March 6, 2025 • 45 mins
Join us for a special episode of the SEEK Podcast, recorded live from SEEK in Salt Lake City, where we dive into the joyous and relational heart of Catholic discipleship. Our guests, FOCUS missionaries Emily and Zach, along with Madeline, Julia, and Izzy from Ohio University’s knowHis.love podcast, share vibrant tales from their experiences at Central Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio. They unfold the transformative power of genuine relationships through the “win-build-send” approach to evangelization.
In this conversation, they share personal stories of conversion and community building. From Emily’s inspirational aunt who introduced her to adoration, to Zach’s realization of living a joyful life free from guilt, and the Ohio students’ revival of a once-dormant Newman Center through authenticity and creative outreach—each story highlights the impactful simplicity of their mission.
Discover the unconventional yet effective methods they use to connect with others, like hosting jean-themed parties, celebrating with unique baby doll birthday cakes, and even organizing a “Milk Fest” on campus. These narratives not only showcase the fun and relatability of their evangelization efforts but also demonstrate how true friendship and joyful witness can break down barriers and foster deep, meaningful connections.
Tune in to learn how embracing authenticity, joy, and community can revolutionize your approach to faith-sharing and transform hearts. Join us in celebrating the ways these missionaries live out their call to discipleship, proving that faith, fun, and friendship are at the core of winning hearts for Christ.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Seek 25 podcast, featuring some of
our favorite podcasters recordedlive at the Max Studios podcast
stage during Seek 25 in SaltLake City.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome to Noah's Love podcast.
We are a podcast started by apriest friend of ours.
Welcome to Noah's Love.
Welcome to Noah's Love podcast.
We are a podcast started by apriest friend of ours.
We are three students at OhioUniversity.
We're at a campus without focus, so we're just here to talk
about our experience withdiscipleship and what we've
learned as we kind of justfigured things out ourselves,
(00:43):
and we have two Focusmissionaries here today that
we're going to just have adiscussion with about the
differences between ourdiscipleship approaches.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah, so we're just going to be talking about the
heart of discipleship, thepracticals of discipleship, and
then, in regards to thewin-build-send method, we're
going to be really focusing onthe win today.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
And Focus thought that Emily and Zach here have
some fun personalities, someuniqueness, some good free will
you know, and so hopefully we'llbe sharing some funny stories
about times we've tried toattempt winning students over on
campus and truly loving them.
With that I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Madeline, I'm Julia and I'm Izzy and Emily and Zach.
Can we hear a little bit aboutyourselves?
What is your deal?
What's my deal?
What's my deal?
Speaker 5 (01:28):
I'm Emily Heupel.
The basic boring information isthat I'm a fourth year
missionary.
I'm the team director atCentral Michigan University.
Fire up chips.
Fire up chips.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Fire up what they say in.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Michigan.
I spent three years at theUniversity of Illinois in
Champaign and I graduated fromIowa State University role
clones and was just raised in acyclone-heavy family.
I once spent six hours waitingoutside for a basketball game
the day after my wisdom teethwere taken out and made it on TV
(02:05):
for that.
That's my claim to fame untilnow, wow.
Speaker 6 (02:10):
Yeah, and okay, my deal is.
My name is Zach Glass and yeah,I'm a third year missionary
with Focus.
I originally I grew up inNebraska, hastings, nebraska,
best state in the country in theunion and went to the
University of Nebraska inLincoln as a student and then
just turned a call with Focus.
(02:31):
I spent two years at the lovelyUniversity of Illinois in
Champaign-Urbana and then nowI'm the team director at the
University of Madison, wisconsin.
And yeah, I'm a normal guy Alittle fun fact about me.
To maybe give a little bit ofinsight into my character and my
(02:53):
personality when I was I thinkI was a senior in high school,
me and my friends got togetherand we went to like the local
Earl May and we found that therewas a deal on goldfish.
So we bought 36 goldfish andkept them in my backyard in a
kiddie pool and just kept themalive for an entire summer.
We tried to name as many as wecould, those that had unique
(03:16):
things to them, and then at theend of the summer, unfortunately
, we just kind of killed themBecause we didn't really know
what to do with them, you know.
So, uh, but yeah, so that's my,that's my deal.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Wow, that's awesome.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Well, you already heard that we're from Ohio
university.
Uh, we're all seniors.
I am finishing up my studies inpublic administration, but my
deal is that you know I'm I havea lot of city pride.
I'm from the great city ofCincinnati.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I have a lot of city pride.
I'm from the great city ofCincinnati.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Ohio.
Let's hear it for Cincinnati,okay, and you know I'm the type
of person that you're not goingto hear the end of it when I am
at some kind of function that'sout of the city, and so my deal
is that I will always bebringing Skyline Chili in some
form to any function.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
So, you know, yeah, my deal I am a senior studying
journalism and publicationdesign and my deal is that
officially, as of 2024, I'm abeef jerky convert.
So I was a vegetarian.
I was a vegetarian for likefour years and then I walked the
Eucharistic pilgrimage thissummer and we had every meat on
(04:23):
that southern route.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
So Except Skyline Chili.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Except.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Skyline Chili.
I refuse.
That's so sad, but I'mofficially a beef jerky
commenter Nice.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
As I said, my name is Julia Krauth and my deal is
that I study industrialengineering and I sewed this
skirt and it's reallyquestionable craftsmanship.
So every single minute I'mmaking sure that it's not
falling apart on me.
Oh boy, that's my deal.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Zach was going to wear a jean dress today to match
Emily, he didn't.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
But then somebody forgot it.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Yeah, we forgot ours, so I mean your fashion choices.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Even though it's questionable, I think it's.
Speaker 6 (05:04):
But maybe you could make me a jean dress.
Yeah, for the next one.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that would begood.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Well, to get into a little bit more of the content,
I wanted to start off by askingus a little bit, or asking you
guys a little bit, about thefocus method of discipleship.
Could you maybe describe alittle bit about what
discipleship is and I know thatmost of us are probably familiar
with the win-build-send methodand maybe focus a little bit
(05:30):
more on the win part, becausethat's kind of what we're going
to be discussing a bit deepertoday.
Speaker 6 (05:37):
Okay, okay, I would say, how would I define
discipleship?
I would say discipleship islearning how to imitate Christ
in all things.
So just like the simplequestion of like, what would
Jesus do?
Like in all situations, nomatter your state in life or
what you're doing, trying tobetter understand, like, what
(06:00):
would he do in every singlesituation through what we'd call
like Acts 2.42, right, so inActs 2.42, it's like fellowship,
prayer, changes of the apostlesand the sacraments.
So by building a life aroundthose things, we're in a sense
getting to know who God is,we're learning who Jesus is, and
then we can imitate him and belike him.
And so I guess thewind-build-send process of focus
(06:24):
.
I've always said that I thinkwind-build-send is actually the
progression of the spirituallife.
Jesus wins you.
We see that in the Gospels.
Jesus wins us over, whetherit's quick or slowly or whatever
, but he wins us over.
And then, over time, as wejourney into relationship with
him, he builds us up and then ata certain point he sends us out
.
No-transcript, definitely in myown experience of relationship
(06:55):
with Christ.
So I don't know what you wouldsay.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
Yeah, a lot of similar things.
I think, just like beginning totake on the qualities of Christ
the more that we center ourlives around him, like
discipleship, I think, is likethe process of Jesus being the
center of my life.
Yeah, sometimes I joke whenpeople start to dress like me.
I'm like this is discipleship.
I'm passing these things on toyou.
You're taking on my qualities,so I'm trying to take on Jesus's
(07:19):
qualities, I think.
Specific to the win yeah,something has to be like
attractive about it, Somethinghas to like there has to be a
desire sparked in your heart towant something, and like the
desire for Jesus is at the depthof every person's heart, but
what draws that out is differentfor every person, which is kind
of fun to figure out.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Okay, that's actually perfect for the next question I
was hoping to ask you guys.
Perfect which is, I believe,that every campus is very
different and has a differentculture, and we're all very
unique people.
So what do you think makes yourcampus unique in how
discipleship looks like on yourcampus?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
You go.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Okay, well, central Michigan is a new campus for
Focus, so let's go campus forfocus.
So, okay, let's go expansionfire off chips.
Um, so it's been really fun tofigure out what it looks like,
because we're kind of making itup as we go a little bit.
Um, and focus has a great modelfor it because it's the model
that jesus used.
Um, yeah, so, honestly, a lotof this semester at central
(08:20):
michigan has been learning theculture there and learning what
the students are like andgrowing in friendship, because
that has to start first.
Like, yeah, growth inrelationship with Christ has to
come in relationship, andthey're not going to trust me if
I just come in and tell themwhat to do.
That's not what I'm trying todo.
So discipleship has really justlooked like building friendship
right now and beginning to growin that.
(08:42):
And yeah, just take a campusthat has a Catholic church on
campus, which is a greatblessing St Mary's University
Parish.
Let's go.
My priest wanted me to shout itout, yeah, and taking that and
being like do you know that thisis right at your fingertips to
(09:02):
people that don't have any ideaBecause there haven't been
people who are able really to goout before.
So it's exciting, yeah, butZach's situation is much
different.
Speaker 6 (09:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
So many fans.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
Yeah.
So I would say UW-Madison.
I think the discipleship isUW-Madison does community really
well.
So I would say like there's awinsome aspect to the community
and that they're all verywelcoming and inviting.
We do like morning coffee everysingle morning for about 45
minutes, so we'll have like aholy hour in the morning and
then like after that we'll dolike 45 minutes of just like
coffee, hanging out, talking,which allows like a lot of that
(09:38):
like person-to-personrelationship, building the
authentic witness of like what'sgoing on in their life and kind
of sharing that with like yourbrothers and sisters, and then
like also you know obviouslylike we're praying before that,
so then they're bringing theirlike prayer life into the
conversations that are happeningat morning coffee and those
sorts of things.
But yeah, I think like I thinkI mean every campus is a little
different.
Illinois is kind of the samething where I think like
(10:01):
discipleship maybe looks.
I think it kind of looks thesame at a lot of different
places and again, it's just thatperson to person relationship,
walking with people witnessing.
I've always said like I thinkdiscipleship and evangelization
is pretty simple.
It's like I need to live asclose to Christ as I can and
then just be very authentic inrelationship with everyone, so
like be with Jesus and then bein relationship with other
people, and then naturally itrubs off and it has an effect on
(10:28):
people, um, and that's kind of.
I mean, that's ultimately whatJesus did, right, he comes in
when he came right.
He came into people's lives andhe just lived with them and
that just affected them.
Uh, and he was all about themtoo.
I think that's a big part oflike the win aspect to just
about being he's so much aboutus, right, he, um, he's just
like whatever we like he likes.
I think that's a really bigpart of the win as well.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
So, yeah, I love that you said whatever he likes, or
whatever we like he likes, right, because I think for us our
campus is at least we like tothink it's very unique.
