Illuminate: Student Leadership Summit 2012

Looking back, only by God's grace did we make it to Baltimore. The day we left there was a major snowstorm and because of the wind and snow the driving conditions were horrible. We left at noon on Friday and instead of a three and a half hour drive to the Milwaukee airport, we barely made it in five and a half hours. We literally got to the airport at 5:10pm when our flight left at 5:35pm. We didn't know if everyone was going to get through security but thanks to God we all got on the plane!

And things kept happening all weekend that made us smile and know that God planned for each and every one of us to be there!

Along with the four missionaries, myself, and ten students, we joined about 1,000 other students and FOCUS staff from across the country in Baltimore. We stayed downtown and had a great view of the harbor.

There were talks all day Saturday and Sunday and we got to hear great insights about discipleship, evangelization, prayer, and life-long mission.

Tyler had an awesome opportunity to be involved with the Varsity Catholic discussions in the afternoons. There were about 60 athletes who came to the summit and a few VC missionaries gave talks about how discipleship and evangelization relate to then. Tyler gave a talk about discipleship and how athletes have an amazing opportunity to reach out to their teammates because of the large majority of their time they are with the team.

Tyler also worked the Varsity Catholic booth a few times during the weekend. Here he is with James, a FOCUS missionary at South Dakota State.

We enjoyed being downtown Baltimore and at night ventured outside. We ate at Chipotle one night and at P.F. Chang's the other night.

On Sunday afternoon the missionary wives and newly engaged missionaries met for lunch. There are so many of us now (I don't know the numbers, but here are the ones that were at the conference.) I think in the last few months there have been 18 new engagements.

The last talk on Sunday night was by the founder of FOCUS, Curtis Martin. He was just nominated by Pope Benedict XVI to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. Curtis humbly told us he was nominated not because of who he is, but because of who we are (the students and missionaries) and the difference we are making on the college campuses.

Curtis also made the announcement that next year there will be a national conference in Orlando, Florida January 2nd-6th. He said, "There is only enough room for 6,000 people, so register early and bring your friends."

We all had a wonderful time and are excited to take what we learned to the students at Loras, namely to spread the love and message of Jesus Christ and invite students into a personal relationship with Christ and His Church.