The birth of a child is a joyous occasion, most of the time. Sometimes mothers die or are weakened by illness because of pregnancy and childbirth. Maternal mortality or death due to pregnancy is still a major, yet preventable, health concern for many countries. In an earlier blog I wrote about maternal mortality ratio [...]
For over seven decades EMAS Canada has used healthcare as a tool for communicating God’s love through teams that provide medical and dental care. Helping partners all over the world with better medical infrastructure and equipment; knowledge and clinical skills, have been key expressions of our mission, especially in China. The traditional method of [...]
Our dependence on volunteers and donors is a well-known fact, and when we see a decline in their numbers we are naturally concerned. And we are not alone. In a recent report in the Time Magazine, Oxfam is having to reduce staff by close to 30% due to reduced revenue following the impact of [...]
EMAS Canada depends on volunteers who travel internationally to deliver aid through education, medical and dental services. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had, is that close to 75% of our volunteers will not serve overseas in 2020. Several teams cancelled missions and two where cut short for the safety of our volunteers. [...]
Covid-19 is laying siege on the world. Almost everywhere, the pandemic is disrupting businesses and industries, local and international travel; schools and colleges are closing; courts are postponing hearings; and governments are making urgent plans to curb the spread of the causative corona virus. All over the world, hospitals are scrambling to increase intensive [...]
A personal story about generosity and teamwork. My father died on January 28th. I knew it would happen someday; but I was not ready for it; suddenly I had to face the implications of his death. He had been unwell for a long time and an invalid since July. Now I was in charge. [...]
Our MISSION to heal, teach and SERVE those in need in a Christ-like manner translates our VISION: Christ-centered healthcare teams proclaiming God’s love to all the world through healing and teaching into tangible and measurable outcomes. Service means more to us than what healthcare workers do for individuals and for communities. Christianity teaches that humans [...]
Abraham1 was 99 years old, he was wealthy, he owned servants, and his wife too had her own servants. At his age and with his resources Abraham had earned “the right” to enjoy eating with his guests within the cool shade inside a tent, and being waited on by servants. However, the spontaneity of [...]
Stunned by a scream from the river, 11-year Rebecca looked towards its source and saw her friend Latoya in the jaws of a crocodile. Rebecca sprung into action, jumped onto the reptiles back and hit it on the head with bare hands, and then pushed her fingers into its eyes until it let go [...]
Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is the number of women dying from pregnancy related conditions for every 100,000 live births, it expresses the likelihood of death due to pregnancy. Our latest projects are bold attempts at significant and long-term reduction of MMR in rural communities in Haiti and Zimbabwe. In these countries chronic adversity is putting [...]
EMAS Canada’s work force is voluntary, serving where our skills and resources are needed. It also consists of non-traveling team members, board members; supporters who raise funds, cook and serve meals at team meetings, collect and pack supplies before missions. It includes those who run numerous pre and post mission errands while patiently waiting [...]
The late Doug Sparks, a former missionary and Navigator leader, once defined a Christian leader as, “A servant of God given a mission and people to help him accomplish it.” My mission was to accept an invitation by the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe to visit their hospitals at Morgenster and Gutu in Masvingo Province [...]
A Canadian Charity EMAS Canada is a body corporate registered under federal law. The Corporation The EMAS Corporation is predominantly composed of team members, past and present team leaders; and a few others who subscribe to its Vision and Mission; these are donors, past board members, and former staff. Membership is by application or [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]