What’s it like to begin Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS)? A bold leap into the unknown. Moving to a new city — whether across the country or just a few states away — can feel daunting. Finding a place to live, building friendships and integrating into a community take time and effort. You might wrestle with homesickness, unfamiliar routines, or the challenge of connecting with strangers. Yet, MVS fosters deep connections through shared meals, group reflections and collective service projects. T

Some of you have asked what kind of Mennonite group I used to belong to, and I understand the concern about how these stories might reflect on the broader Mennonite community. I want to say clearly: my intention is never to drag anyone through the mud. The group I was part of was a specific, closed-off community with its own practices and leadership called the Kleine Gemeinde. A sect off of the old colonists. My experiences there were deeply personal, and while they shaped me, they don’t represe