When missionary Sarah White found she would be leaving FOCUS this year, she knew it wouldn’t be an easy transition. After spending so many years on campus serving students and leading others to Christ, she felt a little lost as to what her next steps would be. However, after she attended “Go Forth”—FOCUS’ inaugural commissioning event for departing and transitioning missionaries—Sarah realized she had no reason to be concerned about where the Lord would bring her. “The Lord isn’t leaving me,” she said. “He is leading me.”
As FOCUS missionaries wrapped up their time with FOCUS, they were invited to Evergreen, CO for a week-long period of celebration and prayerful contemplation over this time of transition. The intention of the event was to honor and thank all of the missionary staff for the many sacrifices they made in their work for the New Evangelization and to further equip them for lifelong Catholic mission. Over the course of the week, the missionaries received training from Pat Lencioni (best-selling author of The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team and The Advantage), Sister Bethany Madonna, parish priests, FOCUS Alumni, and many others. Each speaker taught the missionaries practical tools to help them as they endeavor to live as missionary disciples in their families, parishes, workplaces, and communities.
During a day-long retreat, missionaries reflected upon their time with FOCUS. It was a great opportunity for them to take a step back and see how the Lord had led them through the past few years; it was also a chance for them to give thanks and embrace where the Lord will be taking them. Some are already preparing to continue their mission in fields of their choosing, while many are still in the process of discerning what God is calling them to do. Altogether, the retreat was a chance for missionaries to look forward to the path of evangelization in the days ahead.
Go Forth featured a Barn Party Celebration at the Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park, where 85 local FOCUS Alumni came to celebrate. At the Barn, two alumni missionaries in particular were honored with FOCUS Alumni's first-annual St. Francis Xavier Award, granted to alumni who have given continued outstanding service for the New Evangelization after FOCUS. The first-ever recipients of this award were married missionary-alumni couple, Brittany and Brandon Diegel of Omaha, NE. They were nominated for their intentional work in reaching out to co-workers and colleagues in their day-to-day lives and in forming a thriving Bible study in their home parish in Omaha. Both have proven to be excellent models of spiritual multiplication in action through their mentorship of other married couples, who in turn have begun Bible studies of their own.
The Diegels and their three children have since relocated to Colorado, and they have once again begun the process of developing meaningful relationships to help bring others to Christ. They are models of spiritual multiplication at work beyond campus, and FOCUS continues to honor them for their true and holy commitment to the Great Commission.
As the continuing missionaries head into whatever God is calling them to next, they are equipped to be leaders of the New Evangelization. Cullen Gibbons, who also attended Go Forth with his wife Theresa, found the experience to be a gentle reminder. “As we get launched out into the world,” he said, “we realize again that we’re not alone, that we’re actually a part of this family—that this isn’t the end of it, but it’s the beginning.”
The FOCUS Alumni Relations department seeks to connect, inspire, and equip FOCUS alumni with ongoing tools and experiences to help them continue lifelong Catholic mission in their parishes, workplaces, families, and communities. The department sets up missionaries with a wealth of resources, including newsletters, job boards, social media, local alumni gatherings, and alumni specific tracks at FOCUS conferences to keep them involved to the mission and connected to each other wherever they land.
Want to get connected to the FOCUS Alumni network? Subscribe now to our email list! Find more useful resources on the FOCUS Alumni webpage. And don’t forget to check out FOCUS Alumni on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
