Zach's Mission Update

Colorado Mesa University | May + Summer 2023

Myself, Linus, and Joe at our last bible study meeting.

My last bible study with Seth, Carson, James, Ike, and Michael.

Dear Friends,

What a year it has been! I hope that you've had a good summer so far! Thank you for your generosity in accompanying me through all of the ups and downs of my first year on mission with FOCUS. In this update I'm excited to share with you how my time at the Air Force Academy finished up, my summer, and what I'm looking forward to this year at Colorado Mesa!

Leaving the Academy

It was very hard to say goodbye to the cadets I've grown close to over this past year, but because of that we valued the time we had left together even more. Before finals, my bible studies wrapped up with a send-off talk and games, we had a party for our final SPIRE meeting, and I got to join the airsoft club for one last game. During finals week, we hosted events every day to give the cadets a break from studying. After finals I planned a camping trip with 3 other guys, and had dinner with some others the evening before driving to Nebraska for summer training!

Summer Training

This year, our FOCUS summer training was hosted in Lincoln, Nebraska at UNL. We had tons of amazing classes from priests, theologians, and FOCUS veteran staff, and a lot of time for prayer and reflection on this past year. It was also very inspiring to be with my fellow missionaries and friends and to hear their experiences. After training, I am even more inspired to share the Gospel boldly this upcoming year!

Moving to Grand Junction

After training, I spent some time in California continuing to raise support, and this past week I've moved to Grand Junction where I'll be serving this year. I love this town and I've been enjoying my time with my teammate Brian! He showed me around the Colorado Mesa University campus and our Newman house, and I can't wait for the rest of our team to get here and our fall outreach to start!

In the coming weeks, we will be attending a retreat as a team, preparing for the school year, and finally starting fall outreach, where we spend lots of time meeting students and inviting them into our bible studies and the CMU Catholic community! Please pray for our efforts, and I can't wait to share with you all the impact your prayers have in the coming months!

Meet my new teammates! From left to right: Brian, myself, Ally, and Jacky.

I can already tell we make a great team!

THANK YOU

Thank you for supporting the work of FOCUS and my small part in it. I am excited to walk with you this next year!

In Christ Jesus, Zach

PLEASE PRAY

For my team to be united in friendship with Christ and one another
For the students we have yet to meet and those who do not know the love of Jesus

517 28 1/2 Rd, Apt 1D
Grand Junction, CO 81501

(619) 655-8686
[email protected]

Camping Trip Story

I had a great time going camping with Pete, Seth, and Emile after their finals ended. We had good conversations and fun exploring God’s creation, but the biggest blessing of the trip was finding our campsite. We checked a couple that we had looked up in advance, but they were all closed or nonexistent. We ended up at a lake passing closed site after closed site, and I was starting to think that the trip was ruined and we’d have to go back home. Mostly just to distract myself from this, I suggested that we should pray one decade of the Rosary and ask for an open campsite. Just a few minutes after we finished, we found an almost empty campsite with amazing spots next to the lake! We joyfully remembered this answer to our prayers the whole trip!

Nothing like sitting around a campfire with friends!

We interrupted our dinner to run down to the lake for the sunset!

Gospel Reflection

...When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me."... - John 5:1-18 (click to see full passage)

This passage was something God led me to at training, during our silent retreat. What stuck out to me was that when Jesus healed the man, He went away briefly, and the man didn't know who healed him when the pharisees questioned him. Like the paralyzed man, we all need the healing that Jesus alone provides, but sometimes we can forget that it was Jesus that healed us or that we are in need of His healing. Moreover, the enemy of our souls wants us to not see Him working in us and to believe that perhaps He hasn't been. I wanted to share this because it's a helpful reminder to me to remember the ways the Lord has worked in my life, and to thank Him for them, so that when I am uncertain about how He is working in the present I can point to Him still. I hope that it can help you also to remember the healing that Christ has done and is doing in your own life!