It's very in the hills, veryhippie grunge, I think, is what
Izzy likes to call it, you know.
And so I feel like fordiscipleship we were really
(11:07):
struggling at first.
We kind of came into a deadNewman Center.
There wasn't very much going on.
Covid had totally wiped it outand just through trial and error
we have grown to about 80people, consistently a week, I
think.
And yeah, I don't know if youguys have anything to say about
how you've seen that play out onour campus.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, I would say, especially at the beginning.
I don't know if you have asimilar experience, but when we
came into college, like I didn'tknow what discipleship was or
what that meant, but I feel likewe were really good at just
like being an authentic friendgroup and like we discipled each
other like accidentally.
I feel Like it wasn't superintentional because we didn't
know that there was like a wind,build, send formula or like
(11:48):
anything like that.
But we just really leaned intoCatholic friendship and like
discipleship happened from that.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Right, like we just really lived out in our
relationship with Jesus and wejust wanted other people to had
what we had and I think it justnaturally came through that,
yeah, yeah.
So, going off of that, myquestion is before you decided
to go, win others over, how areyou guys won?
Like, how, what did you see inother people that was different
(12:17):
about the church and justdifferent about those Catholic
people that you were like I wantthat and like I'm going to live
for that myself and invitepeople other too, um, whenever I
think about this, I want that,and like I'm going to live for
that myself and invite peopleother too.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Whenever I think about this, I think about my
aunt.
Do you guys say aunt or aunt?
Aunt, yeah, aunt, okay, good, Isay aunt.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
I think about my Aunt .
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Andrea.
She became a focused missionarywhen I was in third grade and I
didn't know what that meant andI didn't really.
I don't really remember a timein my life, honestly, before she
was like I don't know what shewas like, even before that in my
brain, um, but she served atthe university of Nebraska,
lincoln, I know.
But it was great for her, um,and it was not far from where I
(12:57):
was growing up so she would have, uh, my sisters and I come
visit her often and yoursister's in the crowd.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
My sister is here Um she'd have us come visit her
often and your sister's in thecrowd.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
My sister is here.
Um, come on, come on, sister.
Um, she'd have us come visither often and, um, we just hang
out with her teammates a lot inour house and they just loved
being around us and they were sofun and my aunt just had so
much energy for life that I justwanted to be her.
I just wanted to be like her.
I didn't know, like, if thatmeant focused missionary.
I didn't know what that meant,but I was like I wanted to be
her, I just wanted to be likeher.
I didn't know, like, if thatmeant focused missionary, I
didn't know what that meant, butI was like I wanted to be
(13:28):
around her.
Um, and she was the firstperson who ever brought me to
adoration.
I was in third grade and she wasbringing me into this perpetual
adoration chapel.
I didn't know what that meant,but she brought me because
that's what she wanted to dowith me.
Um, but she just like wanted tolive life to the fullest and
did, wanted to do with me, butshe just like wanted to live
life to the fullest and did.
And I felt that way when I wasaround her, and still do,
(13:49):
honestly, and so I kind of liketo live that way now too.
So I think that is what I thinkof when I think of, like, the
first time I was won over.
There were definitely manyother little wins in my life.
Being invited to my first seedconference is one of them, you
know, and just somebody knowingme and choosing me Like I love
to be known, don't we all?
(14:09):
But yeah, to just like belooked at and known by somebody,
yeah, that's usually how I'mwon over.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
Speaker 6 (14:19):
Yeah, I would say mine's been like pretty gradual,
like I would say like I thinkmy like there's definitely's
definitely been like people inmy life that have definitely won
me over like witness to Christin deep way.
But I even think back, like I'mtaken back to.
So I went to Catholic schoolgrowing up Uh, and I distinctly
remember there was a time when Iwas a sophomore in high school
I went on, uh, the March forLife in DC and up until this
(14:40):
point I had no idea, uh, Likewe'd go to mass, but mass was
just like really boring to me.
It was like you're just tryingto get through it.
And I remember we were like atmass in DC with all these like
high school kids from across thediocese in Nebraska and we all
they have everyone like we gotto mass like daily mass.
Everyone like knelt forward tolike pray before.
(15:00):
So I just I knelt down before.
Like you know, I knelt down too, because that's what you do.
I didn't really know what I wasdoing, though.
I didn't even know what thatmeant to pray.
So I was always just likewaiting until everyone else sat
back, so then I would sit back.
But then I was.
I was kind of caught off guardbecause when I was there,
(15:26):
no-transcript that I thoughtwere like me, they were
relatable, and so I was likewhoa.
They have something that Idon't have, and I think I
experienced that a lotprogressively throughout the
rest of my life.
I remember being in high schooland there was a couple in town
that would like work, a lot ofretreats, and I don't know why.
It was just like they livedlife differently.
(15:48):
I think something, too, is likethey didn't.
It seemed like they had a lot offun in life, but they also had
like free consciences.
They had a lot of fun in life,but they also had like free
consciences and I didn't.
I was like still in my sin.
So it was like I wanted to havefun and be like them, but I
still had a lot of guiltunderneath because of the
decisions I was making.
And so I think that witnessthere also of them having fun,
(16:08):
loving life, being relatable,normal people, cool people that
I felt like I could resonatewith but that also didn't have
the back end of like thedouble-sided life was like whoa.
I think I want this and itallowed me then to be able to
take a step closer to Christ, Ithink in that direction, yeah,
the fun.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
the fun is what I was thinking of too, like just when
people can have fun and they'renot really thinking about what
people are.
Other people are thinking andthere's just a freedom about
them.
You kind of notice it.
Oh yeah, like others' freedom,you'll notice, and I was like I
want that.
I want to not worry about whatother people think.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yeah, I think that's one of the two things that like
won me over.
Just like how fun.
I remember meeting like thesesuper alive people my senior
year of high school and I waslike these people aren't acting
too cool about the faith.
They're so alive.
I was like I want that.
I was like whoa, like I wasacting too cool.
I was like what are we?
doing, you know, and they wereso alive and I was like, whoa,
like they think this is cool andI think just like that firmness
(17:05):
of it was so cool to me.
And then also, yeah, the secondthing I think that won me over
was just like the way that theCatholic church stands for what
it stands for and they don'tmove the line.
I remember my senior year.
Julia and I had a theologyteacher named Mr Kronholz and he
would always be like oh no, mrKronholz.
Mr Kronholz.
(17:25):
He would always be likeCatholicism's the truth and I'd
be like your truth, mr Kronholz.
And then I remember thinkingone day like wow, there has to
be a truth.
So then, julia and I, when wewere 18, we went around to all
the different churches and wewere like we have to find the
truth and it only took us like amonth, but then we after that
(17:46):
we decided like Catholicism isthe truth.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
It was really like the Eucharist that brought us.
I would say like originally, itwas like the beauty of the
Catholic faith that brought usin but tying it more towards
like winning.
Like we had kind of made up ourminds.
We went to high school togetherand then we ended up going to
the same college and so we hadmade up our minds that we were
going to seek out the Catholiccommunity, but I didn't know
(18:13):
what that was like, I'd neverhad that.
And so when we showed up at ourNewman Center, it was small but
like the people that were thereloved us really well and they
were just like so happy to getto know us and like I don't know
, we were freshmen, like theycould have just cared less, but
they really poured into us and Ithink that the love that they
had and the intention that theyhad really brought me into more
of like a conversion of my heartwhen we came in with a
(18:34):
conversion of our minds.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
Yeah, it was like a way they were living for us
instead of them.
That looked different.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I feel like I can't relate to at all what they say,
because I think my story is somuch so of like God making
something kind of bad good.
I grew up in a very goodCatholic family, like we were
very devoted to the faith, but Iwas so prideful about it.
I remember in grade school Iused to think, like all the kids
, like we had a teacher thatwould be like so what was the
homily about this Sunday?
And no kid would raise theirhand and I'm at Catholic grade
school and so I'd raise my handand I'd be like well, the homily
(19:10):
was about this and you allshould have been there.
And I just remember being soprideful about I'm the good kid,
they're the bad kid Cause I wastaught you have to go to mass,
uh, but then I think it was justlike getting solely one about
the joy of the faith.
I went to Catholic youth summercamp one summer in high school
and then I went to a couple ofother just local retreats and
(19:32):
seeing young people for thefirst time who were just excited
about things that the worldthinks is weird, like weird
things.
You know, I remember I went tothis theology of the body
retreat and we're talking about,like sexuality and how to
defend the faith.
And there's all these freshmenin high school and I was like a
junior in high school at thisretreat and they're all so
(19:53):
excited about it.
I was like that's so weird, butit's really joyful and exciting
.
I kind of want to be like that.
So, yeah, god turned a ton ofpride in my faith that I just
kind of, I guess, developed justfrom being raised in the faith
around a bunch of people thatweren't in the faith, and he
turned that into just wanting tobe joyful and reflecting that
(20:15):
to others.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
So how would you say?
Your experience of being wonover influences the way that you
now go about winning othersover you want to go.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
I just think it's about being relatable, like I
don't know.
Speaker 6 (20:31):
Like, for me it's.
This is the thing is like.
I think you guys kind of hit onthis a little bit like in your
guys's own experience.
But I don't think about winning,like if that makes sense.
You know it's not about winning, it's just about uh, just being
a friend.
You know, like building arelationship, hanging out like
uh.
But I think that's the biggestthing, like feeling relatable,
like I I try to operate under,like if they like it, I like it.
(20:52):
You know, like, if you want todo rock climbing, like let's go
rock climbing.
I've never rock climbed before,but let's go do that.
Or I don't know if you'rereally into Yu-Gi-Oh cards,
we'll talk about Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
Like tell me why you're soexcited about Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
Let's talk about that, right,like, so it's just about
happened for me.
Like again, for me it was justlike meeting, because I think I
(21:17):
always had this idea in the backof my mind that, like the
sportier kids didn't do thiskind of stuff or they didn't
really get into it.
And so like to meet guys thatjust played disc golf or like
we're going to go play pickupbasketball later today or like,
but they were also going to praytheir holy hour today and go to
mass today and they're going totalk about what's that I have
to them in prayer Was like, oh,I didn't know you could like
(21:40):
marry those two things together.
I thought they had to be likemutually exclusive.
Yeah, I think it's just aboutrelatability, like for me, it
just I don't even like.
I'm just like generally curious.
I think too Like.
When I think too like when Imeet someone new, I'm like like,
what's your deal?
You know, that's honestly kindof my thing too.
(22:01):
It's like what is your dealLike?
Why are you here?
What's your story Like?
How do you find yourself in SaltLake City today?
Right, like, uh, which thenopens up a a whole can of worms
of just who they are.
Cause, like, every singleperson is so awesome and
beautiful.
Right, like, everyone has thislike amazing story.
Uh, I don't think it's reallyfun, but it's a great gift in
life that we get to uh, uh, like, learn, like, learn more about
someone else's story.
Um, you know?
(22:22):
Um, yes, I don't know.
