TOGETHER!

I currently serve at Oklahoma State University as a first-year missionary! Primarily, I walk with students in their knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ, accompany their personal formation, and teach them to walk with others in the same manner.

In my childhood, faith was always seen as a hobby or chore, and the free choice of pursuing the faith was difficult to grasp, even after my confirmation. Entering college, I joined a bible study, and the strong community present at Louisiana State University demonstrated a true sense of fraternity, that which I had not found anywhere else before.

In my junior year, I was introduced into FOCUS. The missionaries walked with me an encouraged me to take upon leadership roles including leading my own bible study, participating and leading discipleship with a handful of other students, as well as initiate and dedicate much time to campus outreach! I went to FOCUS’s annual SEEK conference my senior year and felt an urgency to join the organization on mission. Now here I am, ready to embark on my first year as a missionary!

Every day I feel drawn deeper into to the reality of who I am as a child of God. It feels I am constantly relearning His Love, Providence, and Mercy for me. One of the greatest opportunities as a FOCUS missionary is our daily attendance to the sacraments. There is still so much to learn and entrust to Our Father!

The primary mission of FOCUS is for the world to know Christ Jesus, and to fulfill His Great Commission, to evangelize to all nations. The few years one attends college are the most formative years of his or her life! During this time, young adults experience freedom and establish lifestyle patterns that likely remain for the rest of their lives. As an apostolate, FOCUS realizes the necessity to walk with students in their faith, as these students are the next generation: the next doctors, lawyers, businessmen, teachers, presidents!

FOCUS wants to reach this generation IN this generation!

As a missionary, I will walk with students in their pursuits of excellence, sobriety, and chastity, as well as their own pursuit of the Catholic faith, and in doing so, teach them to do the same for other students. I will be leading bible studies, discipleship groups, and campus outreach, as well as oversee students as they pursue these roles.

However, this mission is not a solo mission!

I have the opportunity to develop a team of mission partners who support me both spiritually and financially. I seek to become involved in my supporter’s lives with prayers, in sharing my prayer requests for the OSU campus and Catholic community, as well as receiving prayer requests from my mission partners and interceding on their behalf! Prayer is a powerful network, and I want us to pray for each other!

In addition, I have the opportunity to rely completely on God’s provision through the financial generosity of my mission partners, who support my livelihood as I serve on mission full-time. They not only support me, but they trust my stewardship of their generosity towards the students and campus I serve. This may look like sponsorships for SEEK, retreats, and FOCUS mission trips, or even sharing meals with students as I share the Gospel, lead bible studies, and walk with students in their personal formation.

I invite you to join mission with me! You can bring souls to Christ!