We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.
SEE MORESEE LESS 
Marcela Cardona
” The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but, there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty—it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality.”
— Mother Teresa
Where I serve
I will be joining the FOCUS team at
Georgia Southern University as a
first year missionary ! Pray for Us
My Story
I grew up in a culturally Catholic household, so I was familiar with going to Mass, but it wasn’t every Sunday, and I lacked an understanding of what I was participating in. Although my parents did not actively practice the faith, the Lord had blessed me with the gift of faith from a young age. I often found myself praying to God, even when I did not fully know Him.
It wasn’t until college that I began to truly seek Him. During that time, I struggled with loneliness and longed for authentic friendships with people who could love me the way I was created to be loved. In that search, I began to desire something more and felt called to a deeper, more ordered, and sacrificial faith. I started learning more about the Catholic faith, its teachings, and the Eucharist.
In my search for something higher, I attended a SEEK Conference, and it changed my life. Seeing other young people my age living with such freedom, joy, and their gaze fixed on Heaven was unlike anything I had experienced before. Their lives looked radically different from those of many of my peers, and for the first time, I realized I was not alone. Their witness gave me the courage to step out and live the life God had already been calling me to live.
After SEEK, I met a FOCUS missionary named Erin who intentionally invested in me and pursued an authentic friendship with me. Through her accompaniment, I began to learn more about our beautiful Catholic faith, and she provided the tools and guidance that helped take my spiritual life from one degree of glory to another. I began participating more fully in the sacraments and fell deeply in love with the Eucharist. The Mass and the sacraments became Heaven on earth for me.
Having experienced the immense love of my Heavenly Father, I could no longer keep it to myself. His love transformed my life, and it awakened in me a desire to be His instrument so that other college students might encounter that same love. As St. Augustine wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” I want to spend my life helping students discover the One for whom their hearts were made.
Your Impact
When you partner with me through prayer and financial support, you become an essential part of the mission God has entrusted to me. Your generosity makes it possible for me to serve college students full-time, accompanying them through authentic friendships, Bible studies, discipleship, and opportunities to encounter Jesus Christ in a deeper way.
College is a pivotal season of life for young men and women, every conversation, every Bible study, every moment of conversion, and every life transformed is made possible through your prayers and support. Thank you for joining me in this mission and helping bring the hope of the Gospel to the next generation.
You can reach me at:
346-777-0774
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)!
Know, Love and Serve God
Build Virtuous Friendships
By building genuine friendships, we meet students on a deeper level.
Teach Others to Share Christ
We teach students how to share the gospel, who in turn teach other students how to pass it on.
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