7 International Ministries to Support in 2024
An interesting fact about my husband and I is that between the two of us, we have worked first-hand with a variety of world-changing organizations and individuals in over 20 countries across 5 continents. While each ministry has something incredible to offer, we put our heads together and compiled a list of our top 7 recommended international ministries to support. So, if you’re looking for an organization or a cause to partner with but unsure where to begin, check out our list and see how you can partner with the global Church.
Why Support International Ministries?
Before I jump into the list, let’s touch base on why we should partner with organizations overseas in the first place.
Some might wonder why they should give to international ministries when they already tithe to their local church or perhaps they give directly to those in need in their community. Those are fantastic ways to give and supporting internationally doesn’t intend to take away from that in any way.
However, Jesus commissioned us to reach the nations saying,
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. — Matthew 28:18-20
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. — Acts 1:8
And Paul says in his letter to the Romans,
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” — Romans 10:13-15
While we should definitely all go — whether to our Jerusalem (our home city), our Judea and Samaria (maybe a further city or state), or to the ends of the earth — one way we can reach the nations is by supporting others already there or preparing to go overseas. That might be churches, organizations, or individual missionaries.
Supporting ministries overseas is just another way we can partner with the global Church to further the spread of the Gospel and help others fulfill Christ’s commission on them to go.
For more on this, check out my post Why Global Missions Matter.
7 International Ministries to Support
Now that we have addressed why it’s important to give to ministries overseas, let’s take a look at some effective and trustworthy organizations I (or my husband) have worked with first-hand that are doing an incredible job sharing the love of Christ in their corners of the world.
Anti-Trafficking / Vocational Training
1. AGAPE INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS - PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
Agape International Missions (AIM) fights human trafficking at the governmental level. They partner with local police forces to raid brothels and literally pull women and children out of sex slavery. AIM offers a number of prevention programs in the community and their model seeks to rescue, restore, and reintegrate each girl freed from the sex trade industry. With extensive counseling, vocational training, and a whole lot of love, AIM is seeing girls not only set free from sexual exploitation but set free in Christ.
Ways to Support: Prayer, Financial Support, Online Store, Mission Trips, Volunteer/Staff Opportunities, Advocacy/Fundraising
2. WIPE EVERY TEAR - MANILA, PHILIPPINES
The heart focus of Wipe Every Tear (WET) is less on what they fight against in this world (i.e., trafficking), and more on what they fight for (freedom). They fearlessly go into local red-light districts where prostitution is heaviest and build relationships and trust with the women working. WET offers women and young girls trapped in the sex-trade education and housing in one of their safe houses, along with counseling and discipleship until they get on their feet. They even have their own online store, the Tayo Collective, that sells beautiful handcrafted jewelry made by the women living in their homes.
Ways to Support: Prayer, Financial Support, Online Store, Mission Trips, Volunteer/Staff Opportunities
General Outreach / Discipleship
3. INCA LINK - COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, PERU
Inca Link seeks to reach Latin America with the love of Jesus through various evangelism, discipleship, leadership training, and compassion ministries. They build relationships with seniors in nursing homes and serve food to families living in local garbage dumps. They pray over the sick and their families in waiting at the local hospitals and organize vacation Bible schools for children. With their hands in many different ministries, Inca Link is connecting people from all backgrounds and building a unified community that sees each others’ needs and loves big.
Ways to Support: Prayer, Financial Support, Online Store, Mission Trips, Intern/Staff Opportunities, Link (Gap) Year Programs
Human Rights Activism / Relief
4. FREE BURMA RANGERS - BURMA (MYANMAR), IRAQ, SUDAN
Free Burma Rangers (FBR) trains local pro-democracy groups to provide emergency medical care, shelter, food, clothing, and human rights documentation to those living in the conflict zones of Burma, Iraq, and Sudan. Their trainees are equipped to go on the front lines of war-torn regions and supply practical relief coupled with hope and love to those living in constant fear and danger. With only three requirements—the ability to read and write, physical and moral courage, and love—FBR is raising up men and women to free the oppressed and fight for human dignity and justice.
Ways to Support: Prayer, Financial Support, Advocacy/Fundraising, Volunteer/Staff Opportunities
Orphan Care
5. DOOR OF HOPE - JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Door of Hope (DOH) will quickly melt your heart. Since 1999, DOH has housed, cared for, and found adopted families for thousands of babies. Their baby box (a bin on the side of their building) allows parents to safely and anonymously give their babies over to the care of DOH for a new beginning and a brighter future. They currently have 70 babies in the care of their incredible staff at their two homes. DOH seeks to reunite babies with their families when possible, but when that’s not an option, they work diligently to find safe and loving homes for these little ones as quickly as possible.
Ways to Support: Prayer, Financial Support, Adopt-a-Cot, Online Store, Volunteer/Staff Opportunities, Adoption (for limited countries)
6. HOPE UNLIMITED - CAMPINAS, BRAZIL
Hope Unlimited provides housing, education, and vocational training to children coming from sexual exploitation, drug running, incarceration, and homelessness. With a high emphasis on education and training, 90% of Hope Unlimited’s graduates find a stable job within their first two years reintegrated into society. The organization seeks to make disciples who make disciples, not considering their programs a success until their graduates make a positive impact on the next generation and work to renew the very communities that once rejected them.
Ways to Support: Prayer, Financial Support, Advocacy/Fundraising, Mission Trips
Refugee Care / Vocational Training
7. OUTPOUR MOVEMENT - MAE SOT, THAILAND
Located in a Thailand border town, Outpour Movement builds relationships and offers employment opportunities to those living in Myanmar and “No Man’s Land” on the Thai border. They offer training programs at their local restaurants and cafes that equip their employees with skills such as culinary arts, business management, and product development. In 2015, they began renovations on an abandoned building which has since come to be known as Seeds Space, a place for seeds to be planted in the youth through various educational programs designed to help them succeed.
Ways to Support: Prayer, Financial Support, Online Store, Advocacy/Fundraising, Mission Trips
*Bonus: Support Persecuted Christians
Open doors - Serving 60+ Countries Worldwide
This is actually the only ministry on this list that neither I nor my husband has worked with directly, but it’s very near and dear to my heart, so I couldn’t leave it off the list.
Open Doors serves persecuted Christians in more than 60 countries by providing Bibles, emergency relief aid, trauma counseling, advocacy, training, and more. Each year, they release The World Watch List — an annual report on the global persecution of Christians that ranks the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith. This report serves as a prayer guide to unify the global Body of Christ to intercede and raise support for our brothers and sisters suffering for their faith. Their app regularly shares real stories from persecuted believers worldwide to lift up in prayer.
Ways to Support: Prayer, Advocacy/Fundraising, Financial Support, Write a Letter to a Persecuted Christian
I’m so excited to share this list with you and I’d love to know if you choose to partner with any of them. If you are interested in supporting a specific missionary working at any of the above organizations directly, please let me know and I’ll connect you with some amazing men and women who would love to meet you!
