by Janet Greidanus Again this year (2019) we have been so blessed on our Mission to Cuenca, Ecuador,” said orthopaedic surgeon, Thomas Greidanus. “We were able to do a record 48 hip and knee replacements. Our patients were so grateful for the help they received, and we, in turn, were moved by their gratitude.” [...]
According to the Bible, God wanted people to relate to Him through love and worship. (Exodus 19:3-6 & Deut. 6:5.)The Old Testament is about that desire, its frustration through the choices made by people, and God’s plan to restore to Himself a people who love and worship Him.The New Testament is about God’s redemptive program, [...]
We are bombarded with troubling news every day, but it is good to hear some good news nowadays. We have the pleasure of announcing our May 2019 EMASSARY is out now! In your May 2019 Edition of the 4 page EMASSARY, you will read plenty good news stories of how God is at work through EMAS [...]
Through an appreciative inquiry process, the EMAS leadership identified the shared Vision, and Mission, that bound the different teams. The process also revealed the existence of an unwritten but distinctive set of Core Values that were consistently expressed throughout the organisation. Definition or "what is EMAS?" became clearer: Christ-centered healthcare teams and, Direction: or [...]
God brought the Jewish people out of captivity in Egypt. He did this by entrusting them to leaders. Psalm 77:20 Team leadership in EMAS Canada is multifaceted including clinical, spiritual, and administrative responsibilities. Much can be and is delegated, but the overall responsibility remains with the team leader. There are four tasks for the [...]
by Beatrice Vandervelde I have now been on two medical missions to Vietnam. Since I don’t have medical training, I come as team support. What would my role be? That first day, there was a huge crowd so I helped keep order. AT first, by the end of the day I was a bit [...]
TRIP CANCELLATION NOTICE To protect our volunteers and in keeping with our policies, EMAS has had to cancel the Hand-In-Hand-with-Haiti 2019 mission due to a travel advisory. The EMAS Haiti project, called Hand in Hand with Haiti, is a partnership between EMAS Canada and the El Shaddai Church community in Port-au-Prince. For more information [...]
Dr. Garth Slysz, MD. has resigned from the EMAS Board effective February 5th 2019. He will be taking on more responsibility with the Fellowship of Associates of Medical Evangelism, Canada (FAME). His new responsibilities will include medical mission to Ethiopia. On behalf of the Board, Team Leaders and Staff, I wish him and his wife [...]
EMAS Canada is highly decentralized. Team leaders and their team form the functional units through which the Vision of EMAS is turned into its mission. We have cultural diversity among the leaders, our volunteers span two generations, and younger leaders are emerging. Our services are carried out within the boundaries of well defined core values. [...]
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) Jesus responded to the needs of the people around Him. He healed all manner of diseases, He fed the hungry, and He announced the good news of the Kingdom of God. [...]
I see three opportunities to live out our confidence in the promises of God. What if God would give us: Leadership that is united by our common Vision, accountable to Him and to one another. Stewardship of His people and His task for increasing momentum to advance the gospel through healthcare teams. Improved [...]
Two things permeate the life of every EMAS Canada team which define us: our Vision and our Mission; and then there are five Core Values that we treasure. With 70 years to look back on, we see that our vision has become even more unifying, our mission remains constant, and our core values continue [...]
Jesus never used His healing miracles as bait for preaching the gospel or for gaining publicity, nor were they a public relations tool. He did not exploit healthcare for the purpose of marketing His spiritual program, or as a magnet to draw people to some hidden agenda. He did good for their bodies because He [...]
Mark1 described an incident when Jesus and His disciples made an extremely short “medical mission” trip to the east, by crossing a stormy Sea of Galilee. During the perilous trip a storm threatened to capsize their boat. It was, however, clear that Jesus wanted to make this trip. Jesus treated just one patient: a [...]
Teamwork is at the core of how EMAS operates. Christ-centered healthcare teams are the fundamental functional units that carry out the charitable purposes of the organization. All teams are guided by a Strategic Plan that is revised by the team leaders, board, and staff. Once a potential leader has been recommended to the board [...]
EMAS Canada teams are composed of followers of Jesus Christ who aspire to become like Him. They serve in teams that are built over long periods of planning, praying and discerning God’s leading in response to overseas opportunities. An invitation to serve will often be followed by two or more exploratory visits, during which the [...]
Empowering Local Leaders The inaugural Université Lumière Interprofessional Student Elective initiative kicked off in February 2018 during the fourteenth EMAS Canada (Hand in Hand with Haiti) trip to Haiti. Planning had been underway for a year before the team arrived in Port-au-Prince to offer six medical students and six nursing students from Université Lumière [...]
Each year about 350 Canadian volunteers, led by volunteer team leaders, travel to and serve in seven different countries. EMAS runs with two full-time staff and one contract staff person. Our Board members serve voluntarily. They minimize the cost of running EMAS by donating their time and use of their own personal resources to [...]
Christ-Centred Healthcare About two years ago, Ana had been bed ridden for a month due to a fracture of her mid femur. She’d also had a hip replacement on the same limb with the prosthesis very close to the fracture. Local surgeons were unable to help her. Operation Esperanza, an EMAS team from Edmonton [...]
Imagine your life story as part of a letter from Christ. Your story: written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. God gives us opportunities to speak through the lives we live among family and friends, and through the occupations He gives us. [...]