Immersion Experience Notes

​

These are notes from my interviews with the female FOCUS missionaries at IUPUI, Allie Fitzsimmons and Sidney Snyder. 

 

​

​

I walked into the female missionaries’ house sweating a bit from the walk over (they live just off campus, but it was a warm day and I was carrying my backpack). Allie greeted me at the door. She was feeling a bit under the weather, but graciously kept the appointment. She offered me water and tea and asked about my day. We chatted for a bit, then got down to business, sitting on one of the couches in the front of their adorable little house.

​

Allie 9/19/2019

(I took notes while talking with her, but she gave me permission to rearrange things if needed)

​

What led you to missionary work, specifically with FOCUS? Can you tell me about why believe missionary work is important, either to you or just in general?

​

"To make a long story short, I was not very involved with my faith in high school. In college, I went on SEEK, a retreat where FOCUS challenges students to encounter Jesus, and I encountered love in a very real way. Gong back to campus, I realized that the campus had missionaries, so I followed up and connected with them. It turned into a snowball effect o getting involved in various meetings and Bible studies, and discipleship, a one on one mentorship where she grew in faith and received tools to lead and mentor others. I kept experiencing God’s love, in which I had all my desires fulfilled, finding happiness and true friendships, which I will cherish forever because they truly became sisters to me. Ultimately, I went on a missions trip to Mexico City. It was my first time to serve the poor. It was hard, but seeing how people live in poverty, I got to love and serve them, which brought me so much joy and fulfillment. It changed my worldview. Returning home, I remember walking and thinking, “Jesus, I want to serve the poor.” Living in a small town, there certainly were those who were less fortunate, but it was harder to serve in the way I’d experienced. I felt like the Lord told me, “Look around you.” I saw students at the university, most of whom did not know or have the love of God that brought me such freedom. They were spiritually poor. I felt the Lord said, “These are the poor I want you to save.” Mother Teresa talks about finding your own Calcutta. I found the poor near me. I knew they were trying to find fulfilment in the party scene, but I had found a fullness I couldn’t explain and wanted to share it. FOCUS came in then because it was what I was familiar with. There aren’t Catholic alternatives for the kinds of things they do. The missionaries I knew had such joy, happiness, and excellence that attracted me. I felt that FOCUS provided that space and investment to help them become excellent, and I wanted that. I liked the model of small group investment, that seemed much more tangible and doable than other options. They help everyone be known, loved, and cared for."

​

What is everyday life as a FOCUS missionary like?

​

"As a missionary, work looks different. It’s not a set 9-5 schedule. There is structure, but it’s flexible. So every day is different, but here’s what a typical, average day is like. I’m part of a team. Every FOCUS team has at least 2 men and 2 women. Everyday we pray together for one hour and go to Mass. We try to start our days with that, because we can’t try to be Christ to others unless we are first formed by Him, which is best done through prayer and Mass. We try to come to know Jesus and meditate in this time. On an average Wednesday, for example, we have our daily team metting, where we have “tactical planning” to check in and update each other, team development, and our leader helps us grow in tools to be better missionaries. We have a team reading, diving into the teachings of the Church and building knowledge of the faith. We have time to fundraise. We fully fundraise our own salaries, so we spread that out throughout the week. We choose the rest of the day: Bible stdy, discipleship meetings, or a daily meeting with 1-3 students outside those, over coffee or lunch, studying or planning with them. We try to be a Catholic presence for the students, so we enter the lives of college students again. We help campus ministry by working with them on events and meeting involved students and new ones. The hope is that who I am and how I live can help bring others to the Lord, so we emphasize the relational side in outreach, studies, time with students, and living life together. There is an administrative side, as well, working on our formation and planning."

​

​

What are some of the challenging parts of this lifestyle?

​

"Because it’s such a relational lifestyle, this isn’t a job, but it is full-time. I know it doesn’t make sense to the world, but all baptized Catholics are called to be missionaries. I choose to live that out with FOCUS. A challenge that comes with that, though, is finding when is our time off? Often, I have time off during the regular working hours of 9-5 but I have to use that time to do groceries or cleaning or have my rest. It can be odd having such an atypical schedule. If I’m doing stuff 9-1 and 6-9 in the evening, I need to use those 5 hours to just do human things. Scheduling-wise, do where do I find that time off? Also, because my mission is so relational, I encounter incredibly different people from many walks and stages of life. It comes with some natural conflict at times. I’m sharing the truth of Christ and His Church, and people don’t always agree. It can be emotionally taxing. That’s why prayer and Mass are so important; God gives me what I need to get through. People are hurting and longing for love, so it can be sad hearing what they’ll share. However, there is still beauty and joy, getting to share the love of God and trying to bring His children back to Him."

