Joseph Zavala

Hello, my name is Joseph Zavala and I am from Southern California. This is my second year as a FOCUS missionary. A little story about me is that a few years ago, during the quarantine, I had zero interest in diving deeper into my faith, since at the time, I thought The Lord was a demanding dictator. Because of this, I went down a path of what this confusing world had to offer, but gained no hope for my life. However, I remembered my older sister was a part of a bible study and saw that she had a great college experience through it. So I thought maybe I could feel that too. In my last year of college, the quarantine was lifted and I could attend my classes in person again. That was when I recalled what my sister had found joy in, so I sought out a bible study. When I did, that was when I first met the FOCUS missionaries and we hit it off pretty well. I found that I could actually be myself with them because they saw me for who I was. With each study, missionary event, and with the opportunity of becoming a disciple, I began to see the heart of Jesus. It was then I understood that the Lord wanted to give me life, not demand it. It was like a weight was lifted, revealing a sense of hope, trust and purpose in my life. Therefore I truly desire to share a similar experience with as many people as I can before my time is up. Hopefully through the things I enjoy doing like watching movies, going on hikes, traveling, exploring new places, and playing UNO. I am excited to serve at Western Washington University and the adventures that are in store.