New workers at Centro Menno: Johan and Monika Harder

Monika and Johan Harder are new workers at MCC’s Centro Menno in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. — MCC

Centro Menno in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, is important to Mennonite Central Committee’s ministry to Low German Mennonites.  MCC generally seeks a couple or a family who commit to work there for at least three years. The new couple is Johan (Hans) and Monika Harder. They replace previous workers Horst and Judith Braun, who returned to Canada in July.

The Harders are from Loma Plata, Menno Colony (Paraguay), and they have committed to work at Centro Menno for three years. They began their service in August and will travel to the USA for a week at the end of October to receive a general orientation to MCC’s worldwide work. Afterward, the Harders will return to Bolivia to continue their work.

Johan and Monika Harder have two married daughters and a grandson. Johan was born and reared in the Paraguayan Chaco, while Monika was born and reared in a Mennonite family in Brazil. The Harders own a cattle farm in the Chaco, and Monika is also a trained nurse.

Hans and Monika said: “We see this as a calling and mission from God. Throughout our lives, we’ve felt deep gratitude for MCC’s assistance to Monika’s grandparents and many other Mennonites who were fleeing from Russia. MCC not only helped these Mennonites during their flight, but the organization also assisted them in their search for a new home. Monika’s ancestors found a new home in Brazil, thanks to MCC.

When we were asked this year if we were interested in serving with MCC, we thought and prayed a lot. We also spoke with our children and church leaders about it. Everyone supported us, and the church gave us their blessing. This made the decision much easier for us.

We look forward to serving at Centro Menno. We hope to greet and get to know many people there. We will help and serve them as best we can with Die Mennonitische Post, Das Blatt, books or in any other way. We are especially excited about the visits to the colonies. We’ve already made a few day trips to the ‘Brecha Colonies’ and to Villa Nueva and the surrounding areas, but if it is God’s will, we hope to make many more trips to the colonies.

What is still quite challenging for us is remembering all the names and faces. Often, dozens of people come to Centro Menno, and it’s hard to recognize those who may have been there before.

Another significant challenge for us will be being so far from our children, parents, siblings, and friends.”

One of the Harders’ main tasks will be overseeing the printing and distribution of the Mennonitische Post and the children’s newspaper Das Blatt in Bolivia. These two publications are compiled in Manitoba, Canada, but they are printed in Bolivia for readers in this South American country.

This article was adapted from the October 11 issue of Die Mennonitische Post. Used with permission.

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