Goshen, Ind., and there was an IVEP placement at Oaklawn; a young woman from Brazil. At that time, we knew very little about the program. Later, in 2018, a family from our church hosted an IVEPer from Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos). Joy began working with MCC Great Lakes in April 2019 and learned more about IVEP. This lit a spark in her to possibly be a host at some point.

IVEP was put on hold for a year due to the pandemic, so when it was reinstated, we said “yes” to hosting a young adult. Monica Raharjo was assigned to live with us. Monica was in her hometown of Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia waiting too. She had first applied for IVEP in 2019 when someone in her church told her she should consider it. Her assignment in the U.S. is with Mennonite Women USA doing digital and information technology work. Since most of the Mennonite Women staff works remotely, Monica was able to set up an office space at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary where Randy is employed.

It's been fun having a young adult living with us. Our own children are just a few years older than Monica and they have welcomed her into the family. We’ve enjoyed several weekends away with our extended family and the highlight has been playing card and board games together. Monica is a fantastic player and she catches on quickly. We’ve lost many rounds of Uno, Sushi Go!, or strategy board games to her.

Joy Detweiler, IVEP Host 2021-2022

Partner insight: Seeing God's gifts used in ministry

Fairmount Homes Photo/Carol Swailes
IVEPer Alex Kachkovskyi from Ukraine (right) visiting residents at Fairmount Homes in Ephrata, Pa.

Jon Carlson - This is the first time Forest Hills Mennonite Church has had the opportunity to partner with MCC through IVEP. When we learned about Alex Kachkovskyi's background in congregational ministry and training in Biblical studies, we were excited to bring him on board as a pastoral intern.

Alex’s experiences are diverse and varied, ranging from working in kids’ activities during the week to visiting the elderly and those recovering from illness. Alex has also taken on a significant role in our church’s media ministry, helping to post videos to our social media pages.

As we continue to find our way out of the complexities of COVID-19, there will be new opportunities for Alex to serve and minister in the congregation. In April, he will have the opportunity to bring the Sunday morning message. This can be challenging enough for those of us who grew up speaking the language, so I am inspired by Alex’s courage to take on this challenge across language barriers. (Continued)

Eugene Weaver - My supervisor at Fairmount Homes approached me last July and asked if I would be willing to work with Alex Kachkovskyi, an IVEP participant from Ukraine. I thought of the times in bygone years while I was serving as a missionary when pastors came to visit our ministry. As a young pastor, I so enjoyed learning from the experiences of these pastors in serving people. It reminded me of the account in the Bible of the apostle Paul ministering to and training Timothy. So, when asked if I was willing to work with Alex as a trainee for ministry, my response was "Yes!"

I met Alex on Aug. 30, 2021, for the first time. Since then, he has very faithfully worked with me two days a week. I have enjoyed being a mentor to Alex. He is quiet, pleasant to work with and willing to help in all the chaplaincy tasks at Fairmount Homes, which include a lot of visitation with the elderly residents, reading Bible verses to them, having one-on-one conversations, listening to them and then offering a prayer for them. On the days he is at Fairmount, we have several group devotionals and Bible studies. Alex always comes well-prepared when he is leading the Bible study. (Continued)

Jon Carlson, Forest Hills Mennonite Church and Eugene Weaver, Fairmount Homes, IVEP Supervisors 2021-2022

Alumnus insight: I am not alone in this journey

MCC Photo 
Thien Phuoc Tran Quang, an IVEPer from Vietnam (2017–2018), volunteered at the MCC Material Resources Center in Ephrata, Pa., during IVEP orientation in 2017.

My name is Thien Phuoc and I’m from Vietnam. From August 2017 to July 2018, I had the honor to do my voluntary service in IVEP, hosted by Mennonite Central Committee. I worked as an international intern at MCC United Nations office in New York City. During my year of service, I was fortunate to be able to visit the MCC Material Resources Center in Ephrata, Pa., and the workshop in Dayton, Ohio, as well as to see the famous meat canning machine in action while it was in Kansas. The day I visited the MRC in Ephrata, what amazed me the most was the people who volunteered there, just like me. They did everything graciously and with a smile on their faces, and when I asked, one merrily replied: "I volunteer here when I have free time."

Our task at the MRC was to lift and stack all the food cans onto the loaders so they could be picked up by the trucks later. I remember wearing a white shirt that day, and at the end of the day, I was hot and sweaty and very tired from all the heavy lifting. My shirt was soaked and it kept clinging to my back. But I felt good about what I had accomplished and when I was told that those boxes of canned meat (chicken and turkey) were destined to Nyangungu, Burundi, to be given to children in an elementary school, I felt those hours of labor were worth it.

I finished my year of service in July 2018 and returned to Vietnam to continue my education. But the precious experience with IVEP has opened my eyes, and now I am prone to notice the tragedies around me that I would have easily overlooked before. Tragedies that are beyond people's control, such as disasters, illnesses, diseases and wars. There are people who still don't have access to food, clean water and education in my hometown. 

Thien Phuoc Tran Quang, IVEP 2017-2018

The Who's Who of IVEP

IVEP U.S. 

National Coordinator  andreageiserleaman@mcc.org 

Central States abbyendashaw@mcc.org 

East Coast caitlinjones@mcc.org 

Great Lakes brookestrayer@mcc.org                

West Coast  adelaidahernandez@mcc.org