From Mar. 15 to Mar. 18, the Center for Faith Engagement hosted World Changers Week in the Youth Chapel of Pioneer Memorial Church (PMC). This initiative was an innovative way to highlight the Andrews motto, “World Changers Made Here.” In each program, alumni and current students shared how attending Andrews empowered them to be a world changer in their day-to-day life.
Caralynn Chan (junior, speech-language pathology) shared, “To me, this statement signifies that Andrews has an objective to readily prepare its students to create long-lasting differences in the world. We can achieve this through academic contributions, careers serving our communities, sharing the unconditional love of God and the willingness to serve in any capacity.”
Students who have served as student missionaries spoke of their experiences and how God changed their lives through serving others, and alumni who are settled in their careers spoke about how their time here at Andrews allowed them to make a difference in their everyday lives. Kyra Collins (junior, speech-language pathology and psychology) shared, “I was inspired to be a world changer in my day to day life because of my time spent as a student missionary in Saipan. Missions are usually advertised as acts done for others, even though the person who comes out of the experience the most altered is the student missionary. This applies to my own life. Letting missions transform me inspired me to be a world changer so that I can change the lives of others, like the people in Saipan changed mine.” Ms. Collins’s time spent serving others not only changed the lives of those in Saipan, but also her own life. Through this experience, she was convicted to impact lives everywhere she goes.
Esterady Caamal D’Vicente (senior, Spanish studies) shared her source for being a world changer, commenting, “Being a world changer never crossed my mind when I decided to become a student missionary, but I was inspired by other former missionaries to be open and willing to serve God. God empowered me to become a student missionary, and by my deciding to spend a year of service He also allowed me to be a world-changer in His name.” The responsibility of being a world changer is not solely up to us. God is willing and eager to help us learn. Ms. Caamal D’Vicente shared advice for how other students can tap into their call to be a world changer. “My best advice would be, be open and willing to be an instrument of God, and I’ve got to say that one of the coolest ways of doing this is by becoming a student missionary. God will use you and you will become a world changer in His name.”
For more information about student missionary opportunities at Andrews, visit the Center for Faith Engagement page.
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.