Mission year end wrap up and looking forward to 2017
Happy New Year!

2016 has come to an end and we move into 2017. It has been an active year of missions and 2017 looks to be just as active. The articles below wrap up the year and look to what’s planned for 2017. Happy New Year from the missions team here in the office, Bruce, Nancy, and Sharon.
The University Mission to Bacolod, Philippines is on the ground in the Philippines! As I write this they have very successfully completed their first day in the field. As in past years the team will build homes for those who are most in need. They left from O’Hare last Thursday afternoon and got to see the New Years fireworks as they came into Manila at midnight. What a way to start their mission going from 2016 to 2017 as they touch down in Manila. We’ll publish updates as we get them. You can also monitor the Partnership in Mission Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DOJPIM/) for updates posted from the field. Please hold the team in your prayers. They return home on January 10th.
 
Not to be out done the University Mission to Sucre, Bolivia is in preparation for its June mission. The mission dates are June 4th through June 17th. They have their information meeting on Monday January 16th at the Blanchette Catholic Center at 6:00pm. They will discuss their plans for the various activities and outreach during the mission. Check out their web page at www.dioceseofjoliet.org/umbolivia .
The Navajo construction mission is preparing to start its formation process. We will have two information evenings. The first is January 10th and the second is January 18th. You may come to either information meeting to find out about the mission. The information meetings will cover all dates and requirements of the mission. This year the mission will leave for Chinle, Arizona on June 10th and returns on June 23rd. 
On January 27th the medical/construction/outreach mission will be leaving for Borongan, Philippines. We have a large team this year. A total of 53 team members from around the world will come together in Borongan. We will work with our partners, The Diocese of Borongan and Oikos Sisters, to provide medical, construction, and outreach services to the people of Eastern Samar. We hope to report daily on our activities, internet permitting. The team returns to Chicago on February 11th.
What about Bolivia? Don’t worry everything is good. The first Bolivia formation meeting is scheduled for January 19th. As our longest running mission will return to Sucre on April 22nd. We again will have surgery, clinics, dentistry, construction, and outreach. The Water With Blessings program is a recent success story in Sucre. We have brought several hundred water filters and empowered women to make positive changes in their communities. We will return to Chicago on May 6th just in time for Mother’s Day.
We continue to partner with the Mennonite Disaster Service to help repair and rebuild homes damaged and/or destroyed by natural disasters in the United States. We look for mission opportunities in the spring and fall of the year. Because these missions are based on the number of natural disasters in the Unites States, notice of these missions are usually very short. If you would like to be on a list of missioners interested in these missions send an email to   missions@dioceseofjoliet.org . As availability for these mission becomes available we’ll contact you as we get notice of available work days. We are also looking into assisting with home repairs in the Hopkins Park area. We participated in this area several years ago. We are currently completing an analysis to see if this would be a possible local area we could work. Stay tune for more information as it develops.
Our dream to return to Africa is moving ahead. If you or anyone you know is interested in a medical mission to Uganda please reply to bcarlson@dioceseofjoliet.org . We would like to send a surgical team at the beginning of October this year. Based on replies and interest will determine the final type of medical team that goes to Uganda.
Finally as we move into our 24th year of mission the opportunities for mission abounds. Many people come and ask if we could send a mission to some place they know that is in need. I would love to say yes, but it’s just not possible. We simply don’t have the resources to do it. I do believe there are resources out there we can tap into to improve our current missions and possibly add a new mission or two. It obviously will take more people to commit their time and talents to missions.  We can always use new faces on mission. But we also need help to promote missions to people, can you share a story about a mission? We recently moved the medical supply room, we could use help to get it reorganized again. Are you a writer? How’s your social media skills? Everywhere you look you see people on their phones, iPads, tablets, could you help us get the word out through these devices? How is mission calling you to action? Going on mission, staying here and helping support missions, we can use you. Drop  me a note (bcarlson@dioceseofjoliet.org) and let’s see what you can do!

We would also like to hear about our mission members. If you know someone who is ailing or passed away please let us know so we can hold them in prayer. May you come to know God’s blessings are always flowing on you this coming year of 2017 and in the future. 
Our Global Mission Sites

Sucre, Bolivia - Navajo Nation, Arizona - Bacolod and Borongan, Philippines - Kenya and Uganda, East Africa - Natural Disaster Recovery, USA,
"MissionX"  High School Missions throughout the Joliet Diocese
Partnership in Mission is an outreach of the Office for Human Dignity
Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois, USA

Bruce Carlson, Administrator
 Nancy Schramm, osf, Formation Director
Thomas L. Garlitz, Executive Director
 | 815-221-6258 | Fax - 815-221-6088 | missions@dioceseofjoliet.org| www.dioceseofjoliet.org/missions
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