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I would not have been accepted to Stanford's MBA program without FOCUS...
I
have chosen to stay in FOCUS for six years because I continue to be
challenged and formed in all these areas on a daily basis...
I could have never imagined how far being a FOCUS missionary could take me—not only spiritually but also geographically...
There is no better way to participate in the new evangelization than to join FOCUS...
The Lord will provide for each of you what is necessary to fulfill your mission...
My three years as a missionary were the most educational years of my life...
They’ve taught me how to learn my faith, defend my
faith and live my faith...
Dear Potential FOCUS Missionary, The training that FOCUS gave me in managing people and
projects and in doing the thousands of things that non-profit
entrepreneurs do was the best business management education that I
have ever had. My Stanford MBA classes were rigorous and challenging,
but I could have attained most of the MBA knowledge in other places.
By contrast, I do not know where or how I would have attained the knowledge (or
sheer guts) that I gained by working on small campuses at DU and the Air Force
Academy. FOCUS teams operate almost as independent franchises,
and one has to be an incredible entrepreneur and leader to get the job
done. One also has to be willing to try and to fail quite often.
Anyone who works for FOCUS for two years will have jumpstarted their learning
curve by many, many years.
FOCUS' culture was a great advantage as well. Their
willingness to listen to a new idea and to give you the tools to implement that
idea is the reason that I would happily return to FOCUS. If one is eager
to use his or her distinct talents, FOCUS is generally willing to give them
that chance.
I know I would not
have been accepted to Stanford's MBA program without FOCUS. There are
a few reasons for this. First of all, by working for FOCUS I was
given the flexibility to prove myself in ways that I could not have done in
many larger organizations. Second, I believe that Stanford admired the courage
and entrepreneurial spirit that it took to take on such an apparently
"risky" job. I was actually surprised to find that many here
considered the non-profit approach as more admirable and entrepreneurial
than even high-tech start-ups. Finally, in a post-Enron era both
businesses and universities are looking for leaders who have established,
through action, that they are honest and forthright. These virtues
are rarer in the business world than we would like to admit.
Shane Ortega
FOCUS Missionary 2001-2004
Shane served at Denver University and the Air
Force Academy; he also worked for FOCUS Headquarters as the Director of
Development
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Dear Prospective FOCUS Missionary,
I want to share with you a little of what FOCUS
has been for me in the past six years. It is worth noting that I
did not plan on doing FOCUS at first. I graduated with a bachelor
of science in biology and pschologyy. I was all set to do
an internship with one of my professors for one year and then head to
graduate school to pursue psychology. I had what seemed to be the
perfect plan, but over time as I opened my heart more and more to God’s
plan, I realized that He was calling me to serve Him as a FOCUS
missionary. Now here I am six years later, grateful for the grace
that was given me to say yes to God’s will; to say yes to FOCUS.
I came into FOCUS expecting to give to students and to help the
Church. While I know that I have done that in part, it is only a small
piece of the bigger picture. There is no other job in which I
would have grown as much as I did, nor as quickly as I did, in these
past few years in FOCUS. Coming into FOCUS, I expected to grow
spiritually, which I have, but I have also grown intellectually,
professionally, and in character. I have chosen to stay in FOCUS
for six years because I continue to be challenged and formed in all
these areas on a daily basis.
Here I have experienced the beauty of
Christ-centered friendships—friends that desire what is best for me,
people who help me become a saint. I am profoundly grateful for
all that FOCUS has given me and continues to give me. If I
had not spent time as a FOCUS missionary, I might still be Catholic,
but I can say with confidence that I would not have the understanding
and love of the Catholic faith that I do, and therefore would not be
flourishing as a human being. Know that you will be in my daily
prayers as you discern becoming new members of the FOCUS family.
Kate Ebeler
FOCUS Missionary 2001-Present
Kate
has served on campus at Montana State University, New Mexico Highlands
University, Seton Hall University and is currently a missionary at
George Mason University. She is also currently pursuing a degree at the
Institute of Psychological Sciences.
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Dear Potential FOCUS Missionary,
I
could have never imagined how far being a FOCUS missionary could take
me—not only spiritually but also geographically! I have
watched lives change forever while leading FOCUS Summer and Spring
Break mission trips not only in the United States, but also in Italy,
Spain, Peru and Mexico. While serving the poor in Peru and
Mexico, I have been able to see real poverty and live out the corporal
and spiritual works of mercy. I have gotten out of my comfort
zone and, in turn, encountered Christ and His Church in a profound
way. FOCUS mission trips and pilgrimages have allowed me to serve
the needy and unite the body of Christ throughout the world. In
doing so, I have done a small good for the poor and received
one-hundred fold from God. I have discovered true wealth in the freedom
that comes from being a gift to others and in fulfilling Christ’s
commandment to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (MT.
28:19).
Before I became a FOCUS missionary many asked me, “Why be
a missionary in the United States when there is so much need
abroad?” In this mission field, I have seen that the
greatest poverty anyone can suffer is spiritual—it is a lack of
love. What a poverty of love exists in the United States!
And what a poverty of love we export abroad in so many forms. I
cannot think of a better way to heal the world than to use the power
and resources of our great country to export goodness to the
world. As a FOCUS missionary I have been doubly blessed to
learn from and serve other cultures abroad and to have Christ transform
me, United States college students, and our culture here at home!
Sincerely,
Jason Wunsch
FOCUS Missionary, 2001-2006
Jason
served at St. Mary’s Orchard Lake and Ave Maria, Montana State
University (where he was campus director for two years) and the
University of Colorado-Boulder. He has entered the seminary.
