Accelerating the Gospel Message
A MESSAGE FROM BARRY JOHNSON, FIA USA SHIPPING & WAREHOUSE MANAGER
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” – 1 Corinthians 3:7 (KJV)
Sustainable Farming
Last year in West Africa, we shipped a weather station to document and track the temperature, humidity, rainfall, and windspeed. This is a pragmatic request with a deeper purpose. In many of our remote locations, sustainable farming is a challenge. The global worker shared data from the weather station with the local farmers and families, which enabled them to adjust their planting and harvesting activities. Higher crop yields resulted in extra produce to sell and increased income. FIA helped the international worker obtain the technology, but God used it to positively impact the individual families and community, demonstrating his love and provision.
Steel Rods & Iron
Building materials are common for us to ship as we “move earth to share heaven,” often a metaphor for building the Kingdom of Heaven. Fulfilling a request from a global partner in the Pacific Ocean, FIA staff and volunteers loaded twenty-foot-long steel rods and angle iron into a 20-foot container, which only has nineteen feet and six inches inside! Without our assistance, the movement of the steel would be cost-prohibitive. More importantly, the global partner fabricated the steel rods and iron into trusses between two shipping containers to build a roof. The roof protects the equipment parked under it, like a bulldozer and tractor, which are needed to assist the local people or to make a way through a jungle for international mission workers to reach villages. Shipping steel and iron meets an immediate need and paves the way for deeper spiritual connections.
Shipping Appliances
Occasionally, we receive unique requests for household appliances that are not readily available in the U.S. A recent order for a washing machine was a model with analog controls, a far cry from the Wi-Fi capable models commonly found in U.S. households. We contacted a local family-run appliance store, and they had the exact model we needed!
Buying a new washing machine may not be challenging for us. For this international mission worker, it was. She was grateful and praised God for helping her find the correct machine and getting it to her home overseas. “We are so excited to have the ability to ship this new one!” she exclaimed.
She stated this model will add to her quality of life in the remote areas of evangelism. A photo she shared demonstrates how “clean” her laundry is after washing her clothes in a locally procured model. The new washing machine will truly clean her clothes —not leave dirt in them after rinsing them in the tub!
Since this ministry’s inception, we’ve partnered with over 140 ministries and 900 international mission workers. Each container or crate we pack and send is part of God’s marvelous work to reach the unreached for Christ. By modeling the actions of Jesus, people experience God’s love in tangible ways, providing an environment that is open to hearing about the good news of the Gospel.
Get Involved
FIA is looking to grow its shipping team, whether through occasional volunteers or involvement on a full-time basis. If interested, please contact Barry Johnson at barryjohnson@fiaintl.org.
