Fundraising: An Inside Look

Many people have asked about my overall experience of fundraising.  So I wanted to answer that question with an inside look into raising funds.  You may be surprised by my response!

Simply put, I did not want to fundraise!  I avoided FOCUS like the plague for years because of it.  I saw it as an imprudent risk and a disservice to others.  In my mind, fundraising was intruding on people’s lives, twisting their arms, and guilt tripping them until they begrudgingly donated.  Not to mention, losing my friends, reputation, and self-respect in the process. 

What I feared...

Over the past two weeks, I have not experienced any of those things, not even once.  In fact, I’ve witnessed the complete opposite from what I expected.  Want to know why?  It’s really quite simple…people are good!  My fears were built around a society made up of Ebenezer Scrooges.  When, in reality, people have loving hearts and want to see others happy too.  Normally, the people I’m most scared to meet with (who will remain unnamed!) have become my biggest donors!  People see that FOCUS is radically transforming our culture in a dynamic way, it’s exactly what they’ve hoped for in the world, and they are excited to be a part of it!

Some people do not donate. And they don’t for two reasons: (1) Either I did a poor job of explaining God’s work of FOCUS (2) or they are at a really tough spot financially.  But never because they don’t want to be a part of something both life changing and world changing… who wouldn’t want that?  Besides, if someone were to utterly reject this mission, it isn’t me that they reject but rather God’s work at the Naval Academy.  It’s God’s work, not mine.  I’m just an instrument in his handiwork!

...What I've found.

In the end, fundraising is an incredible blessing.  Every single day, I see several people respond with abounding generosity to God’s invitation! I get to see Christ alive in them. It’s beautiful being at the heart of this journey with so many other incredible people and I can’t wait to see who else will join us!

Thank you to those who are supporting this work.  So many lives will be changed through your sacrifice and I can’t wait to see how God blesses our own lives along the way.  And, for those of you that have just learned about FOCUS, join us!  I’d love for everyone to have this in their life!

Mile High Ministry

During my flight from Champaign to Cincinnati, I sat next to the president of a Methodist college.  Being worn out from 5-weeks of training, meeting a stranger wasn't very appealing but I REMEMBERED MY MISSION PARTNERS!  Every day, you inspire me beyond my natural inclinations...

I introduced myself and we exchanged information for awhile.  I learned about her work and she learned that I was a Catholic missionary at the Naval Academy.  It was an incredible opportunity to learn about each others faith!

We talked for a long time and I learned a lot about the Methodist faith that I had not know before and she was really surprised about Catholicism.  It was such a blessing being able to address some of her misconceptions about the Church but, most of all, we both left that flight with a deeper love of Jesus Christ.  Hopefully that love, with the Holy Spirit's aid, will lead her into eternal life!  What if we met again in Heaven?

She mentioned how thankful she was for me saying, "hello" and how she felt reinvigorated to lead her college faithfully!  Not to mention, she is going to use our conversation as the school's vision this year!  It's crazy that such an incredible conversation only happened because of your support.  God bless your generous sacrifice to the work of FOCUS!