June

Hello,

I hope your summer is going well. I've been praying for safe travel for the ones of you who have been going out of town, as well as the trip is fun and relaxing! I wanted to ask for some prayer requests. Right now we are developing our leader team for this upcoming school year, and we still have a lot of woman who are maybes. I'd really appreciate for prayers that God would make clear to the ones who are unsure what He wants from them, as well as wisdom on our end on who should be leaders. My other prayer request has to do with fundraising. Right now myself and the rest of our staff are working on raising our living expenses for this upcoming school year. I still have $500 a month that needs to be raised. I have definitely seen God provide in some incredible ways over the last few years, so I'm not worried. I could just really use your prayers. It would also be very helpful if you could be thinking of people who you believe might want to support our mission!

Thanks so much! Here's our student testimony. I thought his story was so cool; I really hope you enjoy:)

Student Testimonial

"Growing up, I knew there was a God, but I viewed church as a place for people who were “good.” I did not fit the bill. As a result, I was guarded in my friendships and viewed vulnerability with people as a weakness. Entering college, I suffered from severe depression because of the college drinking culture and a very unhealthy 

relationship, which ultimately led me to taking a year off of school. During that year I decided to work at a penitentiary to make ends meet. In prison, you fight for respect daily and often look behind your back in case you’d stepped on someone's toes and forgot. This is true for both the inmates and the officers. As an officer, I learned a lot about the harsh reality of life, but I also learned about the consistent presence of God. Once I went into a dorm full of inmates and had to settle down an altercation. One of the inmates said to me, “This is our home, and you only leave at the end of the day because we let you.” At nineteen years old I had seen and felt pain that most people my age would not experience for a long time, if ever. Those experiences only brought me closer to God. During that year one of my peers and friends from FOCUS, Kurt Doty, never lost touch with me and checked up on me regularly. I find it funny that when I had real questions to ask about faith and religion, God provided me a friend who could help me. God has always met me where I was, and although I could not see it until I started 

searching, I think the patience in the people God has blessed me with has truly exhibited what the Church is meant to be."

Ismael Garza (Senior, University of North Texas, Music Education)