The Big Mission of A Little Family

Hi there! My name is Gian Gamboa. I am a husband, father, campus ministry director, and graduate student of theology. I enjoy eating burgers, swimming in the ocean, and talking to people about faith and culture. My beautiful wife's name is Natalie, and we have a fun-loving son named Nolan James and a lovely daughter named Ava! 

At 14 years old, I was invited to a youth retreat that would change my life. At this retreat, I fell in love. Not with a girl... but with a particular Person. His name? Jesus. During the remainder of my teenage years and for the majority of my time in college, I wrestled to live out my faith amid modern secular culture. It was an experience that proved to be challenging, yet fruitful.

After graduating college, I began serving as a missionary for The Culture Project - an initiative of young people who set out to restore the culture through virtue and sharing the Catholic vision of the human person with other young people. Here's an example of some of my work with the organization, and how we've reached millions of youth through social media. 

Over two years, I was able to personally encounter thousands of youth and young adults all across the country and speak to them about our identity, purpose, and mission as children of God. My time with The Culture Project was transformative and revelatory. At 27 years old, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. 

I wanted to make Jesus known to anyone who would listen to me. 

I began working as the youth minister for my hometown parish, St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church in Santa Clarita, California and served there from 2018 - 2020. Since then, I've had the honor of serving as the Director of Faith Formation & Campus Ministry at St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin, TX. Over the last several years, I have encountered thousands of teenagers seeking truth, adventure, and beauty. It is with these teens that I share the wisdom of Saint Augustine when he says, “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.”  

As I have grown in the faith, journeyed with others toward Christ, and learned more about the beautiful teachings of the Catholic Church, my hunger for the Truth has only increased. The more and more I learned about Christianity, the more and more I realized how much I don't know.

Thus began my dream of studying theology. 

What followed next was a discernment process to determine where, when, why, and how I would study theology. I've since figured out 3 of those 4 metrics - the where, when, and why. What I need help with... is "how."  

WHERE: The Augustine Institute is a private Roman Catholic graduate institution in Denver, Colorado working to educate and transform students into leaders of the Church who will answer the call of Saint John Paul II for a New Evangelization. The school offers a spectacular distance education program that allows people like me who work full-time and are raising a family an opportunity to study theology at the highest level. 

WHEN: I was accepted into the program in 2019 but was unable to start due to a lack of funds and multiple life transitions (marriage and parenthood!). Currently, I plan to complete my graduate studies in 4 years, between 2020-2024. The degree I am seeking is the Master of Arts: Theology with a concentration in Sacred Scripture. While the program typically takes 2 years for a full-time student on campus, it takes approximately 4-5 years for a distance-education student who studies part-time. 

WHY: The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for" (CCC 27). All of us have a deep hunger for God. We may not know it (yet), but we starve for the Lord. It is precisely from this place of hunger that I desire to study theology. Ultimately, it is not simply a degree I am after... it is a Person. I seek Truth Himself, Jesus Christ. Not only for my sake but also for the sake of others.

I hope that as I come to better know Jesus, He will be able to more effectively use me to lead others to Him. 

HOW: Herein lies my invitation to you. Education costs money. And to put it bluntly, I do not have the funds to be able to support my graduate school goals on my own. My wife and I have saved enough to pay for the first course of the program (which I began on May 18, 2020 - thanks be to God!), but are uncertain of how to pay for the rest of the program. I would like to invite you to join us on this journey by becoming a sponsor and personally taking part in the New Evangelization. Through your financial support, we will impact a culture that is in desperate need of God. Together, we will change lives.

Join me and my little family in answering Jesus' call to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). 

Our goal is to raise $20,365 by January 1st, 2024. 

Please watch this short 2-minute video. 

Here is a detailed breakdown of the cost and expenses.  

TUITION:

$1,800/course x 13 courses remaining in program = $23,400

BOOKS & MATERIALS:

$250/course x 13 courses remaining in program = $3,250

"THE FIFTH GOSPEL"

Pilgrimage Course =  $3,700

**The Fifth Gospel is a graduate course that includes a pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by the Augustine Institute. There is one price for the pilgrimage, which includes the cost of tuition.

"ST. PAUL SCHOLARSHIP" (15% Tuition Reduction)

$23,400 x 15% = $3,510 (subtract from tuition)

**After applying for the St. Paul Scholarship (offered specifically to individuals who are employed full-time by the Church), I was granted a 15% scholarship. (Thank you, Jesus and Saint Paul!)

IN SUMMARY:  

  $23,400 (Tuition)

+ $3,250 (Books & Materials)

+ $3,700 (The Fifth Gospel)

- $3,510 (St. Paul Scholarship)

_______

= $26,840 (Total Fundraising Goal)

**DIRECT DONATIONS**

$6,475 (subtract from Total Fundraising Goal)

**Donations from sponsors who donated outside of GoFundMe.

REMAINING AMOUNT TO FUNDRAISE:  

  $26,840 (Total Fundraising Goal)

- $6,475 (Direct Donations)

_______

= $20,365 (Remaining Goal to fundraise by January 1, 2024)

Our Commitment to You: Prayer & Hard Work in Ministry

Every Wednesday, we pray specifically for the prayer intentions of our sponsors and their families at Mass. 

Thank you so much for your time and consideration. It would mean the world to me and my family to be able to financially afford this graduate education and further impact the lives of others by leading them to Christ. Your support - whether financial or through prayer - is what allows it to be possible. Please be assured of our prayers for you, and feel free to reach out anytime for questions, comments, or to simply share a prayer request. God be with you always! 

Saint Joseph, Saint John Paul II, Saint Augustine, and Our Lady... pray for us! 

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.