Accepting the call to leave home for a year and serve overseas as a missionary is a huge, life-changing decision. I myself am currently serving as a teacher in Pohnpei, Micronesia, and it has been a wild adventure so far! However, the inevitable difficulties are intertwined with an abundance of lifetime memories and personal growth. This past week, I had the opportunity to interview four former student missionaries (SMs) about their experiences and the importance and benefits of serving, as well as advice for anyone interested in being an SM.
Where did you serve as a student missionary?
“Pohnpei, Micronesia” Ryano Masengi (senior, medical laboratory sciences)
“Puerto Rico” Kelli Coffen (senior, elementary education)
“Kosrae, Micronesia” Jordan Magakat (junior, biology)
“Palau SDA Elementary School” Maia Hamstra (senior, speech-language pathology)
What was your job/position?
Ryano: “Math, science, and Bible teacher for Junior High”
Kelli: “I taught English to 2nd grade all the way up to 6th grade [and] I also taught math for 3rd grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade”
Jordan: “I taught 5th - 11th grade at Kosrae SDA School as a PE, Bible, Computers, and English teacher.”
Maia: “4th Grade homeroom teacher”
What inspired you to become an SM?
Ryano: “I was just really interested by the idea of serving. The year before I served, there seemed to be a lot of coincidences that pointed me toward being an SM. I prayed about it, and God opened up the path for me.”
Kelli: “Part of it was that the message had kind of been passed on to me in various capacities. I had friends who had done student missionary years, so it was kind of intriguing…I also really wanted to learn Spanish during my time at Andrews. I was looking to do ACA in Spain, [but] my roommate decided she wanted to do student missions, so that kind of got me thinking more about doing that as a reality. I had the mentality of “Hey, you don’t have to finish college in 4 years.” The fact that I had to teach [for] my elementary ed major was also a draw for me, but also different things I had heard through church, through summer camp, [and] through Andrews.”
Jordan: “I always loved working with kids (used to tutor elementary students in HS), and I thought being able to serve a community in need and live on a beautiful Pacific island would be an amazing experience”
Maia: “I think it was a combination of people. My dad was an SM when he was in college, and I knew a couple [of] people who served, so that was my initial interest. I think I really made the decision after talking to people at one of the student missions fairs my freshman year.”
What were some of the most fulfilling and memorable moments you experienced during your SM year? Can you describe a specific story or experience that reaffirmed the importance of your service?
Ryano: “The most fulfilling moment in my entire year was watching my 8th graders march during their graduation. I had spent the entire year with 16 of these students, struggling, laughing, and getting frustrated with them. But at the end of it all, I felt like such a proud teacher watching them in their caps and gowns, ready to start high school. As my final task as their teacher, it reminded me that through all the hardships, I was there to serve and that there's no other way I'd spend my SM year.”
Kelli: “When students went out of their way to show me that they cared about me or that they appreciated me. Probably the biggest one that stands out was at [the 6th-grade] graduation: there were a couple of 5th-grade girls that made a little poster board and wrote, “Ms. Kelli came and taught us English and Math, but she left us a piece of her heart.” They came up on stage and said a few words, and that meant a lot to me. As hard as this year was, as much as it didn’t feel like I was teaching them a lot, there was some level of impact, and it was meaningful for them to see that I came here to spend time with them and get to know them.”
Jordan: “Fulfillment came for me not in specific moments, but in the relationships made with my students and people I consider family to this day. A moment out of many [that reaffirm] my purpose and importance as an SM came from interacting with my students' parents and how they expressed their gratitude for service and dedication in helping not just teach, but being an example role model for their kids and the next generation in Kosrae.”
Maia: “Almost all of my most memorable moments were with students, but one, in particular, was on my birthday. My students planned a “surprise” party for me that I, of course, knew about, but it was very sweet how they got their parents and other teachers involved.”
How did your time as an SM impact your faith and personal growth?
Ryano: “My time as an SM really affirmed the idea of depending on God. At first, I really thought I could just be an SM with my own strength and wisdom. But I quickly realized that I was incapable. I learned that each morning, I had to completely rely on God's strength because I could never have done it on my own.”
Kelli: “Coming into my SM year, I had expectations of, ‘Oh, this is going to be such a good year spiritually for me.’ And then, when I got there, I realized, ‘Hey, it’s still the same as when I’m back at home.’ I realized [that] your faith isn’t dependent on your works. I was doing a lot of great things as a student missionary, but if I’m not putting effort into my relationship with God, then it’s not going to grow because that’s not what I’m focusing on. Service is definitely part of something that I want my faith to be, but it’s not the only thing. It definitely helped me deepen my spirituality, but not because I was off somewhere else, doing a student missions year and having to rely on God. Rather, it deepened my faith in helping me realize that if I want that relationship with God, that’s something that I need to…be intentional about. It gave me more opportunities to trust in Him. I [also] definitely learned a lot as far as relationships, communication, and teaching. I learned so much that I’m going to be able to take into my career as a teacher by getting that experience.”
Jordan: “One thing I’ve learned is that we can have our own plans and ideas/expectations of how the direction of our lives will go, and a lot of the time it won’t work out, but instead of turning to frustration, I had to realize that God’s plan will never fail and he will put us where he needs us.”
Maia: “My SM year helped me grow in my personal faith journey a lot. I was really out of my comfort zone and had to rely on God a lot more than I normally would. It also forced me to really define my beliefs because I was teaching them to students and trying to set an example. I didn’t have any major “come to Jesus” moments during my SM year, but there was a moment at the end of the school year after a really difficult last few weeks. [The] parents of one of my students treated me to lunch at one of the resorts on the island as a thank-you for teaching their son all year. It had been a really tough couple of weeks with disagreements with parents and having to bring multiple kids to the principal’s office, but this act of kindness made me feel like it was worth the effort I was putting in.”
What advice would you give to anyone considering student missions?
Ryano: “Pray about it. In my scenario, I really doubted myself. I thought that I could never be an SM, let alone a teacher. I thought, 'Anyone but me'. But God seems to have a sense of humor because all of a sudden, the path to being a missionary started to clear. Deep down in myself, I knew that I was interested, but I just seemed to get in my own way with my doubts and insecurities. If you're considering being an SM, understand that it's not going to be easy. It's not always going to be fun or exciting. But, with prayer and an open heart, anyone can serve. In some way, the SM year is going to change your life.”
Kelli: “Give it a lot of prayer, talk with former SMs, and maybe examine your expectations going in because…I should have spent a little more time thinking about that before going. I would definitely recommend it, but I also wish I had spent more time researching the place before I went so I was more familiar with the history [and] more aware of the context and different norms here and there.”
Jordan: “Sometimes we think that we aren’t qualified or aren’t able to make any kind of real impact in the way some people expect us to, but because God has given us unique and different talents/gifts, we are able to serve in many different capacities. What matters more are the people we are able to touch and the relations we make.”
Maia: “You should definitely talk to some former student missionaries before making your decision. I’m a strong believer that if you feel like you’re being called overseas, you should do it, but don’t discount the mission work that can be done in your own community. There are tons of people in the local community that can use a helping hand or a friendly face to talk to, so volunteering, taking part in service Sabbath, etc., has the potential to be just as impactful as a student mission year in another country.”
There is no one specific way to be a student missionary. Whether you have a specific location or job in mind, there is a call for you! Find Teela Ruehle, our missions coordinator, or Kelli Coffen in the Center for Faith Engagement office to learn more about Andrews University’s missions program. Follow the SM club’s Instagram page (@austudentmissions) to see what this year’s student missionaries are up to!
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.