Riley Hicklin MNSU Senior If you would have told me four years ago that I would be preparing for life as a Catholic missionary, I wouldn’t have believed you. But this idea alone tells me how much God has transformed my heart in these years. I came in to my freshman year of college feeling lost, confused about my identity. I was living for the world and the college culture. I grew up as a cradle catholic, and I didn’t know what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus until I encountered FOCUS. I remember vividly the first time I encountered FOCUS missionaries my freshman year on campus. After speaking with them and knowing their joy, I spent that whole afternoon in a coffee shop downtown researching everything I could about being a FOCUS missionary. I saw their love for God, and I wanted to live that way too. Over the next four years, I dove into the adventure of living for Christ, growing in fellowship through bible studies, prayer, discipleship, and the sacraments. This past fall I felt that tug on my heart to apply for FOCUS, and I remembered that day in the coffee shop over four years ago. I knew that God had been planning this journey for me all along, transforming my life through encountering others and revealing to me my identity in Him. Now I have the opportunity to show other students the same light that changed my life forever. SUMMER 2018 9
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