God has called my fiancé, Jakob Hansch (soon-to-be husband as of October 3, 2026!! 🎉), and I to serve as FOCUS missionaries at the University of Idaho in Moscow – and we seriously couldn’t be more excited!

It’s such a gift to begin our marriage by saying “yes” to living mission out together!! And we are so blessed to be serving alongside our amazing teammates – Avery, Chris, and Celia!!

I was blessed to grow up in a loving, non-denominational Christian family where I first came to know about Jesus and the beauty of a life rooted in faith. Looking back, I am so grateful for the foundation my family gave me. Yet by the time I graduated high school, I realized that my faith had become something I inherited rather than something I had truly chosen for myself. I knew about Jesus, but I longed to know Him personally.

When I arrived at Carroll College in Helena, Montana, everything changed. For the first time, I found myself without the church community that had always surrounded me. I felt isolated, uncertain, and began asking myself whether my faith was really my own. It was in that place of uncertainty that the Lord began pursuing my heart in the most unexpected ways.

By God’s grace, my freshman-year roommate was Catholic and was involved in campus ministry from the beginning of our time at Carroll. She invited me to a Bible study led by a FOCUS missionary, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, that simple invitation would change the course of my life.

Week after week, I encountered women who loved Jesus with incredible joy, authenticity, and conviction. They opened the Scriptures in a way I had never experienced before, helping me see that God’s Word wasn’t just an ancient book – it was alive, personal, and speaking directly into my own life. For the first time, I began to understand that Jesus wasn’t simply someone to believe in; He was someone who desired a real, personal relationship with me.

The following year, I entered into discipleship (1:1 formation) with a FOCUS missionary who challenged me to deepen my relationship with Christ through daily prayer. I’ll never forget her asking me, “Annalise, how can you expect to know Jesus if you don’t spend time talking with Him every single day?” That question transformed the way I approached my faith. Prayer was no longer just something I did – it became the place where I encountered the Lord, received His love, and allowed Him to do His work and transform my heart.

As I continued studying Scripture, praying daily, attending Mass, and asking many questions, the Lord gently began to led my heart to the Catholic Church. After much prayer and discernment, I entered the Church, where I found a deeper appreciation for the richness of the Christian faith and a profound encounter with Christ’s love.

Throughout my junior and senior years, I continued to be formed through discipleship while also beginning to disciple other women myself. Although I was blessed to walk alongside them, I often felt they transformed me just as much as I encouraged them. Watching these women pursue holiness with courage, love the Lord wholeheartedly, and live their faith with joyful confidence inspired me daily, and continues to shape the woman I desire to become.

Somewhere along the way, God also wrote another beautiful chapter of my story: I met Jakob. As our friendship grew into a relationship, we discovered that God was transforming both of our hearts. While the Lord was leading me into the Catholic Church and into a deeper relationship with Him, He was also calling Jakob back to his faith in a powerful way. Together, we experienced the joy of discovering that following Jesus wholeheartedly is the greatest adventure we could ever say yes to!

As we entered our senior year of college, the Lord began stirring our hearts toward mission. After getting engaged in October 2025, we prayerfully discerned His invitation to serve with FOCUS as missionaries – and with great joy, we said yes!!

Now, we have the incredible privilege of serving at the University of Idaho, where we hope to offer students the same kind of friendship, discipleship, and authentic witness that so profoundly changed our own lives and faith. We know firsthand the impact that one faithful invitation, one Bible study, and one intentional relationship can have. We are SO excited to walk with students as they come to know Jesus Christ, discover their identity in Him, and become lifelong missionary disciples!!

Our mission is simple: to know Jesus Christ and to fulfill His great commission. That isn’t just our mission as FOCUS missionaries – it is the very mission we hope defines our marriage and our lives. We desire to love Christ so deeply that we become His hands and feet, sharing the hope of the Gospel wherever He sends us and inviting others into the life-changing relationship with Him that has transformed our own hearts!!

As we prepare for this incredible opportunity of mission, our hearts are filled with gratitude and humility that Jesus has called us to serve the students at the University of Idaho! College is such a pivotal season of life – one where big questions are asked, lifelong friendships are formed, and identity is discovered. We are honored to walk alongside students, helping them encounter Jesus Christ in a personal, radical, and life-changing way! We are truly grateful that we get to speak the truth that their true identity as sons and daughters is found only in and through Jesus Christ!

By walking with students through everyday life, building authentic friendships with them, and sharing the saving message of the gospel with them, Jakob and I hope to invite students into a deeper relationship with Christ. Our prayer is that as Jesus uses us as His hands and feet in Moscow, our students may be equipped to become lifelong missionary disciples who will go on to transform their families, workplaces, parishes, communities, and the whole world!!

This mission is only possible through the generosity, both in prayer and financially, of people like you! When we say yes to FOCUS, we say yes to the radical trust that the spiritual and financial support provided by our mission partners will sustain our mission on campus. By becoming a mission partner, you become an essential part of the work God is doing on campus in our students lives, and in our lives! We are so grateful for your support and for joining us in bringing the hope and love of Jesus Christ to the students at the University of Idaho!!

We would be honored to share this mission with you, and we can’t wait to see all that Jesus has in store!! Please let me know of the best way to reach you – I would love to schedule an appointment with you to share more about mission on U of I’s campus!!

Please reach out to me with any prayer intentions – I would love to be praying for you!

Cell phone

(253) 286-8796

Email

[email protected]