I was not raised in a Christian home, and religion always seemed intimidating and unapproachable to me. I was “too busy” and didn’t give it much thought until my junior year of college. I was attending Montana State University, and I was lucky enough to be in a workout community called MTNTOUGH. The people I was surrounded by were all so hardworking, generous, elite, humble, and just excellent. I was intrigued and compelled to dig deeper into what seemed to unite them—a shared love for God. The more I was around them, the more I wanted to have some of the light and grace they exuded effortlessly; they made me want to become a Christian.
”The more I was around them, the more I wanted to have some of the light and grace they exuded effortlessly; they made me want to become a Christian.
At the same time, while studying multivariable calculus, I was brought face-to-face with the divine. For me, seeing how mathematics models our universe made me much more curious about God. Growing up in Alaska, I would worship the outdoors and just try and practice gratitude for the wonderful land I get to inhabit. As I learned more about God, this grew to a reverence and acceptance of who He is and what He has created, which helped me prepare to pray.
I was slowly opening my heart to Jesus and belief in God and continued to explore Christianity and the Bible through podcasts. In 2019, my roommate gave me a Bible, and the first verse I read felt like God was speaking directly to my circumstances at the time. I continued to read and study the Bible and in October of 2021, I became a follower of Jesus Christ. I still have much to learn but the journey so far as a Christian has been deeply rewarding. Praise Him!
I moved to the Seattle area in the summer of 2022 and began attending Highlands shortly after. I was welcomed warmly by so many people and have felt a part of this community from the beginning. Over the course of several months of attending gatherings at Highlands, I recognized that baptism was the next right step for me in my faith journey. I got baptized in February of 2023 and have continued to connect in groups, classes, and studies here. I’m so thankful for the community that exists at Highlands and I’m grateful for how God has led me to this church.
