The Lord has called us to serve at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas! Pictured below is our team! Go Ravens!

Grace’s Story: As a baby I was baptized Catholic and went to Church with my family until I was about 8 years old. From then on my formative years were spent primarily swimming, working hard in school, and doing fun things with my family. Which were all great things, but knowing God was missing from my life.

After graduating from high school I decided to go to a small Catholic institution called Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa to pursue my sport on the Women’s Swim & Dive Team. While I was there, I made new friends with my teammates and enjoyed the college lifestyle until I experienced one of the most difficult challenges I have ever experienced in my life.

During my freshman year of College, my Dad passed away unexpectedly. He was my hero, my biggest cheerleader, and our families provider & protector. Losing him felt like I lost the entire world and it became extremely difficult for me to experience joy and be the person who I was before. In the midst of my suffering, I did not not want to believe in God because I felt if he were real then why would he allow this to happen. But, during this time the Lord continued to pursue me and guided me home. 

Through the many invitations, of two friends I was able to attend Mass for the first time in years and go on a faith-based campus retreat called Antioch. At Antioch, for the first ever I truly felt Gods presence in my life and while encountering Him I was invited to join a FOCUS Bible Study on campus which gave me an opportunity to continue to encounter Christ through scripture, prayer, and authentic friendships with my peers. After being in a Bible Study for a year, I then started a new Bible Study for my swim team and it was a gift to walk alongside my teammates during my time at Loras.

Knowing our heavenly Father and learning how to have a relationship with Him has and continues to bring a significant amount of joy and freedom into my life, which is why I wanted to become a FOCUS missionary. My heart desires to share God’s unique love for each of us with every person that I meet and especially college students who are often searching for the love, freedom, and joy that only Christ can abundantly fulfill.

During this journey I will also be accompanied by my wonderful Husband, Brian Day, who the Lord also placed in my life at Loras College.

Brian’s Story: Like Grace, I was baptized Catholic, and received my sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation in the Church. However, the world of school and sports played a much bigger role in my formative years of life than my faith did, so I came into college having checked all the sacramental “boxes”, but had never put much thought or effort into my relationship with God.

As I began my undergrad years, my Catholic faith wasn’t a part of who I was and I didn’t see going to mass as valuable. Ironic enough, at the same time, I felt as if I was lacking my community of people. This radically changed when I received personal invites to attend Mass from friends, as well as other events by FOCUS missionaries and Loras Spiritual Life.

After returning to weekly mass, and growing with this great community of people, I was asked onto the Loras College Antioch retreat, as well as into FOCUS Bible Studies and Discipleship. It was through these experiences which I was transformed into the person I am today – someone who’s learned to lean into my faith and talk about it with other people, rather than being self-reliant all the time. My goal is to impart this onto others, as it has been one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my lifetime.

Now, as a husband to a missionary, I plan to continue being a guide by the side of students, modeling an example of what young married life can look like, and playing as much of a role in community and formation as I can! As for my professional vocation, I plan to continue my journey to medical school by bolstering my resumé through working and shadowing at a nearby hospital, as well as pursuing coaching swimming for a local program. I envision this time to be very fruitful and memory-filled, as well as a time to continue growing our families faith life and foundation.

I’m excited for the journey this year, and can’t wait to get on campus!

Our Story: After dating for four years in college, we got married one week after graduation on May 10th, 2025 in Christ the King Chapel at Loras. We are so grateful for how God has worked in our lives and brought us together to our vocation. Now, we can’t wait to start off our marriage serving Him on mission as a family!

“God can do great things through you, make it known to the ends of the earth”

When I said “yes” to serving as a missionary with FOCUS, I decided to rely on the spiritual and financial assistance of others in order to reach more people with the hope of the gospel.

If you are interested in partnering with me, please reach out! Brian and I would love to talk with you more about this mission and pray for any intentions you may have.

You can reach us at 630-656-4933 or [email protected]