Graduate Talks About Building Long-Term Missions

Dr. Jim Brandt and Saint Paul alum Trista Soendker Nicholson recently compared their experiences in Guatemala and Haiti. Trista shared stories of Haiti and gave advice to current students about building long-term missions.

“One of my greatest privileges teaching at Saint Paul has been taking students to Guatemala to learn from Guatemalans about their lives and ministries” said Rev. Dr. Jim Brandt. “Our approach has been to do deep listening and learn how we might be in ministry with people like those in Guatemala in a way that is culturally and contextually appropriate.”

Trista Soendker-Nicholson participated in the Guatemala immersion in 2011.

“It was immensely gratifying to hear her speak as a graduate to the Saint Paul Community about how that experience has shaped the work she is doing in Haiti, said Dr. Brandt. “The Missouri Conference mission in Haiti does the kind of incarnational ministry we affirm: listening to the people, building long-term relationships, and doing ministry alongside folk in ways that are mutually transformative.”