That's what I would say.
How it's like.
Like the way that I was oneover now influences the way that
I win.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:28):
What would you say?
Speaker 5 (22:30):
Yeah, I think, um, I like to have fun and I like
doing like random fun things andinviting people into it.
I feel like that's whathappened at Iowa State a lot
when I was there.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
You guys themed parties right, we're on that
wave, we're so on that wavethemed parties.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
So one of the missionaries at Iowa State loved
themed parties and she did onethat was, I think it was like a
middle school themed party andyou had to dress like what you
looked like in middle school.
But she was really emo so shehad like thick eyeliner on and
swept her bangs over to the sideand she was like singing
paramour all night.
It was so funny and she.
But she didn't care, she wasjust having fun and inviting
(23:10):
people into it and keeping themaway from sin.
You know?
Um, my favorite is a Jardy.
Do you know what a Jardy is?
No, illinois knows the Jardy.
I brought the Jardy to Illinois.
Jardy is a jean party.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Oh, okay, jean dress.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Yeah, jean dress, wear as much, jean, as you can.
Speaker 5 (23:29):
We had a Jardy for a seat at Central Michigan Fire Up
Trips.
Fire Up Trips, fire Up Trips,and I wore jeans, jean pants, my
jean dress and my jean jacket.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
That's how you journey.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
You just go all out.
It's just like how can weinvite you into something fun?
I think I just like thatbecause the community aspect of
it was pretty big for me.
Yeah, being with other peoplein this thing and then I could
look up to these other people.
I just love seeing themissionaries do random fun
things and I think I just havean adventurous, energetic.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Yeah, yeah, it's part of me that likes that's true,
it's true.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
You hear before you sear type of thing, but in the
best way.
That is what most people say.
It's okay, okay, um, which iswhy I don't have a voice, but so
I think like to get to use thatand be in that and and like to
take it out of the context thatI was originally participating
in it in sin, you know, and bewith these people that I looked
up to a lot was cool, and invitepeople into it yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
Uh, that's so funny, though, because we are roommates
, we live in a house together,and when we first got our house,
our main goal was we're gonnathrow themed parties, and the
first party was julia's birthday, it was, so everyone had to
dress as something jay and oneof our roommates has this long
jean skirt.
And she comes in and she'swearing her long jean skirt, her
(24:54):
jean jacket.
She's like, yeah, I'm just jean.
Speaker 5 (24:57):
And then she told me she was wearing gender wear and
she was wearing jean shortsunder her skirt.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
So it was just like all jean.
Everything was jean.
Did she have a jerse?
Speaker 6 (25:08):
That's really all out .
I don't think so.
No, Izzy has a jerse.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Does he have a jerse?
I have a jerseys.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah, izzy has a jacket.
No, I have no jerseys.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Jacket yeah, but Izzy's really passionate about
theme parties as well.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
You threw one for me once that was I did.
What was the theme of it?
It was princess Gender revealPrincess something.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
You had to pick boy or girl.
When you walked into the house,you what you had to pick boy or
girl and you picked a red orpink or blue hat because then it
naturally split everyone intotwo groups because we had games.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
So I was like do you think it's a boy or a girl?
Speaker 6 (25:45):
and they're like what , okay, boy or girl pick one
like whether you were dressed asa boy or girl.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
No, no whether someone was having, just like
some hypothetical it was justlike except I don't even know
how you think of that.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
So I got blue hats and pink hats and everyone had
to dress as princesses.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah, the boys' theme was chivalry for Madeline, and
they had to dress in suits andthe girls all had to dress as
like princesses, and so itnaturally split everyone like
50-50.
So there was like 16 and 14 forboys and girls, and then there
was like three rounds of games.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Yeah, it was Madeline-themed trivia that Izzy
had come up with, and then itwas a Madeline-themed cheer and
then a Madeline-themed rapbattle.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
That AI wrote about the.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
AI wrote the raps.
Yeah, that was the first timewe really used it.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
How do you guys even think of that, like, how does
that come about?
Speaker 2 (26:41):
We didn't have class on friday.
Do you want to plan my birthdayparty?
Yeah, I would love to great,you're invited.
One of our we were goingthrough themes for the cake, and
one of the themes that we umtalked about was making a cake
and cutting out a circle andthen filling it with water and
putting a goldfish in it.
Right, you might like that.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
No, we should do that .
I'd be down for that.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
No, my favorite cake of ours was the baby cake.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
So I don't know, we were doing a joint party for two
friends.
This was genuinely.
We came back actually we cameback from Focus Summer Projects
and we were like we're going tolove people through parties
because we had this one girl whowas so passionate about like I
think it's St Martha or Marthais the host, I don't know Martha
or Mary, I can't remember butshe was so passionate about
(27:20):
hosting.
She's like you guys need a host.
It's how you love people best.
And so we got into this and wehad a joint party.
It was right after Julia's andit was two people and I was like
how are we going to do a cakefor two people?
So I don't know how it cameabout, but we got these two
little baby dolls about fiveinches in size and they were
sitting on top of a sheet cakethat said Happy Birthday,
(27:41):
brayden.
Was Brayden real?
No, brayden's a guy, he's realthough.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
Oh, he's real, it was his birthday.
Yeah, it was his birthday, okay, great.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
He's at the Speed dating event right now.
Good for him, good luck.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
So then, on top of that was the babies, and they
were holding a smaller sheetcake that said happy birthday
Amy.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
Was it her birthday too?
Speaker 4 (28:06):
Yes, we wanted to go really far and we purchased for
$7 online voice boxes.
And we recorded ourselvessinging happy birthday.
Speaker 6 (28:14):
Dude, do you guys have too much time on your hands
?
You should like probably studymore, or something.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Yeah, probably Like how are you?
You know media majors,administration, engineering.
I'm shocked you're able to behere.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Yeah, I'm more of like the.
We have class on Friday, theydon't, and so they'll plan all
day and then all appear, andthen we'll help.
Right exactly, but yeah so wealso.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
This was a really big party.
We invited every single personin our Catholic group chat,
every single one of them, and sothere were probably like 80
people invited.
About 20 to 30 showed up and wedidn't have enough room and we
didn't want to reveal the cakeright away when they walked in.
So we had this like closet offto the side that has no light in
it, but it was totally empty.
It's used for the churchdecorations because we live in
(28:57):
the rectory attached to ourchurch.
So it was empty for decorationsbecause it wasn't around a
holiday and we stick the cake inthe middle of this empty dark
room and we didn't have anycandles.
So we just run around the house, grab every single candle
there's all these Bath and BodyWorks candles around it we light
them and then we slowly walkeveryone into the room and we
say, all right, the babies aregoing to start us off and they
(29:20):
start singing.
They sing happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
That was one of our greatest.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
That's crazy.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
I think that was a great win.
Speaker 5 (29:27):
I think it's just a dumb thing that takes down any
wall that anybody you invite canstraight out to come into, like
you can invite anybody to this.
It's not a thing at the church.
You don't have to know all theCatholic things.
You just come and meet otherpeople who are normal and fun,
you know Easy.
Speaker 6 (29:44):
It's also just super hilarious.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I feel like it's really hard to think that you've
failed, because when you arehosting just like fun events
that are silly and people showup, if anyone laughs, if
anything is won over any pieceof anyone's heart, it's like so
worth it because you know youcan just execute it again.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
So and I think the other thing too is like it's
just clean, right.
It's like there's no like,right.
Right, it's clean, fun, you'renot having to like.
Because I think the modernculture says, like we need to
have a drink in our hand to havefun.
Right, we need to like.
Right, do something like weneed to.
I don't know, we need to havesome sort of substance, we need
to have something like that.
It's like this is a superrandom thing, that's super fun.
People are going to rememberyou're going to make a lot of
connections because the wallsare down, because's did not like
(30:26):
it, because they said therewere too many activities.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
But, the other half had a good time, so sometimes
you know your attempts, theystill come to mass.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
So, like you know, we didn't totally lose them, but
you tried.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yeah, you know, we just tried.
You know, sometimes you justhave to go out and do something.
I think that's what we'velearned a lot of, especially
without missionaries, Like it'svery student run.
You just have to go and startsomething and if it fails, like
who cares, try something else.
Um, like, as long as you getlike one person, like it was
worth it.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Right, and I think he just like wants us to be like
our best, like Julia, lovingselves I mean God loving Julia
and like through that like he'snot concerned about like us
following the perfect formula,but he just wants you to be your
best like God loving self, andlike that all flows, like
through that and like all thediscipleship does I feel?
Speaker 4 (31:27):
We also have a really good like one-win story.
So there's this 12-hour dancemarathon that we went to at our
campus 12 hours 12 hours.
It's a 12-hour dance marathon,fundraising for the Ronald
McDonald House, and Izzy hadthis genius idea.
Okay, so normally you'resupposed to show up as a color,
(31:47):
just a random color, one of thesix rainbow colors, and then you
join that team.
But, izzy, what was your idea?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
It was for the Ronald McDonald house.
So I was like why don't we justall show up as the Ronald
McDonald characters?
So she was Ronald McDonald, Iwas the Hamburglar, and then we
had a bunch of the younger kids.
Be all the other characters theHamburglar.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
I don't even know what that is.
He's one of the mascots for.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
McDonald's.
Speaker 6 (32:09):
We had a grimace.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
We go to McDonald's more often Running around for
like 12 hours dressed as thesecharacters, with all the younger
kids All around campus.
And then we're in an elevatorin the library and this guy
named Keith comes running overbecause he sees clowns.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
The elevator doors are closing.
We don't see anyone in thislibrary.
It's like Saturday night 5 pm,elevator doors are closing, and
it night 5 pm, elevator doorsare closing and it's like a
movie scene.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Suddenly there's this guy, just like parting the
doors he's like wait, I saw aclown.
And then Keith comes and he'srunning around the library with
us.
And now Keith hangs out with usand like, goes to mass every
week.
He's a random guy.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
I know he lives in our like Catholic men's house.
Yeah, he joined the Catholicmen's house.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Yeah, but also I feel like we're talking about like
grand examples of like thesefunny things we come up with,
but like also like we would liketo hear about like how you make
little things like Bible studyor discipleship like fun within
that, you know, like practicalthings that can be done.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
Yeah, I mean for the girls, it's the snacks, it's all
about the snacks, you know yeah.
Speaker 6 (33:10):
Yeah for the girls.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
It's the snacks.
It's all about the snacks, youknow, yeah, um, yeah, as I try
to be as unhinged and authenticas I possibly can at the very
beginning, because the beginningof a bible study or like
discipleship or something, whengirls don't know each other,
nobody's going to share anything, um, and so the crazier I can
be, the more they're like.
(33:32):
This girl is kind of whack, soI won't be as weird as her.
I think I showed the Biblestudy I lead now a video of my.
I made a rap.
Well, I didn't make the lyrics,but I made a music video.
I made a music video of aCatholic rap to.
I'm so Fancy, wait.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
I'm so Fancy.
