frontierallianceinternational

[frontierallianceinternational]

Women’s Role in Missionary Efforts

Christianity considers men and women to be equal before God, as both of them were created in God's image. However, Christianity also acknowledges the unique responsibilities of men and women in the family, in society, and mission activities. So, it is important to highlight and acknowledge the various contributions of women to missionary activities.

In the Bible, women were actively involved in missionary activities. For instance, the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well was said to have gone about telling people about him. Similarly, several women were recorded to have traveled with Jesus as he spread the Gospel across Israel. When Jesus was resurrected on the third day, a woman, Mary Magdalene, was responsible for sharing this good news with the disciples. Many of these women were martyred and condemned to death for their contributions to the faith.

From the Bible times into the second century, women were an integral part of missionary activities. However, the Reformation affected the active role women played in missionary efforts. The reformers believed that women should focus solely on supporting the home and their husbands. The Reformation significantly prevented thousands of women from actively engaging in missionary activities. Some were only given the opportunity to be part of missionary efforts because of their husbands.

Women play a very instrumental role in church planting. Women have been instrumental in mentoring and nurturing other young women to lead new congregations while juggling ministry activities with family life. For instance, in Titus 2:4-5, Paul acknowledges the contribution of elderly women in teaching younger women how to engage in ministry and manage their families.

Similarly, many women actively open up their houses to be used for missionary activities. They are actively engaged in receiving missionaries and shielding missionaries who are fleeing persecution. Similarly, in the Bible, women like Lydia and Priscilla played host to several missionaries. Believers who were fleeing persecution sought refuge in their homes. They also organized meetings where they encouraged Christians to engage in evangelism.

Women's contributions to missionary work have also been instrumental in regions of the world where women are not allowed to have direct physical contact with men other than their fathers and brothers. Female missionaries were instrumental in bringing Western education to these communities, and they also provided these communities with access to basic healthcare while propagating the Gospel.

Women missionaries were historically known for their developmental approach to mission work. They emphasized preaching the Gospel while meeting the developmental needs of their host communities. They provided health care, set up schools, and met the socio-economic needs of their host communities. They were also known for fighting racial discrimination and segregation of the poor in their host communities.

Women missionaries also played an important role in spreading the Gospel in hostile communities. Men missionaries were often suspected of being spies and colonizers. However, some of these communities extended more grace to female missionaries. This meant that female missionaries were treated with less suspicion, and they were given more freedom to carry out missionary activities, unlike the men.

Today, despite the challenges that come with being a woman in a male-dominated endeavor, more women across the world are actively heeding God's call. They are preaching the message of hope and salvation while also contributing to getting thousands out of poverty.

[frontierallianceinternational]

The Work of Humanitarian Aid Organizations

Humanitarian aid involves conducting an initial rapid needs assessment that enables assistance provision to people affected by different disasters such as climate change, political instability and war, and drought and famine. Humanitarian aid organizations deliver food and other items to beneficiaries selected through elaborate criteria that identify those who are least able to fend for themselves.

When these organizations respond to humanitarian situations, they pay attention to the affected communities’ specific needs and coordinate their work, ensuring they are as helpful and efficient as possible. Importantly, these entities strive to support local markets and avoid providing unnecessary goods while responding to various humanitarian situations.

Humanitarian aid offers solutions to short-term humanitarian needs. In contrast, development aid addresses underlying and systemic issues in an attempt to offer long-term solutions.

There are different types of humanitarian aid. To begin, the availability of food is among the necessities affected by disasters. Notably, people in disaster-prone areas are likely to suffer from undernourishment. The World Food Programme (WFP) leads global food provision efforts. Every year, it distributes more than 15 billion food rations.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in three people can’t access safe water, with women being the most affected during crises. Additionally, women spend a large part of their time fetching water for their families, which keeps them and their families in an endless poverty loop. Humanitarian organizations fund water systems and provide water filtration systems.

Access to safe water and sanitation are related. The lack of safe water exacerbates sanitation and hygiene issues, especially during crises. Additionally, epidemics and pandemics, population movement, and rapid unplanned urbanization influence safe water provision. WHO reports that 2 billion people globally have no access to proper sanitation, with a third of these living in rural areas in least developed countries (LDCs). Humanitarian aid helps provide efficient sanitation systems and hygiene education.

During crises, children become vulnerable, and their human rights often are not respected. As a result they may suffer more than adults, including from malnutrition. Organizations such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) focus on children’s needs and provides them with food, shelter, and medical care, among other basic needs.

When people get displaced during crises such as conflict and war, they lack shelter. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), also called the UN Refugee Agency, distributes shelter items, including plastic sheeting and tents to displaced groups.

