I am in Year 6 of my FOCUS mission, and Year 4 serving the college students at the University of Memphis! I have been given the great privilege of leading the team as Team Director these past four years, and have come to greatly love the community here both on campus and in the diocese!

In the early Church, a pagan Roman was quoted by Tertullian to have said, “Look how they love each other, and how they are ready to die for each other”. This was a staple of the early Christian community, along with the Gospel, people came to know Christ simply by the depth of love they shared with each other. I have been extremely convicted of this statement. I want students to be able to say of our team, “look how they love each other [and us!]”. We do a lot of outreach to the entire campus, encountering all students where they are to invite them into a relationship with Jesus Christ, His church, and the community we are forming here. Part of my role is even to specifically reach out to the fraternities on campus as they tend to be under-served in their hectic schedules that don’t fit the general campus. It is an incredible joy to be able to be radically available to all students here in Memphis. Please pray for us, that we may fulfill the new commandment our savior left us as he said, “love one another as I have loved you” John 13:34!

When I was in college, I bounced around a lot of different Christian organizations, finding great community in some, great worship in others, and true evangelization in even more. Through this, I began to desire a life with Christ more and more, but did not have many guys specifically to run with on campus. I have seen the poverty of not having an older brother to run towards Christ with, and it is now my desire to fill that role for other men in any way the Lord desires. In the same way that St. Francis Xavier said “Many people are not becoming Christians because there is no one to make them Christians”, I believe boys are not becoming men because there is a lack of other men to show them what it means to be first a beloved son of God, and then truly a man of God. FOCUS has given me that, and now I get to lead bible studies, have 1-on-1 conversations, build men’s community, and help foster encounters with our Lord for students on campus that I truly consider friends and brothers, so they may discover the purpose for their lives. These men are the leaders of the next generation, and Christ desires them to be great! Christ has given his life for me, and I couldn’t be happier to give my life back to Him in this way!

I truly cannot do this without the help of others. Just as Luke 8 refers to the Apostles walking with “many others who provided for them out of their own means”, I also rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to help me through this mission. As the Lord has continued to push me on this mission, I have encountered His truth, beauty, and goodness in the souls of others who are desiring to make an impact as well. If you would so desire to help prayerfully and financially join this mission with me, please reach out, and I will be absolutely overjoyed to set up an appointment with you! We are in this together for the sake of the lost sheep, and your prayers and support are absolutely critical. God bless!