Evan Keyes is a junior religion major at Andrews University. An important part of his Andrews experience is his current work with Student Missions at the University’s Center for Faith Engagement (CFE).
“Andrews prioritizes mission and service through active support of local mission opportunities and by giving students the opportunities to serve elsewhere in the U.S. or abroad,” he says. “Service gives meaning to Jesus’ teachings. It helps us understand who Jesus was and how we can be disciples.”
Evan has a heart, in particular, for encouraging his peers to serve as student missionaries. This passion is a result of his own experience dedicating 10 months to service abroad in the 2023–2024 school year.
“I decided to serve because I wanted to actively pursue God. I had to step out and learn what it meant to be a Christian for myself,” Evan shares. He wanted to serve somewhere remote and, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, confirmed a teaching position in Pohnpei, Micronesia.
Evan spent most of his days teaching kids, ranging in age from 4–16, how to play volleyball, basketball and dodgeball in physical education class. Later in the school year, he also taught drama, English, history and government.
“I decided to serve because I wanted to actively pursue God. I had to step out and learn what it meant to be a Christian for myself.”
In the after-school drama class, Evan met twin brothers. “They’d fight me physically and try to teach me bad words in their language,” he says. “The boys didn’t have much attention given to them at home and got attached to me at school. I became an older brother to them. During the last drama class with the twins, one of the boys asked, ‘Why are you so nice to us?’ This caught me off guard. I didn't know how to respond. I said, ‘Because I love you guys.’ He looked at me with doubt in his little eyes and questioned, ‘Why do you love us?’”
“It stunned me to know that these little guys didn’t understand why a person would like or love them,” Evan shares. “I said ‘I love you because you’re my friends.’ This whole interaction impressed upon me that I had helped those boys understand that they deserved to be loved and liked.”
Evan explains that the opportunity to serve changed his life. “I learned what it felt like to have purpose in helping and working for others,” he says. “When I returned, I stayed active in Andrews’ Student Missions because I wanted as many students as possible to have the life-changing experience that I did. Many times, I’ve wished that I could go back to the mission field, but I do find some fulfillment in working on campus at CFE.”
He shares the advice he would give to prospective student missionaries: “You have the rest of your life to pursue your career. Life can be very black and white if you live solely in that pursuit. Service can be the color that fills it in.”
“Mission can give meaning to your life,” Evan affirms. “To live to serve others is an amazing thing. Give a year of your life to service and see what God can do with your sacrifice.”
Contribute to Student Missions at andrews.edu/go/give/smclfm.
