Canada Newsletter, November
Designing Hope Around the World
As we enter the season of Advent and prepare our hearts to celebrate God's gift of His son at Christmas, we're taking a moment to reflect on how He has worked through EMI Canada in 2025.
From coast to coast in Canada and across the globe, our project teams have been blessed to serve with ministries who are advancing God's Kingdom in their communities. Here's a look back at some of the projects where EMI Canada has served to design a world of hope.
International Projects
Uganda: Bless The Children Ministries
Site Visit: February 2025
In February 2025, EMI Canada sent a project team to Uganda for the second time in less than a year to work on a school campus masterplan.
International Projects Manager Ryan Williams led a team of nine design professionals, including two interns, Naomi Bouter and Sarah Kassulke, to Mabale, Uganda to serve with Bless The Children Ministries (BTCM) to develop a master plan for a proposed secondary school campus.
Following the site visit, the team returned home to begin the work of compiling their findings about the site conditions and BTCM’s vision to create a comprehensive masterplan. The final report was delivered to BTCM in May 2025.
Read more about the team’s experience in Uganda here.
Uganda: Hope Institute of Uganda
Site Visit: July 2025
Ryan Williams returned to Uganda in July, this time leading a team that included interns Cooper Snell and Heather Scott to Uganda to serve with Hope Institute of Uganda (HIU). EMI Canada had been engaged to develop a master plan for a guest house and Christian camp located on the shores of Lake Victoria east of the city of Jinja.
The trip was an answer to prayer for HIU founder Dr. Joy Ngobi who had been praying and dreaming of this project for over 30 years.
Since returning from the site visit, the team has been working on the design with the goal to deliver the final report by the end of 2025.
Mongolia: Joint Christian Services
Site Visit: October 2025
Instead of leading a project, Ryan took on the role of team civil engineer and, along with EMI Canada intern Naomi Martin, joined an EMI Mexico led trip to the city of Khovd in Mongolia. The team was serving with Joint Christian Services who had a vision to develop an indoor playground and community hub serving disadvantaged and disabled children in the community.
Taking inspiration from traditional structures and local buildings, the team developed an initial concept design that was inspired by the traditional Mongolian ger (yurt) tent.
Since returning, the EMI Canada team have completed their civil engineering and architectural reports and delivered them to EMI Mexico who are compiling the final report to deliver to JCS by the end of the year.
These international partnerships represent just one way EMI Canada serves the global church. We ask that you join us in praying for Bless The Children Ministries, Hope Institute of Uganda, and Joint Christian Services as they move forward with these projects?
Each facility will create new opportunities to share the hope of the Gospel in their communities.
Domestic Projects
Cochrane Care Centre
April 2025
EMI Canada was engaged by the Hill Country Baptist Trust to conduct a feasibility study to develop a seniors care centre on their site in Cochrane, AB.
A topographical survey has been completed, and a Geotechnical study is in the process of being scheduled for the site. Dependent on when the study can be completed, the team hopes to deliver the final report early in the new year.
Lake Country Alliance Church
June 2025
EMI Canada completed a visioning and needs assessment to provide Lake Country Alliance Church with a vision for how they can steward their land to serve their congregation and the greater community.
Camp Douglas
June 2025
Originally built in the 1960s, Camp Douglas is considering options for renovation or expansion to allow it to continue to serve its mission as Christian Camp on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. EMI Canada was engaged to help guide the next steps for revitalizing this cherished camp space. The EMI team is currently working on site and building programming options.
SouthView Alliance Church
September 2025
After a successful site visit and follow up meetings with SouthView Alliance Church, several concepts to reimagine their space through potential renovations and expansion to accommodate a gym, supporting spaces and new sanctuary space. The final report is being compiled to be delivered by the end of November.
St. Andrew’s Hall
October 2025
EMI Canada has been engaged by St. Andrew’s Hall (SAH) to provide a needs assessment on their existing facility that is expected to reach the end of its operational life by 2045. SAH is looking to understand what is feasible for the site to develop a new building.
Wycliffe Bible Translators
November 2025
Wycliffe Bible Translators engaged EMI Canada to serve alongside their translation project within the indigenous communities on B.C.’s coast in the communities of , Campbell River on Vancouver Island and the community of Cape Mudge on Quadra Island.
EMI was asked to conduct a site investigation and report to provide advice on a proposed community ministry facility in Campbell River that would also be used for Wycliffe’s translation work. We also advised on the feasibility of an addition to Quadra Island United Church in Cape Mudge.