Yeah, is that what it says.
It's Fancy, it's Fancy.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I don't even know the other lyrics anymore.
It's, I'm so Catholic and Imade a music video with my first
year teammate, tessa, and Ishowed these Bible study girls
this and they ate it up and nowwe're vibing Good, wow, I'm just
.
I'm just super honest about mylife and, um, I think that's
what people want.
You know, like, um, we don'thave to fluff anything up, we
(34:18):
don't have to be somebody thatwe're not, um, and that just
makes other people more able andcomfortable to do that.
Yeah, what about the boys?
Speaker 6 (34:35):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know.
I'm not convinced that guysactually like snacks for Bible
study.
I'm just not, I don't know.
I just I brought them, Ibrought them before and they
don't eat them.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Men proved me wrong, I guess.
Uh, I haven't brought anysnacks this year, but uh, the
Wisconsin men look angry.
Yeah, um, I don't know.
I think, yeah, the one aspectof Bible study, um, I think I
just try to be myself.
I also think part of it's too.
(34:55):
I would just hang out with themoutside of it.
A lot of it happens outside ofit.
At Illinois, I remember one ofthe things we did early on.
The guys still give me a lot of.
They still joke with me aboutthis all the time.
But when I first got toIllinois, I was like so we moved
in this house and it was like,honestly, just a pigsty.
(35:15):
Like the yard was superovergrown, the inside was
disgusting, like it was bad, and, uh, those everyone that lived
in the house the year beforeknows that Uh, so I get there
and I'm like, well, this isgreat.
Like I want to get a bunch ofguys out here, like I want to
like build some community.
It's like we're going to have amen's work day.
I was like it's just going tobe like I'll just invite
(35:35):
everyone, I'll get all the guyshere, get a bunch of tools and
we'll just like work on the lawnfor like three hours and then
I'll like we'll cook some meatand have some mac my house for
like three hours, and they leftbefore the meal even because
they just liked working, uh.
But it was just like likelittle things like that.
And they still joke with mejust like, zach, you just got us
for free labor, like you didn'teven, you didn't even care
(35:57):
about building community.
It was just like free labor foryou.
I'm like no, I like promised tofeed you like I did.
You just left before that.
Um, like little things likethat.
It's just like I don't knowit's, it's not anything crazy,
it's just uh like living lifetogether, uh, just being normal,
and I think that just makespeople open up.
And then, like, when you haveevents like that, or like one
time I think me and a bunch ofthe guys that we played sardines
in the backyard- oh there's atiny backyard and it was
(36:20):
hilarious, you know like,because you would see everyone.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
Like, really, I'm like trying to think about where
, in that backyard, you wouldhave gone.
Speaker 6 (36:26):
There's like nowhere really to hide, but like some,
yeah, one guy I don't know ifMax is out there, but Max like
hid in this bush and we're likeI think he's not even on the
property.
We like can't find him.
But it's just like that wouldbuild community so well.
And then, like when you get toa Bible study and say everyone's
so like open, everyone's socomfortable with each other
because we all just feel like wekind of get each other, we feel
(36:46):
like we can relate, that's kindof I feel like where most of
the win aspect kind of happens,like in the Bible studies and
discipleship and that kind ofstuff.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
But yeah, I was going to say.
I think what you said reallyresonated with me, because I
remember being shocked.
This is like such a randomthing but there's this street on
our campus called Mill Streetand they have Mill Fest every
like spring and we were like ata friend's house on mill street
one time.
We weren't having a partybecause we're not kind of.
(37:16):
It was like really early in themorning when they have the
party.
So in the evening people werestill walking on the street and
we were like we have a ton ofmilk, let's do milk fest.
And we just started pouringshots of milk and we not like
shots but like little bits, youknow, and we're like who wants
free milk for milk fest?
Speaker 5 (37:33):
you're not real people, you're just unreal
people.
Yeah well, I'm a milk we we hadcookies too.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
So, yeah, we did.
It was just the things that youthink I'm like yeah, but what
zach was saying?
Speaker 4 (37:46):
I was just like people were so nervous to take
it because they were like what'sin it?
And we're like no we just wantto give you milk and cookies.
And then, when they trulytrusted us, they like stayed in
our yard for so long and theyloved that we were giving out
milk.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Yeah, and people were like asking they're like this
is so like counter-cultural.
What's going on?
We're like we're just hangingout, passing out milk, like
there's nothing to it.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
We had to go to the store to get more milk.
And now it's like I think ofthat with Bible studies.
I'm like what can I just givepeople that it's going to be
like?
I feel so just honored that youare giving me something and not
expecting something in return,not trying to harm me.
So like I baked an eggcasserole for my Bible study the
other week and I thought it waskind of, but everybody loved
(38:29):
that.
I baked them a egg casserole.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Yeah, and I feel like the simplicity of discipleship
can be so overlooked easily andit's just like when you include
people like that, it's sospecial, because one of my
favorite things about followingChrist is just being included by
Him, just having that placewith Him, and I think just the
simplicity of just lovingsomeone well and inviting them
over it's like that goes so far,not having to like do something
(38:55):
crazy, but just like invitingthem into your life.
Speaker 6 (38:58):
Yes, and I think something else that I'll try to
do, like I just try to, I try tospeak to their hearts, like,
especially when they're in Biblestudy too, it's like the one
aspect is like doing fun things,you know too, but just also
that aspect of like, yeah, my,my goal is that, hopefully, I
know their hearts and then, likeas we're walking through
scripture, I can help them likeidentify, um where they kind of
see themselves in thesescripture characters and like
kind of almost like givingChrist the opportunity to win
(39:20):
them over, uh, and just helpingthem, helping them understand,
like you know, like the Lordunderstands you, uh, and like he
sees you, and like that's acause.
I think a lot about a lot ofwinning too is just like
building trust, you know um.
So there's definitely like aspiritual element of the win
process too, but it's even likeoutside of like my relationship
with them, you know, as I helpthem build relationship, because
(39:41):
that's ultimately the goal,right, it's like I mean I want
them to be friends with me, butI definitely want them to be
friends with jesus, so much moreyou know um, and so trying to
incorporate that part of the win, which I guess you could also
cult build or whatever you want.
Again like these all kind ofoverlap and stuff.
But I think that's a big partof it too.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, we only have about threemore minutes, I think.
Oh, wow.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
So on this podcast, at the end, we like to ask how
has God been loving you recently?
So, how has God been?
Speaker 5 (40:15):
loving you recently.
So how has God been showing youhis love at Seek this week?
I love I've loved Seek eversince I first went Um, but I
think, um, getting to come toSeek as a missionary is so fun
because I just get to seeeverybody that I love in one
place, um, and it takes meforever to get anywhere because
I'm stopped by so many people,and that's just.
My favorite thing is tointeract with people, um, so I
think that's one really basicway, um, that God's been loving
(40:37):
me at Seek, and I think, um,there's also, just like always,
a lot of restoration andrejuvenation that comes from
Seek.
Just, I get to be filled again,um, and I I'm pouring out a lot
and we want like we always wantto be filled again.
I'm pouring out a lot.
We always want to be awaterfall being poured into and
pouring out, but I think I'mjust feeling really rejuvenated.
(41:00):
The Lord is beginning to heal alot of things in me.
That's pretty fire up chips.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
Fire up chips.
So fire up chips.
Let's hear from the chips.
That's because the Lord's beenloving me.
Speaker 5 (41:10):
He's just been giving me a lot of little pieces of
healing and, oh sorry, I'm justthinking another one.
Um, it's the jubilee year ofhope and I've been praying about
hope a lot, and I was angryabout hope last semester and now
I'm excited about it good andso the lord is shifting my heart
to hope.
Speaker 6 (41:25):
That's awesome, it's great I feel like jesus is
always doing a lot, I think, oneway that he is loving me.
Sister Miriam's talk last night,at least that got to me just
like the simple line of justlike he's not forgotten you and,
yeah, I think, just likerealizing, yeah, there's still a
(41:47):
lot of parts of my heart and mylife where I desire for the
Lord to come in and heal me,restore me, make me new, Maybe
some parts of myself that I'mnot necessarily happy with.
But just like that reminder ofthe Lord Jesus just sees all
that, he knows that I don't evenlike it.
He has more patience with methan I have with myself like the
(42:08):
reminder of that and just evenjust the simplicity of adoration
last night and just likegetting to sit in a room with
the God of the universe isalmost just a like the things
that happen that I'm not evenaware of is just beautiful to me
.
And I think, just like lastnight, I was really struck by
just the idea, too, of just thewhen I end here on this earth,
(42:29):
like the opportunity of justlike getting to see him face to
face and just like that gettingto just sit in that gaze, like
his gaze and me just getting togaze at him and like the, just
the simplicity even of that andhow much that actually impacts
my heart and heals me in a lotof ways, gives me a sense of
freedom, which then allows me togo win, because I feel free and
I want to go have fun.
Right, so it all comes together, but yeah, I think that's.
(42:53):
yeah, I think that's what he'sbeen doing this week, so yeah.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Do we get to hear your guys' or not?
Time?
Speaker 4 (42:59):
I think we can go.
Speaker 6 (43:00):
Yeah, please go.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
I was going to say a very similar thing to Emily.
I have an incredible memory ofremembering faces and so I
remember a lot of people from mydifferent summers that I've
done summer projects, worked atCatholic Youth Summer Camp and
different apostolates.
But I don't always getremembered as often as I
remember people's faces.
But at SEEK it's just so manypeople that every 30 minutes I'm
(43:22):
hearing my name called outbehind me and it's just such a
reminder through God's peoplethat, like Jesus does truly know
me and he knows me through hispeople as well, that like Jesus
does truly know me and he knowsme through his people as well.
And I feel so loved hearing myname from some random guy I met
two summers ago that I don'tknow why he remembers me, but he
does and he wanted to say hi.
So that's how I've been feelingloved.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Yeah, um, I would say that God has been loving me and
comforting me a lot in like arenewal of the belief of the
power of prayer, if that madesense, um, and like just
reminding me of like theabundance that he has and having
confidence in that.
Um, it's been really powerfuland just knowing that, like, our
(44:03):
prayers are heard and answered.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
I've been feeling really loved by all of our
friends that we get to see andthen also just feeling like
grateful for like thegenerations that came before us
that have put this conference on, like they care so badly, like
to go through all this effort toput this on, and I just feel
really grateful for like thosepeople who love us well, like
our generation.
So that's how he's been showingme his love.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
All right, well, thank you guys so much.
Thank you guys for coming.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
Yeah, thanks for having us.
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
If you're interested in seeing more, we are called
knowhislove, kind of like com,On Instagram, Spotify.
We have a website.
Yeah, thank you guys.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
I'm Madeline.
I'm Julia.
I'm Izzy.
I'm Emily.
Speaker 6 (44:55):
I'm Zach.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
Have a wonderful week , have a wonderful week, come on
, thank you.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Thanks for listening to this episode recorded live at
Seek.
