Andres Gonzalez

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” Isaiah 6:8

Help me save others !

SUPPORT Andres

My Story

I was raised Catholic and my parents faithfully took me to Mass and ensured I received the sacraments. However, I never understood why I should pursue a relationship with Jesus – only that I should go to church. As a result, my heart wasn’t in the right place, and by high school, I was far from Jesus and His Church, even if I was a Sunday attendee.

Everything changed after a retreat where I had an encounter with Christ. Shortly after, I attended my first SEEK conference as a UTSA student, which sparked a deeper relationship with God. I was on fire for Christ internally and growing in wisdom, but I wasn’t living it out in active mission.

A deep transformation took place when FOCUS missionaries arrived at the beginning of my Junior year. Through being discipled by them I learned how to put my faith into action. I began leading Bible studies and leading others in discipleship, helping them reach other’s through FOCUS’s WIN, BUILD, SEND model.

Living incarnational evangelism has been the primary way I encounter Christ (see John 17:3), and I am deeply grateful for how God has used FOCUS to transform my life and others. Towards the end of my time in college, God invited me to live out the Gospel as a FOCUS Missionary and He has made me realize that my time in college was in preparation for this call! (see Isaiah 6:8).

Your Impact

An estimated 80% of Catholic college students will stop practicing their faith. And I’m privileged to serve college students as a full-time missionary to fight against this sobering trend. I am only able to do this because God has blessed me with mission partners like you ! Through your generosity I will be able to give back the gift of being evangelized and go out and spread the Gospel to others! “Finally, the person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others. Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn” (Evangelii Nuntiandi 24).

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

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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