The first thing Adriana Lazalde did after being assigned to be a Catholic missionary at Wichita State University was “figure out where Kansas is on the map.”
Less than two months ago, Lazalde, along with Jose Gonzalez, Alexis Cherveny and Kayla Fleming, were strangers going through missionary training in Nebraska.
After receiving a collective assignment to work at WSU, the four were told to move to Wichita and work in the St. Paul Catholic Student Center on campus. They’ve been living in Wichita for four weeks and are already acclimating.
“It’s kind of like a shock factor at first, but then you kind of grow as friends,” Cherveny said.
For the next year, Gonzalez, Cherveny, Fleming, and Lazalde will lead a Bible study at the student center, while fundraising for rent and other living expenses.
“All missionaries have to fundraise an entire salary, a year’s worth salary, through what’s called mission partners, so people who are walking with us on mission, providing us with financial support,” Gonzalez said.
Training
The four missionaries come from across the country — Gonzalez and Lazalde are from California, Cherveny from South Dakota, and Fleming from Nebraska.
They work for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), a Catholic outreach program targeted at college students. After participating in FOCUS throughout college and graduating last year, they all signed up for training and were assigned to Wichita State University at the beginning of this summer.
“The organization that we work for, they take a lot of time to pray for each new hire (that) … it’s an area they would thrive in, or that they would do helping the students there very well,” Cherveny said. “And so just through tons of conversations with higher-ups and prayer, they decided that we would be a really great team here in Wichita. It’s been amazing.”
During training, missionaries go through an interview process and psych evaluation to ensure they’re prepared to lead the students at their university. Ryan Haskell, who has been a FOCUS missionary on campus for two years, said the most important skill is having good relationships with others.
“If you’re not able to have a conversation, not able to just say hi or smile as a person, you’re not going to listen to it,” Haskell said. “So just being able to value the person that’s in front of you … That is one of the easiest and one of the best goals.”
Adjusting to Wichita
None of the four new missionaries have lived in Wichita before. Their adjustment period is still ongoing, including learning about local crops.
“I was like, ‘What is that? A bushel of wheat?’” Lazalde said.
Fleming comes from a small town. She said she was initially intimidated by living in a big city but quickly discovered that Wichita doesn’t feel like a stereotypical metropolis.
“I’m surprised that Wichita has felt like a big, small town,” Fleming said.
Lazalde said the people in Wichita are nicer than in California. That applies to personal interactions and at the wheel.
“The other day, I was driving, and I turned on my blinker, and someone just let me in,” Lazalde said. “And I’m like, ‘What is that?’”
Gonzalez said his hometown looks similar to Wichita, with plains and farmland. The weather, however, is a little different.
“There’s a lot more thunderstorms out here than in California,” Gonzalez said. “We have thunderstorms, but they’re not like this … You see lightning, and you’re hearing it all the time, and that’s just been great.”
Motivation and mission
To give up outside life and be assigned to become a missionary on a college campus requires a deep belief in the mission of the church. Fleming said St. Paul’s is a place to be seen and heard by others.
“This is a place that you can come and be completely yourself, but also find that relationship that you were also created for, which is the Lord,” she said.
When asked what motivates her to continue with missionary work, Cherveny had a simple answer.
“We love God,” she said. “We believe that God has something greater for every single person, and we’re here to make that known.”