Miss the conference or want torelive your favorite moments?
Seek Replay has you coveredAccess, powerful keynotes,
inspiring talks and exclusivecontent to take your faith
deeper, anytime, anywhere.
Head to seekfocusorg backslashreplay to download now.
(45:27):
And don't forget to join us forSeek 26.
Check out seekfocusorg for moreinformation and to register to
download now.
And don't forget to join us forSeek 26.
Check out seekfocusorg for moreinformation and to register.
Welcome to the Seek 25 podcast, featuring some of
our favorite podcasters recordedlive at the Max Studios podcast
stage during Seek 25 in SaltLake City.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome to Noah's Love podcast.
We are a podcast started by apriest friend of ours.
Welcome to Noah's Love.
Welcome to Noah's Love podcast.
We are a podcast started by apriest friend of ours.
We are three students at OhioUniversity.
We're at a campus without focus, so we're just here to talk
about our experience withdiscipleship and what we've
learned as we kind of justfigured things out ourselves,
(00:43):
and we have two Focusmissionaries here today that
we're going to just have adiscussion with about the
differences between ourdiscipleship approaches.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yeah, so we're just going to be talking about the
heart of discipleship, thepracticals of discipleship, and
then, in regards to thewin-build-send method, we're
going to be really focusing onthe win today.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
And Focus thought that Emily and Zach here have
some fun personalities, someuniqueness, some good free will
you know, and so hopefully we'llbe sharing some funny stories
about times we've tried toattempt winning students over on
campus and truly loving them.
With that I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Madeline, I'm Julia and I'm Izzy and Emily and Zach.
Can we hear a little bit aboutyourselves?
What is your deal?
What's my deal?
What's my deal?
Speaker 5 (01:28):
I'm Emily Heupel.
The basic boring information isthat I'm a fourth year
missionary.
I'm the team director atCentral Michigan University.
Fire up chips.
Fire up chips.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Fire up what they say in.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Michigan.
I spent three years at theUniversity of Illinois in
Champaign and I graduated fromIowa State University role
clones and was just raised in acyclone-heavy family.
I once spent six hours waitingoutside for a basketball game
the day after my wisdom teethwere taken out and made it on TV
(02:05):
for that.
That's my claim to fame untilnow, wow.
Speaker 6 (02:10):
Yeah, and okay, my deal is.
My name is Zach Glass and yeah,I'm a third year missionary
with Focus.
I originally I grew up inNebraska, hastings, nebraska,
best state in the country in theunion and went to the
University of Nebraska inLincoln as a student and then
just turned a call with Focus.
(02:31):
I spent two years at the lovelyUniversity of Illinois in
Champaign-Urbana and then nowI'm the team director at the
University of Madison, wisconsin.
And yeah, I'm a normal guy Alittle fun fact about me.
To maybe give a little bit ofinsight into my character and my
(02:53):
personality when I was I thinkI was a senior in high school,
me and my friends got togetherand we went to like the local
Earl May and we found that therewas a deal on goldfish.
So we bought 36 goldfish andkept them in my backyard in a
kiddie pool and just kept themalive for an entire summer.
We tried to name as many as wecould, those that had unique
(03:16):
things to them, and then at theend of the summer, unfortunately
, we just kind of killed themBecause we didn't really know
what to do with them, you know.
So, uh, but yeah, so that's my,that's my deal.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Wow, that's awesome.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Well, you already heard that we're from Ohio
university.
Uh, we're all seniors.
I am finishing up my studies inpublic administration, but my
deal is that you know I'm I havea lot of city pride.
I'm from the great city ofCincinnati.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I have a lot of city pride.
I'm from the great city ofCincinnati.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Ohio.
Let's hear it for Cincinnati,okay, and you know I'm the type
of person that you're not goingto hear the end of it when I am
at some kind of function that'sout of the city, and so my deal
is that I will always bebringing Skyline Chili in some
form to any function.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
So, you know, yeah, my deal I am a senior studying
journalism and publicationdesign and my deal is that
officially, as of 2024, I'm abeef jerky convert.
So I was a vegetarian.
I was a vegetarian for likefour years and then I walked the
Eucharistic pilgrimage thissummer and we had every meat on
(04:23):
that southern route.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
So Except Skyline Chili.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Except.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Skyline Chili.
I refuse.
That's so sad, but I'mofficially a beef jerky
commenter Nice.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
As I said, my name is Julia Krauth and my deal is
that I study industrialengineering and I sewed this
skirt and it's reallyquestionable craftsmanship.
So every single minute I'mmaking sure that it's not
falling apart on me.
Oh boy, that's my deal.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Zach was going to wear a jean dress today to match
Emily, he didn't.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
But then somebody forgot it.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Yeah, we forgot ours, so I mean your fashion choices.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Even though it's questionable, I think it's.
Speaker 6 (05:04):
But maybe you could make me a jean dress.
Yeah, for the next one.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that would begood.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Well, to get into a little bit more of the content,
I wanted to start off by askingus a little bit, or asking you
guys a little bit, about thefocus method of discipleship.
Could you maybe describe alittle bit about what
discipleship is and I know thatmost of us are probably familiar
with the win-build-send methodand maybe focus a little bit
(05:30):
more on the win part, becausethat's kind of what we're going
to be discussing a bit deepertoday.
Speaker 6 (05:37):
Okay, okay, I would say, how would I define
discipleship?
I would say discipleship islearning how to imitate Christ
in all things.
So just like the simplequestion of like, what would
Jesus do?
Like in all situations, nomatter your state in life or
what you're doing, trying tobetter understand, like, what
(06:00):
would he do in every singlesituation through what we'd call
like Acts 2.42, right, so inActs 2.42, it's like fellowship,
prayer, changes of the apostlesand the sacraments.
So by building a life aroundthose things, we're in a sense
getting to know who God is,we're learning who Jesus is, and
then we can imitate him and belike him.
And so I guess thewind-build-send process of focus
(06:24):
.
I've always said that I thinkwind-build-send is actually the
progression of the spirituallife.
Jesus wins you.
We see that in the Gospels.
Jesus wins us over, whetherit's quick or slowly or whatever
, but he wins us over.
And then, over time, as wejourney into relationship with
him, he builds us up and then ata certain point he sends us out
.
No-transcript, definitely in myown experience of relationship
(06:55):
with Christ.
So I don't know what you wouldsay.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
Yeah, a lot of similar things.
I think, just like beginning totake on the qualities of Christ
the more that we center ourlives around him, like
discipleship, I think, is likethe process of Jesus being the
center of my life.
Yeah, sometimes I joke whenpeople start to dress like me.
I'm like this is discipleship.
I'm passing these things on toyou.
You're taking on my qualities,so I'm trying to take on Jesus's
(07:19):
qualities, I think.
Specific to the win yeah,something has to be like
attractive about it, Somethinghas to like there has to be a
desire sparked in your heart towant something, and like the
desire for Jesus is at the depthof every person's heart, but
what draws that out is differentfor every person, which is kind
of fun to figure out.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Okay, that's actually perfect for the next question I
was hoping to ask you guys.
Perfect which is, I believe,that every campus is very
different and has a differentculture, and we're all very
unique people.
So what do you think makes yourcampus unique in how
discipleship looks like on yourcampus?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
You go.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Okay, well, central Michigan is a new campus for
Focus, so let's go campus forfocus.
So, okay, let's go expansionfire off chips.
Um, so it's been really fun tofigure out what it looks like,
because we're kind of making itup as we go a little bit.
Um, and focus has a great modelfor it because it's the model
that jesus used.
Um, yeah, so, honestly, a lotof this semester at central
(08:20):
michigan has been learning theculture there and learning what
the students are like andgrowing in friendship, because
that has to start first.
Like, yeah, growth inrelationship with Christ has to
come in relationship, andthey're not going to trust me if
I just come in and tell themwhat to do.
That's not what I'm trying todo.
So discipleship has really justlooked like building friendship
right now and beginning to growin that.
(08:42):
And yeah, just take a campusthat has a Catholic church on
campus, which is a greatblessing St Mary's University
Parish.
Let's go.
My priest wanted me to shout itout, yeah, and taking that and
being like do you know that thisis right at your fingertips to
(09:02):
people that don't have any ideaBecause there haven't been
people who are able really to goout before.
So it's exciting, yeah, butZach's situation is much
different.
Speaker 6 (09:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
So many fans.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
Yeah.
So I would say UW-Madison.
I think the discipleship isUW-Madison does community really
well.
So I would say like there's awinsome aspect to the community
and that they're all verywelcoming and inviting.
We do like morning coffee everysingle morning for about 45
minutes, so we'll have like aholy hour in the morning and
then like after that we'll dolike 45 minutes of just like
coffee, hanging out, talking,which allows like a lot of that
(09:38):
like person-to-personrelationship, building the
authentic witness of like what'sgoing on in their life and kind
of sharing that with like yourbrothers and sisters, and then
like also you know obviouslylike we're praying before that,
so then they're bringing theirlike prayer life into the
conversations that are happeningat morning coffee and those
sorts of things.
But yeah, I think like I thinkI mean every campus is a little
different.
Illinois is kind of the samething where I think like
(10:01):
discipleship maybe looks.
I think it kind of looks thesame at a lot of different
places and again, it's just thatperson to person relationship,
walking with people witnessing.
I've always said like I thinkdiscipleship and evangelization
is pretty simple.
It's like I need to live asclose to Christ as I can and
then just be very authentic inrelationship with everyone, so
like be with Jesus and then bein relationship with other
people, and then naturally itrubs off and it has an effect on
(10:28):
people, um, and that's kind of.
I mean, that's ultimately whatJesus did, right, he comes in
when he came right.
He came into people's lives andhe just lived with them and
that just affected them.
Uh, and he was all about themtoo.
I think that's a big part oflike the win aspect to just
about being he's so much aboutus, right, he, um, he's just
like whatever we like he likes.
I think that's a really bigpart of the win as well.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
So, yeah, I love that you said whatever he likes, or
whatever we like he likes, right, because I think for us our
campus is at least we like tothink it's very unique.
It's very in the hills, veryhippie grunge, I think, is what
Izzy likes to call it, you know.
And so I feel like fordiscipleship we were really
(11:07):
struggling at first.
We kind of came into a deadNewman Center.
There wasn't very much going on.
Covid had totally wiped it outand just through trial and error
we have grown to about 80people, consistently a week, I
think.
And yeah, I don't know if youguys have anything to say about
how you've seen that play out onour campus.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, I would say, especially at the beginning.
I don't know if you have asimilar experience, but when we
came into college, like I didn'tknow what discipleship was or
what that meant, but I feel likewe were really good at just
like being an authentic friendgroup and like we discipled each
other like accidentally.
I feel Like it wasn't superintentional because we didn't
know that there was like a wind,build, send formula or like
(11:48):
anything like that.
