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March 5, 2020Zoe LaLonde, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Why did you decide to join FOCUS?
"I said "yes" to FOCUS from a desire for women's ministry. The Lord so desires for His daughters to know that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. The secular world, and especially college campuses do their best to discourage and stomp out our feminine hearts. However, Jesus' desire for us is to be whole in Him and know who He says that we are. Women have an irreplaceable role in the church and the world. The Lord has placed a desire in my heart to help cultivate that.
"The world doesn't need what women have, it needs what women are." -St. Edith Stein
Through my discernment process of FOCUS, the Lord provided a sense of peace in knowing that His plan is always best and fulfills the desires of my heart. My biggest fear was time and wanting to go to medical school after my undergraduate, but God's plan works outside of time.
How did your experience at St. Al's impact your decision?
St. Al's has played a very instrumental role in my discernment processes. I have seen my faith blossom as the women of the St. Al's community poured their love and hearts into me. They entered in true authentic friendship with me and challenged me to grow deeper in my prayer life and a life of virtue. It is in that sisterhood that I encountered Christ's love.
Zach Smith, Computer Engineering
How did your experience at St. Al's impact your decision?
Coming into college I knew that I wanted to continue to go deeper in my faith. I did not know what that would look like. I was kinda a shy guy but eventually I opened up more...
I was asked into FOCUS discipleship my first year, not entirely knowing what I was getting myself into when I said yes. But from this invitation and various other ones, I was a part of the St. Al's community, a place of true faith and fellowship. The impact of being in a Bible study and in discipleship opened up the scriptures to me and made them actually applicable and real to me.
Through the investment of students and FOCUS missionaries in me and the incredible gift of Christ in the Eucharist in Mass and Adoration, I was being drawn further into the knowledge of the Father's love for me.
This journey has occurred over the past three years in big invitations to serve in leadership or to go on a mission trip and also in small invitations like going on a hike with some friends. Every opportunity has led me to a deeper realization that God most certainly has something great in store for each of us, including myself.
Being a student missionary at St. Al's has really changed my relationships with my peers and friends, seeking now to share my life with them; even my faith, which is something that I would have never thought was important or worth my time. I have the great privilege of leading two other men in FOCUS discipleship in which we are pursuing a relationship with Christ and growing in virtue together.
Why did you decide to join FOCUS?
I got the opportunity to go to SLS18 and really got a new sense of the need and reason for sharing my faith.
The college culture is really a place that should be joy filled but for many it is not, I deeply desire to bring true and lasting happiness to my peers, as they so desperately desire it unknowingly looking in all the wrong places.
At SLS I took to heart for the first time what Christ himself did and calls us to do: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations". Christ simply loved those around him and called them to more. This is something that I had never actually thought to be my responsibility until I reflected on this passage in Matthew.
But looking back in my own journey I can see just how influential a few friends were. They loved me where I was and encouraged me to be the best version of myself.
Seeing this call from Christ and the impact of FOCUS missionaries on my own life and the lives of other fellow students, I thought if I really believe the Gospel to be true then I need to share this life giving reality to others.
Invitation was a huge reason for my continual growth and learning in faith. I thought I was ok where I was. But this was not the case; God wants us to be more than ok. So I doubled down on my own invitation to others, seeking to get to know my fellow brothers better and encourage them in their own journey toward truth.
FOCUS is an organization that does a great job at facilitating an encounter with Jesus on the college campus, a place where the future leaders surely are. I want to teach college students like myself how to follow Christ and lead others to him.
Looking to the finish line of graduation I thought about what I was going to do next. Filling out a FOCUS application seemed like a no-brainer after some encouragement, discernment and prayer. Why not build up others and myself through two years of prayer and mission?
But what really cemented the idea of applying and deeply considering FOCUS was the example of Michigan Tech alumni Alex Gill. His willingness to serve and be on mission, despite being quiet and not feeling all that cut out for it was very inspiring to me.
I also want to give God these next two years like Alex did, trusting in God's goodness and plan for my life.
