Safety Protocol

A brief outline of the different safety precautions FOCUS Missions takes for our trips

What safety precautions does FOCUS Missions take?

We partner with a security intelligence agency that monitors all mission locations.
We work with local hosts who are aware of cultural norms and safety concerns.
We register every group with the State Department in the Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which provides the US government with our group’s location in case of an emergency.
Every international mission trip includes travel insurance while participants are outside the United States covering an array of situations, including medical emergencies and travel issues. If you have questions, contact FOCUS Missions at [email protected].
All FOCUS staff members will have their phones enabled for international use.
If FOCUS Missions becomes aware of a potentially dangerous situation before the mission trip start date, we may relocate.

Can I call home while on mission?

We ask all participants to refrain from using their phones, so please tell your loved ones not to expect to hear from you. If someone needs to contact while you are on mission, we ask that they contact FOCUS Missions. Please see “Contacting A Participant On Mission” at the end of this document.
For security reasons, we never share the numbers of FOCUS staff on mission.

What if an emergency happens on mission?

The mission director will contact FOCUS Missions, and FOCUS Missions will reach out to the emergency contact provided in the participant’s application.
In the case of a personal incident on mission (such as a severe injury), FOCUS Missions will connect the participant with his or her emergency contact.
In the case of a large-scale crisis such as a terrorist attack or natural disaster, the mission group will work with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate, FOCUS Missions, and the hosts on the ground to stabilize the situation.
FOCUS Missions will remain in communication with all emergency contacts to update them on the situation and our group’s safety.

Contacting a participant on mission

We ask that family and friends refrain from contacting participants on mission trips except in cases of extreme emergency (such as an unexpected death). Most communication can wait until the end of the trip.
During business hours, call FOCUS Missions at 303-551-7365.
After business hours, please refer to the number given to participants via email the month before the trip.
Please remember: No news is good news!

DOWNLOAD THIS GUIDE

Host	Retreat Type	Start Date	End Date
Tulane University	Way of the Disciple	09/05/24	09/07/24
University of Nebraska Lincoln	The Sanctifier	09/13/24	09/15/24
Parish Outreach	The Father’s House	09/16/24	09/18/24
Kansas State University	The Father’s House	09/20/24	09/22/24
University of Delaware	Rec	09/20/24	09/22/24
University of South Carolina – Columbia	Rec	09/27/24	09/29/24
St. Francis University	The Father’s House	10/04/24	10/06/24
Nicholls State University	The Father’s House	10/04/24	10/06/24
Northwestern State University	The Father’s House	10/11/24	10/13/24
University of Memphis	The Father’s House	10/11/24	10/13/24
Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville	The Father’s House	10/18/24	10/20/24
Ohio State University	The Father’s House	10/18/24	10/20/24
University of Dallas	The Sanctifier	10/24/24	10/26/24
Central Connecticut State University	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
Universidad de Monterrey	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
California State University – Fullerton	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
Sts. Anne and Joaquim, Fargo, ND	Way of the Disciple	11/01/24	11/03/24
University of Krems	Men’s	11/01/24	11/03/24
University of Mary	The Father’s House	11/08/24	11/10/24
DePauw University	Rec	11/08/24	11/10/24
Philanthropy Engagement	Way of the Disciple	11/15/24	11/17/24
University of Passau	Rec	11/21/24	11/23/24
Texas A&M University	The Sanctifier	02/07/25	02/09/25
FOCUS Greek Southeast	The Father’s House	02/14/25	02/16/25
FOCUS Greek Midwest	The Father’s House	02/14/25	02/16/25
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	The Sanctifier	02/14/25	02/16/25
FOCUS Greek Southwest	The Father’s House	02/21/25	02/23/25
Wayne State University	The Father’s House	02/21/25	02/23/25
University of Illinois-Chicago	The Sanctifier	02/21/25	02/23/25
Queens College of the City University of New York	The Father’s House	03/07/25	03/09/25
Nicholls State University	Way of the Disciple	03/07/25	03/09/25
Grand Valley State University	The Father’s House	03/28/25	03/30/25
University of Northern Iowa	Way of the Disciple	04/03/25	04/05/25
University of Nebraska Lincoln	The Father’s House	04/04/25	04/06/25
Arizona State University	Men’s	02/07/25	02/09/25
University of Nebraska at Kearney	Rec	09/27/24	09/29/24

Safety Protocol

What safety precautions does FOCUS Missions take?

Can I call home while on mission?

What if an emergency happens on mission?

Contacting a participant on mission

Give