SIMS (SNU in Missions) is a great summer program where students can apply to serve on different mission trips. During each trip, students can engage in different fields that relate to their skills, such as medical clinics, sports camps, children’s ministry, coffee shop ministry, etc. SIMS isn’t only a program where students can travel across the world; it’s also an opportunity for students to share and worship the gospel while strengthening their faith and knowledge of the Lord. Three students share their inspiration for going to this year’s SIMS: Anna Tatman, Carter Brock, and Lydia Mitchell.
Tatman shared, “I love missionary work, and I felt called to missionary work to love people and be able to show the love of God outside of our context and culture. I also really wanted to travel internationally, and when I heard we were going to the UK, which has been a lifelong dream of mine to go to, I decided to sign up for SIMS.” Brock responded, “I felt a calling this past year, and I took the calling and rolled with it.” Mitchell added, “I had a lot of friends who had really good experiences last year on SIMS, and I get to work with Kezia and see all the work she puts into these trips to make them so special!”
SIMS is a program created to build relationships with people of different states or countries and share the gospel with them. Kezia Weaver, Associate Campus Pastor and SIMS Coordinator, shares what she hopes to see from this year’s SIMS students. “I hope to see their faith grow, see some of our students be called to God, and place students in their majors.”
Through the SIMS program, students not only explore different cultures and communities but most importantly explore their faith in God. Tatman shares how her first year of SIMS impacted her spiritually. “I think it’s helped me grow spiritually because of how God impacts different people of different cultures. It was cool to see how people love God, even if they don’t represent it physically through t-shirts or jewelry.”
Before the summer of 2025 arrives, these students share what they are inspired to learn from SIMS. Tatman responds, “One thing I want to learn is to be okay with unpredictableness and to be okay with the unknowing. I want to learn how to know unexpected things.” Brock shares that he wants to “learn how to serve people better, get out of my comfort zone, and love people I’ve never interacted with before. As Christians, we should step out and take that leap of faith, so it felt like the right thing for me to do for this journey.” Mitchell added, “I hope that this pushes me out of my comfort zone and teaches me skills that I can continue to use as I study ministry.”
The SIMS program is a great opportunity for students to build new relationships with their community, people of other cultures, and with God. If you want to help donate to Tatman, Brock, Mitchell, or more, contact Kezia Weaver at kweaver@mail.snu.edu.
Photo by SNU Creative