Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Maati Yvonne

A Prayer for Unity

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by Maati Yvonne

Mosaic Mennonite Conference Executive Board Member Maati Yvonne wrote and offered the following prayer to close the June 23 in-person board and delegate conversation.  

Four conversations (in English, Spanish, and Indonesian) in June and July will offer conversation and two-way communication for the future trajectory of partnership conversations with MC USA. Mosaic Conference Assembly delegates, credentialed leaders, and Mosaic committee members were invited to join.

Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. – Ephesians 4:1-6, CEB 

Heavenly Father, 

We come before you with humble hearts, acknowledging you as the One who calls us into your service. As our congregations’ Mosaic Conference delegates prepare to make decisions that affect their individual congregations and the wider Body of Christ, we ask for your presence to go before them, to surround them, and to dwell within them. 

Lord, as Paul urged in his letter to the Ephesians, may we walk worthy of the calling we have received—with all humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Bind us together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. Remind us that there is one body and one Spirit, just as we were called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. 

Equip us, O God, with wisdom beyond our own understanding. Let Your truth guide every conversation, your grace cover every disagreement, and your Spirit lead every vote and decision. May we seek not personal agendas, but the good of the whole Body and the glory of your name. 

As we go forth representing our congregations, give us courage to speak truth in love. Strengthen us to stand firm in faith, and grow our compassion to listen with open hearts. May we serve our Conference and return home with peace in our spirits, confident that we have walked faithfully in our assignment. 

As we go forth, O Lord, we pray for all those headed to the MC USA Convention in July in Greensboro, NC, that they may be ambassadors of reconciliation, peacemakers, and truth-bearers. May we reflect the unity and love of Christ in all we do. Cover us, fill us, and use us mightily for your purposes in Mosaic Conference, in Mennonite Church USA and all over your Kingdom. 

In the powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen. 

Maati Yvonne

Maati Yvonne Platts is a lifelong member of Nueva Vida Norristown New Life (PA). Maati is committed to anti-racism and is a facilitator with the Roots of Justice Anti Racism Organization. Committed to peacebuilding education, Maati has co-created a Restorative Justice Movement, called Restorative Norristown, which trains, equips and empowers youth and community residents in learning and implementing Restorative Circles.

Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To share your thoughts or send a message to the author(s), contact us at communication@mosaicmennonites.org.     

Hope for the Future: Celebrating 30 Years of Damascus Road

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by Hendy Matahelemual

The chill of winter’s last stroll through the Midwest did not dim the hope sparked by leaders of color and others invited to participate in Mennonite Church USA’s Hope for the Future Conference at Goshen College in Indiana on Feb. 28-Mar. 2, 2025.  

This year, the theme was Celebrating 30 Years of Damascus Road Antiracism Process, now known as Roots of Justice. Around 130 people (including six Mosaic leaders) gathered for the event, which began with an evening reception at a local inn. The following day included worship and various sessions. I was honored and grateful to be part of a panel featuring trainers from Damascus Road/Roots of Justice. 

Hendy Matahelemual on a panel with other current and former Roots of Justice trainers. Photo by Juan Moya, Anabaptist World.

Antiracism is a key element of Mosaic Conference’s intercultural priority. Before we can truly gather as equals in the eyes of the Lord—as described in Revelation 7:9—we must address the elephant in the room: the sin of racism. This sin has divided humanity into two groups—the oppressed and the oppressor, the inferior and the superior, the dominant and the submissive—based on ethnicity, skin color, and race. 

Dr. Regina Shands Stoltzfus, the first keynote speaker of the day, reminded us to acknowledge antiracism work in the past and present as we prepare for the future. She is the co-author of Been in the Struggle with Dr. Tobin Miller Shearer. As part of an intercultural book study in 2023, Mosaic Conference invited both authors to lead a webinar discussion on it.  

Hendy Matahelemual (left) and Mosaic Conference Board Member Maati Yvonne (fourth from left) with the other past and current Roots of Justice trainers present at the Conference. Photo by Juan Moya, Anabaptist World.

I joined a breakout session on multiracial, cross-ethnic, and transracial identities in the church. This is where I realized that most of us, including myself, carry a mix of identities. Simply acknowledging it—and being acknowledged—was a liberating experience and a spiritual practice.  

The second day ended with a gala dinner where, for the first time, I heard the folk song Arirang performed by Korean brothers and sisters. The song symbolizes the sorrow and hope of the Korean people, longing for a unified Korea. The gala was a space for honoring our elders and celebrating, and yes, there was all sorts of dancing involved. 

Rev. Suzette Shreffler shared her story on the last day of the conference. As a Native American descendant, she grew up as a product of the Indian boarding school system, which forced her family to assimilate into Euro-American culture with the goal of erasing Indigenous languages, traditions, and identities. 

She experienced generational trauma but, thankfully, found peace in Jesus through her ministry at the local Mennonite Church. She became the first Northern Cheyenne woman credentialed by Central Plains Mennonite Conference. Her story of resilience is a beacon of hope for the future, and I believe there are many more stories yet to be told. 

Mosaic Mennonite Conference Executive Committee Board Member Maati Yvonne was one of seven elders honored at the 12th annual Hope for the Future celebration. Photo by Juan Moya, Anabaptist World.

The event concluded on Sunday with Dr. Rev. Lerone Martin, who shared one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermons, and I was amazed at how the sermon remains profoundly relevant today. 

Dr. King spoke about the three triplets of evil: racism, poverty, and violence. My hope for the future is that we can confront all of these in the way of Jesus. Our conference priorities are set to tackle these forces of evil as we become more intercultural, formational, and missional in the way of Jesus, in a world that is both broken and beautiful. 

Hendy Matahelemual

Hendy Matahelemual is the Associate Minister for Community Engagement for Mosaic Conference. Hendy Matahelemual was born and grew up in the city of Bandung, Indonesia. Hendy lives in Philadelphia with his wife Marina and their three boys, Judah, Levi and Asher.