Take a new look

Dr. Pinto made an interesting comment today. He had just been to Lok Hospital in Thane and was sitting in the small cubicle at the Jeevan Sahara Kendra - the HIV/AIDS clinic linked with Lok. Dr. Pinto said this: "there is tremendous potential for Christian witness in the field of health... if out of the 15,000 Christian Doctors in India we could have 500 get together in groups of 2 and 3 and start hospitals - what a change our country would see."

Challenging words from a man who runs 110 schools and sees 2 lakh students attend his schools across the country.

Can we dare to think boldly?

Most Worry is Unnecessary

Most of us worry unnecessarily about too many things.

It's almost as though we search for problems to give ourselves stress. The amazing news is that much of what we worry about doesn't matter at all! Take a look at these statistics about worry:

a.. 40% of all things that we worry about never come to pass.

b.. 30% of all our worries involve past decisions that cannot be changed.

c.. 12% focus on criticism from others who spoke because they felt inferior.

d.. 10% are related to our health, which gets worse when we worry.

e.. 8% of our worries could be described as "legitimate" causes for concern.

Isn't that remarkable? Fewer than one "problem" in every ten that we worry about is a real concern. All the others are things that we can learn to see differently or eliminate.

- from Michael Sundersingh - EMFI Staff in Delhi

EMFI Events 09

April 5th - 'Footprints' seminar on missions at Bangalore
April 10-12th - Camp at Pachalur for medical students from Tamil Nadu
April 23-26th - EMFI _NE conference at Aizawl

May 11-17th Foundations course in Missions at Lamtaput for Orissa medicos

June State Conference Andhra Pradesh at Guntur

August - Pachalur Camp

Biblical Health Care and Ethics - Delhi 2009

What do you get when you put a group of key people who are practicing wholeistic - God-honouring medicine in our country - and add to that a wise and humble facilitator with many years of serving along side Christian health care professionals around the globe?

The seminar was hosted at the Navintha House in Okla, New Delhi

Well for one you get plenty of thought-provoking ideas and experiences. Different ideas and thoughts - but all seeking to be obedient to one Master!

For three days our friends thought and shared about what the Bible helps us see is Christ-oriented transformation.

Dr. Chris makes a point - using powerpoint!

Dr. Chris Steyn - the international director of the Healthcare Christian Fellowship helped the whole group explore what it means to see a witness for Christ in the communities through the 'locality church' - the entire collection of God's people in any given area.

There was plenty of 'meat' to chew on - and our prayer is that the principles that have been learned will be implemented across our country through God's people serving in the health care field - and catalysing God's Shalom in our land!

The happy campers at the end of the programme

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Photos: top by SP Matthew, middle and bottom by Manoj Jacob

How do we live out transformation?

Everyone knows that the world we are living in at this point is in a sorry state.

Medicine itself is predicated on healing illness, preventing infection, repairing damage to tissue and organ, person by person.

But what about the Biblical vision of Shalom that rings so strongly, the GREAT NEWS that the word 'gospel' captures?

Beyond the sorry state we see in us and all around us - we know that a better world has to come - the ache in our heart points us in that direction. The amazing fact is that according to the Bible, we are actually the agents, the catalysts, whom God is using to make this happen!

Let us a health-care pilgrims live this out.

The on-going seminar on Biblical Health-care and Ethics being held in Delhi as we speak has brought out an important issue - we are witnesses.

Witnesses to the power of God. But that is not only us as individuals - and even our local churches - rather that *whole* church of any location is a combined witness to the reality of Christ.

What a responsibility we have - and what hope too!

As we live lives of intention - as we willingly submit our selfish ambition and desires in exchange for life-giving truth and freedom of Jesus the Lord - as we seek to love others - even prickly, unpleasant others (often very close at hand to us) - we are going to have to be transformed - and we will see God's gracious hand at work changing our communities for the praise of His glory!

Workshop on Biblical Health Care and Ethics

We live in a vast - needy - amazing country of India - and have the wonderful opportunity to make a real and lasting change - for eternity.

How can we see Health Care guided by the wonderful word of God - the Bible - take root in our own practice?

How can we make truly ethical decisions when all around us our medical peers are engaged in active corruption (some) and passive indifference (almost everyone else)?

How can my life as a doctor make a difference the grand scheme of things?

We are deeply privileged to have Dr. Chris Steyns join us for a special 3 day seminar on Biblical Health Care and Ethics. Dr. Chris leads the Health-Care Christian Fellowship and has many years of experience in following Jesus in his medical work across the globe.

The venue for the seminar is:
NAVINTA RETREAT HOUSE, JAMIA NAGAR P.O., OKHLA, NEW DELHI 110025
TELEPHONE: 011-26847159

Directions: It is near Escorts hospital (Rehabilitation Centre- a big red building). Then look for Don Bosco Technical institute (on the Sukdev Vihar Road) & go down the road.
The Navinta Retreat Centre is just beyond Don Bosco (adjacent Campus).

You will need to before 10 pm on 22nd night or after 6 am on 23rd morning as the gates are closed between 10 pm & 6 am. The cost per head will be Rs.1000/ including food & stay for the whole seminar.

Take a new look!

Dear Friends,

The EMFI site has been up for over a year now - and we have really not seen anyone use it much!

So lets change things!

We would love to hear from you. Please comment - and write!

The site can have many authors - just drop Ashok Chacko a note (ashokchacko@gmail.com) and he will send you an invite to be one of the blog authors.

There are some exciting things coming up - please keep checking in.

Blessings to you all!