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, etc.)  
• Feel: like home  

This is how Arni Alice Paidjo describes her time in Bolivia, Santa Cruz. The member of Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia (Muria Christian Church of Indonesia, GKMI) in Salatiga, Indonesia, served with YAMEN 2023-2024.  

The Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network (YAMEN) program is a joint program between Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). It emphasizes 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. 

Participants are drawn by MCC’s work in peace, relief and development; the opportunity to meet and learn from other young adults coming from different countries; and the exposure to learn a new language, and new ways of living and to practice new skills. 

They experience an immersion into living out unity and building peace. 

Even before she had learned much Spanish, the young persons’ group at the local church she was attending  invited her to their retreat and the leaders invited her to join the worship music team. There was an open invitation to youth Bible study every Tuesday and Saturday and to just eat ice cream after the Sunday service.  

“Those young peoples are now my close friends,” Arni Alice Paidjo said.  

“They don’t care where I come from, they just want me to learn many things from their church. 

“Living out unity is when we begin to learn to open ourselves to other people who are very different from each other, bringing them to know God through us, making them feel accepted and giving them the opportunity to do good things together,” she said. 

“Building peace is when you start to open yourself to know that you are different from each other and at the same time you healthy relations everywhere.” 

The deluge of new experiences in her YAMEN year pushed Arni Alice Paidjo to lean in to following Jesus. “I can find God so easy when everything around me are superfine…..When the difficult times are showing up, I can so easily judge and not believe for a while. So when I can still believe in God in every situations – good or bad, I can trust God. When I do that, just go and follow Jesus.” 

More YAMENers speak:  

“I believe the meaning of life goes beyond achieving personal goals. YAMEN opens the door to serving others in a new culture and with new people, which will broaden my perspective of life, God and the world around me.” — Debora L, member of Meserete Kristos Church (MKC), Kebena local congregation in Addis Ababa, serving in Kenya. (2024-2025) 

“I am learning how to adapt, accept and love this new church community without comparing it to others or the one at home,” she said. Living out unity without comparisons means “there will be love that can unite us all.” — Priscilla Mensah, member of Ghana Mennonite Church, Dalive congregation, serving in Uganda (2024-205) 

“Escuchar la idea de servir en otro país, conforme a mis habilidades me llenó de mucha satisfacción, pues podría seguir desarrollándome a mí mismo tanto como cristiano y como profesional, pero también podría aportar de lo que he llevar un poco de la cultura de R.D a otro país es increíble.” — Dany Familia, member of Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Preeminencia del amor, Banica, part of Conferencia Evangélica Menonita, Inc., Dominican Republic, serving in Honduras (2024-2025)