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Dear Potential FOCUS Missionary,
Praised Be Jesus Christ! As the Pastor of Campus Ministry at
the University of
Colorado, I can testify
to the absolute blessing that FOCUS has been to our ministry. My experience of
their dedication, enthusiasm, energy, and
the fruitfulness of their work has been nothing short of
fantastic. Theyhave an ability of FOCUS to reach out to students who might
otherwise be missed and to form students in a Catholic Christian vision for
life; their maturity is tangible in the numerous lives changed by Jesus Christ
and his grace.
In my opinion, there is no better way to participate in the
New Evangelization called for by Pope John Paul the Great than to join FOCUS on
the campuses throughout the country.
Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ,
Father Kevin R. Augustyn
Father Augustyn is the
Pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center at the University of Colorado-Boulder
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Dear Prospective FOCUS Missionary,
Peace
be with you! I’m so thankful for all of the FOCUS missionaries for your
invaluable service to the Church. And I am thankful also for the
opportunity and ability, in a small way, to support their efforts
financially. Too often as American Catholics we hear the words of Our
Lord, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me
drink, a stranger and you welcomed me…“ but overlook the “poor” right
in front of us: young people starving for truth, meaning, and purpose
in life.
I truly believe we are experiencing a “crisis of faith” in America, not
exclusively with young Catholics, but with many people of all walks of
life. We live in a country and a society where the cultural and moral
norms are not only in contrast to God’s will but lead individuals to
lives of unhappiness, disappointment, and despair. It is a true
poverty, and yet, as Mother Teresa once said, “The poor are a hope…
they offer us a way of loving God.” And here in America there is
a great opportunity for each of us to make a difference in this life by
revealing to others “Our One Living & True God.” It’s a difference
I see being made by each of the FOCUS missionaries that I have come in
contact with and the reason I will continue my support. What a
beautiful witness and inspiration they are to the Faith!
May you rest assured, knowing that the Lord will provide for each of you what is necessary to fulfill your mission.
God bless you!
Stew Baxter
Carmel Deanery Serra Club
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Dear Prospective FOCUS Missionary,
When I decided to become a missionary, after working in pharmaceutical sales
for almost 4 years, little did I know what our Lord had in mind.
My three years as a missionary were the most educational years of my
life. If you decide to join the FOCUS family you will understand what I
mean after only 3 weeks. Because of my time with the organization, I can say
that I am truly prepared to make a difference in the secular world as a
missionary for Christ.
Currently, I am working as a sales consultant for the world’s largest
manufacturer of speech-generating devices and communication software.
Because my job requires a lot of travel having set time for prayer and getting
to mass everyday has proven to be challenging; yet my three years with FOCUS
taught me how to offer up my work as a prayer and to truly appreciate it when I
can go to a weekday mass.
My time spent with FOCUS has given me a greater confidence in myself, others,
and, most importantly, Our Loving and Merciful God. I sometimes wish I
would have had the opportunity to serve in FOCUS right out of college; however,
God's time is not ours, and I am very grateful for having the chance to be a
missionary.
It has honestly been the most rewarding experience in my whole life! You
are in my prayers and trust that God will provide all that you need for
whatever He calls you to.
Sincerely,
Tonya Turner
FOCUS missionary 2003-2006
Tonya served at the University of Illinois and the University of North Florida
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Dear
Potential FOCUS Missionary,
God has such an intense
desire to reach college students today. I know this because God reached
out to me and he used the FOCUS missionaries to do it. I
came to college with one intention in mind: to take a permanent vacation from
the Catholic Church. I was full of plans for a fresh start at George Mason University
and I wanted to leave my Catholic upbringing behind. For the first few months,
I was involved in Greek life, student government, and political groups on
campus. But, by October, I began to realize that even with all my new
classes and activities I was still not happy. I was homesick and
miserable.
God used that homesickness to start tugging at my heartstrings. I
realized that being Catholic is something I’ve known since birth and it was the
most familiar thing at George Mason University.
The next morning in class one of my friends took her attitude problem out on me
and I headed straight to daily Mass on campus. I walked in praying not to
be noticed; I thought that I belonged anywhere but there. I took a seat in the
back and a FOCUS missionary, Trish Metzger,
whipped around in her chair and introduced herselfto me. After
Trish, several more FOCUS missionaries welcomed me and introduced themselves.
For the first time at George Mason University,
I felt at home. It sounds corny but it’s true. These people were happy about
something, they were calm, collected, joyful, and it was like this sense of
peace was radiating from them. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew that I
wanted what they had.
Through the shining example of the FOCUS missionaries I realized that it was a
relationship with Christ I desired. The missionaries not only taught me how to
have a relationship with Christ but they taught me how to run to Christ.
Everyday on campus my energy and faith is renewed through the service of the
missionaries. They’ve taught me how to learn my faith, defend my faith and live
my faith. In turn, I’m a student leader teaching others how to do the same.
Just at George Mason University
alone, thousands of college students hunger for the truth; I see it every time
I walk across campus. The FOCUS missionaries are out on campus every day
fighting to tell them. There is a battle for souls on college campuses and God
needs soldiers. The stakes are high but the reward is eternally great. It is certainly
an extraordinary call to be a FOCUS missionary, and I pray that God’s grace and
peace be with you during your discernment!
God Bless and Good Luck!
Christine Grote
Student Leader at George
Mason University
Christine is in the class of 2009 majoring in social work.
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