Five Years at eMi Canada - An Update

Julie's Medical Mission to Haiti

Several months following the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in January, many people in Haiti who had sustained physical injuries were in desperate need of rehabilitation therapy. From June 26th to July 3rd of this year, I joined a Medical Ministry International (MMI) medical mission team to Port-au-Prince to help meet some of this need.

Those with complex fractures, amputations, spinal cord injuries and many other injuries needed therapy to regain function and mobility. In response, MMI organized their first Haiti project that focused specifically on Physical Therapy. Once there, we partnered with several other organizations, including Christian Blind Mission (CBM) and Handicap International (HI), which were already working there to fill this huge need.

Before the trip I was concerned that going to Haiti on a small team of six volunteers, of which only three were therapists, we would have limited ability to help. However, my concerns were alleviated when I was informed that we would be partnering with CBM and HI to assist them during a shortage of available physical therapists. God's timing is amazing!

CBM and HI had established several physical therapy tent clinics around the city and also had therapists working one of the private hospitals. I was privileged to have the opportunity to work at each tent clinic as well as the hospital setting.

The heat was, at times, unbearable. It was 38C in the tents and treating patient after patient in that heat was exhausting but it was a very gratifying and enriching experience. What I found most rewarding was educating the patients and teaching the Haitian Rehab Techs who, despite having minimal training, were eager to acquire as much knowledge and skills as we were able to impart to them.

God graciously taught me many things on this mission trip. He gently helped me overcome many personal fears and insecurities, by simply facing them with the belief and trust that He would be with me through them all. I have gained a much broader perspective on the plight of the poor and what is really needed to make a difference in their lives and in their future.

I now see the immense value of teaching and the lasting impact that it has in changing the plight of not only individuals, but also communities and even entire nations. God has now placed in me a desire to teach and I prayerfully look forward to where He would have me serve Him next.

Thank you for your encouragement and support. Right click here and select Open In A New Tab to see my trip video without leaving this page.

Finding Hope in Haiti

The Joy of Children. The students laughed and giggled for the photo as they played with my hair and a little boy proudly sported my sunglasses and Tilley hat. A make-shift seven class school of lightweight lumber, metal roof and tarps stood nearby where they learn their lessons. On a gravel driveway noisy and ferocious games of soccer were played. Once lessons were completed at noon they each received a hot meal, perhaps the only proper one they will have all day.

Medical and Design Assistance. The Education, Medical Assistance and Services (EMAS) team of Canadian volunteers endured suffocating heat in stale air of the concrete block building: a replacement building for the two storey church/school that collapses in January's earthquake. This well built structure shows the capability of Haitian builders. But this building is too small for either church or school and so eMi Canada was asked to plan out new, permanent facilities on the site where only the temporary school stands.

Looking Ahead and Pressing On. Our Engineering Ministries International Canada team of volunteers from Canada and the United States met with the El Shaddai Baptist Church leaders to discuss their vision for the property. It is to include a large church, a school and a health clinic where they plan to operate an ongoing medical clinic staffed by Haitian nurse practitioners and the occasional visiting medical team.

A Master Plan. Throughout the week eMi investigated site conditions for supplying of fresh water, managing sanitation and distributing power. We also explored several different schemes for the layout of the entire property. Several very productive meetings were held with the leaders of the church community to gain their feedback and further directions.

Being a Neighbour. This community of believers has worked hard to raised funds in very challenging circumstances to go toward the purchase of this property and after the earthquake, funds toward feeding and providing necessities to sustain families that had lost everything. With the help of EMAS and the assistance of eMi the church is looking forward to beginning construction on the permanent facilities soon. Aid is only lasting if those providing it are committed for the long term. eMi comes alongside for a relatively short term but since we partner with long term visionaries like EMAS, willing to tough it out for the long haul, the help keeps happening long after we are no longer in the picture.

A Model of Christ's Body. We left this model of their new facilities in Haiti and will be producing construction documents once home so that they will have materials for both fund-raising as well as construction purposes. In a country where hope seems understandably in short supply, the community of El Shaddai Baptist church is living out hope itself. Loving neighbours, working hard and leaning all the while heavily on the Lord, they know very well where their strength and hope comes from.

Project Photos. A new set of photos has been placed in my Photo Gallery and you have three options to view it. If you want to browse the set, click here. If you wish to see a Slideshow of the photos, click here. If you want to spend a little more time looking and reading the Photo Details, click here. There is also a new video on my side bar for this project trip. Thank you to all those who have given to this work through your financial support, encouragement and prayer: you have made this project a reality.

Returning to Haiti

On May 18 I will be back in Haiti. After 10 disaster response teams from eMi, this will be our first traditional design project to address the reconstruction of permanent buildings. My team will serve the El Shaddai Baptist Church community in Bon Repos, a neighbourhood at the north edge of Port-au-Prince.

Our task will be to design a church, a primary school and a community health centre on a relatively undeveloped piece of land. The church and primary school will replace ones nearby that collapsed during the earthquake. The new primary school will continue its 15 year tradition of functioning as a feeding centre for children whose families are unable to provide them with nutritious meals.

eMi was introduced to this community by EMAS Canada, a ministry that provides medical and educational services to communities in need all over the world. EMAS project leader, Dr. Pierre Plourde of Winnipeg, Manitoba has brought teams to Bon Repos for the past 10 years and will be our liaison with the El Shaddai Baptist church community. The beginning of our work week will overlap a few days with Dr. Plourde's EMAS medical/educational team.

A good friend of ours in Calgary will be on the EMAS medical/educational team. Julie and I met Colin and his wife Patty in Vancouver some years ago when we were all still "young adults" attending Granville Chapel. Although our teams will be staying in the same place and overlap for us just four days, how exciting it will be to serve in Haiti alongside a good friend from home.

With the devastation to so many buildings from the earthquake, this will be my first eMi "camping" trip as we will be staying in tents and sleeping on foamies and thermarests at a rural farm property outside of the city. I'm hoping to secure a booking for a guest house in town with facilities a little more conducive to a working team with lap-tops for the second portion of our stay.

During my time in Port-au-Prince I will have an opportunity to meet the president of a theological seminary (STEP) to see how eMi can come alongside them in their need for planning as they look to rebuild and perhaps even relocate their partially collapsed school. Our connection with the school is through Dr. Gordon Smith and his ministry reSource which provides resources to theological schools in many developing countries.

You can see more details of the project by visiting the link under Greg's Upcoming Project at the top of the right side bar of this blog. "Thank you!" to all our supporters and friends who have come alongside our family in many different ways and are praying for us, making it possible for me to be a part of this work. I look forward to sharing with you about this project upon my return.