When setting up camps for refugees, UNHCR considers several things. First, it considers how such communities can avoid fires that can destroy the environment. Second, they consider how people in these camps can avoid spreading disease. Third, they prioritize women and girls care and safety in their efforts. In some cases, they may provide hotel rooms as shelter.

Food insecurity results from agricultural problems. Drought, famine, conflict, and food crop diseases affect food security. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provides humanitarian aid to farmers in affected areas in the form of seed kits, barbed wire, home garden kits, livestock, and water pumps.

Humanitarian organizations also provide medical care. Their activities in this area include sending medical personnel, medical items, and materials to crisis and disaster areas. They also raise funds. While humanitarian aid’s success during severe crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic remains unseen, humanitarian organizations have contributed to other initiatives for crises not as severe as COVID-19. For instance, the Guinea worm eradication campaign was a medical aid initiative that reduced the disease from 3.5 million cases in 1986 to 27 cases in 2020.

Similar to other individuals who are victims of crises and disasters, refugees are a high priority for humanitarian aid organizations. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has for the past 80 years assisted refugees with their economic well-being, education, and health care. The IRC also focuses on women and girls owing to their vulnerability compared to other groups.

Humanitarian organizations organize blood donation drives and visits to elderly people. They also facilitate food and other item donations from individuals. Moreover, they support other organizations that assist people during times of need.

[frontierallianceinternational]

What You Should Know about Christian Missions

A Christian mission is an organized effort to provide humanitarian aid by gospel-propagating missionaries. Additionally, a Christian mission acts as a bridge between Christian missionaries and the people they serve. Christian mission organizations provide missionaries with training and logistical support.

Christian humanitarian principles are rooted in Biblical teachings. These principles emphasize the need for charity and trace their origins to the Old and New Testaments. For instance, the book of Exodus in the Old Testament mandates Christians to allocate portions of their tithes to assist the needy, including orphans, widows, and foreigners.

In the New Testament, Jesus extends compassion to enemies and people living in marginalized communities. This is evident in the Sermon on the Mount and the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Catholic monasteries and Protestant churches with deacons also practice this philanthropic tradition.

The 19th century witnessed the rise of Christian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and Caritas. These organizations gained prominence in the 1970s, with evangelical-led initiatives such as providing medical assistance to underserved communities.

Some Christian missions are sending agencies, while others emphasize networking and support. Christian mission-sending agencies aid missionaries in entering the field quickly by offering training, support, resources, and on-site direction. They advise on navigating life abroad and facilitating effective ministry while fostering disciple-making. Besides providing humanitarian aid, Christian missions promote justice and advocacy and provide education and training. They also offer medical and healthcare services.

Christian missions are usually among the entities fighting oppression, inequality, and injustice. They also advocate for social justice. In doing all these, they promote dignity, equality, and human rights, fulfilling the Biblical mandate of seeking care and justice for marginalized and vulnerable individuals.

With education and training, Christian missions undertake educational initiatives, including setting up schools, developing and organizing literacy programs, and teaching practical skills that enhance underserved individuals’ lives. Indeed, education is a catalyst that empowers people to overcome challenges, creating bright futures for individuals and communities.

Some Christian missions also provide medical and healthcare services through preventive care programs, mobile health units, and medical clinics. Aside from enhancing access to healthcare, these missions also offer medical supplies and run health awareness and education programs.

A Christian missionary has several responsibilities concerning their communities, including collaboration and empowerment, cultural sensitivity, ethical conduct, and relationship building. To begin, collaboration and empowerment require that a missionary refrains from presuming superiority and imposing their ideas.

Instead, they should collaborate with local individuals, churches, and organizations. It is also important that they prioritize local leader empowerment and foster self-sustainability. The objective is to provide communities with the tools and support needed to address challenges without external help.

Additionally, Christian missionaries should observe sensitivity and respect for the traditions, beliefs, and practices of the communities they serve. It is vital that they actively seek a local culture’s understanding, acquire local language proficiency, and adjust their communication methods so that they can achieve meaningful dialogue.

Regarding ethical conduct, Christian missionaries should maintain strict ethical principles in their engagements with others. They must exhibit transparency, honesty, and accountability in managing resources, finances, and personal behavior. Respect for individuals’ dignity and autonomy should guide their conduct. They should also avoid any coercion or manipulation.

Last, creating significant connections with the individuals they assist is another essential factor. Christian missionaries must strive to build trust, engage in active listening, and grasp a particular community’s requirements and aspirations. Adopting a local viewpoint allows missionaries to tailor their initiatives effectively, addressing the challenges that communities encounter.

