All my life, I have been surrounded by faith. I spent my formative years (grades K–8) at a private school in Lynnwood, where I was constantly immersed in the Catholic tradition. My mom also served as the children’s faith formation director, so I often found myself following her around and helping out at church. Between school and Sundays, it felt like I spent more time at church than at home! When I transitioned to a public high school, I stayed deeply involved in church life. I volunteered in different ministries: lectoring, altar serving, and anything else I could help with. But over time, something began to shift. I found myself going through the motions, slowly losing sight of the purpose behind it all. My prayer life became stagnant, and attending church started to feel more like an obligation than a joy.

As burnout set in, I began to step away and redirected my energy toward academics. I surrounded myself with peers who shared that same drive, and before long, I was finding my worth in my grades and performance. This mindset followed me into college, where I distanced myself from God to focus on my career. I didn’t trust that He could provide for me in the way I wanted. Looking back, I can see how wrong I was.

Even then, God was pursuing my heart. I didn’t fully recognize it at the time, but there was a restlessness in me that nothing else could satisfy. Everything began to change when a FOCUS missionary invited me to join her Bible study. I was hesitant at first, as I didn’t want to “waste” time that could be dedicated to my studies, but I eventually said yes. Through that simple invitation, I encountered the Lord in a deeper and more personal way than I ever had before. Slowly, I was drawn back to my faith, especially through the gift of genuine, virtuous friendships that have transformed my life.

For a long time, I was afraid to fully place my life in God’s hands. But I’ve come to hold onto this truth: He has a deeply personal and beautiful plan for each of us—one far greater than anything we could imagine. All He asks is that we trust Him.

When I answered the call to join FOCUS, I made the decision to rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to help me through this mission. It’s humbling, but also such a gift to invite others into what the Lord is doing. I can’t do this without YOU!

If you’re interested in partnering with me, I would truly love to connect with you. Let me know the best way to reach you, and I’d be happy to set up a time to share more about this mission and how you can be a part of it. It would be such an honor to walk in this with you!

You can reach me through phone at (425) 535-1910 or email [email protected] 🙂