A Life Obedient to Jesus: Why ORU’s Gabe Frohlich Chooses to Serve
Hometown: Redding, California
Secondary Social Studies Education – Minor in Coaching
ORU junior Gabe Frohlich had an unconventional childhood. As the son of missionaries, his early years were shaped by various cultures around the world. Although Gabe treasured those experiences, the journey didn’t come without challenges.
“I always struggled,” Gabe said, “to find a sense of belonging when my family moved. A large chunk of my life was spent in Malaysia, so it was a huge culture shock when we moved to the U.S. I struggled to fit in here. Because of all the challenges, missions and ministry was the opposite of what I wanted to do with my life.”
Coming to ORU, Gabe planned to become a physical therapist but soon switched his major to social studies. However, his vision for the future began to change after attending ORU’s missions Chapel, a fall event that highlights the student benefits and opportunities of global missions.
“Freshman year, my relationship with the Lord grew a lot, and my life started coming into order,” said Gabe. “During Missions Chapel, I felt the Holy Spirit for the first time. I was getting the shivers, like the Lord was tugging on me. I didn’t want anything to do with missions, but God told me to apply, so I took a leap of faith.”
Gabe and the Missions Staff
As a member of ORU Missions, Gabe found himself surrounded by a community where his faith was growing and his purpose was becoming clearer. Eventually, he became a team leader, then took on greater responsibility by joining the Missions staff. For the first time, Gabe felt like he had found a sense of belonging.
“Going on trips around the world, sharing my testimony, serving people—there’s so much peace in being a servant-leader."
“Going on trips around the world, sharing my testimony, serving people—there’s so much peace in being a servant-leader,” said Gabe. “When you serve, you have to be careful not to exhaust the people at the expense of actually serving them. At ORU, we focus so much on meeting the needs of those we serve and leaving them better than we found them.”
Looking back on his journey, Gabe now realizes that running from missions wasn’t the way to go. He shared that if he could go back and talk to his younger self, this is what he’d say,
“If you will live a life of obedience to Jesus, your life will be more successful than a life focused only on money. If you look at the disciples, Matthew was a tax collector, so he probably made a lot of money, yet he gave up everything to follow Jesus. The disciples lived satisfying lives because they were with Jesus, obeying Him. They were following the purpose that God gave them. To my younger self, I’d say don’t follow the money or the stuff; just follow Jesus and the purpose He has for you.”
Gabe with ORU Missions in Zagreb, Croatia at Sunday school
UNIVERSITY BRIEF
ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 15 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor’s level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 151 nations in the last four years to be whole leaders for the whole world.
The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #8 university in the nation for student experience and one of America's Best Colleges (2024). This new category rates the best colleges in the U.S. to have a great experience while attending. This ranking is powered by one of the largest ever independent surveys of verified college students and recent graduates in the United States. Niche recognizes ORU as one of the top 25 most diverse colleges in America, # 1 best Christian college in Oklahoma, and # 1 in Oklahoma for diversity. Princeton Review ranked ORU as the best regional college, and College Raptor ranked ORU as a Hidden Gem in the Southwest.
ORU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as:
- #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
- #2 in Most International Students
- #3 in Best Value
- #6 in Best College for Veterans
- #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West
For more information, visit www.oru.edu.