The Lord has called me to serve at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal Illinois alongside my team members Ashley, Hyoung, and Dominic. Go Redbirds! I am excited to see the glorious works of the Lord at ISU this year and the lives that He will change.

I graduated from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri where I had a personal encounter with the Lord, and He radically transformed my life. Freshman year, I had selected random roommate, and got placed with not one but two women walking with Christ! They read their Bible daily and I thought to myself that’s weird yet I could not help but wonder why. These women lived their life joyously and were striving to live with virtue. As for freshman year Mia, I called myself Catholic, I was raised in the Catholic Church, but I did not even know if I believed in God. My life was completely in my own hands, and honestly, I had mostly everything I wished for.

I had a friend group, good roommates, I joined the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta, I excelled in academics and clubs, but it still wasn’t enough. At this point, I had felt as though I tried everything to heal my heart from pop culture to New Age to politics. No matter how hard I tried, I was never convinced that I would ever be good enough. And I wasn’t, but Jesus came. The Holy Spirit called to me, asking me, “Do you want to be well?” John 5:6. My total self-will was me going into battle to fight the enemy of God with nothing. In this moment of divine intervention, I was not looking for Jesus, but I was looking for meaning. After lots of trial and error, it was Jesus who was the only One to give life meaning and give life more abundantly. From that day onward, I committed to pursuing a relationship with Christ which meant aiming to put truth and love above all other things.

These past four years walking with Christ has been the greatest adventure of my life. It is through Jesus Christ that we receive the fullness of life and accept our identities as beloved children of God. To go on mission and partner with God to share the love of Christ with the world is the greatest joy.

“Each of you should give as you have decided in your heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

When I answered the call to join FOCUS, I committed to relying on both spiritual and financial support from mission partners like you to aid me in this journey. Your generosity not only enables me to actively participate in this mission, but also extends an invitation for you to share in its joy alongside me. If you are interested in partnering with me, please reach out by phone at (847) 275-7835 or email at [email protected]. I’d be honored to share this mission with you!