Christian service focuses life on what’s truly important
by Bethany Keener

Rusty Bonham and Mennonite Disaster Service co-workers Menno Loewen and Marlyn Yoder take a break during reconstruction efforts in the village of Flores de Oriente, Honduras, after a violent hurricane passed through in 1975.

Like many empty nesters, Mary Lou and Rusty Bonham made some major life changes when their youngest child left home. They sold their house, quit their jobs and moved halfway across the country.

This wasn’t a mid-life crisis. It was an intentional move to simplify their lives and give time to two things that really matter to them — young adults and service in Christ’s name.

As unit leaders for the Service Adventure unit in Albany, Ore., the Bonhams will spend the next two years giving guidance to the young adults who participate in the program. “Our volunteering is enabling the kids to volunteer,” Rusty said.

Through Service Adventure, participants, ages 17-20, begin a journey of service, learning and spiritual growth. Living in a common household under the direction of unit leaders, volunteers serve in a community-based ministry and experience congregational life in one of eight communities across the United States.

The Bonhams provide structure to the household, check on participants’ work sites and join in worship and learning activities. “Mary Lou and I hope to model healthy community living, provide some fun exposure to what there is to do around here and be available to disciple the young people as much as they want,” Rusty said.

Formerly an associate pastor at First Mennonite Church of Newton, Kan., he is looking for a part-time job while she works toward her master’s in counseling at George Fox University.

This isn’t the first time the couple has packed up and moved to do service. As a 19-year-old college student, Rusty went to Honduras through Goshen (Ind.) College’s Study Service Term. When a hurricane whipped through the small country, he decided to stay past his term to volunteer. He refers to that year as one of his most life-changing experiences.

Mary Lou grew up in Paraguay where her parents started a leprosy clinic through Mennonite Central Committee. Lessons in service during the influential years of their youth have given the Bonhams a deep sense of the importance of volunteering time to help others. As a family, they also spent four years serving in Paraguay when their children were young, something Mary Lou says their children “still point to as some of the most formative years of their lives.”

The couple advocates for short-term service, encouraging their own three children and others to do a “mission year” before entering college. “At this point in life they’re still in some degree of formation,” Mary Lou said, “which makes it a valuable time to help them gain a broader view.”

Their enthusiasm about serving has affected the lives of many young people from their congregation in Kansas. “They always encouraged everyone to get into service, whether that meant going to another country, another state, or across the street,” said Becca Regier. At the Bonhams’ suggestion, Regier served in DEO (Discipleship, Encounter, Outreach) after graduating from high school.

In programs such as Service Adventure, congregations and adult leaders give support and mentoring to participants, creating an environment where faith can mature. Volunteers also often discover and develop gifts that lead to future careers.

And this, Rusty said, is something a college classroom can’t provide. “Most people think they should get their degree before doing service, but they overrate college as the place to discover their life calling. The real world is a great place for a young person to discover and exercise gifts. There is tremendous learning when you’re in a situation where you may not feel adequately prepared.”

Serving as older adults also has its unique benefits. “Contributing your time and resources is so valuable at any stage of life,” Rusty said. Before their children left home, the couple already had begun thinking about serving again. “We had always talked about how ironic it is that when American kids leave home, their parents build or move into the biggest home they’ve ever had. Our affluent and complacent lifestyles can easily begin to feel ‘normal.’ Doing this term was one way for us to shake it up and challenge ourselves not to get too comfortable.”

He also notes that older adults who have retired are at a perfect stage in life for sharing one of their resources — their time — and says that what might seem like an insignificant gift or contribution at home could be of great value in places of greater need.

For the Bonhams, Service Adventure just may be a bridge into another, perhaps longer, service term. Until then, Rusty said, "It’s perfect for us and feels like a good use of our gifts.”