[frontierallianceinternational]

Reasons Why Jesus Performed Miracles

Frontier Alliance International is a Christian nonprofit mission based in Jackson, Wyoming, committed to reaching out to areas worldwide where the gospel has not reached. Focusing on the Middle East conflict region, Frontier Alliance International believes miracles are important in spreading the gospel worldwide.

A miracle is a phenomenon that doesn’t conform to the laws of nature. Jesus performed various miracles during his earthly ministry, including healing, resurrection of the dead, nature miracles, and casting out evil spirits. The following are some of the reasons why Jesus performed miracles:

To show compassion

Jesus performed miracles as an act of God’s love and kindness. On numerous occasions, he used miracles to help people in distress, such as healing a man suffering from leprosy. Messiah’s miracles happened anywhere and at any time.

Confirm his Identity

Jesus performed miracles to prove his identity as the Son of God. Prophet Isaiah had prophesized many years before Jesus was born about a Messiah to come and heal people suffering from any disease or illness. His miracles were a fulfillment of prophecy.

It was his Nature

God created everything, including the heavens, earth, stars, sun, and moon, by the words of his mouth. He designed the laws of science and physics governing the world and domineering each creation, demonstrating his power and authority. Since Jesus is God, miracles were ordinarily part of his nature and character, which makes human beings adore him.

[frontierallianceinternational]

Barzani Charitable Foundation Supports Children with Autism

A Christian mission organization headquartered in Jackson, Wyoming, Frontier Alliance International works in areas of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to advance the mission of Jesus Christ. Dedicated to humanitarian relief and educational training, Frontier Alliance International partners with organizations such as the Barzani Charitable Foundation (BCF).

In operation since 2005, BCF provides a variety of support services for citizens of Kurdistan. Committed to education and development, the organization recently celebrated the graduation of six students with autism from the UAE Autism Centre, opened in 2021 as a collaboration between BCF and the United Arab Emirates Consul General in the Kurdistan Region.

The UAE Autism Centre relies on volunteers and teachers to implement an appropriate and effective special education curriculum for students with autism. The six graduating students will transition to regular schools to continue their studies. More than 550 children with autism are on the waiting list for admission to the UAE Autism Centre.

[frontierallianceinternational]

Fighting Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is one of the most disruptive social ills, particularly for vulnerable groups in any society. According to USAID, 70 percent of trafficked victims are women and children who are then subjected to commercial sexual exploitation, involuntary servitude, and debt bondage. However, some difficulties define reactive solutions for human trafficking, providing grounds for the concept of counter-trafficking.

Despite a consensus regarding the harms of human trafficking, the absence of legislative and judicial procedures in some countries to counter various aspects of the human trafficking chain makes it complicated to help trafficked persons. However, efforts, such as USAID's Counter-Trafficking initiative, seek to address the gaps in the fight against human trafficking and are defined by proactive solutions.

The United States has also been at the forefront of addressing human trafficking, as seen in the government-initiated President's Interagency Task Force to fight human trafficking (PITF). The PITF assembled 15 federal agencies, including USAID, to collaboratively monitor and combat trafficking in persons worldwide. In addition, USAID has improved its counter-trafficking strategies over the years. First, USAID has introduced USAID's Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP), which demands its staff and partners adhere to a preventive human trafficking strategy. The USAID's counter-trafficking ideology makes a strong case for preventive interventions for human trafficking.

Historically, the focus of human trafficking prevention was on the role of policing agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI), Homeland Security Investigations, and police departments. However, humanitarian agencies have also greatly contributed to helping in the fight against human trafficking.

Countering trafficking in persons extends to rescuing and restoring trafficked victims. Other goals of counter-trafficking include victim protection and perpetrator prosecution. The latter goal acts as a deterrent for similar criminal acts. Particularly, these proactive interventions rest on the capacity for global players to collaborate in formulating uniform human trafficking laws.

Non-state players have a critical role in this proactive model that encompasses data collection because they have access to victims. These bodies are uniquely suited to provide first-hand insights into matters such as the forces that push people to become victims of human trafficking.

It is worth noting that international declarations and other unbinding principles have been enacted to combat human trafficking as a global crime. Prohibition of involuntary servitude has been the focus of several international conventions. Additionally, the declarations include prosecuting human traffickers accused of recruitment, transport, or being an accessory to human trafficking crimes across the country. The human trafficking international law also extended to prohibiting commercial sexual exploitation.

There are also legal and moral grounds for convicting human traffickers for violating human rights, especially for vulnerable groups such as women and children. Accordingly, there is enough incentive for a collaborative international legal framework for countering human trafficking. Such a framework would be contingent upon the cooperation of all states in countering trafficking in person.