But we just really leaned intoCatholic friendship and like
discipleship happened from that.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Right, like we just really lived out in our
relationship with Jesus and wejust wanted other people to had
what we had and I think it justnaturally came through that,
yeah, yeah.
So, going off of that, myquestion is before you decided
to go, win others over, how areyou guys won?
Like, how, what did you see inother people that was different
(12:17):
about the church and justdifferent about those Catholic
people that you were like I wantthat and like I'm going to live
for that myself and invitepeople other too, um, whenever I
think about this, I want that,and like I'm going to live for
that myself and invite peopleother too.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
Whenever I think about this, I think about my
aunt.
Do you guys say aunt or aunt?
Aunt, yeah, aunt, okay, good, Isay aunt.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
I think about my Aunt .
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Andrea.
She became a focused missionarywhen I was in third grade and I
didn't know what that meant andI didn't really.
I don't really remember a timein my life, honestly, before she
was like I don't know what shewas like, even before that in my
brain, um, but she served atthe university of Nebraska,
lincoln, I know.
But it was great for her, um,and it was not far from where I
(12:57):
was growing up so she would have, uh, my sisters and I come
visit her often and yoursister's in the crowd.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
My sister is here Um she'd have us come visit her
often and your sister's in thecrowd.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
My sister is here.
Um, come on, come on, sister.
Um, she'd have us come visither often and, um, we just hang
out with her teammates a lot inour house and they just loved
being around us and they were sofun and my aunt just had so
much energy for life that I justwanted to be her.
I just wanted to be like her.
I didn't know, like, if thatmeant focused missionary.
I didn't know what that meant,but I was like I wanted to be
her, I just wanted to be likeher.
I didn't know, like, if thatmeant focused missionary, I
didn't know what that meant, butI was like I wanted to be
(13:28):
around her.
Um, and she was the firstperson who ever brought me to
adoration.
I was in third grade and she wasbringing me into this perpetual
adoration chapel.
I didn't know what that meant,but she brought me because
that's what she wanted to dowith me.
Um, but she just like wanted tolive life to the fullest and
did, wanted to do with me, butshe just like wanted to live
life to the fullest and did.
And I felt that way when I wasaround her, and still do,
(13:49):
honestly, and so I kind of liketo live that way now too.
So I think that is what I thinkof when I think of, like, the
first time I was won over.
There were definitely manyother little wins in my life.
Being invited to my first seedconference is one of them, you
know, and just somebody knowingme and choosing me Like I love
to be known, don't we all?
(14:09):
But yeah, to just like belooked at and known by somebody,
yeah, that's usually how I'mwon over.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
Speaker 6 (14:19):
Yeah, I would say mine's been like pretty gradual,
like I would say like I thinkmy like there's definitely's
definitely been like people inmy life that have definitely won
me over like witness to Christin deep way.
But I even think back, like I'mtaken back to.
So I went to Catholic schoolgrowing up Uh, and I distinctly
remember there was a time when Iwas a sophomore in high school
I went on, uh, the March forLife in DC and up until this
(14:40):
point I had no idea, uh, Likewe'd go to mass, but mass was
just like really boring to me.
It was like you're just tryingto get through it.
And I remember we were like atmass in DC with all these like
high school kids from across thediocese in Nebraska and we all
they have everyone like we gotto mass like daily mass.
Everyone like knelt forward tolike pray before.
(15:00):
So I just I knelt down before.
Like you know, I knelt down too, because that's what you do.
I didn't really know what I wasdoing, though.
I didn't even know what thatmeant to pray.
So I was always just likewaiting until everyone else sat
back, so then I would sit back.
But then I was.
I was kind of caught off guardbecause when I was there,
(15:26):
no-transcript that I thoughtwere like me, they were
relatable, and so I was likewhoa.
They have something that Idon't have, and I think I
experienced that a lotprogressively throughout the
rest of my life.
I remember being in high schooland there was a couple in town
that would like work, a lot ofretreats, and I don't know why.
It was just like they livedlife differently.
(15:48):
I think something, too, is likethey didn't.
It seemed like they had a lot offun in life, but they also had
like free consciences.
They had a lot of fun in life,but they also had like free
consciences and I didn't.
I was like still in my sin.
So it was like I wanted to havefun and be like them, but I
still had a lot of guiltunderneath because of the
decisions I was making.
And so I think that witnessthere also of them having fun,
(16:08):
loving life, being relatable,normal people, cool people that
I felt like I could resonatewith but that also didn't have
the back end of like thedouble-sided life was like whoa.
I think I want this and itallowed me then to be able to
take a step closer to Christ, Ithink in that direction, yeah,
the fun.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
the fun is what I was thinking of too, like just when
people can have fun and they'renot really thinking about what
people are.
Other people are thinking andthere's just a freedom about
them.
You kind of notice it.
Oh yeah, like others' freedom,you'll notice, and I was like I
want that.
I want to not worry about whatother people think.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yeah, I think that's one of the two things that like
won me over.
Just like how fun.
I remember meeting like thesesuper alive people my senior
year of high school and I waslike these people aren't acting
too cool about the faith.
They're so alive.
I was like I want that.
I was like whoa, like I wasacting too cool.
I was like what are we?
doing, you know, and they wereso alive and I was like, whoa,
like they think this is cool andI think just like that firmness
(17:05):
of it was so cool to me.
And then also, yeah, the secondthing I think that won me over
was just like the way that theCatholic church stands for what
it stands for and they don'tmove the line.
I remember my senior year.
Julia and I had a theologyteacher named Mr Kronholz and he
would always be like oh no, mrKronholz.
Mr Kronholz.
(17:25):
He would always be likeCatholicism's the truth and I'd
be like your truth, mr Kronholz.
And then I remember thinkingone day like wow, there has to
be a truth.
So then, julia and I, when wewere 18, we went around to all
the different churches and wewere like we have to find the
truth and it only took us like amonth, but then we after that
(17:46):
we decided like Catholicism isthe truth.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
It was really like the Eucharist that brought us.
I would say like originally, itwas like the beauty of the
Catholic faith that brought usin but tying it more towards
like winning.
Like we had kind of made up ourminds.
We went to high school togetherand then we ended up going to
the same college and so we hadmade up our minds that we were
going to seek out the Catholiccommunity, but I didn't know
(18:13):
what that was like, I'd neverhad that.
And so when we showed up at ourNewman Center, it was small but
like the people that were thereloved us really well and they
were just like so happy to getto know us and like I don't know
, we were freshmen, like theycould have just cared less, but
they really poured into us and Ithink that the love that they
had and the intention that theyhad really brought me into more
of like a conversion of my heartwhen we came in with a
(18:34):
conversion of our minds.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
Yeah, it was like a way they were living for us
instead of them.
That looked different.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I feel like I can't relate to at all what they say,
because I think my story is somuch so of like God making
something kind of bad good.
I grew up in a very goodCatholic family, like we were
very devoted to the faith, but Iwas so prideful about it.
I remember in grade school Iused to think, like all the kids
, like we had a teacher thatwould be like so what was the
homily about this Sunday?
And no kid would raise theirhand and I'm at Catholic grade
school and so I'd raise my handand I'd be like well, the homily
(19:10):
was about this and you allshould have been there.
And I just remember being soprideful about I'm the good kid,
they're the bad kid Cause I wastaught you have to go to mass,
uh, but then I think it was justlike getting solely one about
the joy of the faith.
I went to Catholic youth summercamp one summer in high school
and then I went to a couple ofother just local retreats and
(19:32):
seeing young people for thefirst time who were just excited
about things that the worldthinks is weird, like weird
things.
You know, I remember I went tothis theology of the body
retreat and we're talking about,like sexuality and how to
defend the faith.
And there's all these freshmenin high school and I was like a
junior in high school at thisretreat and they're all so
(19:53):
excited about it.
I was like that's so weird, butit's really joyful and exciting
.
I kind of want to be like that.
So, yeah, god turned a ton ofpride in my faith that I just
kind of, I guess, developed justfrom being raised in the faith
around a bunch of people thatweren't in the faith, and he
turned that into just wanting tobe joyful and reflecting that
(20:15):
to others.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
So how would you say?
Your experience of being wonover influences the way that you
now go about winning othersover you want to go.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
I just think it's about being relatable, like I
don't know.
Speaker 6 (20:31):
Like, for me it's.
This is the thing is like.
I think you guys kind of hit onthis a little bit like in your
guys's own experience.
But I don't think about winning,like if that makes sense.
You know it's not about winning, it's just about uh, just being
a friend.
You know, like building arelationship, hanging out like
uh.
But I think that's the biggestthing, like feeling relatable,
like I I try to operate under,like if they like it, I like it.
(20:52):
You know, like, if you want todo rock climbing, like let's go
rock climbing.
I've never rock climbed before,but let's go do that.
Or I don't know if you'rereally into Yu-Gi-Oh cards,
we'll talk about Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
Like tell me why you're soexcited about Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
Let's talk about that, right,like, so it's just about
happened for me.
Like again, for me it was justlike meeting, because I think I
(21:17):
always had this idea in the backof my mind that, like the
sportier kids didn't do thiskind of stuff or they didn't
really get into it.
And so like to meet guys thatjust played disc golf or like
we're going to go play pickupbasketball later today or like,
but they were also going to praytheir holy hour today and go to
mass today and they're going totalk about what's that I have
to them in prayer Was like, oh,I didn't know you could like
(21:40):
marry those two things together.
I thought they had to be likemutually exclusive.
Yeah, I think it's just aboutrelatability, like for me, it
just I don't even like.
I'm just like generally curious.
I think too Like.
When I think too like when Imeet someone new, I'm like like,
what's your deal?
You know, that's honestly kindof my thing too.
(22:01):
It's like what is your dealLike?
Why are you here?
What's your story Like?
How do you find yourself in SaltLake City today?
Right, like, uh, which thenopens up a a whole can of worms
of just who they are.
Cause, like, every singleperson is so awesome and
beautiful.
Right, like, everyone has thislike amazing story.
Uh, I don't think it's reallyfun, but it's a great gift in
life that we get to uh, uh, like, learn, like, learn more about
someone else's story.
Um, you know?
(22:22):
Um, yes, I don't know.
That's what I would say.
How it's like.
Like the way that I was oneover now influences the way that
I win.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:28):
What would you say?
Speaker 5 (22:30):
Yeah, I think, um, I like to have fun and I like
doing like random fun things andinviting people into it.
I feel like that's whathappened at Iowa State a lot
when I was there.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
You guys themed parties right, we're on that
wave, we're so on that wavethemed parties.
Speaker 5 (22:50):
So one of the missionaries at Iowa State loved
themed parties and she did onethat was, I think it was like a
middle school themed party andyou had to dress like what you
looked like in middle school.
But she was really emo so shehad like thick eyeliner on and
swept her bangs over to the sideand she was like singing
paramour all night.
It was so funny and she.
But she didn't care, she wasjust having fun and inviting
(23:10):
people into it and keeping themaway from sin.
You know?
