Concordia students, staff and alumni serve throughout the world

Seward, NE (09/14/2018) — Students, staff and alumni from Concordia University, Nebraska, served throughout the world this past summer on mission and study trips.

Julie Johnston Hermann, director of global opportunities, and Rev. Dr. John Mehl, led a group of seven students on a week-long mission trip in May to Amatitlan, Guatemala, through the Central American Lutheran Missions Society. The group taught vacation Bible school, games and English to students at various schools throughout the region. They also visited a community center where they tutored and taught VBS. Those students included Zachary Barz, Carrie Black, Hope Hoyer, Madison Pitsch, Michaela Twito, Katie Wrege and Emma Wendorff.

"The kids were so willing to learn," said student Micky Twito. "Even though there was a language barrier when you can't speak perfectly, there's a language of love that comes without words."

Dr. Vicki Anderson, associate professor of education, two members of Concordia's marketing team, and ten students spent five weeks teaching in two English as a second language summer camps for students at Buena Vista Concordia International School in Shenzhen, China. The first camp, "Happy Steam," and the second camp, "Running Steam," featured classes in science, technology, engineering, art and math, as well as English. The students included Emily Altman, Emma Brand, Payton DeMers-Sahling, Katerina Fuller, Kennedy Garner, Hannah Gillet, Emma Heidorn, Krista Stanford, Hannah Sugita and Ashley Martin.

Theology professor Mark Meehl led a study tour to Israel with nine students. For two weeks, the group explored historical biblical and cultural sites, such as Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, Galilee and Jerusalem. The students included Emma Dannehl, Brennan Deforest, William Helmer, Nolan Homp, Amanda McDowell, Annemarie Pico, Krista Stanford, Grace Stults and Leah Werling.

Another six students, Casey Berg, Jackie Berg, Chelsea Irwin, Grace Kohnke, David Matthews and Kacy Meyer, traveled to Wisla, Poland with Holy Savior Church to administer an ESL summer camp and act as counselors.

Four students, Sonja Brandt, Victoria Cameron, Samantha Coomer and Rebekah Freeman, and three alumni, Clyde Ericson, Ryan Gross and Caleb Wehling, traveled to Akiacha, Alaska with St. John Lutheran Church from Seward, where they led Bible studies and basketball camp for children in the area.

Additional Concordia undergraduate students traveling abroad include: Casandra Eberth, junior, spread the gospel and served local communities in Ethiopia with Can-Do missions. Seniors Robin Consier, Tiffany Smith and Krista Stanford served in Jacmel, Haiti with Ministry in Mission, where they provided food and medical care to the elderly and taught Bible lessons at an orphanage. Hayden Rensner, sophomore, assisted in providing physical and spiritual healing with LCMS Mercy Medical team in Koidu, Sierra Leone. Jessica Wang, junior, traveled to Bhutan and Bali on a mission trip. Kim Sleeper, senior, provided medical aid and spiritual care with the disaster relief team of CALMS after the eruption of a volcano in Guatemala. Nicole Affronti, senior, studied Elementary Education abroad in Italy. Finally, Magdalene Sansoucie, sophomore, served on a mission trip with her church in Mexico.

"Anybody can get involved in these experiences," Julie Johnston Hermann says. "All one needs is a heart to travel and learn about life. God uses all gifts, whether you're an accounting major, education major, art major, or science major."

Concordia University, Nebraska students participating in global outreach in summer 2018 (listed by country/state visited, home state and then home city in alphabetical order):

Alaska

Rebekah Freeman, Harrisonville, Mo.

Sonja Brandt, Knob Noster, Mo.

Samantha Coomer, Wentzville, Mo.

Victoria Cameron, Kent, Wash.

Bali

Jessica Wang, Milford, Neb.

Bhutan

Jessica Wang, Milford, Neb.

China

Ashley Martin, Longmont, Colo.

Hannah Gillet, Watson, Ill.

Krista Stanford, Jefferson City, Mo.

Emma Brand, Springfield, Mo.

Hannah Sugita, Grand Island, Neb.

Emily Altman, Lincoln, Neb.

Kennedy Garner, Lincoln, Neb.

Emma Heidorn, Utica, Neb.

Payton DeMers-Sahling, York, Neb.

Katerina Fuller, Dallas, Texas

Ethiopia

Casandra Eberth, Basehor, Kan.

Guatemala

Carrie Black, Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Michaela Twito, Ames, Iowa

Zachary Barz, Dubuque, Iowa

Emma Wendorff, Winthrop, Minn.

Madison Pitsch, Concordia, Mo.

Hope Hoyer, Crete, Neb.

Kimberly Sleeper, Omaha, Neb.

Katie Wrege, Georgetown, Texas

Haiti

Robin Consier, Churdan, Iowa

Tiffany Smith, Earlham, Iowa

Krista Stanford, Jefferson City, Mo.

Sierra Leone

Hayden Rensner, Effingham, Ill.

Israel

Annemarie Pico, Mesa, Ariz.

Grace Stults, Monte Vista, Colo.

Leah Werling, Solomon, Kan.

Amanda McDowell, Columbia, Mo.

Krista Stanford, Jefferson City, Mo.

Emily Dannehl, Bertrand, Neb.

William Helmer, Seward, Neb.

Nolan Homp, Seward, Neb.

Brennan Deforest, West Jordan, Utah

Italy

Nicole Affronti, Cave Creek, Ariz.

Mexico

Magdalene Sansoucie, Waukesha, Wis.

Poland

Casey Berg, Carroll, Iowa

David Matthews, Plato, Mo.

Chelsea Irwin, Lincoln, Neb.

Grace Kohnke, Lincoln, Neb.

Kacy Meyer, Jenks, Okla.

Jacqualyn Berg, Brandon, S.D.

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