Michaela V.

Hi, My name is Michaela! I’m from a teeny tiny town in Ontario called Killaloe, where Beavertails are from! While it’s not very well known, it is a very special place and I hope to move home when I am done school. I am currently in my third year of study at Queen’s University in Kingston. I’m doing a degree in Sociology and Religion, which I am enjoying. I love to travel and visit places with rich history, and experience different cultures! I prefer to be outside going on an adventure than anything else, and I think that Wales is going to be a great place to do that. I also love music and play my guitar in a small band alongside some friends and missionaries for our local CCO events.

Why do I want to be on Mission?

I want to be on this Mission because I have seen the effectiveness of CCO’s intentional accompaniment. It was what helped me to get back into my faith again when I first come to university. It was the simple persistent friendships that found me, that finally made me feel comfortable within a Catholic community. I have also seen countless other lives changed over the course of a few years, and have had the privilege of leading faith studies on my campus, and coaching a new leader.

I also got to go on CCO’s Rome mission last summer and it was a life changing experience. I would be here all day if I listed out all of the amazing things I saw or experienced during that time, that made me want to do it all over again. But the biggest thing I learned was that doing God’s will always leads to true happiness and holiness. And it was scary when I felt like God was asking me to do something, because I knew it often requires some sort of sacrifice on my end. But I also knew that I couldn’t ignore him and even if I didn’t understand it myself, I wanted to do his will. When I gave my yes to him the first time, he was faithful. He showed me his heart for the lost and gave me the courage to do whatever he needed me to. And I was not perfect at it either, but he was still faithful. And so when I felt that tug on my heart to apply again this year for Wales, the fear of fundraising, of telling people I was going when I know they won’t agree, and of everything else that might make this decision difficult, began to melt when I remembered that he will be faithful again.

Father Mike Schmitz once said “That’s what it means to be holy, to walk in the will of the Father”, and there is nothing I want more than that.