Fall Outreach is in Full Swing!

     "Fall Outreach" is a term we use to describe the critical time of outreach at the start of the year.  The first few weeks of the fall semester are one of the most influential times in a person's college career.  It is the time when your friend groups are formed and when you decide what you want to get involved with on campus.  Our goal during "Fall Outreach" is to sow broadly and meet as many souls as we can on campus.  Here are a few of the highlights from the last few weeks...

We started the year with a workshop for all of our student missionaries in which we gave them vision and practicals for reaching out to new students at the start of the year!

We hosted a Dodgeball Tournament for all freshmen at Benedictine College!

It was a lot of fun and a great way to meet more students!

Every year, FOCUS hosts a luau for students at Benedictine College.  

This is another great event to meet new faces and start forming those intentional relationships.

Bible studies are starting this week and I am very excited!  

I am so blessed to work with such amazing women who are seeking a deeper relationship with God!

Which Bible study are we going to go through this semester?

Overall, "Fall Outreach" has been going well!  Please keep our team and our student missionaries in your prayers during this critical time of outreach!

Do FOCUS Missionaries Need Training?

Yes!  FOCUS Missionaries need training!  For 5 weeks each summer all of the first and second year staff gather together for FOCUS' New Staff Training.  During training, missionaries participate in an intensive course load of classes covering four different leadership areas - human development, spiritual development, intellectual development, and apostolic development.  Not only is New Staff Training a time of learning and personal growth, it is very life-giving to be around the other couple hundred missionaries and share inspiring stories from our year serving on our respective campuses.  This year New Staff Training was held at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL.

This is the Oratory where we had Mass and prayed everyday.  

Ave Maria, FL is a beautiful place!

During the summer months in southern Florida it storms every afternoon.  

This image perfectly captures what the storm clouds looked like everyday around 3-4pm.

All of the missionaries live in small communities of 7-8 people while at training.  This summer I was the dean of this community.  Our patron saint was Blessed Chiara Badano.

This is Blessed Chiara Luce Badano.  Chiara lived in Italy from 1971-1990.  She is known for expressing pure joy and trust in the Lord while she suffered and ultimately died from a serious and painful form of bone cancer.  She died at the young age of 18.

During our breaks from class, time was spent with friends and religious sisters or priests.  This is a group of us enjoying ice cream with the Sisters of Life, an order from the Bronx.

Say hello to my new team!  This year we have 4 returning missionaries at Benedictine and 6 new missionaries!  I can't wait to work with them and get to know them better.

Spring is Here!

It's been too long since my last blog post!  Mission here in Atchison, Kansas has been keeping me very busy!  Here is a quick update...

Nearly 500 students are active participants in Bible study!

About 150 students are living mission on campus as disciples of Christ!

There are 28 women in my discipleship chain who are living as disciples of Christ!

The last couple months have consisted of...

 Valentine's Day Dinner

The men on campus cooked and served the ladies a nice candle-lit dinner.

Holy women going to a student formation night. 

Newest FOCUS missionaries - 2 men and 3 women from Benedictine College!

Home-made cheesecake on the feast of St. Joseph!

An afternoon of fellowship and crafts!

You can look forward to more spring time photos to come!

March for Life 2014

This year in Washington, D.C., Benedictine College was asked to lead the March for Life.  This was an amazing opportunity for our students and myself to embark on a 31 hour bus ride across the country to stand up for the rights of the unborn in our country.  Benedictine College brought over 400 students and travelled in 8 buses.  It was an amazing experience to offer sacrifices of long travels and 15 degree weather for this great cause.  This year's theme is "Adoption: A Noble Decision."

Benedictine College leading the March for Life

600,000 people gathered for this cause

March to the Capital

We made the front page of USAToday (front row with red hat and sunglasses)

Abbot James blesses us before we leave Atchison, KS

The Lofy Wedding

On October 26, 2013, my team and I were blessed to be a part of and witness the marriage of two of our teammates, Emily Weber and Aaron Lofy.  Emily and Aaron are both in their third year on staff with FOCUS.  They are a beautiful witness of two people striving to love and serve the Lord together.

The wedding weekend was both fun and rejuvenating.  We returned to campus that Monday rested and joyful, ready to continue our mission throughout these last few weeks before the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.

Here are a few snapshots of our beautiful weekend in the mountains of Colorado!

Driving through western Kansas to get to Colorado...many hay bails!

First time in Colorado!

Beautiful Colorado scenery!  The mountains were breathtaking.

Last year's missionary team at Benedictine mixed with the current FOCUS team at Benedictine.

Photo booth fun with the team at the wedding reception.

My team having fun at the wedding reception.

Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Lofy

Fall is Here!

It is such a gift to watch the Lord work in the lives of the college students here at Benedictine College!  Ministry has been thriving.  I couldn't be happier serving the Lord and these students as a missionary with FOCUS.

Fall is finally here!  So far, October has been a busy month.  Here are some of my favorite things...

We hosted a retreat for our student missionaries.  The retreat focused on prayer and fellowship and deeply impacted many students.

On the drive to the retreat, myself and a few students got a flat tire!  It ended up being a great bonding experience as we learned the ins and outs of changing and replacing a car tire.

We took 6 students to an Interview Weekend for staff with FOCUS.  At this weekend they interviewed and discerned the call to become a FOCUS missionary.

Say hello to my friend and your newest FOCUS missionary, Kaitlyn!

You can't beat the sunsets in the midwest!

Another hay bail picture!  I am fascinated by the landscape here.

Welcome to Atchison!

     It has been quite busy here in Atchison since I arrived on August 10th.  The past 2 weeks have been filled with meeting new students and getting to know the women that I will be directly working with this year.  I am mentoring 7 women who are in turn mentoring 9 other women.  We have a total of 16 women in our discipleship chain - praise God for their YES to evangelize!

    

  We started the year by hosting an evangelization workshop for the returning student leaders on campus.  During the workshop we gave talks about authentic discipleship and the importance of reaching out to our peers on campus.  We went door-to-door in Atchison engaging in meaningful conversations with the townspeople about how we are all created for a loving relationship with God.  We even were fortunate enough to have Eucharistic Adoration at our workshop.

     So far, the year has been off to a great start!  Here are some more pictures from the start of the year...

Students praying a rosary at Mary's grotto on campus.

 Our wonderful team of missionaries here at Benedictine College! 

Top left to right - Mike, Brian, Aaron, Kelsey, Stephen

Bottom left to right - Andrea, Me, Emily, Jenn, and Sarah

Camping with some of the senior women on campus!  Check out those hay bails - only in the midwest!