Um, my favorite is a Jardy.
Do you know what a Jardy is?
No, illinois knows the Jardy.
I brought the Jardy to Illinois.
Jardy is a jean party.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Oh, okay, jean dress.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Yeah, jean dress, wear as much, jean, as you can.
Speaker 5 (23:29):
We had a Jardy for a seat at Central Michigan Fire Up
Trips.
Fire Up Trips, fire Up Trips,and I wore jeans, jean pants, my
jean dress and my jean jacket.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
That's how you journey.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
You just go all out.
It's just like how can weinvite you into something fun?
I think I just like thatbecause the community aspect of
it was pretty big for me.
Yeah, being with other peoplein this thing and then I could
look up to these other people.
I just love seeing themissionaries do random fun
things and I think I just havean adventurous, energetic.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Yeah, yeah, it's part of me that likes that's true,
it's true.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
You hear before you sear type of thing, but in the
best way.
That is what most people say.
It's okay, okay, um, which iswhy I don't have a voice, but so
I think like to get to use thatand be in that and and like to
take it out of the context thatI was originally participating
in it in sin, you know, and bewith these people that I looked
up to a lot was cool, and invitepeople into it yeah, okay.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
Uh, that's so funny, though, because we are roommates
, we live in a house together,and when we first got our house,
our main goal was we're gonnathrow themed parties, and the
first party was julia's birthday, it was, so everyone had to
dress as something jay and oneof our roommates has this long
jean skirt.
And she comes in and she'swearing her long jean skirt, her
(24:54):
jean jacket.
She's like, yeah, I'm just jean.
Speaker 5 (24:57):
And then she told me she was wearing gender wear and
she was wearing jean shortsunder her skirt.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
So it was just like all jean.
Everything was jean.
Did she have a jerse?
Speaker 6 (25:08):
That's really all out .
I don't think so.
No, Izzy has a jerse.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Does he have a jerse?
I have a jerseys.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah, izzy has a jacket.
No, I have no jerseys.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
Jacket yeah, but Izzy's really passionate about
theme parties as well.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
You threw one for me once that was I did.
What was the theme of it?
It was princess Gender revealPrincess something.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
You had to pick boy or girl.
When you walked into the house,you what you had to pick boy or
girl and you picked a red orpink or blue hat because then it
naturally split everyone intotwo groups because we had games.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
So I was like do you think it's a boy or a girl?
Speaker 6 (25:45):
and they're like what , okay, boy or girl pick one
like whether you were dressed asa boy or girl.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
No, no whether someone was having, just like
some hypothetical it was justlike except I don't even know
how you think of that.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
So I got blue hats and pink hats and everyone had
to dress as princesses.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah, the boys' theme was chivalry for Madeline, and
they had to dress in suits andthe girls all had to dress as
like princesses, and so itnaturally split everyone like
50-50.
So there was like 16 and 14 forboys and girls, and then there
was like three rounds of games.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Yeah, it was Madeline-themed trivia that Izzy
had come up with, and then itwas a Madeline-themed cheer and
then a Madeline-themed rapbattle.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
That AI wrote about the.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
AI wrote the raps.
Yeah, that was the first timewe really used it.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
How do you guys even think of that, like, how does
that come about?
Speaker 2 (26:41):
We didn't have class on friday.
Do you want to plan my birthdayparty?
Yeah, I would love to great,you're invited.
One of our we were goingthrough themes for the cake, and
one of the themes that we umtalked about was making a cake
and cutting out a circle andthen filling it with water and
putting a goldfish in it.
Right, you might like that.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
No, we should do that .
I'd be down for that.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
No, my favorite cake of ours was the baby cake.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
So I don't know, we were doing a joint party for two
friends.
This was genuinely.
We came back actually we cameback from Focus Summer Projects
and we were like we're going tolove people through parties
because we had this one girl whowas so passionate about like I
think it's St Martha or Marthais the host, I don't know Martha
or Mary, I can't remember butshe was so passionate about
(27:20):
hosting.
She's like you guys need a host.
It's how you love people best.
And so we got into this and wehad a joint party.
It was right after Julia's andit was two people and I was like
how are we going to do a cakefor two people?
So I don't know how it cameabout, but we got these two
little baby dolls about fiveinches in size and they were
sitting on top of a sheet cakethat said Happy Birthday,
(27:41):
brayden.
Was Brayden real?
No, brayden's a guy, he's realthough.
Speaker 5 (27:46):
Oh, he's real, it was his birthday.
Yeah, it was his birthday, okay, great.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
He's at the Speed dating event right now.
Good for him, good luck.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
So then, on top of that was the babies, and they
were holding a smaller sheetcake that said happy birthday
Amy.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
Was it her birthday too?
Speaker 4 (28:06):
Yes, we wanted to go really far and we purchased for
$7 online voice boxes.
And we recorded ourselvessinging happy birthday.
Speaker 6 (28:14):
Dude, do you guys have too much time on your hands
?
You should like probably studymore, or something.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Yeah, probably Like how are you?
You know media majors,administration, engineering.
I'm shocked you're able to behere.
Speaker 2 (28:24):
Yeah, I'm more of like the.
We have class on Friday, theydon't, and so they'll plan all
day and then all appear, andthen we'll help.
Right exactly, but yeah so wealso.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
This was a really big party.
We invited every single personin our Catholic group chat,
every single one of them, and sothere were probably like 80
people invited.
About 20 to 30 showed up and wedidn't have enough room and we
didn't want to reveal the cakeright away when they walked in.
So we had this like closet offto the side that has no light in
it, but it was totally empty.
It's used for the churchdecorations because we live in
(28:57):
the rectory attached to ourchurch.
So it was empty for decorationsbecause it wasn't around a
holiday and we stick the cake inthe middle of this empty dark
room and we didn't have anycandles.
So we just run around the house, grab every single candle
there's all these Bath and BodyWorks candles around it we light
them and then we slowly walkeveryone into the room and we
say, all right, the babies aregoing to start us off and they
(29:20):
start singing.
They sing happy birthday.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
That was one of our greatest.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
That's crazy.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
I think that was a great win.
Speaker 5 (29:27):
I think it's just a dumb thing that takes down any
wall that anybody you invite canstraight out to come into, like
you can invite anybody to this.
It's not a thing at the church.
You don't have to know all theCatholic things.
You just come and meet otherpeople who are normal and fun,
you know Easy.
Speaker 6 (29:44):
It's also just super hilarious.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I feel like it's really hard to think that you've
failed, because when you arehosting just like fun events
that are silly and people showup, if anyone laughs, if
anything is won over any pieceof anyone's heart, it's like so
worth it because you know youcan just execute it again.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
So and I think the other thing too is like it's
just clean, right.
It's like there's no like,right.
Right, it's clean, fun, you'renot having to like.
Because I think the modernculture says, like we need to
have a drink in our hand to havefun.
Right, we need to like.
Right, do something like weneed to.
I don't know, we need to havesome sort of substance, we need
to have something like that.
It's like this is a superrandom thing, that's super fun.
People are going to rememberyou're going to make a lot of
connections because the wallsare down, because's did not like
(30:26):
it, because they said therewere too many activities.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
But, the other half had a good time, so sometimes
you know your attempts, theystill come to mass.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
So, like you know, we didn't totally lose them, but
you tried.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Yeah, you know, we just tried.
You know, sometimes you justhave to go out and do something.
I think that's what we'velearned a lot of, especially
without missionaries, Like it'svery student run.
You just have to go and startsomething and if it fails, like
who cares, try something else.
Um, like, as long as you getlike one person, like it was
worth it.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Right, and I think he just like wants us to be like
our best, like Julia, lovingselves I mean God loving Julia
and like through that like he'snot concerned about like us
following the perfect formula,but he just wants you to be your
best like God loving self, andlike that all flows, like
through that and like all thediscipleship does I feel?
Speaker 4 (31:27):
We also have a really good like one-win story.
So there's this 12-hour dancemarathon that we went to at our
campus 12 hours 12 hours.
It's a 12-hour dance marathon,fundraising for the Ronald
McDonald House, and Izzy hadthis genius idea.
Okay, so normally you'resupposed to show up as a color,
(31:47):
just a random color, one of thesix rainbow colors, and then you
join that team.
But, izzy, what was your idea?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
It was for the Ronald McDonald house.
So I was like why don't we justall show up as the Ronald
McDonald characters?
So she was Ronald McDonald, Iwas the Hamburglar, and then we
had a bunch of the younger kids.
Be all the other characters theHamburglar.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
I don't even know what that is.
He's one of the mascots for.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
McDonald's.
Speaker 6 (32:09):
We had a grimace.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
We go to McDonald's more often Running around for
like 12 hours dressed as thesecharacters, with all the younger
kids All around campus.
And then we're in an elevatorin the library and this guy
named Keith comes running overbecause he sees clowns.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
The elevator doors are closing.
We don't see anyone in thislibrary.
It's like Saturday night 5 pm,elevator doors are closing, and
it night 5 pm, elevator doorsare closing and it's like a
movie scene.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
Suddenly there's this guy, just like parting the
doors he's like wait, I saw aclown.
And then Keith comes and he'srunning around the library with
us.
And now Keith hangs out with usand like, goes to mass every
week.
He's a random guy.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
I know he lives in our like Catholic men's house.
Yeah, he joined the Catholicmen's house.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Yeah, but also I feel like we're talking about like
grand examples of like thesefunny things we come up with,
but like also like we would liketo hear about like how you make
little things like Bible studyor discipleship like fun within
that, you know, like practicalthings that can be done.
Speaker 5 (33:05):
Yeah, I mean for the girls, it's the snacks, it's all
about the snacks, you know yeah.
Speaker 6 (33:10):
Yeah for the girls.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
It's the snacks.
It's all about the snacks, youknow, yeah, um, yeah, as I try
to be as unhinged and authenticas I possibly can at the very
beginning, because the beginningof a bible study or like
discipleship or something, whengirls don't know each other,
nobody's going to share anything, um, and so the crazier I can
be, the more they're like.
(33:32):
This girl is kind of whack, soI won't be as weird as her.
I think I showed the Biblestudy I lead now a video of my.
I made a rap.
Well, I didn't make the lyrics,but I made a music video.
I made a music video of aCatholic rap to.
I'm so Fancy, wait.
Speaker 1 (33:51):
I'm so Fancy.
Yeah, is that what it says.
It's Fancy, it's Fancy.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I don't even know the other lyrics anymore.
It's, I'm so Catholic and Imade a music video with my first
year teammate, tessa, and Ishowed these Bible study girls
this and they ate it up and nowwe're vibing Good, wow, I'm just
.
I'm just super honest about mylife and, um, I think that's
what people want.
You know, like, um, we don'thave to fluff anything up, we
(34:18):
don't have to be somebody thatwe're not, um, and that just
makes other people more able andcomfortable to do that.
Yeah, what about the boys?
Speaker 6 (34:35):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know.
I'm not convinced that guysactually like snacks for Bible
study.
