After serving for 2 years at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the Lord called me to medical school at St. Louis University. However, it was in my time there that the Lord gradually worked on my heart, giving me a different dream for my future than the one I’d held fast to for so many years.

Spiritually, I was well. I maintained my habits of daily mass, prayer, and rosary as well as surrounding myself with the Catholic community at SLU and my Bible study. However, there was this tug on my heart that I was constantly pushing away because if there Lord had called me to medical school, doggonit, I was going to do it! I enjoyed what I was learning, and sure, the rigor of my schedule was demanding but I thrive off of doing hard things. So I continued on. All until November 11, 2025.

I began my day as usual, but something felt off. As I entered into an activity with med students of all ages I was hearing the chatter, “Yeah, I worked 70 hours this week on rotations,” “I haven’t slept 8 hours in ages,” “I just don’t have time to workout anymore with this exam coming up,” “Bible study? Not this week for me.” My spirit was slowly sinking. For the first time I realized, I don’t actually want this anymore. Yes, there are women I want to serve who need help with their fertility, but is this how God wants me to do it? What about my family? What about my future husband and kids? What about my mission field in the parish? What about my freedom to be “Crazy Abby”?

Then came the quiet, gentle whisper:

Jesus: “What if you dropped out?”

me: “No, no, no, this is your will for me!”

Jesus: “But what if you dropped out?”

me: “But what the heck else would I do with my life??”

Jesus: “I’ve got you. What if you dropped out?”

And so began the journey. Within 48 hours, after calls to my spiritual director Fr. Vu, my family & my closest friends, and a holy hour with the Lord, I knew with great certainty: I had to leave.

Where I would go? The Lord had not opened that door yet.

In the next two months, the Lord spread wide the doors for my life of mission once more. When I asked for a recommendation from FOCUS, they said, “Don’t get another job. We want to hire you again!” In prayer, Jesus made it obvious this was my path for now.

Now, I am delighted to serve on the FOCUS Digital Team & the Varsity Catholic National Team. With Digital, I disciple women who attend campuses that do not have missionaries or sometimes any Catholic presence at all. They are on a little Catholic island and I get to serve as a bridge to connect them with the mainland — the universal Catholic Church. On the Varsity Catholic National Team, I amend and create Bible study content for the athletes on campus. Truly, falling in love with the Lord more and more day after day & spreading the Gospel as my job is a great gift.

Nothing is more practical than
finding God, than
falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.

-Fr. Pedro Arupe SJ

Jesus, I have fallen utterly in love with you. You decide everything. 

The girlies I see weekly for discipleship and the girlies I will never meet who will lead Varsity Catholic Bible studies for years to come are affected by your support now. Through your prayerful & financial support, we truly do this mission together.

Thank you for being on my mission team!

=