Ava Gideon

That my soul may praise Thee and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever!

Psalm 30:12

Where I serve

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I am so excited to share that I have been called to serve at Clemson University with my wonderful team- Nathan, Jack, Madeline, Shields, Jillian, Mark, and Colleen! Go Tigers!

My Story

I am very blessed to say I have never known a life without Christ present, but for a lot of my life growing up, I kept Him only in the outskirts of my mind. It wasn’t until I reached high school where I truly heard His voice with an invitation to fully trust in Him, and I no longer could be satisfied in not fully knowing the Lord. I began praying everyday and diving into His Word but kept this new way of life private from everyone else.

When I began college at the University of Oklahoma, I joined two FOCUS Bible studies, but outside of the times we met, people would not have been able to say I was Catholic or even had a relationship with God. Through continual encounters with the missionaries on campus I began to feel a conviction of the person I was becoming and had a desire to live boldly in the faith as they did. I was then invited to go on a mission trip to Brazil my sophomore year where my life completely changed. While we were there, I got to encounter Jesus daily through mass and adoration and knew that coming back to school, I had one of the most important decisions to make, whether I would continue placing Him at the center of my life or go back to the way I was living previously. Through His goodness, I said yes to this invitation and the peace and joy I was filled with was completely unmatched. I was blessed to then begin walking with other women through Bible studies and discipleship so that they too could experience the beauty of being fully known and loved by our Lord and Savior.

As graduation neared, I knew I had a deep desire to care for people whether that was physically as a nurse or spiritually as a missionary. Through much prayer, it was clear that the Lord was bringing me to say yes to FOCUS to fulfill these desires, and I have never been more ecstatic to respond!

Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17

Your Impact

When I answered the call to join FOCUS, I made the decision to rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to help me through this mission. In making this decision, I believe wholeheartedly in spending as much time as possible investing in students through full-time mission.

If you are interested in partnering with me, please let me know the best way to reach you and we can schedule an appointment. I am always looking for people who’re willing to give in any way they are able, but especially through a recurring, monthly donation basis. I’d be honored to share this mission with you.

If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment with me, I can be reached at 405-226-0148 or [email protected].

Give Now

If you have any questions or need help setting up your gift, please contact us at [email protected].

Find other missionaries

FOCUS brings the joy of the Gospel to colleges and parishes across the United States (and beyond)!

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FOCUS Find A Missionary Know Love Serve God Monstrance

Know, Love and Serve God

We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.

Build Virtuous Friendships

By building genuine friendships, we meet students on a deeper level.

FOCUS Find A Missionary Teach Others Share Christ Smiling

Teach Others to Share Christ

We teach students how to share the gospel, who in turn teach other students how to pass it on.

Host	Retreat Type	Start Date	End Date
Tulane University	Way of the Disciple	09/05/24	09/07/24
University of Nebraska Lincoln	The Sanctifier	09/13/24	09/15/24
Parish Outreach	The Father’s House	09/16/24	09/18/24
Kansas State University	The Father’s House	09/20/24	09/22/24
University of Delaware	Rec	09/20/24	09/22/24
University of South Carolina – Columbia	Rec	09/27/24	09/29/24
St. Francis University	The Father’s House	10/04/24	10/06/24
Nicholls State University	The Father’s House	10/04/24	10/06/24
Northwestern State University	The Father’s House	10/11/24	10/13/24
University of Memphis	The Father’s House	10/11/24	10/13/24
Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville	The Father’s House	10/18/24	10/20/24
Ohio State University	The Father’s House	10/18/24	10/20/24
University of Dallas	The Sanctifier	10/24/24	10/26/24
Central Connecticut State University	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
Universidad de Monterrey	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
California State University – Fullerton	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
Sts. Anne and Joaquim, Fargo, ND	Way of the Disciple	11/01/24	11/03/24
University of Krems	Men’s	11/01/24	11/03/24
University of Mary	The Father’s House	11/08/24	11/10/24
DePauw University	Rec	11/08/24	11/10/24
Philanthropy Engagement	Way of the Disciple	11/15/24	11/17/24
University of Passau	Rec	11/21/24	11/23/24
Texas A&M University	The Sanctifier	02/07/25	02/09/25
FOCUS Greek Southeast	The Father’s House	02/14/25	02/16/25
FOCUS Greek Midwest	The Father’s House	02/14/25	02/16/25
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	The Sanctifier	02/14/25	02/16/25
FOCUS Greek Southwest	The Father’s House	02/21/25	02/23/25
Wayne State University	The Father’s House	02/21/25	02/23/25
University of Illinois-Chicago	The Sanctifier	02/21/25	02/23/25
Queens College of the City University of New York	The Father’s House	03/07/25	03/09/25
Nicholls State University	Way of the Disciple	03/07/25	03/09/25
Grand Valley State University	The Father’s House	03/28/25	03/30/25
University of Northern Iowa	Way of the Disciple	04/03/25	04/05/25
University of Nebraska Lincoln	The Father’s House	04/04/25	04/06/25
Arizona State University	Men’s	02/07/25	02/09/25
University of Nebraska at Kearney	Rec	09/27/24	09/29/24