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FOCUS Missions announces 2021 mission trips to serve those in need

• January 27 , 2021 Summer mission trips deadline Feb. 15 DENVER – FOCUS Missions is the largest Catholic missions program and one-third the size of the Peace Corp. Since 2004, more than 12,000 college students, chaplains and FOCUS missionaries have served on more than 700 FOCUS mission trips around the world. FOCUS Missions is moving forward with an updated 2021 program that will involve hosting nearly 100 mission trips in the United States and around the world to serve the poor and share the message of the Gospel.   Nearly 30 domestic trips are planned for winter and spring break, which are open to students residing within the United States. Among the nearly 70 summer trips currently scheduled, Japan, Jordan and Medjugorje are three new locations that will host mission trips. The deadline for summer mission trips is Feb. 15.   FOCUS Missions has always partnered with existing Catholic ministries that understand the unique needs of each community and ensure projects are sustainable. A new domestic partner organization for 2021 is Family Missions Company. Mission trip participants will work closely with FMC in Abbeville, La., to proclaim the Gospel and serve the poor.  The top priority of FOCUS Missions is the safety of participants, staff and the people in local communities who are encountered on mission. Keeping in mind safety guidelines and travel restrictions, the FOCUS Missions team will continue to work closely with domestic and international hosts throughout the upcoming mission program year. FOCUS mission trips will operate within COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions as determined by location.  FOCUS Missions will continue to purchase travel insurance on behalf of all participants. Additionally, FOCUS Missions has added “cancel for any reason” insurance options that are recommended for all participants to protect the financial gifts of mission partners who donate to cover the cost of the trips. More information on insurance programs is at focusoncampus.org/missions/insuring-your-trip. Details about FOCUS mission trips, along with applications for summer trips (deadline Feb. 15), can be found at focusoncampus.org/missions/trips .

An Inside Look At A Mission Trip To Mexico City

by Angela Wasko Evangelization , Social Justice

In early March, our group of 27 students and missionaries from the country embarked on a week-long Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) Mission trip to Mexico City. As we piled off the bus at the city dump on our first day, no one was prepared for what we were about to see. Over 1,000 people live in the dump, collecting recyclables for an income, living in shacks and raising their small children.

The smells were horrid, but the smiles were unforgettable.

Craig Johring, founder Hope of the Poor , grinned from ear to ear as he greeted his friends who quickly made their way out of the massive piles of trash and into the chapel (made of garbage) to celebrate Mass and share tacos together.

“I love coming to the dump, because I get to encounter Jesus. I want you to encounter Jesus in the poor.”

Craig repeated this statement over and over, drilling it into our heads. He visits the dump on a weekly basis to encounter others – and encounter Jesus in them. Hope of the Poor identifies the greatest needs in the community and works with those who once lived on the street to help facilitate mission trips.

Since 2004, more than 7,000 college students and FOCUS missionaries have served on more than 400 FOCUS Mission trips around the world, reaching out to some of the most impoverished people on the planet and cultivating a heart for the poor. 

During the 2017 – 2018 academic year, FOCUS Missions is hosting more than 130 trips in nearly 50 countries. FOCUS Missions coordinates several FOCUS Greek trips and sports camps for student-athletes in conjunction with Varsity Catholic. Medical mission trips to Peru, Argentina and Uganda give students in the medical field an opportunity to share their medical skills and the love of Christ.

During this mission trip, students served the poor, both spiritually and physically. We shared meals and entered into conversations about Jesus. We prayed, kicked the soccer ball and held hands with community members of all ages.

Fr. Gabriel, C.F.R. joined our FOCUS Mission team and celebrated Mass daily for us, sometimes twice, both in English and Spanish. He reverently celebrated the anointing of the sick with half a dozen women dying – a moment I will never forget. Many appeared unconscious, but when it was time to say “Amen” a small subtle voice could be heard from the dying. The veil between heaven and earth felt near.

By the end of our Mexico City FOCUS Mission trip, our group realized that we had encountered the physically poor in Mexico City, but our “own Calcutta” as Mother Teresa said, was waiting for us back on college campuses, where the spiritually poor are in desperate need of the love, mercy and truth of Christ. As a team, our group committed to finding new ways to reach friends and family to share the joy of the Gospel.

This is a guest post written by Angela Wasko. Angela started her career in sunny Los Angeles at TOMS Shoes as an ecommerce merchandiser. She drove sales for the infamous “with every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.” Following her time in California, Angela did contract work for Alternative Appeal, a sustainable apparel company, and Humanum, an international interreligious colloquium. She then landed a role at 3M in Minnesota, where she helped construct a robust social media program. After a two years in corporate America, she felt the call to work for the Catholic Church and currently leads social media for FOCUS.

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Angela Wasko started her career in sunny Los Angeles at TOMS Shoes as an ecommerce merchandiser. She drove sales for the infamous “with every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.” Following her time in California, Angela did contract work for Alternative Appeal, a sustainable apparel company, and Humanum, an international interreligious colloquium. She then landed a role at 3M in Minnesota, where she helped construct a robust social media program. After a two years in corporate America, she felt the call to work for the Catholic Church and currently leads social media for FOCUS.

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Experience Mission is an interdenominational missions organization that partners with groups of all different Christian denominations and backgrounds, including Catholic youth and adults! Bring your team to serve in a cross-cultural setting and live out your faith in a tangible way on a mission trip or join a 1-9 IMMERSION program for young adults.

What does it look like for a Catholic mission trip team or individual to serve with Experience Mission? On most of our mission trips, volunteers are connected to local Christian churches and ministries of many different denominational backgrounds. This is an opportunity to step out of our normal routine, serve others, and live into life-changing cross-cultural experiences—whether in homes, on the street, or in the pews.

Many volunteers from Catholic contexts or backgrounds have served with EM on short-term trips and IMMERSION programs and found their experiences to be transformative. Click below to explore mission trips with EM!

You must have a group size of at least 6 members to join this trip. Please view the Small Team trips or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414 .

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