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In June 2002, just nine months after 9/11, I watched my oldest daughter, then 19, pass through the security lines at the Atlanta airport on her way to Ethiopia. A student at Point University, double majoring in humanities and biblical studies, she was to spend the summer assisting missionaries with various aspects of their ministry in small villages. 

Internet connections were sporadic. When I finally received my first email from my daughter, I was surprised to hear that, as part of her missionary work, she had been trained by a nurse to give vaccinations to the children in the villages. My daughter came back from Ethiopia a changed person. She saw how so many faithful Christians on the continent worked with American missionaries in tangible ways to bring both the good news of the gospel and evidence of Christian – and American – compassion through their vaccination program.

Three years later, Point University welcomed Abraham Nhial as a biblical studies major. Abraham was one of the  “Lost Boys of Sudan,” whose thousand-mile walk across the African continent – and journey to the United States many years later – was covered closely by 60 Minutes.

Knowing Abraham as a student taught me what resilience and faith really look like. Having walked for months, trusting God to meet his needs, Abraham not only survived; he thrived. He completed his degree at Point, finished seminary and returned to his hometown of Aweil, South Sudan, as its first Anglican bishop. Today, he leads his church, two schools and a medical clinic.

Recently, Abraham and I were reunited in Washington, D.C., at the ONE Campaign’s annual Power Summit. ONE fights for the resources needed to promote healthy lives and economic opportunities in Africa, and I’ve been a volunteer with the organization for the last five years.

At the March event, Bishop Abraham detailed the devastating impacts of recent changes to U.S. foreign assistance on his ability to serve his community. Without funding, his clinic cannot provide care, and his schools cannot provide food for students. For many, school was where they received their only meal each day. 

Listening to Bishop Abraham made me even more determined to do what I can for Africa and for South Sudan. As a ONE volunteer, I have made annual visits to Alabama and Georgia House and Senate offices – including Senators Tuberville, Britt, Warnock, and Ossoff, and Representatives Rogers and Jack – to make sure lawmakers their staff know how important results-driven U.S. foreign assistance programs. I do this not just because I believe it is the right and compassionate thing to do, but because investing in global health and development is in everyone’s health and safety interests.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has saved 26 million lives, including 8 million babies who were born HIV-free. It also helps keep kids in school and contributes to higher GDP rates in countries where it operates.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has vaccinated more than a billion children against preventable diseases. For every $1 spent in Gavi-supported countries, there is a $21 return in health savings.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has helped save 65 million lives. Since 2010, the Global Fund and its partners have invested $3.5 billion in the U.S. private sector.

These are just a few examples of the effective, accountable and historically bipartisan programs and investments that ensure a safer, stronger and more prosperous future for us all. Every year I’ve gone to Washington, D.C., I have been welcomed by members on both sides of the aisle who understand: these programs are not only vital for those in need, but they serve American interests, as well.

During my visit this year, I was glad to hear lawmakers echo my concerns about sudden disruptions to these critically important programs, but I worried that Members and their staff were unclear about how to make sure the funding they designated for these programs gets where it needs to go. In the case it doesn’t, we risk unnecessary – and unacceptable – suffering and potential loss of life.

“O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God,” Micah tells us.

We cannot claim to be Christian and ignore basic tenets of our faith. Jesus was clear in Matthew 25: when we care for the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner, we are caring for Him. I pray we will join Jesus in continuing to show our compassion globally.

The words of Jesus ring out: to whom much was given, of him much will be required.

Dean Collins will retire this summer after nearly 20 years as president of Point University in West Point, Georgia. He graduated from the University in 1979. He is a resident of Lanett, Alabama, and a volunteer with the ONE Campaign.