Unwritten

Will and Nicole wanted nothing to do with the missionaries.They had learned how to survive on the streets of Denver — together, guarded, self-contained. Every offer of conversation met with distance. Every invitation declined.Then Nicole needed surgery.The decision didn’t go the way the missionaries had hoped. The recovery was worse than anyone expected. And still, the visits continued.Not to argue. Not to persuade. Just to stay.What followed didn’t happen quickly. It unfolded over years — in park lunches, long winters, and conversations that slowly stopped feeling guarded.Eventually, they asked for something no one saw coming.Learn More about Christ in the City here: https://christinthecity.org/Don't forget to subscribe and follow the show

In college, Sam Kolar looked like he was doing just fine.Good grades. Full social calendar. Fraternity parties. Plenty of friends. No obvious disasters.But somewhere in the middle of all of it, something felt off — a kind of restlessness he couldn’t explain and didn’t really want to examine.It wasn’t a crisis that changed him.It was a conversation.One friend had the courage to say what no one else would — about sin, about the Eucharist, about the difference between being “nice” and actually loving someone.This is a story about what happens when someone risks your approval for your freedom.And what happens when you finally stop pretending you’re fine.Subscribe/Follow for more episodes!

The underside of the 15-passenger van started screaming halfway down a hill in Western Massachusetts.They were fifteen minutes from a chocolate factory. On schedule. On mission.The noise did not belong.What followed wasn’t heroic or efficient. It was an awkward stop in a place they didn’t expect to be, a handful of small exchanges, and a day that slowly began to feel different than the one we had planned.Some inconveniences interrupt you.Others expose something you didn’t know you needed.

It was supposed to be quick.A knock. A request for gas money. A simple yes or no.The man standing there was living out of his car. He had a dog. A past he couldn’t outrun. And a story that didn’t fit neatly into the categories Matt thought he understood.What followed wasn’t dramatic. No big speeches. Just conversation. Hesitation. And a quiet invitation that could have been ignored.It didn’t feel like much at the time.

It was supposed to be a quiet flight home from Italy.Early morning. Headphones in. No conversations planned.But somewhere over the Atlantic, the man in 14C started talking.He had everything most people are told to chase — success, recognition, a life that looked full from the outside. Still, there was something unsettled underneath it.By the time the plane began its descent, it was clear this wasn’t just small talk. It was a series of conversations that kept unfolding — each one carrying a question no one was quite ready to answer.Not every seat assignment is accidental.

Less than a year after becoming Catholic, Caleb said yes to something he didn’t fully understand.New city. New community. New prayers he barely knew by heart.He didn’t want to be the weak one. The new one. The one who didn’t belong.So when training started, he pushed himself like everyone else.Minutes later, he was walking off the field on crutches.What followed wasn’t dramatic. It was slower than that. Watching instead of playing. Smiling when he didn’t feel it. Quiet doubts he wasn’t sure how to name.And somewhere in the middle of all of it, the question shifted.Maybe he wasn’t there to prove anything at all.

In this episode of Unwritten, host Trevor sits down with Craig Johring, whose life and mission have been shaped by years of walking alongside the poor in Mexico City.Craig shares the powerful story of Luis — a former street kid whose life was marked by addiction, instability, and survival on the margins. What followed wasn’t a quick fix or a feel-good moment, but a slow, demanding journey rooted in presence, love, and faith.Through his organization, Hope of the Poor, Craig describes what real transformation looks like when someone is given more than help — when they’re given dignity, accountability, and a community that refuses to give up.In This Episode You’ll Hear:❤️ What authentic love looks like when it’s lived daily🏠 Why a safe place is only the beginning of healing🤝 How accountability becomes an act of mercy🔥 Why helping others is often the final step toward freedom🙏 The quiet, faithful work that changes lives over timeThis episode is a reminder that transformation rarely happens all at once — but when someone is willing to stay, to love, and to believe, even the most broken stories can begin again.learn more about Hope of the Poor here: https://hopeofthepoor.org/

In this episode of Unwritten, a simple act of kindness opens the door to one of the most unforgettable questions ever asked on the streets.On a cold, gray November morning in Minneapolis, a tired missionary is packing up after a long day of serving the homeless — rejected, exhausted, and ready to go home. Then a voice calls out from behind him:"Hey… you got any more coffee?"What begins as a cup of hot coffee turns into a sacred encounter neither of them expected.In This Episode You’ll Hear:☕ Why small acts of mercy can change everything❄️ Life on the streets — addiction, survival, and lost dignity💔 A mother’s heartbreak over a son she longs to see again🙏 The Gospel shared in the mess, not after it’s cleaned up👀 The question that stopped everything: “Does Jesus have eyes like you?”❤️ What it means to truly see someone — beyond labels, pasts, and masksThis episode is a powerful reminder that Jesus meets us exactly where we are, that no one is beyond hope, and that sometimes the holiest moments happen on cold sidewalks with nothing more than a cup of coffee and a willing heart.Learn more about Br. Adam and his mission here: https://brotherhoodofhope.org/

