ELIZABETHTOWN, PA – Erecting water towers, building boats, digging wells, welding roof trusses, laying pipe, mixing concrete, and constructing roads and bridges may not sound like missionary work, but they are typical of the work of Friends in Action.

FIA is a faith-based organization founded in 1992 as Friends of New Tribes Missions (now known as Ethnos 360) as an independent entity to provide construction and support services to NTM missionaries serving in remote areas around the world.

Over the past 28 years, FIA has continued to expand its mission of partnering with missionaries to accelerate the spread of the Gospel. These hard-working, dedicated people, along with short-term teams, come along missionaries, pastors, and churches located in some of the most difficult areas to reach in six different countries.

Time and space do not permit us to share more than a small portion of what Friends in Action has done and is doing to move earth to share Heaven. There are two things that are most important to know about FIA, whether they are at work on projects in Bolivia, Moldova, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, or West Africa.

• FIA is “passionate about using construction projects as a platform to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those in the most remote parts of the globe.”
• FIA is “all about demonstrating God’s love through practical means, we make sure Jesus always has center stage. Through partnerships with missionaries, nationals, and indigenous pastors on-site, we never undertake a project without a plan for sharing the Gospel.”

Examples of FIA Projects

Bolivia – Friends in Action has been active in Bolivia for 20 years. Projects completed in the past two decades include building an auditorium for the San Borja Church and Christian School and establishing a radio network that broadcasts to more than 115,000 people in some of the remotest regions of the country and beyond.

FIA teams built a 54-foot, two-story riverboat for medical missionaries in 2008. Since 2016, medical teams have been providing treatment and sharing the Gospel to more than 1,200 people among the remote villages of the Amazonian tributaries. Five churches have been established as a result of the medical boat ministry.

Moldova – Chances are the average person is unable to point to Moldova on a map. It’s not likely that most would point to the right continent. How do we reach more than 3.5 million people if we don’t even know about them or where they are? Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Romania and Ukraine.

FIA has constructed classrooms, dormitories, and an auditorium for the University Divitia Gratiae (University of Divine Grace) College of Theology and Education. Financial support from Friends in Action has helped more than 550 students attend a Christian school in one of the few Eastern European countries where freedom of religion is still a reality.

Although about 90% of Moldovans self-identify as Christians, most of those attend churches where “the concepts of salvation by grace and a relational approach to Jesus are not often taught.”

In many ways, Moldova is the proverbial crown jewel of the Friends in Action ministry as it is from here that students return to their native countries with Christian leadership skills and a passion for Christ. Typically, their home countries are not welcoming toward outsiders entering to evangelize. A recent graduate exclaimed,

“I graduated from the University of Divine Grace with a degree in business and administration. I recently got married and am now serving with my husband through OM ministries (Operation Mobilization) in Moldova. We praise God for the education and preparation we received at UDG to enable us to reach others for Christ!”

These projects are just the tip of the FIA iceberg. Lord willing, we will be able to share more about their ministries at a later date.

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