I'm just not, I don't know.
I just I brought them, Ibrought them before and they
don't eat them.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Men proved me wrong, I guess.
Uh, I haven't brought anysnacks this year, but uh, the
Wisconsin men look angry.
Yeah, um, I don't know.
I think, yeah, the one aspectof Bible study, um, I think I
just try to be myself.
I also think part of it's too.
(34:55):
I would just hang out with themoutside of it.
A lot of it happens outside ofit.
At Illinois, I remember one ofthe things we did early on.
The guys still give me a lot of.
They still joke with me aboutthis all the time.
But when I first got toIllinois, I was like so we moved
in this house and it was like,honestly, just a pigsty.
(35:15):
Like the yard was superovergrown, the inside was
disgusting, like it was bad, and, uh, those everyone that lived
in the house the year beforeknows that Uh, so I get there
and I'm like, well, this isgreat.
Like I want to get a bunch ofguys out here, like I want to
like build some community.
It's like we're going to have amen's work day.
I was like it's just going tobe like I'll just invite
(35:35):
everyone, I'll get all the guyshere, get a bunch of tools and
we'll just like work on the lawnfor like three hours and then
I'll like we'll cook some meatand have some mac my house for
like three hours, and they leftbefore the meal even because
they just liked working, uh.
But it was just like likelittle things like that.
And they still joke with mejust like, zach, you just got us
for free labor, like you didn'teven, you didn't even care
(35:57):
about building community.
It was just like free labor foryou.
I'm like no, I like promised tofeed you like I did.
You just left before that.
Um, like little things likethat.
It's just like I don't knowit's, it's not anything crazy,
it's just uh like living lifetogether, uh, just being normal,
and I think that just makespeople open up.
And then, like, when you haveevents like that, or like one
time I think me and a bunch ofthe guys that we played sardines
in the backyard- oh there's atiny backyard and it was
(36:20):
hilarious, you know like,because you would see everyone.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
Like, really, I'm like trying to think about where
, in that backyard, you wouldhave gone.
Speaker 6 (36:26):
There's like nowhere really to hide, but like some,
yeah, one guy I don't know ifMax is out there, but Max like
hid in this bush and we're likeI think he's not even on the
property.
We like can't find him.
But it's just like that wouldbuild community so well.
And then, like when you get toa Bible study and say everyone's
so like open, everyone's socomfortable with each other
because we all just feel like wekind of get each other, we feel
(36:46):
like we can relate, that's kindof I feel like where most of
the win aspect kind of happens,like in the Bible studies and
discipleship and that kind ofstuff.
Speaker 4 (36:54):
But yeah, I was going to say.
I think what you said reallyresonated with me, because I
remember being shocked.
This is like such a randomthing but there's this street on
our campus called Mill Streetand they have Mill Fest every
like spring and we were like ata friend's house on mill street
one time.
We weren't having a partybecause we're not kind of.
(37:16):
It was like really early in themorning when they have the
party.
So in the evening people werestill walking on the street and
we were like we have a ton ofmilk, let's do milk fest.
And we just started pouringshots of milk and we not like
shots but like little bits, youknow, and we're like who wants
free milk for milk fest?
Speaker 5 (37:33):
you're not real people, you're just unreal
people.
Yeah well, I'm a milk we we hadcookies too.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
So, yeah, we did.
It was just the things that youthink I'm like yeah, but what
zach was saying?
Speaker 4 (37:46):
I was just like people were so nervous to take
it because they were like what'sin it?
And we're like no we just wantto give you milk and cookies.
And then, when they trulytrusted us, they like stayed in
our yard for so long and theyloved that we were giving out
milk.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Yeah, and people were like asking they're like this
is so like counter-cultural.
What's going on?
We're like we're just hangingout, passing out milk, like
there's nothing to it.
Speaker 4 (38:08):
We had to go to the store to get more milk.
And now it's like I think ofthat with Bible studies.
I'm like what can I just givepeople that it's going to be
like?
I feel so just honored that youare giving me something and not
expecting something in return,not trying to harm me.
So like I baked an eggcasserole for my Bible study the
other week and I thought it waskind of, but everybody loved
(38:29):
that.
I baked them a egg casserole.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Yeah, and I feel like the simplicity of discipleship
can be so overlooked easily andit's just like when you include
people like that, it's sospecial, because one of my
favorite things about followingChrist is just being included by
Him, just having that placewith Him, and I think just the
simplicity of just lovingsomeone well and inviting them
over it's like that goes so far,not having to like do something
(38:55):
crazy, but just like invitingthem into your life.
Speaker 6 (38:58):
Yes, and I think something else that I'll try to
do, like I just try to, I try tospeak to their hearts, like,
especially when they're in Biblestudy too, it's like the one
aspect is like doing fun things,you know too, but just also
that aspect of like, yeah, my,my goal is that, hopefully, I
know their hearts and then, likeas we're walking through
scripture, I can help them likeidentify, um where they kind of
see themselves in thesescripture characters and like
kind of almost like givingChrist the opportunity to win
(39:20):
them over, uh, and just helpingthem, helping them understand,
like you know, like the Lordunderstands you, uh, and like he
sees you, and like that's acause.
I think a lot about a lot ofwinning too is just like
building trust, you know um.
So there's definitely like aspiritual element of the win
process too, but it's even likeoutside of like my relationship
with them, you know, as I helpthem build relationship, because
(39:41):
that's ultimately the goal,right, it's like I mean I want
them to be friends with me, butI definitely want them to be
friends with jesus, so much moreyou know um, and so trying to
incorporate that part of the win, which I guess you could also
cult build or whatever you want.
Again like these all kind ofoverlap and stuff.
But I think that's a big partof it too.
Speaker 4 (39:58):
Yeah, yeah.
Well, we only have about threemore minutes, I think.
Oh, wow.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
So on this podcast, at the end, we like to ask how
has God been loving you recently?
So, how has God been?
Speaker 5 (40:15):
loving you recently.
So how has God been showing youhis love at Seek this week?
I love I've loved Seek eversince I first went Um, but I
think, um, getting to come toSeek as a missionary is so fun
because I just get to seeeverybody that I love in one
place, um, and it takes meforever to get anywhere because
I'm stopped by so many people,and that's just.
My favorite thing is tointeract with people, um, so I
think that's one really basicway, um, that God's been loving
(40:37):
me at Seek, and I think, um,there's also, just like always,
a lot of restoration andrejuvenation that comes from
Seek.
Just, I get to be filled again,um, and I I'm pouring out a lot
and we want like we always wantto be filled again.
I'm pouring out a lot.
We always want to be awaterfall being poured into and
pouring out, but I think I'mjust feeling really rejuvenated.
(41:00):
The Lord is beginning to heal alot of things in me.
That's pretty fire up chips.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
Fire up chips.
So fire up chips.
Let's hear from the chips.
That's because the Lord's beenloving me.
Speaker 5 (41:10):
He's just been giving me a lot of little pieces of
healing and, oh sorry, I'm justthinking another one.
Um, it's the jubilee year ofhope and I've been praying about
hope a lot, and I was angryabout hope last semester and now
I'm excited about it good andso the lord is shifting my heart
to hope.
Speaker 6 (41:25):
That's awesome, it's great I feel like jesus is
always doing a lot, I think, oneway that he is loving me.
Sister Miriam's talk last night,at least that got to me just
like the simple line of justlike he's not forgotten you and,
yeah, I think, just likerealizing, yeah, there's still a
(41:47):
lot of parts of my heart and mylife where I desire for the
Lord to come in and heal me,restore me, make me new, Maybe
some parts of myself that I'mnot necessarily happy with.
But just like that reminder ofthe Lord Jesus just sees all
that, he knows that I don't evenlike it.
He has more patience with methan I have with myself like the
(42:08):
reminder of that and just evenjust the simplicity of adoration
last night and just likegetting to sit in a room with
the God of the universe isalmost just a like the things
that happen that I'm not evenaware of is just beautiful to me
.
And I think, just like lastnight, I was really struck by
just the idea, too, of just thewhen I end here on this earth,
(42:29):
like the opportunity of justlike getting to see him face to
face and just like that gettingto just sit in that gaze, like
his gaze and me just getting togaze at him and like the, just
the simplicity even of that andhow much that actually impacts
my heart and heals me in a lotof ways, gives me a sense of
freedom, which then allows me togo win, because I feel free and
I want to go have fun.
Right, so it all comes together, but yeah, I think that's.
(42:53):
yeah, I think that's what he'sbeen doing this week, so yeah.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Do we get to hear your guys' or not?
Time?
Speaker 4 (42:59):
I think we can go.
Speaker 6 (43:00):
Yeah, please go.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
I was going to say a very similar thing to Emily.
I have an incredible memory ofremembering faces and so I
remember a lot of people from mydifferent summers that I've
done summer projects, worked atCatholic Youth Summer Camp and
different apostolates.
But I don't always getremembered as often as I
remember people's faces.
But at SEEK it's just so manypeople that every 30 minutes I'm
(43:22):
hearing my name called outbehind me and it's just such a
reminder through God's peoplethat, like Jesus does truly know
me and he knows me through hispeople as well, that like Jesus
does truly know me and he knowsme through his people as well.
And I feel so loved hearing myname from some random guy I met
two summers ago that I don'tknow why he remembers me, but he
does and he wanted to say hi.
So that's how I've been feelingloved.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Yeah, um, I would say that God has been loving me and
comforting me a lot in like arenewal of the belief of the
power of prayer, if that madesense, um, and like just
reminding me of like theabundance that he has and having
confidence in that.
Um, it's been really powerfuland just knowing that, like, our
(44:03):
prayers are heard and answered.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
I've been feeling really loved by all of our
friends that we get to see andthen also just feeling like
grateful for like thegenerations that came before us
that have put this conference on, like they care so badly, like
to go through all this effort toput this on, and I just feel
really grateful for like thosepeople who love us well, like
our generation.
So that's how he's been showingme his love.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
All right, well, thank you guys so much.
Thank you guys for coming.
Speaker 4 (44:32):
Yeah, thanks for having us.
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
If you're interested in seeing more, we are called
knowhislove, kind of like com,On Instagram, Spotify.
We have a website.
Yeah, thank you guys.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
I'm Madeline.
I'm Julia.
I'm Izzy.
I'm Emily.
Speaker 6 (44:55):
I'm Zach.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
Have a wonderful week , have a wonderful week, come on
, thank you.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Thanks for listening to this episode recorded live at
Seek.
Miss the conference or want torelive your favorite moments?
Seek Replay has you coveredAccess, powerful keynotes,
inspiring talks and exclusivecontent to take your faith
deeper, anytime, anywhere.
Head to seekfocusorg backslashreplay to download now.
(45:27):
And don't forget to join us forSeek 26.
Check out seekfocusorg for moreinformation and to register to
download now.
And don't forget to join us forSeek 26.
Check out seekfocusorg for moreinformation and to register.
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