In this episode of Unwritten, Trevor Barreca sits down with Melissa Sartori, who shares a quiet but powerful story of how God works long before we ever see the fruit.While serving on a small Catholic campus in the Northeast, he was tasked with reaching student athletes — a group that made up nearly a quarter of the entire student body. Many were open, curious, and eager. But one athlete, Caitlyn, always stayed just out of reach: friendly, kind, smiling… yet never willing to go deeper.Despite little visible progress, she never left his prayers. And then, on a cold November night — with plans canceled and Thanksgiving break hours away — everything changed.In This Episode You’ll Hear:🏃‍♀️ Life as a campus missionary working with student athletes🙏 What it looks like to pray faithfully when nothing seems to be happening🚪 The unexpected knock on the door that changed everything💔 Caitlyn’s story of broken relationships, addiction, and deep loneliness❤️ A raw conversation about emptiness, longing, and the desire to be loved✝️ The simple prayer that opened the door to a real relationship with JesusThis episode is a reminder that no one is a lost cause, that God is always planting seeds beneath the surface, and that our smallest prayers — even when they feel unnoticed — may be preparing the ground for something life-changing.

In this episode of Unwritten, Trevor Barreca sits down with a former Division I athlete (Dylan LaNoue) whose life revolved around performance, medals, and winning — until everything he worked for stopped satisfying his heart.Raised in a hyper-competitive, sports-centered family, his identity was built on success. Records, rankings, MVPs — all of it came true. But behind the accolades were broken relationships, family pain, loneliness, and a growing realization that achievement wasn’t enough.What followed was a slow, profound transformation — not through trophies, but through authentic friendship, prayer, and learning what it actually means to be loved.In This Episode You’ll Hear:🏅 Growing up believing your worth is earned through success🏀 A Division I athletic career that still left him empty💔 Rock bottom moments: family turmoil, heartbreak, and loneliness🤝 The friend who loved him when everything else fell apart🕊️ A chapel moment that changed how he understood God — and himself👨‍👦 A father-son relationship healed through small, faithful acts✝️ A powerful full-circle moment sponsoring his own dad into the ChurchThis episode is a moving reminder that identity isn’t built on what you accomplish, but on who you’re loved by — and how God patiently renews the mind and heart over time.

In this episode of Unwritten, host Trevor Barreca sits down with Chase Maly to share a story marked by suffering, mercy, and unexpected hope.🛵 As a high school junior, Chase was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that left him in the ICU with multiple internal injuries and overwhelming pain. In the middle of it all, he wrestled with loneliness, fear, and the question of whether his life truly mattered.🏥 During long nights in the hospital, Chase’s family never left his side—but internally, he just wanted the suffering to end.📉 Years later, after walking away from his faith and chasing success on his own terms, Chase found himself at a retreat, unsure why he was there and unsure if God still wanted him back.🌊 On a quiet walk down a dock toward the confessional, everything began to change. Through the sacrament of confession, Chase encountered God’s mercy in a way he never had before—and realized he didn’t have to carry his past alone.🔥 Now a FOCUS missionary, Chase reflects on how God used pain, patience, and people to bring him home—and how those same experiences now shape the way he walks with students who feel unseen, lonely, or stuck in suffering.Hit follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!

In this episode of Unwritten, Kyle Medlock shares the harrowing story of a single night that changed everything — a reckless decision, a violent crash, and a moment that left him with no doubt that God was real and present in his life.Just one week before his senior year of high school, Kyle said yes to a thrill that turned into a near-fatal accident on a dark country road. What followed was chaos, silence, and a miracle that would take years for him to fully understand. In This Episode You’ll Hear:🚗 A high-speed joyride that ended in a catastrophic crash💥 Kyle waking up upside down and crawling out of a crushed truck🙏 How every passenger survived — against all odds🏚️ The unexplainable detail in the wreckage that revealed God’s protection✝️ Why this moment wasn’t instant conversion, but a grace that unfolded over timeThis episode is a powerful reminder that God often moves in our lives before we know how to name it — and that some moments only reveal their meaning years later. If you’ve ever looked back and realized you shouldn’t be here, this story will stay with you.

