Previous Next

Thanks for visiting our page!

Why David joined cru staff:

My senior year at the University of Minnesota I had the chance to lead a Bible study through Cru that had about ten freshman guys in it. One of the guys who came regularly wasn't a Christian and over Christmas break that year he had an allergic reaction to an illegal drug he was using. He ended up in the hospital and they had to revive him with a defibrillator. Later that spring he came with us on a mission trip and while on the trip he gave his life over to Christ. It was amazing to watch all this life change happen in this young man and I said to myself, "I want to be a part of this sort of life change as a job," and so I joined staff with cru. Now that man is married and is a missions pastor in Iowa after having served overseas for about ten years in an asian country. 

My first two years on staff with cru I served at the University of Minnesota and then spent the following three years at the University of Lacrosse-Wisconsin. Then, I met Heidi and headed to the other side of the Atlantic for the next eight years.

Why Heidi joined cru staff:

Just after turning 18 years old I moved to NYC to further pursue acting. I achieved many of my professional goals in my first year there but was still left with this aching, empty feeling inside. That ache urged me to leave New York and head back to the midwest with hopes of finding God. I landed at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point where God quickly got ahold of my heart. For the first time I understood Jesus died for my sins and offered me a reconciled relationship with my Creator, God. After college I wanted to share this amazing love relationship with God with French university students, so I joined cru staff and moved to France where I worked for five years before marrying Dave. 

Our Story:

David and I met in 2004 but didn’t get married until 2008 (that’s a story for another time!). After we got married, we moved to Paris and continued to minister to French students. Our first three kids were born in Paris, we lived in a total of three apartments and got to see many French and international students wrestle with the good news of Jesus Christ, some for the first time in their lives. In 2017, after ministering in Paris for eight years as a couple and a total of 13 years for me, we moved back to the States and served on a specialized training and care program called Lake Hart Stint. For 6 years, we trained and cared for Cru missionaries from all over the world as they were going through major life transitions. We then served one more year as campus ministers in Toulouse, France from 2023-2024. 

Now:

Now, like we said above, we serve with Cru's ministry UNTO. Our hope is to relieve suffering, restore dignity and reveal the hope of Christ through humanitarian aid. We hope to help people living in the toughest places on earth receive life-saving physical essentials and the opportunity to respond to the eternal hope of Jesus. We are part of the Leadership Develoment/Human Resource department and specialize in training and caring for UNTO staff.  

How you can partner with us:

Would you prayerfully consider joining with us in this ministry as we look to reveal the hope of Christ in some of the hardest places on earth? You can commit to praying for us, giving a one time financial gift and/or committing to giving a monthly amount. We'd also love to send you our prayer calendars and monthly updates. Please email us if you'd like to hear more. David.Onken@unto.com