It was the fall of 1972, I was attending UW Madison and I was free at last!! No longer would my strict, aloof and very Catholic parents have a hold over me. I was tired of being the obedient daughter. I had left the past behind me, including a religion that left me empty, dissatisfied, and lifeless. From now on I would do exactly what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it.

I surrounded myself with friends and partying. Everyday brought a new experience or adventure. Madison was like one giant amusement park, with endless possibilities for entertainment. It was all so exciting! One semester of this newfound "freedom" left me with some improper practices, plummeting grades and the same feelings of emptiness. I would come home to my dorm room at night and wonder why I was still depressed and even lonely. All the friends and parties in the world could not cure me. I felt hopeless.

Shortly after this, in March of 1973, two faithful ones knocked on my door and began a process that would change my life forever. They shared with me the love of God and His desire to be my Savior. I received the Lord on my knees that day. Nothing dramatic happened; there were no visions or bells, but gradually I began to realize that this person, Jesus, had come to live in me and that He was changing me from within. Little by little, as I began to explore His previously uncharted Word, the improper practices began to drop off; I just had no heart for them anymore. Daily He was filling me with a hope and a peace that I had never known. The supply in His word was wonderful and sweet.

This was just the beginning, however. I was drawn to fellowship with other members of His body. I began to go from bible study to bible study in Madison and did have some sweet times with dear Christian sisters there. Sadly, though, I noticed that there was competition between the different Christian groups on campus. This unsettled me quite a bit. I also tried going to some denominations in Madison but they seemed like dark dismal places with no joy or reality.

During that summer, my boy friend and I began to go to some different denominations, taking a little of Christ from each place. Eventually dissatisfied with what we were finding, we started our own little bible study in Milwaukee. A new brother that we had invited walked through a blizzard to our bible study and shared with us about the practice of pray-reading the Word. He also invited us to a home meeting on campus. During that meeting I realized that there was something of Christ there with the brothers and sisters that was deeper than anything that I had experienced. We were eventually invited to a conference with the church in Chicago and there the truth blazed brightly and intensely into my whole being. The Lord mercifully removed many veils from me and I was able to see that the Lord has a purpose in this earth that has nothing to do with religion; it involves the building up of the Body of Christ to express Him and to carry out His desire to have mutual dwelling place with man. On that day, He began a life-long, ongoing process of setting me free from self, religion, deadness, the flesh and every negative thing to be a simple, built-up member of the Body of Christ to consummate this age and hasten His return. I don’t know why He called me, but everyday I am so grateful to be meeting with those who have left all to care for His heart’s desire.