In my work here at Mennonite Mission Network, I coordinate a lot of the materials that make their way into the hands of our donors. Finding stories to inspire people to support Mission Network’s portion of God’s work in the world is a distinct pleasure of mine. I also have the pleasure of writing about our short-term service programs like Youth Venture, Service Opportunities with Our Partners (SOOP), and Just Peace Pilgrimages. That part of my job allows me to explore a wide array of stories diverse in experience and wisdom.
Memorials and locals remind Harrisonburg couple to listen and learn
Getting to speak with Art Stoltzfus and Meribeth Kraybill about their experience on a Just Peace Pilgrimage was such a treasured experience of mine. Their pilgrimage took place back in 2022, but the wisdom they gleaned from it was still fresh in their minds in early 2025 when I got to speak to them. As they visited memorials and monuments pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement, the weight of history, injustice and tragedy piled up around them.
“We’re not going to fix this on our own,” Stoltzfus said. “We’re not going to have all the answers, and it’s going to make us uncomfortable. We have to be willing to sit in that space, to listen and learn.”
South Africa Racial Justice Just Peace Pilgrimage
Jennifer Murch was part of a group that went to South Africa on a Just Peace Pilgrimage. Over two weeks in Fall 2024, the pilgrimage explored the history and horrors of Apartheid. Murch wrote several blogs about her time in South Africa, detailing the places she saw, the people she listened to, and the things she learned.
I recommend diving into this blog series and learning a small part of what Murch and the others experienced during their time in South Africa. Perhaps it might inspire you to take a pilgrimage of your own?
Here I am, Lord
Development Representative Jason Ault gave a sermon at his home church, First Christian Church of Wellington in Wellington, Kansas, on January 19 that he later adapted into this blog. In it, he details his experiences with “before and after” certain dates — ones that he calls out being 9/11 and 2020.
In fall of 2024, the entire Mission Network Development Team participated in a Civil Rights Just Peace Pilgrimage. They traveled across the American South, listening and learning (it’s a theme) to experts, museums, and testimonies.
“As a student of history, particularly with World War II to the present, so I anticipated being fascinated with the subject material. As a person of faith, I braced myself for the heaviness and ugliness that I would encounter. And oh, was it heavy and ugly.”
I know, I know. Another Just Peace Pilgrimage story. But it’s a very popular program right now. We had 7 pilgrimages with 96 total participants during 2025 — a truly staggering amount of listening and learning.
Faith, family, and frying pans: Ten years at Drift Creek Camp
Okay, here’s one that isn’t about Just Peace Pilgrimage.
The Cobb family have served at Drift Creek Camp once a year, nearly every year, for more than a decade. Jenn Cobb wrote about that experience in this blog. It was wonderful to help her craft this story of her family’s service. They’ve served with SOOP through kids growing up, high school graduations, and engagements. So many milestones, and all backdropped by a continuous story of service.
“There’s something profoundly moving about connecting with God while surrounded by the towering trees, creek, and hum of camp life. Hearing our children’s stories and enjoying family fellowship as we work in the kitchen is just as meaningful. Drift Creek Camp has become a sacred space where family and faith have come together in ways we could never have planned.”
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