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Kira Ouwinga is passionate about people.

Ouwinga’s time at ������ý has been shaped by her love for others and the investment others had made in her. “The people, my friends, professors, and staff have encouraged me to experience things in order to grow my faith and leadership,” says Ouwinga. “They poured into me and told me that I was capable and worthy of doing these things.”

Her care for others inspired Ouwinga, a theology major, to pursue a future in ministry. Ouwinga says, “I have always had a passion for helping others and seeing them experience the joy of Christ. I was excited when I found out that Dordt had specific majors where I could pursue that.”

While Ouwinga has always been interested in ministry work, her classes at Dordt have only deepened her love for the field. Her favorite classes at Dordt have challenged her to think practically about serving and leading in diverse church settings.

It’s not just the content that Ouwinga has appreciated about her classes at Dordt. “Most of the credit to why these classes were my favorite goes to the professors,” says Ouwinga. “Each one humbly gave us their own Spiritual wisdom and Biblical knowledge while also allowing for us to be vulnerable, grow leadership skills, and be able to put to practice what we learn.”

Ouwinga’s love of ministry is also evident off-campus. Since her freshman year at Dordt, Ouwinga has been involved in the youth ministry program at Bridge of Hope in Sioux Center. “I had previously served as a volunteer under our youth director,” says Ouwinga. “He announced he was leaving, and he recommended that I take over, so he ‘handed me the baton’ in a way.”

Serving in this capacity has given Ouwinga a unique insight into what a future in ministry might look like. “I have learned so much about leading students of different ages, equipping parents and volunteer leaders, how to be flexible, how communication is key,” says Ouwinga.

She’s also learned about “teaching, service projects and mission trip leadership, fundraising, meetings, balance of school and work, and planning lessons,” she says.

While she’s learned a lot about the practical side of ministry, Ouwinga says she’s learned the most about meaningful relationships. “I had such a great support system and staff members at Bridge that came alongside me to encourage me and help me through my first year,” she says. In her role, she tries to be the same source of support for the students in her program. “In order to create a space of trust and a place for students to be vulnerable, you need to value relationships and pour into the students' lives,” says Ouwinga. “Attending events, meeting one on one or in small groups, or whatever it looks like—it is essential when building relationships.”

Ouwinga decided to add missions to her studies after several mission trips. During her time at Dordt, Ouwinga has participated in service trips like Putting Love into Action (PLIA) and A Mission Outreach (AMOR). “As a freshman I went to Cincinnati, Ohio and then as a sophomore I led a trip to Shiprock, New Mexico,” says Ouwinga. “My first time going on PLIA was a week of incredible growth. We did a lot of physical labor just helping things at a youth program in the city get back up and running after Covid-19.” She also led a trip to New Mexico to work with a church on a reservation in New Mexico and served in Cambodia during her AMOR experience.

While the location and projects varied, Ouwinga found each trip to be a valuable, eye-opening experience. “The highlight of [the New Mexico] trip was getting to serve people in the community through various projects and getting to interact with people of a different culture that we could not fully communicate with,” Ouwinga says. “It taught us more about the importance of non-verbal communication and how to show Christ's love through that rather than just words.”

In Cambodia, Ouwinga learned a lot from experiencing the Khmer culture. “Seeing the hurt and pain of human trafficking but also the beauty of the changes that have been happening, building relationships despite the language barrier, and then being able to live in such a unique area was the biggest blessing,” says Ouwinga. “It will be something I carry with me forever. God is truly working in that place, and for us to see even just a snippet of His work through the people there was a humbling experience.”

Ouwinga is grateful for the growth she’s experienced at Dordt. “While at Dordt, I have grown immensely in my faith,” she says. “I learned so much, was encouraged by so many people, and got to witness the Lord's goodness in ways we don't always see,” she adds. “I have been able to use my classes and experiences at Dordt to put my beliefs into words and actions. I feel extremely rooted in Christ, our solid rock.”

Ouwinga will graduate a semester early. She isn’t exactly sure what she’ll do after graduation, but she’s learning to have peace with uncertainty. “I am a huge planner; it's just who I am,” says Ouwinga. “In terms of my future, I have had to release a lot of my own ambitions and dreams in order to be willing to go where the Lord is leading. I do not know exactly where or what that may look like yet, but I know that God is in control and has a plan for me.”