​

What are some of the most rewarding parts of this lifestyle?

​

"Watching students get it and have that encounter with God. I can sit and share about love until I’m blue in the face, but it’s all in His timing when they get it and it pierces hearts. Not just learning, but understanding, ‘I am so loved. This is what I’ve been longing for.’

You know, what I’m doing might not have an effect for years. I have to have trust that even though I can’t see the impact, it is there, and might show up years down the road. Everything is just a good challenge. Sr. Miriam James Heidland says that there is beauty in the breaking. My heart has been broken as a missionary and I’m so grateful for it. Usually that’s not ow it’s meant to be. God uses opportunities then puts things back the way they’re supposed to be. It’s redemptive suffering. This doesn’t make sense until you know Jesus Christ, because even in small ways, I know it’s worth it. Every soul is worth it."

 

 

 

 

Sidney 9/30/2019

(she was unavailable the day I visited, but followed up via email)

What led you to mission work, specifically with FOCUS?

"As a student in college, I was involved with bible studies and over the course of 4 years I saw how bible studies and one-on-one mentorship can really impact a person. Through these bible studies I was able to connect with women on deeper levels. The missionaries at my campus shared their story with us- even their struggles, and I was able to relate and they taught me how to fall in love with Jesus. It led me to desire to share my struggles with others and walk with them toward Christ. I applied for FOCUS because I was not ready to be finished after I graduated. I felt as though I had more to do and more to say- almost as if I was just getting started. Working with FOCUS is a huge gift!"

​

Can you tell me about why missionary work is important?

"Well I basically answered it before... oops   But missionary work is SO important. I have found something in life (my Catholic faith) that has brought me more fulfillment and joy that I could ever experience anywhere else. College students are starving for that kind of joy, but they are lied to by the world. The world needs people who will stand up for the truth and will lead others to experience the same. Jesus loves each college student immensely, and He's asked me to bring them to Him. What could be more important than that??"

​

What does everyday life as a FOCUS missionary look like to you? 

"Every day is different, but we have a general routine. We make time each day for an hour of prayer and Mass. If we are not filled up, we are not able to pour out into others. We also spend time as a team going over topics to help us (team development) and also planning for future events. We spend a LOT of time with our team (3 other missionaries). Our morning is typically filled with prayer, Mass, and team things (meetings and planning). while our afternoons are filled with outreach. We will go on campus to eat with students or just work on things in the hopes of slowly meeting students that way too. It's helpful to just see students and become a familiar presence. We also lead bible studies and have one-on-one mentorship (discipleship) in the afternoon and evenings to help students to lead their own bible studies. We also make time for things like working out, meal prep, hobbies, etc. We need to be real humans and do real human things in order to teach students how to live a Christ-like life :) "

​

What are some of the challenging parts of this lifestyle?

"There definitely are challenges. We have a routine, but it is often very fluid and things change, so we have to adapt very quickly. It's also a very social lifestyle, so if we are not making time for ourselves, it can become very draining. We also have to sacrifice for our family and friends back home. Our priority is the students at IUPUI and so we are not able to go home as often as we might have. We also live pretty far from home!"

​

What are some of the rewarding parts of this lifestyle? 

"It's all so rewarding- seriously such a gift. One of the most fulfilling things is teaching students that they were made for a relationship with Jesus Christ. If students understand this, it changes their life, and I love that I get to be the one to share that great news. Friendships are also much deeper when they are rooted in Christ, so as missionaries we get to foster a lot of relationships through bible studies, and we get to see friendships grow. We also get to pray with students, and I feel so honored to be able to do that. We hear about joys and struggles and then we get to step into that and pray with them. The whole job is about love. God is love and I get to love the students with the love He's poured into me and then I get to receive love with the love that is poured into the students. SO COOL."