Unwritten

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.

In this episode of Unwritten, Eileen Piper shares a story of God’s unstoppable pursuit — one that starts with a young woman’s disappearance and ends in a powerful family conversion you truly couldn’t script.Eileen walks with Macy, a young woman hungry for faith… until a sudden crisis causes her to vanish. Months later, Macy returns with a life-changing secret — and a courage that draws both Eileen and her boyfriend Marshall into a story only God could write.In This Episode You’ll Hear:👣 Macy’s journey from Bible study to disappearance to courageous return🤰 The moment Eileen learns Macy is pregnant — and chooses to walk with her📆 How an invite to a SEEK conference set off a chain of miracles✈️ Marshall’s wild attempt to avoid the conference (Florida? California?)🔥 The adoration moment where Marshall encountered Jesus and everything changed⛪ The incredible aftermath: conversion, marriage, children, and a family living boldly👨‍👦 How Marshall now mentors Eileen’s own son — completing the full circle of graceIf you love stories of conversion, providence, and God’s relentless goodness, this episode will strengthen your faith and remind you just how deeply the Holy Spirit moves in ordinary lives every day.

🎉 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.