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Do you care about stopping human trafficking? Are you wondering what you can do to make a difference? Join For Freedom this December as we participate in Freecember, a global campaign raising awareness and funding for anti-trafficking ministries and organisations around the world.
Since launching at SIM’s Global Assembly almost 3 years ago, For Freedom is now working in more than 11 countries, supporting SIM workers and teams around the world as they explore anti-trafficking ministry in their contexts. We urgently need funding to be able to support and resource more workers in more countries.
Can you or your church help us prevent human trafficking from happening in the communities SIM serve in? Please click on the red donate tab above, and make your contribution to project #99737 today.
Human trafficking
"Human trafficking," "trafficking in persons" and "modern slavery" are terms all used to describe the forced exploitation and captivity of others. Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry that targets the most vulnerable people in our world – refugees, women and children. Currently, there are more people in slavery today than at any other time in history. For periods of a few days up to many years, people are trapped in situations of exploitation and trafficking and are not free to leave.
The risk of human trafficking is very real for many people in the countries and communities where SIM works. SIM is committed to responding to the injustice of trafficking and exploitation and sees this as a natural expression of our discipleship in action. Our mission states that “we cross barriers to proclaim the crucified and risen Christ”; human trafficking is one of the most significant barriers we have to cross for people to be able to hear God’s good news. As we reach out in Jesus name in very practical matters of safety, we lay a path to share the gospel. Protecting the vulnerable and those most at risk of exploitation, creates a safe environment where the gospel can be heard and Christ can be known.
(Reference to ILO, 2017)
For Freedom
For Freedom is the anti-trafficking and exploitation ministry of SIM International, responsible for coordinating SIM's global anti-trafficking response, and providing training, support and strategic guidance to SIM workers, local churches and partner ministries around the world.
For Freedom is focused on the prevention of human trafficking and the protection of those most at risk in the 70+ countries SIM works in.
For Freedom believes that at its core, human trafficking is about the exploitation of vulnerability. By addressing core causes of vulnerability, people and communities are kept safe from exploitation and the risk of trafficking.
Isolated, unconnected individuals are at greatest risk of being trafficked. The local community and the local church has a key role in preventing human trafficking by building relationships and caring for the vulnerable in their communities in a multitude of God-inspired ways.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18-19, NIV
What we do
Equip SIM teams, workers and ministry partners to effectively reach those at risk of exploitation in their unique contexts of ministry.
Empower the church to engage in disciple making with people at risk of trafficking and exploitation in their communities, and to respond with compassion to those who have experienced the trauma of exploitation.
Address trafficking within key ministry areas supporting vulnerable people, including migrant and refugee ministries, women and children ministries, and integrated health ministries.
Actively partner with other organisations responding to trafficking to multiply our efforts.
Viens et Sert
Come and serve with us. Would you consider serving God by using your skills and love for Jesus to reach out to those at risk of trafficking and exploitation in one of the many countries where SIM works? Contact us at Intl.ForFreedom@sim.org to begin the conversation.
Prières
Pray for the millions of people enslaved and exploited around the world today, that the Lord will reveal himself as mighty to them in the middle of their deep suffering.
Pray for courage, wisdom and insight for those leading For Freedom, that God would multiply their efforts in supporting SIM teams and workers in their response to trafficking and exploitation.
Pray for discernment for SIM teams in all the countries we work in as they build protective strategies into their ministries to keep at risk communities safe from exploitation.
Pray for spiritual and physical protection over those involved in facing the injustices of trafficking and exploitation.
Give thanks for the restoration ministries across SIM that bring hope and healing to survivors. Pray for continued energy and courage for workers as they journey alongside and love people who have experienced significant trauma and suffering.
About Trauma Healing
The wounds of trauma are apparent in families, communities, and nations around the world. This includes trauma created by wars, conflict between people groups, civil disturbances, crimes, natural disasters, and epidemics.
SIM Trauma Healing is a church- and community-based outreach that equips believers with Bible-based and mental health principles to care for victims of trauma in their communities. Our vision is to overcome gospel-barriers created by trauma through biblical, compassionate trauma care and to see every person experience healing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Compelled by God’s great love and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we seek to equip the church to contend with brokenness and to proclaim the crucified and risen Christ.
Trauma Healing’s first lessons were drafted in 2001 by SIL members, mental health professionals, Bible translators, Scripture engagement consultants, and church leaders from war zones across Africa. Now, they have spread to every continent and have been translated into many languages.
In 2014, SIM members were trained in Trauma Healing and the lessons were implemented among the South Sudanese refugees in Kenya. This was soon followed by the training of leaders in Liberia in response to the spiritual and psycho-social crisis after the Ebola outbreak. God is using this ministry to engage people with the gospel in deeply meaningful ways.
SIM is a member of the Trauma Healing Institute Alliance, a group of organisations that is deeply committed to healing the wounds of trauma and working collaboratively through coordinated activities and shared resources.
Resources
Come and serve
Many people want to help those who are hurting. SIM uses Trauma Healing Institute (THI)’s model that applies scripture and mental health principles to spiritual and emotional wounds. SIM is looking for facilitators to lead healing groups and train others around the world. Healing groups help people find healing for heart wounds, engage with scripture and become resilient. These groups meet in several sequences and locations to accommodate the attendees needs.
Our lessons address scriptural examples of suffering and questions that arise from various forms of trauma. Topical lessons include:
• Domestic abuse
• Suicide
• Addiction
• HIV and AIDS related effects
• Abortion
• Care for caregivers
• Childhood trauma
Facilitators will learn how to guide healing groups, create safe places for people to talk and equip church leaders to help their members. The primary resource for training is Healing the Wounds of Trauma: How the Church Can Help.
