Richard & Trudi Harder
Mission Field: Pailon, Bolivia
Category: Career Missionary
Project: Mennonite Ministry
Personal Journey | Richard and Trudi Harder were born and raised in Paraguay, in a German speaking community. In 1989, four months after they got married, they moved to Winnipeg, MB. They have been active in church serving as youth sponsors, singing in choir, teaching Sunday school, serving on the missions committee and running the church kitchen. Having experienced difficult family/ community circumstances, and seeing many other people facing an abusive past, Richard and Trudi pursued studies in the area of theology and counseling. In 2002, Trudi received a certificate in Biblical Studies and a certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling from the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, in Fresno, CA, and Richard graduated with an M.A. in Marriage Family and Child Therapy. Trudi and Richard are proud parents of two boys, one daughter-in-law and one grandson. In 2003 they moved to Mitchell, MB, where Trudi worked as a full-time school bus driver for 14 years and Richard worked as program director for Eastman Immigrant Services, a service provider that supports newcomers making Canada their new home.
Current Ministry | Richard and Trudi are currently working as community outreach workers, providing individual, couples and family counseling, as well as offering psychosocial education to church groups. The Harders enjoy working with groups, providing presentations on topics pertaining to couples, mom’s groups, youth and men’s programs. They are also leaders of a two year course on “The Life of Christ”.
