MCC Friends & Alumni Gathering - Harrisonburg, VA

Friends and Alumni of MCC are invited to hear stories from participants of the International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP) and learn about their service in the U.S.

Saturday, October 04
11:00AM - 12:00PM EDT

Breakfast Barn at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds
4808 S Valley Pike
Harrisonburg , VA 22801
United States

Get directions

A group stand together with a microphone. A group stand together with a microphone.

Join us to hear stories from participants of the International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP) and learn about their service in the U.S. 

Rachelle Kratz, Young Adult Program Coordinator for MCC East Coast, will provide an overview of the program and interview three IVEP participants serving in the East Coast region this year: Nour Abuamsha from Palestine, Eucefe Wirissone from Mozambique and Sara Molinas from Paraguay.

Our main speaker and former IVEP participant, Jacob Sankara, will share how his experience with MCC opened doors through his studies, work and service around the world.

To RSVP, contact Luke Schrock-Hurst, Donor Relations Associate and Virginia Coordinator for MCC East Coast, at LSH@mcc.org or (540) 437-1202.

Meet our main speaker!

Jacob Sankara, originally from Burkina Faso, served with IVEP in Denver, Colorado in 2017. After serving at the Conflict Center in Denver, he returned home and passed his exam to become a lawyer. 

It was through IVEP that he discovered a new calling toward peacebuilding. From 2018-2024, Jacob worked with MCC in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a Peace Coordinator. In 2024, he began graduate studies in Conflict Transformation at Eastern Mennonite University's Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. 

This past summer, Jacob interned with MCC's Global Service Learning Department in Akron, PA. He is delighted that his wife, Rachel, from the DRC and their one-year-old son, Ethan, have already joined him in the United States. 

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Three young adults pose for a picture.
A group photo of MCC International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP) participants serving in the East Coast in 2025-26. From left to right: Nour Abuamsha, Eucefe Wirissone and Sara Molinas. (MCC photo/Brenda Burkholder)