The ICMDA Eurasia region covers Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa. I am writing this report in mid-March from Vilnius, Lithuania where we are halfway through a time of team development for the Area Student Representatives (ASRs) and the Eurasia committee. Times such as this are vital for strengthening the team and refining our vision as we support the work of the national movements, and contact groups across our region as they support Christian medics and dentists.

ASRs

Eight volunteer junior doctors serve the region as ASRs by encouraging work among medical and dental students in an area of the region. We are in the process of appointing new ASRs for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Baltic and Nordic countries and Western Europe.

Euan Dodds has been the ICMDA Area Student Representative (ASR) for the countries in Western Europe for almost four years now. As ASR, Euan has sought to encourage and support the student work in each of the countries of Western Europe through, among other things, encouraging prayer, visiting key conferences, encouraging attendance at the recent Europe-Eurasia conference and the UK CMF preconference for international students, and maintaining contact with student leaders.

In doing this Euan has been part of a valued team of ASRs across the world. The role of ASR is very much that of encourager and enabler, connecting people together with resources and with each other through the international family of ICMDA. As Euan now needs to hand over his responsibility as ASR we are seeking someone to take over this voluntary role for Western Europe. If you would be interested, or know someone who may be appropriate, contact James on Eurasia@icmda-online.org

International students preconference

In February I had the privilege of joining the group of students from across the Eurasia region who were attending the international preconference week in London organised by CMF. We explored how small groups of Christian medical students meeting together can be a place of support and discipleship to help one another in following Jesus in medicine. Discussions highlighted the challenge of making such groups effective in places as diverse as Hungary, Austria and the Middle East.

A number of those present came with another student leader from their country, emphasising the benefit of working with a co-leader and developing a vision together. Particularly encouraging for me was the opportunity to consider with two students from Belgium how they might enable Christian medical students in their cities to pursue God's kingdom in and through their medical studies. Let's pray that God would continue to grow and bless his work among medical and dental students across Eurasia. The preconference week has for years been a blessing to many – six of our current ASR team benefited from attending previously.

Leaders' training in Romania

ICMDA Balkans ASR, Dana Galchis, reports from the second student leaders' training in Romania held in December:
We had 2 days of heaven! 46 people came, 7 from Moldova and the rest from Romania. The students became friends and connected so well! We worshipped together, prayed together, discussed and shared ideas, encouraged one another, and just had so much fun at times.

The Bible talks on 2 Timothy given by Paul, a student leader from Romania, were just superb. Then there were 4 seminars, also led by students, which looked at leading a local group; fund-raising; sharing faith; and penetrating your university (through involvement in the university's committees and structures). It is a great joy to me that we already have people who not only can speak beautifully on these topics, but all had spoken from their own experience. Those leading seminars had not done so before. This was therefore the perfect opportunity for them to come out and see that they can do it!

A leader's duty is to replicate, so that when they step down or move elsewhere, the work of God does not suffer. I am beginning to see this happening in my country of Romania. As students in Romania we have been blessed to be a blessing for the other Balkan countries. My hope for this year is that, with God's grace and help, we meet key people in the surrounding countries and help them reach their full potential in influencing their medicine for the kingdom...

ICMDA World Conference 2010

The next ICMDA World Conference will be held in South America at Punta del Este, Uruguay. The Students and Juniors conference is 4-6 July 2010, and the Main Congress is 7-11 July. The World Congress is a wonderful opportunity to connect with what God is doing through Christian medical and dental students and graduates around the world. Daryl Hackland, ICMDA General Secretary, writes:
The organising committee is working strongly on the logistics and programme content for the preconference and the main congress. A large supportive team has been assembled by the Congress Director, Jorge Patpatian, and Chairman of the Programme Committee, Ricardo Zandrino, to address matters of organisation and planning. As in the past, special support for economically poorer countries is being promoted through the establishment of a Bursary Fund. Each region is called upon to support this appeal to help ensure that delegates from each member and contact group country are enabled to attend.
For more information or to express an intention to attend, go to www.icmda2010.org

James Tomlinson is the ICMDA Eurasia Regional Secretary Email: Eurasia@icmda-online.org