Hi, my name is Grace Henrich and I’m a second year missionary at UW-Oshkosh! You can often find me around campus on my roller skates, taking students to a local coffee shop, or hanging out at our Newman Center. My team and I are excited to be back on campus to serve the Titans at UWO!

I was born and raised in North Central Iowa as the sixth of eight children. Growing up in a big family, there was never a dull moment. As I write this, my mind is filled with memories of playing made-up games in the backyard, sitting around the dinner table as a family, and getting far too competitive during board game nights. Through all the fun, my parents raised us well, passing on their Catholic faith. I am incredibly thankful for this upbringing, and it has given me a solid foundation that has carried me through the rest of my life!

Even with my Catholic education and my parents’ guidance, it still took me a long time to choose the faith for myself. Throughout middle school and high school, I struggled with perfectionism and feeling like I had to perform well in order to earn love. I found my worth in my school work, sports, and social performance, and when I would inevitably fail to perform well in one of these areas, I crumbled. This resulted in a viscious cyle through which it became difficult to understand God’s unconditional love for me.

However, through youth group in high school and campus ministry in college, I found a sense of belonging and true friendship that I hadn’t experienced at school or in sports. Initially, I only continued to participate in faith activities because of these friendships, however, over time these friends led me to the Sacraments, namely the Eucharist and Reconciliation, through which I came to understand the depth of Christ’s love for me. Ultimately, I said yes to becoming a missionary to give this gift back to others. Authentic friendships led me back to the Lord, and I hope to cultivate friendships with students to do the same!

My first year of mission has been such a gift and has brought me immense joy. It has been a gift to walk with others closely as they come to know our Savior. However, I will not pretend that it has been a walk in the park. This past year, I have become much more aware of my brokenness, failings, and the ways that I continue to try to earn love. In these places of hurt, the Lord has consistently reminded me that I am “precious in [His] eyes, honored, and [He] loves me” without doing anything to deserve it.

It has been an honor to remind students of this truth as well. The greatest desire of the human heart is to be seen, known, and loved, and as I reminded women this year that they are already so loved, I was able to see a significant change in them. It was an honor to watch them begin to love the women the Lord has created them to be!

As I witnessed this change in my students, I was continually renewed in trust of the Lord’s love for me. This has been the greatest gift, and I wait in hopeful anticipation at how the Lord will continue to transform my own heart and the lives of my students in this next year on mission!

Will you join me in helping speak the Truth to broken hearts at UW-Oshkosh?

By supporting me, we work hand-in-hand, both sacrificing our time and effort for the sake of sharing the Gospel with those who need to hear it most. I would love to get to know you and hear your story! If you are interested in partnering with me, please email me at [email protected] and let me know of the best way to reach you, and we can schedule an appointment.