My desire as a missionary is to be a gateway to God’s perfect love for students. Born and raised Catholic, faith has always been present in my life. However, it wasn’t until college that I actually came to know the person of Jesus Christ. After going through the spiritual motions and checking off the sacraments, I had no interest in pursuing my faith in college. Free to spend my time as I pleased, I dove into many academic and social pursuits which ultimately were a search for purpose, fulfillment, and my identity. By some divine chance, one of my friends invited me to the University of Oregon’s Newman Center where I met a FOCUS missionary who very gently and patiently showed me what God’s infinite love and mercy truly meant for me. What started as invitations to friendship turned into deeper conversations about the things I was struggling with and placing my worth in. It wasn’t until late in my junior year and with the investment of yet another amazing FOCUS missionary that I began diving into my faith, attending Bible studies, and being formed in discipleship. Through real encounters with the Lord in adoration, and fellowship with my missionaries, my heart was slowly captured by the magnitude of God’s love and mercy for me.

The parable of the prodigal son was what sealed the deal. It didn’t matter that I had turned away or that I didn’t deserve the love that was being offered. The Lord was not asking me to change before He accepted me, He wanted to love me as I was. This simple truth changed my life. And after a lot of prayer and reflection, I realized God was calling me to share this truth with others. As a missionary, I hope to be a light for students like me, especially those in greek life, who crave meaning and purpose. I am so grateful for this chance to be an instrument in the perfect and transformative love of God.

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. I’ve been blessed with the most amazing people who have journeyed with me to this point. If you are interested in partnering with me, please let me know of the best way to reach you and I will schedule a time to meet. I’d be honored to share this mission with you.