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This Spring of 2021, Dr. Emde traveled with the high school students of Greeneville Adventist Academy (GAA), one of our community's local K-12 Christian church schools, to serve those in need in the country of Costa Rica. They provided free vision care and glasses to several small communities within the region of Abangeres. It Is Written (see Mongolia & Moldova trips below) helped to organize the trip. Costa Rica is located in located in Mid-America below Nicaragua and above Panama. This is Dr. Emde's 2nd trip to Costa Rica. The first being in 2014 (see below). Costa Rica has socialized medicine so eye care is free to citizens of the country. However, as Dr. Emde has seen in several socialized medicine countries like Moldova and Mongolia, unless you pay "extra" above and beyond what your "insurance" provides, you will many times wait many years for the care you need. He saw several patients again on this trip that needed cataract surgery years ago, but are still waiting. One patient needed cataract surgery seven years ago, but is still on the waiting list as he tries to live his life with very little vision. In addition, there are many immigrants living in Costa Rica from Nicaragua and other countries who don't qualify for any medical/vision benefits because they are not citizens of Costa Rica. Dr. Emde was able to help provide basic glasses and sunglasses to approximately 580 people in 5 days of vision clinics who otherwise haven't been able to or haven't had the money to get even glasses. Twenty-six students from GAA and twelve chaperones went on the mission trip. Students would rotate through helping in the vision clinics and helping build a local Seventh-day Adventist church in Las Juntas. In the evenings, the students gave health talks, children's stories, and preached at the local group meetings on the topic "Steps to Christ" -- a series designed to start or grow your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Each of them wrote their own sermons based on the book Steps to Christ by Ellen G. White. Dr. Emde was happy they were able to go on this trip, not only to help those in need, but to help teach the students the joy of serving others, whether it is here in Greeneville, or abroad. Click here to get a free copy of Steps to Christ in .pdf format or you can listen to it in an .mp3 file! Watch video below by 2 GAA students, Jayden Cushing & Braden Ball Comments are closed.
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Our Local Mission Projects:
We are involved in mission projects here locally as well as overseas! Archives
February 2024
In Office Fundraising Projects:
1. EYES FOR INDIA
Click above picture to donate.
Dr. Emde will match the sum of his patient donations up to $3000.00 per year!!! Just let us know the amount of your donation!
Click here to watch full episode about Eyes For India called "That I May Receive My Sight" produced by It Is Written
2. WATER WELLS FOR AFRICA
Click here to watch a video on the need for drinking water in Africa (Ron Kedas in the video helped organize GAA's trip to Kenya and the village he mentions is one where Dr. Emde did eye exams in 2019)
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