Atchison, KS and North Platte, NE

On Friday, I arrived in Atchison, Kansas, to stay with the FOCUS missionaries. If you are unfamiliar with the work they do, I would suggest looking into it. They are amazing! After arriving, we ate dinner and spent the rest of the night playing ultimate ping pong and Spikeball.

On Saturday, I went to Mass then headed to Sacred Heart thrift shop where I gathered all the empty hangers from the clothing racks. After that, a group of about 25 students and missionaries drove to Lawrence, Kansas, for a “day of encounter”. After lunch and prayer, the group split up into pairs and went out to encounter people. Some had signs that said “free prayers”. Some had signs that said “free listening”. Some went out to spend time with the homeless. My partner and I were part of the “free listening” group, but we didn’t have a sign. Without a sign to bring people to us, we brought ourselves to the people! The first person we encountered was a man named John who was begging for money. He welcomed our company and chatted with us for about an hour! After that, we thanked him for visiting with us and headed off to find a new friend. After about five minutes, we met a woman named Tracy at the bus stop and spent some time with her as well. Shortly after that, the entire group met up to share stories and eat pizza. Just about every pair of people had a great story to share about their encounters!

On Sunday, I went to Mass in the morning then made the wildly exciting trip from Atchison, Kansas, to North Platte, Nebraska! If anyone is a fan of grassy meadows and nothing else, I would highly recommend this route! Once I arrived in North Platte, I waited for the priest to get back to the rectory. While I was sitting in the parking lot, the wear and tear of my trip caught up to me. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, I was exhausted. At that point, I prayed for a crazy encounter. Throughout my trip, whenever I’ve needed a boost in any aspect of my life, somebody has always come in to my life at the right time and said something crazy that made a whole lot of sense. That is the type of encounter I prayed for.

A couple hours later I called home to talk with my family. At some point, my little sister ended up talking about the homily that the priest gave at Mass that Saturday. The Gospel was about the poor widow who gave the last of her coins. In his homily, the priest challenged everyone to give the last of their efforts and energy to God. When you feel like you don’t have much left to give, that’s when you need to give the most. That was exactly what I needed to hear!

After getting off the phone, I checked my email. There in my inbox, was an email from my “encounter” partner in Kansas. It was thoughtful, uplifting, and perfectly timed. Out of all the emails that I have received in my life, that was one of the most meaningful! So there I was in North Platte, Nebraska. I asked for a crazy encounter and I got two of them! God always provides!

On Monday, I had the opportunity to speak to the 7th and 8th graders at St. Patrick’s Middle School. Since I’m not in school anymore, my talk wasn’t graded. And I didn’t do it for money, so I couldn’t get fired. The result was 50% inspirational speaking, 50% standup comedy, and 100% success! The students were respectful and asked great questions which made the hour fly by!

After the students went to lunch, I talked with one of the teachers who just so happened to be the uncle of my best friend’s girlfriend! Small world! We continued talking in the cafeteria as I enjoyed one of the greatest school lunches of all time: chicken patty on a bun!

After lunch, I headed to the Bargain Bin thrift store to volunteer. I had the opportunity to price, arrange, clean, and carry in a variety of items. Before I left the store, I went looking for an affordable suit. I found one for $2, which was within my budget, so I went to try it on. It fit like a glove! A baggy, well-worn glove. But for $2 it was well worth it. As I went to take it off, I reached in the pocket and found two one-dollar bills. Clutch!

That night, I went back to the rectory to have dinner with the two priests there. After I told them my $2 suit story, one priest had a story of his own. He told me about a man in the community who’s mental health is declining so he is starting to give away some of his money… $700,000 to be exact. He goes around leaving $700 in envelopes in churches throughout the area. A couple parishioners who found the envelopes brought them to the pastor rather than keeping them. Shortly after that, the pastor heard a woman (who had no knowledge of the money) talking about needing $700 to purchase a car. The pastor offered her the money. She declined. He said, “Trust me. This is just how it works.” Not much longer after that, the pastor heard a man talking about needing $696 to pay his bills that month. The pastor offered him the other envelope full of money. The man also declined. Once again, the pastor said, “Trust me. This is just how it works.” God works in mysterious ways, but he always provides!

After a couple crazy days in North Platte, I headed north to Box Elder, South Dakota!

Thank you to the FOCUS missionaries in Atchison for hosting me and for the work that you do! Thank you to everyone who participated in the “day of encounter”. Thank you to my little sister and my “encounter partner” for sharing the words that you did. In both cases, it was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you to everyone at the Sacred Heart thrift store. Thank you to Father Jim and Father CP for hosting me. Thank you to the staff and students at St. Patrick’s Middle School for allowing me to share my story. Thank you to everyone at the Bargain Bin thrift store. And thank you to all of you who continue to pray for me and support me!