In this episode of Unwritten, host Trevor Barreca sits down with Maggie Zarybnicky, a FOCUS missionary whose simple need for a bed turned into a jaw-dropping encounter with God’s unmistakable providence.After three months on an air mattress, Maggie finally found a last-minute discount on a real bed — but it came with a catch: a 45-minute drive, no truck, and no clear plan. What followed was a night full of strangers, faith conversations, closed stores, and a shocking act of generosity she could never have expected.In This Episode You’ll Hear:🛏️ How Maggie’s desperate need for a real bed set everything in motion🚚 The 45-minute ride with Adam, a complete stranger with a massive rusty-red truck🙏 An awkward but sincere faith conversation that opened the door to something bigger🌙 A late-evening stop at a dark strip mall… and a mattress store that should have been closed🤝 The unexpected connection between the salesman, Maggie’s chaplain, and FOCUS🎁 The moment Maggie is handed a $450 mattress and bed frame — completely free💬 Adam’s unforgettable words on the drive home: “You talked about God the whole way up here… but you won’t let Him give you a mattress.”This episode is a beautiful reminder that God provides through ordinary people, unexpected detours, and wild yeses of faith. If you’ve ever doubted that God cares about the small details of your life — this story might change everything.Hit follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!

In this episode of Unwritten, host Trevor Barecca welcomes Murphy Tinio, who shares a personal chapter that illuminates the movement of the Holy Spirit today. Murphy opens into a season of his life that felt hard and dry while serving as a second-year missionary and first-year team director in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Grappling with profound loneliness and disconnection, Murphy sought clarity during a silent retreat.His story is one of simple faith: going to prayer, asking God for what he genuinely needed, and receiving a surprising, clear answer at 3:30 a.m.. The ensuing conversation with a fellow missionary, Noah, became a crucial moment, demonstrating God’s provision for Murphy’s expressed desire for friendship.In This Episode You’ll Hear:🏙️ Murphy's struggle with loneliness and disconnection while navigating a new role and a new city, far from his small-town Kansas roots. 🕯️ The challenge of maintaining patience and hope when coming to prayer during long periods of feeling like God wasn't speaking. ⏰ The pivotal moment at 3:30 a.m. in the crypt chapel when God clearly responded to his heartfelt question about loneliness. 🗣️ God’s instruction to Murphy: "Go and talk to them", leading to an "awkward question" posed to Noah at the final meal. 🫂 The joy and support found in the friendship that blossomed from that honest prayer, providing connection in a way he wasn't able to with others. ✨ The realization that God was providing for him in all the little ways he was asking for, confirming that God is good and trustworthy.If you love stories of finding clarity in difficult seasons, recognizing God’s provision in the details of everyday life, and learning to go to prayer for what you genuinely desire, this episode will strengthen your conviction that God is still at work and shows up as a good father.

Macy had been showing up. Asking questions. Opening up.Then one day, she stopped.No warning. No explanation. Just silence.Months later, she came back — carrying something no one expected, and a decision that would change more than her own future.What followed wasn’t neat. It wasn’t predictable. It was a series of small invitations, reluctant yeses, and one moment that almost didn’t happen at all.Some stories don’t unfold the way you plan.They unfold the way you’re willing to walk.

🎉 The SEEK Podcast is now the Unwritten Podcast, presented by FOCUS! Follow us here to keep getting new stories of God's grace active in the world.On this episode of Unwritten, host Trevor Barreca welcomes Leah Nielson, a missionary who shares a story of radical spiritual transformation experienced through persistent prayer at the University of North Dakota (UND). Leah, a former sorority member, was placed at UND between 2015 and 2017, where she chose to pray daily during her Holy Hour for just three women from the Alpha Phi house. She sought the intercession of St. Philomena, an early Christian martyr, believing her simplicity and love of Jesus were exactly what sorority women needed. Despite the house being known as one of the "more party type of houses," Leah stuck to her specific prayer. The profound affirmation of this miracle came in the spring of 2017: a woman Leah was discipling revealed something about herself that Leah will never forget.Join us as SEEK26! Use this link to register: http://bit.ly/3IPoew4Use Promo Code REPLAY for Exclusive Pre-SEEK Content, and a chance to win one of three $100 vouchers to shopfocus.org 🎥 Also - We are doing a short VIDEO series! Please enjoy visually engaging with some of our storytellers.

