Haskell's Sister to Sister Night Reaches Young Native Women on Campus
What started out as a simple get-together in the dorms has turned into an opportunity to encourage students at Haskell Indian Nations University to begin a relationship with Jesus. “It really is an experience that can’t be explained,” states Robin Santos, a Lutheran Indian Ministries employee with Haskell LIGHT Campus Ministry.
Sister to Sister started with Patricia Main’s (Cree) desire to reach out in a more social, casual setting. The first get-together consisted of a few students gathering in the dorms to share Mary Kay makeovers. Now, about 10-15 women meet monthly, a mix of Haskell students and women from the community who share their stories, prayer requests, and how they see God working in their lives.
“It’s crazy,” explains Robin. “All the women there, we’ve all been through different things in our lives. Some have battled addiction. Others came from abusive relationships. But, we always find some way to relate to each other, and there’s always something to learn from another person’s experiences and lessons.”
Recently, a new student, Rachel, started showing up to the meetings. She came, originally, at the urging of her friend. She didn’t know God and wasn’t really interested in learning. Yet, she kept coming back, and met with Patricia a few times between the meetings.
Within a couple months, Rachel expressed her desire to share her story with the group. She came from an abusive home, had her share of bad boyfriends, and struggles with a lack of self-worth. However, since joining the Sister to Sister group, she feels like she has a family that cares about her and looks out for her.
“There are hundreds of students just like Rachel at Haskell, which is why Sister to Sister is so important to us.” Robin described the Sister to Sister group as a work in progress, “It is still really evolving and growing, but something amazing happens every single time we get together. We are reaching young Native women with the hope of Jesus Christ, and it is obvious that He is with us on those nights!”
Learn more about how Haskell LIGHT Campus Ministry is helping to restore spiritual foundations at Haskell Indian Nations University.