10/15/2026
September 22, 2024 — The Day My Life Began to Change in Ways I Never Expected. 🙏❤️
Sometimes, the most important moments in our lives begin with a simple decision to take a step into the unknown.
On September 22, 2024, I walked into the 9 a.m. service at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines for the very first time. I walked in alone, not knowing anyone, and not fully understanding how much that morning would change my life.
I had been wanting to attend Hope for quite a while. After my kidney transplant on November 11, 2021, I spent several years navigating challenges I never could have imagined. My journey was filled with physical struggles, uncertainty, and some very difficult valleys. Somewhere along the way, I knew I needed something more in my life. I needed connection, hope, and a deeper relationship with God.
The nudge to finally walk through those doors came after I ran into a high school friend while visiting RAGBRAI with some other friends. RAGBRAI had been a huge part of my life for 10 years, and it was special to reconnect with something I had loved for so long. During our conversation, my friend encouraged me to check out Hope. When I told her I had already been thinking about it for a long time, something clicked.
So, I went.
Having been raised Catholic, walking into a Lutheran church was a different experience for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I showed up with an open heart.
That one decision became the beginning of something much bigger than I ever imagined.
I found a loving community where people genuinely care about one another, walk alongside each other through difficult seasons, and encourage each other in faith. I began to see that faith wasn’t just something to believe in. It was something we could live, share, and grow in together.
When I joined Hope, I already had a desire to start a transplant support group. I knew firsthand how lonely and challenging the transplant journey could be, and I wanted to create a place where recipients, donors, donor families, caregivers, and loved ones could find understanding and support.
I immediately participated in Alpha, and before long, I wanted to learn how to host it myself. I wanted to understand how to create a welcoming environment where people could ask questions, explore their faith, share their doubts, and discover what a relationship with God might mean in their own lives.
Now, I’m hosting Alpha for the fourth time, and there is something incredibly beautiful about watching people seek answers, open their hearts, ask honest questions, and explore their faith at their own pace.
It reminds me that everyone’s journey is different. We all carry things that other people may never fully understand. Sometimes, all we need is a safe place, someone willing to listen, and the freedom to take the next step when we’re ready.
Looking back, I can see how my transplant journey, the challenges that followed, and my desire to help others have all become connected in ways I couldn’t see at the time.
I didn’t walk into Hope that Sunday knowing exactly where God was leading me. I simply knew I needed something more.
Today, through my faith and the creation of Fauna Transplant Support, I have a deeper understanding of why those difficult experiences matter to me. I can’t change what I’ve been through, but I can use what I’ve learned to help someone else feel less alone.
Fauna’s gift of life gave me another chance, and my faith has helped me discover new purpose in that gift. I believe that purpose includes walking alongside others through their own valleys, sharing hope when life feels overwhelming, and reminding people that they don’t have to navigate their journeys alone.
I don’t have all the answers. I’m still learning, still growing, and still trying to understand where God is leading me. But I’m grateful for the people, experiences, and opportunities that have helped me grow along the way.
Sometimes, God doesn’t show us the whole path. Sometimes, He simply puts a person in our lives, opens a door, or gives us the courage to take one small step.
For me, that step was walking into Hope alone on September 22, 2024.
I walked in not knowing what to expect. I found community, a deeper faith, and a renewed sense of purpose.
And I’m incredibly grateful I went.
🙏 Faith. Hope. Healing. Purpose.
Sometimes, the beginning of a whole new chapter is simply having the courage to walk through the door.
This was my first service and so many other amazing things happened that day!
Pastor Mike always seems like he’s talking about me, to me. 🙏❤️
September 22, 2024 — The Day My Life Began to Change in Ways I Never Expected. 🙏❤️
Sometimes, the most important moments in our lives begin with a simple decision to take a step into the unknown.
On September 22, 2024, I walked into the 9 a.m. service at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines for the very first time. I walked in alone, not knowing anyone, and not fully understanding how much that morning would change my life.
I had been wanting to attend Hope for quite a while. After my kidney transplant on November 11, 2021, I spent several years navigating challenges I never could have imagined. My journey was filled with physical struggles, uncertainty, and some very difficult valleys. Somewhere along the way, I knew I needed something more in my life. I needed connection, hope, and a deeper relationship with God.
The nudge to finally walk through those doors came after I ran into a high school friend while visiting RAGBRAI with some other friends. RAGBRAI had been a huge part of my life for 10 years, and it was special to reconnect with something I had loved for so long. During our conversation, my friend encouraged me to check out Hope. When I told her I had already been thinking about it for a long time, something clicked.
So, I went.
Having been raised Catholic, walking into a Lutheran church was a different experience for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I showed up with an open heart.
That one decision became the beginning of something much bigger than I ever imagined.
I found a loving community where people genuinely care about one another, walk alongside each other through difficult seasons, and encourage each other in faith. I began to see that faith wasn’t just something to believe in. It was something we could live, share, and grow in together.
When I joined Hope, I already had a desire to start a transplant support group. I knew firsthand how lonely and challenging the transplant journey could be, and I wanted to create a place where recipients, donors, donor families, caregivers, and loved ones could find understanding and support.
I immediately participated in Alpha, and before long, I wanted to learn how to host it myself. I wanted to understand how to create a welcoming environment where people could ask questions, explore their faith, share their doubts, and discover what a relationship with God might mean in their own lives.
Now, I’m hosting Alpha for the fourth time, and there is something incredibly beautiful about watching people seek answers, open their hearts, ask honest questions, and explore their faith at their own pace.
It reminds me that everyone’s journey is different. We all carry things that other people may never fully understand. Sometimes, all we need is a safe place, someone willing to listen, and the freedom to take the next step when we’re ready.
Looking back, I can see how my transplant journey, the challenges that followed, and my desire to help others have all become connected in ways I couldn’t see at the time.
I didn’t walk into Hope that Sunday knowing exactly where God was leading me. I simply knew I needed something more.
Today, through my faith and the creation of Fauna Transplant Support, I have a deeper understanding of why those difficult experiences matter to me. I can’t change what I’ve been through, but I can use what I’ve learned to help someone else feel less alone.
Fauna’s gift of life gave me another chance, and my faith has helped me discover new purpose in that gift. I believe that purpose includes walking alongside others through their own valleys, sharing hope when life feels overwhelming, and reminding people that they don’t have to navigate their journeys alone.
I don’t have all the answers. I’m still learning, still growing, and still trying to understand where God is leading me. But I’m grateful for the people, experiences, and opportunities that have helped me grow.
https://youtu.be/qiW7-twkaLY?is=AHP03wa-eXR3ysBw
