Financial morals

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littlebird said:
I’m not even sure if they pay for it.
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The student is responsible for paying for the trip. If they can’t afford to pay out of pocket they can “fundraiser”, but that is really soliciting help from friends, family, parishioners, etc. It would be considered a gift to the student not a donation to the charity itself.
 
I’d note that a lot of Protestant youth groups also do these mission trips that high school or college students are expected to pay similar amounts for, if they want to go. So I’m glad to see a Catholic group offering it too, because there’s definitely interest.

The purpose of the trip is to have a bit of an “ethical vacation” while giving the participants some exposure to, and participation in, mission work. Obviously if they’re just going for a short time, they’re not going to be able to accomplish great things for the people in that span of time, but they get familiar with how people in a mission area live (very differently), it’s an eye-opener for many who go, and it increases the chance that they might financially support the missions in the future, or even go into mission work. The missions typically do receive some benefit from welcoming the tour groups. And it’s a lot better pick for a trip than going to some island and drinking and shopping for a week.

Sure, the mission would get more money if instead of going on the trip, everybody just donated 1000 dollars to the mission and stayed home, but realistically, students aren’t going to do that, and there’s a lot of value in having the hands-on experience.
 
I have to say, I am surprised at how negative some people are about the mission trips. First of all, I would rather see college students go on a mission trip than on spring break somewhere. Second, if they did not choose the mission trip, they are not going to donate that amount of money to charity or to the place they would have gone. So to say that the money would have been better spent by just giving the money somewhere is pointless.
 
Can anyone find anything on their website that shows and explains what they do/give on their missions ?
 
There are a lot of people who don’t like mission trips, pilgrimage vacations etc on the basis that the money could just be donated to the poor. To each his own, but as you pointed out, many people, including young people, want to travel and see some of the world and have experiences that will stay with them.
 
On whose website? I thought this thread was about an idea in general, not a specific organization.
 
No offense, but if you’re the one concerned about the organization, you should check out their website yourself, not be looking to other posters to go do research and defend it to you.

I have no problem with what FOCUS does, and no one is being forced to donate or participate in its activities.
 
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I wouldn’t say it’s pointless. I think that $1500 cash is a little bit more useful than the American college student when someone is trying to install a clean water supply in their village.
 
It started out as a hypothetical, but then FOCUS basically became the focus (haha) of the thread.
 
The idea is that those college students will be remembering their experience and contributing when they are out of college making money. And encouraging others to contribute.
It’s marketing for the missions.
 
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No, I meant it is pointless to bring up because it is not going to happen. College kids are not going to give the cost of their trip as a donation.

The whole purpose of the mission is to help. It is not right to say this would help better. Or, we would rather just have your money. Help is valuable even if it is not as much as it could be. It isn’t right that people talk negatively when people are trying to help.
 
I did check out their website as evidenced in some of my other posts. I didn’t see anything that showed and explained what they do and give on their missions. That’s why I asked if anyone else could find anything.
 
It most probably varies depending on the particular trip and what activities are planned. For example, use of a church for Mass, an overnight for X number of students, a guide accompanying the tour for Y days, probably all have a certain dollar amount expected.
 
You have to look at each individual trip. Some are medical missions, some corporal works of mercy, some working with a particular Order of priests, brothers, or religious, etc.
 
When we took our mission trip down to Mexico, we actually spent most of the time cleaning up the shoddy shack built by another mission group, (intended to be a family’s new home). It was an incomplete mess, clearly not professionally supervised, and ready to collapse any second. I rarely get to see a grown man cry, but that’s exactly what our foreman did when he saw it.

That doesn’t make me “negative about the mission trips.” But it does make me skeptical. There’s a way to do these trips right. But they can also create some serious wrongs.

BTW, this isn’t a slam on FOCUS. I’m largely unfamiliar with their work. Not surprisingly, however, I am quite picky about vetting mission groups.
 
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The model for FOCUS is theology in a MLM format. Some like it some don’t.
 
Yeah I couldn’t help but think of like Avon and Tupperware when I first heard of them
 
The link on post #37 (or right next to it) I posted the link.

I’ve personally worked with a “mission field” where FOCUS has brought missionaries. The missionaries while there help with the sick and dying in the mission run hospice, they spend time with the overwhelming number of orphaned/abandoned children (simply pushing a swing on the playground is gold to these children). They are extra hands to serve the already existing work in the community.
 
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