The participating countries in the international conventions on human trafficking must criminalize human trafficking in their respective countries to enhance the countering efforts. Overall, the counter-trafficking narrative has important implications for protecting human dignity.

[frontierallianceinternational]

Christian Missions in Humanitarian Relief Efforts

Christian missions, also known as faith-based organizations (FBOs), are generally non-profit organizations aimed at helping individuals and communities in need. These organizations have played an important role in global humanitarian relief efforts for several decades. In numerous communities worldwide, Christian missionary-owned healthcare clinics and hospitals are generally the most respected and trusted by the local community, making them the first call of contact in emergencies and an outlet for distributing aid. In a disaster, Christian missionaries generally step up to provide affected communities with their basic needs, including water, food, and shelter. They partner with government agencies to smoothen and bolster relief efforts. At the same time, they help communities create long-term recovery plans by providing locations for meetings and financial support for executing those plans. Furthermore, Christian missionaries have been essential in providing critical healthcare services to disaster areas and developing countries globally for over a century. According to research, these FBOs provide roughly 40 percent of healthcare services in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since Christian missionaries are religious-based, they often have local chapters in the communities. This broad reach fosters trust and gives the organization a better understanding of the indigenous people, allowing them to effectively provide relief services, mobilize volunteers and resources, and contribute to consensus-building. Christian missionaries effectively mobilize volunteers for disaster relief efforts because they have access to large congregations in many countries. These volunteers are critical in assisting missionaries successfully carrying out their humanitarian efforts. Volunteers collect, record, and distribute donated goods and perform some rebuilding work. Most FBOs spend significant time ensuring that their members have adequate disaster management skills during humanitarian relief efforts. Humanitarian disasters cause mental trauma and physical and financial losses to those affected. Christian missionaries often provide emotional and spiritual care services for victims through professional counseling, team members/chaplains who offer a listening ear, and messages of hope that can effectively provide relief to those affected. In some cases, they set up community programs so that residents can continue servicing people in need after their missionaries have left the area. Unlike government agencies, Christian missionaries receive a higher percentage of their funding from private donations, allowing them to carry out critical interventions without the administrative bottlenecks that plague their government counterparts. Similarly, because of their religious mission, these organizations' humanitarian relief programs frequently outlast those funded by the government. Convoy of Hope, for example, remained in Puerto Rico throughout 2019, and The Salvation Army, which assisted Hurricane Maria victims in Puerto Rico, plans to do so for the next decade. Finally, beyond emergencies, Christian missionaries consistently provide humanitarian aid even to remote communities in developing countries untouched by civilization, where they provide development in the form of healthcare, safe drinking water, and education, among others, thus improving the lives of the indigenous peoples. Religious organizations in the United States contribute an estimated $44 billion in charitable contributions, making Christian missionaries an essential component of the humanitarian relief process. Christian missionaries' efforts during crises demonstrate the religion's ability to galvanize people to help those in need.

[frontierallianceinternational]

The FAI Counter-Trafficking Initiative

Headquartered in Jackson, Wyoming, Frontier Alliance International is a Christian nonprofit that affects change in conflict zones within the Middle East. Among its other initiatives, Frontier Alliance International (FAI) spearheads a range of counter-trafficking activities. Although many organizations have combatted human trafficking around the world, FAI is one of the few to operate in the Middle East. FAI counter-trafficking volunteers strive to develop and institute trafficking preventative infrastructure in the countries that need it the most. They also learn to address sexual slavery and human trafficking in the Middle East with a Biblical judicial purview. Many men flock to the Mediterranean Basin to purchase sex. To serve this illegal and reprehensible market, human traffickers subjugate women and girls from throughout the Middle East, as well as Eastern Europe and African countries. Through its counter-trafficking efforts, FAI is working to put a stop to this devastating practice and improves the lives of trafficking victims.

[frontierallianceinternational]

The Free Burma Rangers Documentary Film https://ift.tt/3Baa4fr

[frontierallianceinternational]

FAI Studios Breaks New Cinematic Ground with “Ballads of the Exodus” https://ift.tt/3BqogBR

[frontierallianceinternational]

FAI Stands Strong with Underground Christian Church in Afghanistan https://ift.tt/3AUDQpj

[frontierallianceinternational]

Believing in God Is Beneficial for Mental and Physical Health https://ift.tt/3k156Ln

[frontierallianceinternational]

The Challenges of Providing Medical Relief to Conflict Zones https://ift.tt/3izarca

[frontierallianceinternational]

Human Trafficking a Global Problem https://ift.tt/3yrORN2

[frontierallianceinternational]

The FAI App – An Expansive Christian Media Resource https://ift.tt/3dlcEGk