What do you do at SIM NZ? If you could describe your role in no more than two sentences, what would you tell us?

I am a mission mobiliser. This means coming alongside anyone, helping them to learn about God’s purpose in mission and how they can find their place in it, no matter their season of life. To engage, educate, inspire and then journey with those whom God has called.  

Tell us about your journey into global missions.

There were several catalysts in my life that led me to global missions. The first was growing up in a Christian family and giving my life over to Christ as a teenager. That taught me that my life was not my own, and obeying Jesus was more important than anything.

The second was the illness my mum suffered when I started studying at Auckland University, she had a brain tumour that eventually led to palliative care, and for five years, I had to personally take care of her. That taught me that life is short, and caring for my mum’s needs was the training toward a serving life.

Finally, as I approached thirty and was still single at the time, it felt so right to step into mission, knowing my days were numbered and if I didn’t go now, I might miss the chance. So, I guess through these stages of my life, God was preparing me until I was ready to give with a purpose through relationships and bring the good news of Jesus to others.   

How did you come to work with SIM, and how long have you been working for the NZ office?

I first heard about SIM when I was attending Bundoora Presbyterian Church in Melbourne while working as a laboratory scientist. A young woman had been sharing her testimony serving in Asia, and that had triggered the idea of going myself. So, I did!

In 2017 I went with SIM Australia as an associate and went to South Asia. When that ended, I returned to NZ to make it my home base and joined SIM NZ in 2019 and then went again as a member. I returned in February 2024 for home assignment and an extended break, during which the NZ office had a vacancy for a mobiliser. I thought it made natural sense to remain involved in mission by taking up this role. In September 2024, I started this role and officially became part of the NZ office team. It has been about eight months now.  

What do you enjoy about working for SIM?

I love the opportunities SIM brings in cross-cultural mission. Being able to show another human being that no matter how different we look, speak and believe about the world, we can show them a compassionate and loving God who cares for them deeply. I particularly enjoy hearing the stories and experiences of our returning SIM workers and understand more clearly what the needs are over there. Knowing their challenges and needs is helpful for the recruiting process. 

What are some of the challenges in your role?

I can think of two main ones. The first is how disconnected I felt from NZ society in general, after not living here for 12 years. In addition to that, having to build my circle of network for this role, starting out with not much. It was really slow to get going, with the first 6 months focused on observing and learning. Now I feel like I have some footing on the ground. The second is probably the fact that I don’t consider myself an eloquent speaker, and every time I am tasked with talking to an unfamiliar person or audience, the only thing I can do is pray and ask God to help me and give me the words and the boldness to do so.  

Tell us about your family.

I am married to Daniel. We met in fact during my first term serving in South Asia, at the local church. This was a real surprise from God. Dan was involved in church ministry as a youth and worship leader. This December, we will celebrate our 5-year anniversary with our first child (arriving in November). It is pretty special to share it with my family here in NZ, as they couldn’t attend our wedding during Covid times. We are here on extended leave until Dan gets permanent residency next year. Then we can start making plans for our return to Asia.  

What do you enjoy in your spare time?

I like music, movies and shows, art, and if I had my youth back, most definitely volleyball, basketball or soccer. I also love hanging out with our family pet, a schnauzer.  

A lesson you have learnt in life that you would like to share:

Don’t mistake your ‘efforts’ and ‘achievements’ for your value, worth and identity. Those are found in our identity in Christ. During my time serving overseas, on many occasions, I was left feeling weak and powerless over situations I couldn’t control, especially in times of stress and the unknown. God humbled me in my attitude to leave things into His hands and taught me that He does not lack and all I had to do was let go of my logic, abilities and trust Him. The other one is the power of prayer!  

How can we pray for you?

For joy every day and closeness in our walk with God. For a healthy pregnancy. To grow in the mobiliser role and form connections with different groups, increase the level of mission interest and awareness of SIM in NZ. For Dan, who works as a property staff member at a school, it can be quite labour intensive, so pray that he finds joy, but also be wise in knowing how to rest well. Thank you so much! 

To give to the SIM NZ office, visit here.