FOCUS Secret Spy Training

Obviously, FOCUS missionaries are not super spies, but I often feel like one as I drive through Gate 1 at the United States Naval Academy.  I have to have a special ID to show to the armed guards at the gates, and I have to have a permit to drive onto the yard too.  I even have to be careful how I hand my ID to the guards, because if I hand it to them upside down it is supposed to mean that I am in distress and need assistance.  They might think someone is in the car with me and holding me hostage.  Imagine driving on the Yard and handing your ID to the guards upside down.  Can you picture the surprise on your passenger's face when the guards pull their firearms on them and drag them out of the car.  Honestly, they will probably ask you if you are OK, but you never know.  Well, luckily FOCUS does not have or need these rules, and FOCUS training was not anything like the Naval Academy. 

This summer we had training at Ave Maria, Florida for five weeks.  It was great to see friends and to know that all of these people were sent on the same mission.  I know they understand me when I talk about the good times and difficult times (There are no bad times.) of campus.  They are my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I felt like the seventy-two that Jesus sent out into the world to preach and heal, and when they came back from their journey they shared how mighty God was and how He provided for them. 



This has to be the funniest staff photo you have ever seen. 

We had great speakers and teachers come to teach us to be better evangelizers.  Curtis Martin, the founder of FOCUS, would come almost once a week and speak to us along with a lot of people from FOCUS National or "Big FOCUS" like the midshipmen call it.  It was great to see how personal they were trying to be with the missionaries.  You could see that they truly cared about us and would do anything they could to help us with our mission.  It is going to be a great year! 

P.S. These sunsets in Florida reminded me of Texas.