I serve at the University of Southern Indiana (USI) in Evansville, Indiana – neighbor to Kentucky and the St. Meinrad Archabbey. I will be serving here with two other missionaries, Aliza (right) and Maddie (left), as well as our team director Aaron!

You may be wondering why I have chosen to be a missionary, especially as someone with not so much ministry experience and historically just a bit socially awkward. Well, let’s start with my testimony. 

I went to school at Hope College in Holland, MI. While at Hope, I was introduced to the Catholic faith through Exodus 90 and in several humanities courses I took. I continued to gain respect for Catholicism in seeing the gracious nature of Catholics around me. I took great inspiration from the philosophies of St. Augustine, St. Severinus Boethius, and St. Francis of Assisi. Their philosophies displayed the humanity of the saints, taught pity for the evil doer, and elucidated a sacramental worldview in Catholicism. Such were formational ideas for me as I grappled with evil and injustice in the world. These philosophes were among the first consolations I had, but it was the Eucharist that even more substantially revealed Christ’s love to me. 

Investigating what Catholics believed about the Eucharist, I was continually drawn by the idea that Christ would make Himself really and personally present to us. An infinite reality given to us in the guise of bread and wine, I still get chills when I consider what that substantiality means. Inspired by this belief, I found myself aching to have such a personal interaction with Christ, and pursued confirmation into the Catholic Church. Joyfully, I was confirmed on Christ the King of 2024 and was grateful to then sponsor my younger brother into full communion the following Divine Mercy Sunday. Because of this faith, I have confidence that despite evil in the hearts of men, divine providence redeems all things for good (even if it takes a lifetime).  

As I have pursued Christ, I have also found a deep affection for His heart in my yearning to know Him. My namesake after all is David, “A man after God’s own heart”, and I wish to know God’s heart as King David did. I wish to share His love so that others may know Him, and they may see the profound mercy and grace he desires to give to all mankind. There is an epidemic of loneliness in the world, and there is nothing like loneliness to convince one of being unloved. Conversely, there is nothing like being loved to ward off loneliness. This is why I wish to become a missionary, to show people Christ’s love, and to help them find personal relationship with Him. Holiness is possible and demanded of us; we are all called to be saints- what spectacularly beautiful and beautifully ordinary life! 

By your kindness in supporting this mission, you allow me to be on mission at USI without any monetary distractions and give me freedom committing time and resources to the students whom I will disciple and lead through bible studies this coming year.