Eric, a recent editorial selection to Notable Men, has been booked as a guest on various podcasts to promote South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story. If you would like to watch or listen to any of them, links are below.
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Jenipher Omondi is the author of Who Am I, a book that offers life advice and a new perspective on how to see the world and develop a better outlook. She is also the host of GodKnowsPod, a religion and spirituality podcast that features semiweekly episodes focused on personal testimonies, faith journeys, and answering listener questions about Christian growth and spirituality. Jenipher was intrigued by the Christian message weaved throughout South Bend to Spring Valley, as well as the author's testimonial on how his wife's death nearly broke him and how writing this book restored his faith and purpose in life. She invited Eric to be a guest on her most recent episode, which can be accessed here.
W.W.A.A. Podcast hosted by Romance book Author Kristy Mickelsen is an interview and commentary podcast specializing in writing, wrestling, and advocacy. W.W.A.A. podcast has a wide variety of guest speakers and topics that people encounter in their everyday life such as Cancer, Autism, Lupus and other health and mental health issues as well as other human interest topics. On this episode of the W.W.A.A. Podcast, The host Kristy Mickelsen is joined by special guest Eric Christianson, author of South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story, a poignant memoir of two American families—one Black, the other white—that forged a faith-based fellowship that defied the social norms of the 1960s and, in so doing, provided a blueprint for racial harmony still relevant today. There are moments in this interview when both Kristy and Eric become emotional, so you may also want a box of tissues.
In this powerful episode of the Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages, Melissa Kaye sits down with author Eric Christianson to discuss the extraordinary true story behind the book South Bend to Spring Valley: The David-Sims Story.
The story begins in 1959, during a period of intense racial tension in America. Two families living more than 400 miles apart, one Black family in South Bend, Indiana, and one white farming family near Spring Valley, Minnesota, began a relationship that many people at the time would have considered impossible.
Through letters, curiosity, and a willingness to truly understand one another, the two families built a friendship that crossed racial barriers and eventually brought them together in person. But this episode is about more than history.
Eric shares the deeply personal story of his wife Joyce, whose childhood was shaped by this extraordinary friendship. Before she passed away, she asked Eric to preserve the story and finish what she had started. Keeping that promise eventually gave Eric a renewed sense of purpose during one of the most difficult periods of his life.
The Mark White Show is a radio program, podcast, and media outlet based out of Athens, Alabama, that focuses on "News That Unites". Hosted by Mark White, the show highlights inspiring personal narratives, community triumphs, and human interest stories across the North Alabama region. The platform operates under the tagline "Real stories. Real people. Real impact. News That Unites!" It intentionally deviates from traditional, conflict-driven news cycles to emphasize regional unity and community service.
In this episode, Mark speaks with Eric Christianson, co-author of South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story. They discuss the Sims and Davids families, their amazing faith-based interracial friendship, and a promise Eric made to his wife, Joyce, before she passed, to make sure this incredible piece of history was preserved as a legacy to both families and a beacon of hope for all who strive for racial harmony.
The Spiritual Awakening Chronicles is an audio podcast hosted by V Da Savage that blends spirituality, psychology, and ancient wisdom into deep conversations about self-discovery.
The podcast serves as an open space for seekers, thinkers, and truth explorers. Every episode is structured to encourage listeners to question their current reality, heal from past trauma, and trust their personal timing.
Key thematic pillars include honest reflections on psychological concepts, human behavior, emotional processing, understanding personal boundaries, and everyday life lessons.
This is a special preview of my upcoming conversation with Eric Christianson, author of South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story. Eric shares the meaning behind fulfilling a promise to his late wife, Joyce, and why this powerful story of faith, friendship, loss, and legacy needed to be told.
In this episode, the host of The Spiritual Awakening Chronicles, V da Savage, sits down with Eric Christianson, author of South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story, for a conversation about faith, human connection, loss, purpose, and the experiences that brought this powerful story to life.
Eric shares the story of two families—one Black and one white—whose friendship began during the racial and social turbulence of the 1960s and grew through correspondence, kindness, faith, and genuine human connection. The two also discuss the deeply personal reason Eric ultimately finished the book: honoring a promise to his late wife, Joyce, and helping carry forward a story and legacy that meant so much to her.
The conversation goes beyond the book's pages as they explore grief, spiritual renewal, finding purpose after loss, love versus fear, identity, and what can happen when people choose to truly see one another beyond the divisions society places between us.
Eric was recently a guest on Tamra Patton's podcast: Be-loved. Tamra's bio, in her words:
For a long time, I really struggled with how I saw myself. I compared myself to others all the time and always felt like I wasn’t enough — not pretty enough, not talented enough, not smart enough. Maybe you’ve felt that way too.
But everything started to change when I began to truly understand my identity in Christ — not just as something I believed in my head, but something that settled deep in my heart.
When I realized that my worth isn’t found in what I do or what others think of me, but in who God says I am, it changed everything. I found a new sense of freedom and confidence that I’d never had before.
And honestly, I feel like so many Christians struggle with the same thing. So many of us don’t fully walk out our purpose because of shame, insecurity, or feeling unworthy. But if we could really see ourselves the way Christ sees us — if we recognized that our true identity is in Him — we would live with so much more boldness, joy, and purpose.
That’s why I started Be-Loved. It’s a space to talk about who we are in Christ and to share stories of people who’ve experienced that transformation too.
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