God has called me to serve at the University of Oregon in Eugene! I am so grateful that the Lord has placed me in a beautiful place full of so much history and amazing people, and also a great team! SKO DUCKS!!!

I was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon surrounded by a loving family and community. Ever since I could remember, my family was always around, my aunts and grandma who lived ten minutes away from us, my cousins who always brought a smile to my face and never ending laughter and our family friends who also lived very close to us. We also spent a lot of times in the mountains in North Lebanon, with our cousins at my grandma’s family house, where we were immersed in nature, great food and loving company. My parents and my aunts taught me about my faith and I always held on to that knowledge and faith growing up even if I did not go to Sunday masses regularly. I constantly felt this urge to know more about my faith, and about God and Jesus’ disciples, and grow in my relationship with Mary.

For my junior year of high school I got accepted into an exchange program called KL-YES (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange Student) that gave me the opportunity to study abroad in the U.S. for one school year. I got placed in Hawaii with a host family whom I came to love very much and without them I would never have joined the debate team at Parker School in Hawaii. Because of this experience on the debate team, I ended up receiving a scholarship to go to Carroll College in Helena, Montana along with a scholarship for my senior year of high school. A year away from home turned to be another five years and now for however long God calls me to be away, for His mission which is now mine as well.

Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  – John 15:2

Moving from one place to the other, my college experience was definitely different and difficult. Taking classes in English, jumping into upper Biology classes, writing classes, French classes here and there while being on the debate team did not leave much room for my faith or church at first. I drifted away easily and fell into typical college scenes as soon as school began. With many difficulties and wrong priorities I lost who I was or thought I was, and felt like I did not belong anywhere, not even in Lebanon, my home. This dreadful feeling followed me year after year and it changed a lot in my personality. But with missionaries and people at Carroll that soon became my closest friends, they reintroduced me to happiness among friendships and life in general and most importantly to a relationship I thought I had long lost, Jesus. I was slowly drawn back to the path that Christ wanted for me, to be his daughter and learn what that truly means. Jesus led me to friends that I could never have imagined having and with their support and the support of my family, I am honored to walk with the students at U of O and show them how much they mean to me, my team, their friends and the Lord.

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. In order to serve the students at the University of Oregon radically, I need your help! If you are interested in partnering with me, please let me know of the best way to reach you and I will schedule an appointment. I’d be honored to share this mission with you!

Please feel free to contact me at anytime with questions or prayer intentions you may have!

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