We are coming to the end of the financial and service year full of gratitude for having been the recipients of so many gifts in funds, volunteer hours, and gifts-in-kind.
Beyond the quantifiable, so much was given to our teams and staff in hospitality, prayers, words of encouragement and consolation at times of grief; the amazing gift of Christian fellowship is unparalleled and altogether supernatural.
An EMAS team traveling to an underserved area of Asia reported the compassion and hospitality of Christians who are using their meagre resources to care for their homeless and men struggling with substance abuse and yet going the extra mile to provide meals for our dental/medical/discipleship team. The team leader aptly translated their experience as the generosity of God. That team, supported by gifts from Canadians, served on our behalf. Our gifts that sent them out doubled through the outpouring generosity of a rural community that showed them God’s kindness in unexpected ways.
Towards the end of 2021 reports of children dying of disease complicated by undernourishment reached us from Haiti. It was clearly a time to call for help, which we did in our year-end newsletter. Today children in Gambade are receiving life-saving nutritional supplements as their parents are taught better health and feeding practises through gifts from us. Where once we grieved, we rejoice at hearing about children “graduating” from the feeding program, because their nutrition and growth are back on the road to health.
There is joy in Haitian families as there in joy in our Canadian team that have received our gifts.
There are donors who rejoice at giving, they respond to my “thank you” letters by praising God that He enables them to give, they invariably remind me to let them know about the needs of our teams.
One New Testament author wrote that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
We are in the season of giving and receiving, like Jesus who accepted expensive perfume, may we take pleasure in the gifts to us. Like the widow who gave two coins, may we not be afraid of giving “small gifts.”
Soon many of you will receive our year-end newsletter and a chance to give to our teams for 2024, if you are interested in reading our EMASSARY please subscribe here.
Thank you for giving me the joy of serving EMAS Canada and its many teams and beneficiaries.
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All Scripture references are taken from the New International Version (NIV)
Feature image: Recent EMAS Team to Asia, September 2023