If you are interested in learning more about trauma healing or becoming trained as a facilitator, contact us today.
Pray with us
By prayer is SIM’s motto because it is truly by prayer that we praise God, seek his direction, request resources, and call upon the Holy Spirit to empower our ministries. By prayer is a call to action emphasizing important work to be done. We must intercede for those living outside of a saving relationship with Jesus, many of whom have never heard his name.
Please join us in praying for the following four things:
Prières
Pray that the Lord will raise up Trauma Healing Facilitators that are needed for the ministry.
Pray that the Lord will raise the resources needed, both financial and otherwise.
Pray that we will stay in step with Jesus all the way, led by his Holy Spirit and guided by his Word and his love for all people.
Pray that broken and wounded hearts will be healed through the ministry of Trauma Healing as people are pointed to Christ.
Youth Ministry El Sendero
Young Jesus followers can have a powerful influence as they carry the message of Jesus Christ. Our challenge is to reach young people between 15 and 25 years of age in creative ways through biblical reflection, sports and arts. We work in schools and universities, and we offer various activities in order to build young disciples of Christ who model a holistic, Christ-centred life in their communities.
Viens et Sert
Prières
Pray for new missionaries to help us reach young people between 15 and 18 years old.
Pray that young believers will live as disciples of Jesus Christ in their local communities.
Pray for the financial resources necessary to implement all our activities.
Donate to this Ministry
If you would like to financially support this ministry, you can give online by using the donate button below.
Health Ministry
God cares for the hurting. SIM health care ministries have been used around the globe to open doors to show God's love and to invite them into a relationship with him. SIM's medical mission workers serve in a variety of roles alongside church planting teams, as tentmakers in government institutions, in HIV/AIDS related ministries and more.
SIM health professionals join other missionaries and local believers to reach out to communities where he is least known. SIM has partner hospitals and also extends beyond formal institutions by seeking ways to develop and participate in community-based efforts to engage others.
Together we aim to see more of Jesus in all the places he has yet to be made known.
Care, restore, transform
SIM is making a world of difference through health care. Responding to physical needs through health related ministry is a core component of SIM's role in missions all over the globe.
Find SIM's partner hospitals around the world below:
Angola:
Evangelical Medical Center of Lubango
Rio Da Huila Hospital
Benin:
Evangelical Hospital of Bembéréké
Bolivia:
Yawisla Family Medicine Center
Ethiopia:
Cure Ethiopia Children's Hospital
Kenya:
Kenya Health Ministries
Banda Health Software Project
AIC Kijabe Hospital
Liberia:
ELWA Hospital
Malawi:
ABC Clinic
Partners in Hope Medical Center
Niger:
Danja Center for Health & Leprosy
Danja Fistula Center
Galmi Hospital
Nigeria:
Bingham University Teaching Hospital
ECWA Eye Hospital
ECWA Hospital Egbe
Peru:
Diospi Suyana Hospital
Hope Dental Clinic
South Africa:
Mseleni Hospital
South Sudan:
Grieve Memorial Clinic
Zambia:
Mukinge Hospital
What happens now?
With your love for the suffering and health care credentials, perhaps God is leading you to move to another country to serve in a hospital or clinic setting. Perhaps you are interested in community health and meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those in remote parts of the world where SIM serves.
We would be honored to help you explore and discern whether SIM is the right fit for you. Contact us today.
Explore some of SIM's work below.
Video by Marijn Goud (Mission Aviation Fellowship, Angola/Pilot-Mechanic)
Come and serve
Anesthesiologists
Community health nurses
Dentists
Optometrists
Pediatricians
Primary care physicians
Surgeons
Prières
Pray for more health care workers for the field.
Pray for eternity-changing moments with patients who come into our hospitals and clinics.
Pray for spiritual and physical protection for our field health care workers.
Orality
Over two-thirds of the world's people are oral learners. SIM is looking for creative ways to reach those oral learners who live in remote areas and have not yet heard the gospel.
Orality Ministries seeks to share resources and provide necessary training to see people from all ethnic and educational backgrounds engaging with and understanding God's Word.
Orality is a tremendous tool that can help us to that end. As we work across fields and share our experiences with orality, our SIM fields will be better able to ministry in those areas where Christ is least known.
What is orality?
Prevalent forms of communication in many cultures include songs, rhymes, poetry, stories, pictures and dance. “Orality” refers to gathering and sharing knowledge through speech and non-written resources like these.
Text-accustomed communities have many more resources available to start discussions about faith, disciple believers and equip churches.
Orality ministries strives to find methods to share the story of Jesus with predominantly oral people groups. Some of these techniques are Bible storying, memorization practice and media.
About Orality Ministries' point person
Brendan Connally has been working among the Quechua people of Peru for 10 years.
He uses oral Bible Storying for church planting, pastoral leadership training and discipleship.
Brendan is excited to get SIM more engaged in reaching oral learners in the way they best understand.
Prières
Pray for the various oral Bible teachers that we have in SIM fields all over the world that God would help them teach his Word effectively.
Pray that God would lead the Orality Ministries team to the right people in SIM to make training resources available.
Pray for Brendan Conally, Orality Ministries point person, as he works with the partner ministry, Spoken Worldwide. Pray that we would be able to identify the correct SIM fields to participate in the orality trainings that Spoken offers, and that funds would be available for participants to travel to these workshops.
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