{"id":127206,"date":"2026-04-28T09:30:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T09:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/?p=127206"},"modified":"2026-04-28T09:31:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T09:31:47","slug":"yamen-planting-seeds-of-goodwill-transforming-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/yamen-planting-seeds-of-goodwill-transforming-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"YAMEN: Planting seeds of goodwill, transforming communities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Sheila&nbsp;Rivera&nbsp;Pl\u00faa&nbsp;first&nbsp;heard&nbsp;about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/yabs-committee\/yamen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YAMEN<\/a>&nbsp;eight&nbsp;years&nbsp;ago,&nbsp;when&nbsp;her&nbsp;parents&nbsp;became&nbsp;hosts for&nbsp;a&nbsp;YAMEN&nbsp;participant&nbsp;serving&nbsp;in&nbsp;her&nbsp;home&nbsp;city&nbsp;of&nbsp;Manta&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ecuador.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYAMEN* is an excellent program for professional, spiritual and personal growth,\u201d Sheila Rivera Pl\u00faa says. \u201cAnd this happens when you\u2019re willing to grow, to step outside your comfort zone, and to embrace the place and culture you\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She is currently serving a one-year service assignment in Arusha, Tanzania, the home city of <a href=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/tanzanian-mennonites-invite-arusha\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/tanzanian-mennonites-invite-arusha\/\">MWC\u2019s upcoming global Assembly in 2028<\/a>. In a district called Ngaramtoni, she is working as an agricultural extension intern with ECHO,for a Christian-based organization that works in collaboration withECHO, aand partner of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), as agricultural extension intern. In this role, she helps alleviatefight food scarcity in rural communities in East Africa, where populations have grown rapidly but food production has been on decline in the past several decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI see YAMEN as a way for me to serve God as a biologist,\u201d Sheila Rivera Pl\u00faa says. She is using her passion for conservation and her knowledge of biology to further the kingdom of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-soft-blue-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participants spend one year in a cross-cultural assignment starting in August and ending the following July.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/mcc.org\/get-involved\/volunteer\/yamen\">Mennonite Central Committee<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/yabs-committee\/yamen\/\">YAMEN<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Challenges&nbsp;that&nbsp;foster&nbsp;growth&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1836-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-127178 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1836-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1836-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1836-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1836-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_1836.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>YAMEN has challenged her in many ways, including learning a new language, Swahili, and learning new skills such as sustainable soil management and conservation practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI studied biology, but being in a university on the equatorial Pacific Ocean, I knew more about marine life and the tuna industry,\u201d says Sheila Rivera Pl\u00faa. \u201cThrough YAMEN, I learned other ways to care for our environment. I learned the use of other cooking technologies to reduce firewood and gas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also developed skills in applied research, including designing proposals for soil irrigation systems and conducting tests to improve them. \u201cAll of these strengthen my ability to apply practical solutions in rural contexts, promoting more efficient, resilient and environmentally friendly food production,\u201d Sheila Rivera Pl\u00faa says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNavigating a new culture is a real challenge. When I first arrived, I didn\u2019t think there would be that much difference to get used to. However, over time I have learned to love their language, and it has helped me get closer to people. I can now have deeper conversations using a combination of English and Swahili. Most of the time I say things that sound funny to someone fluent in that language, but it creates a connection. It also gives other people an understanding of the effort I make to be a part of this place, this culture,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through the many adjustments and life lessons, she has learned to appreciate the little things and to enjoy those moments. \u201cEven moments that don\u2019t seem so good are a process to step out of my comfort zone, to trust in God, and navigate the waves that these moments bring. I\u2019m growing from it,\u201d Sheila Rivera Pl\u00faa says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hope&nbsp;and&nbsp;tools&nbsp;for&nbsp;a&nbsp;more&nbsp;dignified&nbsp;life&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5099-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-127192 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5099-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5099-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5099-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5099-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5099.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/768;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy home church in Ecuador, Iglesia Menonita Casa de Oraci\u00f3n Jacuatas, is small in number. We are like a family. But we are reaching out to other communities and are currently planting churches in two rural communities in Manab\u00ed. Serving the community is in the DNA of my church. This is very similar to the place where I\u2019m working now, where we reach people not only by talking about God, but also by bringing hope and tools for them to have a more dignified life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter I return home, professionally I would like to get more involved in developing projects related to food security and soil conservation in rural areas where small-scale agriculture is practiced,\u201d Sheila Rivera Pl\u00faa says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She will be returning to Ecuador in July 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"taxonomy-post_tag has-link-color wp-elements-4795dccc25dd561b10d5c166c095ced0 wp-block-post-terms has-text-color has-gray-color has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/tag\/ecuador\/\" rel=\"tag\">Ecuador<\/a><span class=\"wp-block-post-terms__separator\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/tag\/tanzania\/\" rel=\"tag\">Tanzania<\/a><span class=\"wp-block-post-terms__separator\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/tag\/yamen\/\" rel=\"tag\">YAMEN<\/a><span class=\"wp-block-post-terms__separator\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/tag\/young-adults\/\" rel=\"tag\">young adults<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sheila&nbsp;Rivera&nbsp;Pl\u00faa&nbsp;first&nbsp;heard&nbsp;about&nbsp;YAMEN&nbsp;eight&nbsp;years&nbsp;ago,&nbsp;when&nbsp;her&nbsp;parents&nbsp;became&nbsp;hosts for&nbsp;a&nbsp;YAMEN&nbsp;participant&nbsp;serving&nbsp;in&nbsp;her&nbsp;home&nbsp;city&nbsp;of&nbsp;Manta&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ecuador.&nbsp;&nbsp; \u201cYAMEN* is an excellent program for professional, spiritual and personal growth,\u201d Sheila Rivera Pl\u00faa says. \u201cAnd this happens when you\u2019re willing to grow, to step outside your comfort zone, and to embrace the place and culture you\u2019re in.\u201d She is currently serving a one-year service assignment in Arusha, Tanzania, the home city of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":127164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[539,1701,289,430],"network":[301],"eventcategory":[],"class_list":["post-127206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-ecuador","tag-tanzania","tag-yamen","tag-young-adults","network-yamen"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - 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