🎉 The SEEK Podcast is now the Unwritten Podcast, presented by FOCUS! Follow us here to keep getting new stories of God's grace active in the world.Join us as SEEK26! Use this link to register: http://bit.ly/3IPoew4Use Promo Code REPLAY for Exclusive Pre-SEEK Content, and a chance to win one of three $100 vouchers to shopfocus.org 🎥 Also - We are doing a short VIDEO series! Please enjoy visually engaging with some of our storytellers.In this episode of Unwritten, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories of the movement of the Holy Spirit in the world today, host Trevor Barreca welcomes Ryan Noll. Ryan discusses his experience working in campus ministry at NYU and the difficult lesson he learned about control and faithfulness.Whether seeking stories of God at work or evidence of the movement of the Holy Spirit, this conversation demonstrates what happens when a campus minister believes that people's encounters with Jesus are "solely dependent on whether or not you are a good instrument in the hand of God". Ryan shares the story of Nick, a new student with blue hair, who found the Catholic Center via a quick Google search and seemed highly intrigued by the faith.Ryan invested five months into discipling Nick, only to be heartbroken on April 27th, 2017, when Nick delivered a "breakup" gift of chocolates, a letter, and his grandfather's Catholic Bible, deciding instead to join a non-Catholic ministry. Ryan believed he would never see the "fruit of the work" or know the rest of Nick's faith journey. Ryan's struggle reveals how God works behind the scenes. After a year and a half of silence, Nick reappeared at Mass and asked Ryan to be his sponsor into the Catholic Church that Easter. This powerful encounter affirms that God is faithful and loves people more than we do. Ryan realized he had been entrusted with Nick and with Nick's family heirloom—the word of God—until the right time. The story encourages listeners to never give up hope on those who seem closed off, reminding us that Jesus is still doing and saying many things in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.Hit follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes! Find us at seekreplay.com.

🎉 The SEEK Podcast is now the Unwritten Podcast, presented by FOCUS! Follow us here to keep getting new stories of God's grace active in the world.Join us as SEEK26! Use this link to register: http://bit.ly/3IPoew4Use Promo Code REPLAY for Exclusive Pre-SEEK Content, and a chance to win one of three $100 vouchers to shopfocus.org 🎥 Also - We are doing a short VIDEO series! Please enjoy visually engaging with some of our storytellers.In this episode of Unwritten, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories of the movement of the Holy Spirit, we hear from Niru De Silva to discuss his profound healing journey following profound pain and loneliness as a new missionary. Whether seeking stories of God at work or the movement of the Holy Spirit, this conversation demonstrates what happens when someone who has already given his life to God and moved across the country to serve the Lord on a college campus experiences a crisis of faith. Despite his deep conviction, Niru endured such hardships and obstacles that he looked up one day and thought, "Why am I doing this?". After multiple rejections had eroded his sense of self-worth, he found his own life felt like a "living hell", even praying in desperation for death, saying, "God, I would never commit suicide, but it'd be really great if the next time I opened my eyes, I was in heaven".Niru De Silva's encounter reveals how the Lord’s invitation provides a sign that keeps one going, leading to a slow, deep transformational journey of healing that restores identity and affirms that God is the healer.Hit follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!

🎉 The SEEK Podcast is now the Unwritten Podcast, presented by FOCUS! Follow us here to keep getting new stories of God's grace active in the world.🎥 Also - We are doing a short VIDEO series! Please enjoy visually engaging with some of our storytellers.In this episode of Unwritten, host Trevor Barreca sits down with Lizzi to discuss her profound conversion following trauma and a pursuit of worldly success.Whether seeking stories of God at work or the movement of the Holy Spirit, this conversation demonstrates what happens when someone overcomes adversity of insurmountable capacity but remains unsatisfied and searching for what they were made for. Lizzie's encounter reveals how the Lord’s invitation lifts the pressure of expectations and leads to fulfillment through full-time ministry.What You’ll Hear:The disruption of Lizzie's life by a traumatic brain injury led to emotional anguish and a lost sense of identity. Despite achieving success by transferring to UC Berkeley, she felt perpetual pressure, loneliness, and eventually abandoned her Catholic faith.How her practical father, who used her as a "guinea pig," arranged a 4-week FOCUS mission trip to Southeast Asia, forcing her to pack a Catholic Bible despite her having abandoned Mass and faith.The pivotal moment in a humid Singapore chapel where she was flooded with joy and heard God say something she'll never forget. Hit follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!

Hang Out With Us at SEEK26: http://bit.ly/3IPoew4In this episode of Unwritten, Trevor Barreca sits down with John Paul JP Hernandez to talk about how a simple game of Monopoly led a grandson to witness his grandpa's faith journey and miraculous conversion.Whether you're looking for stories of God at work in the world today, or just curious about the transforming power of divine mercy, this conversation will demonstrate how encountering God's mercy can unwrite years, decades, of habitual ways of living and lead you outside of yourself to give yourself away to others.What You’ll Hear:• The story of JP's grandfather, Carlos, who struggled with childhood trauma after his father stepped out on him, but eventually underwent a dramatic transformation from a man of severity to one who was loving, understanding, and empathetic.• How reading the book The Return of the Prodigal Son helped Carlos gain the capacity to forgive his father and have mercy on himself, leading him to become an "everyday saint" and a man profoundly intimate with God.• Stories of Carlos' constant evangelization and generosity, including his routine visits to support a struggling single mother with a son who had special needs, how he led a Muslim friend to attribute her healing from cancer to his intercession, and the mysterious final words his baby niece spoke, "For the Lord's sake, amen".Hit follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!