In sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 56 million individuals lack access to basic surgical care, the Thiessen family has embarked on a remarkable journey to bring hope and healing through their skills in medicine. Jesh, a general surgeon, and Julie, a talented homemaker and chef, hail from the Okanagan, British Columbia, but their path has taken them across the globe. From medical school in Calgary and residency in Kingston to missions in places like Burundi and India, their journey has been one of diverse experiences and unwavering faith.
Their calling to full-time missions was not immediately apparent when they first met. Before their marriage in 2008, both Jesh and Julie had already begun serving overseas – Jesh with building projects in the Dominican Republic and medical work in Myanmar, and Julie with teaching stints in Burundi and India. However, over nine years of marriage and raising three children, the call to missions became increasingly clear. In 2015, they ventured to Burundi to work at Kibuye Hope Hospital, an experience that profoundly impacted their perspective and strengthened their resolve to pursue long-term missions.
Accepted into Samaritan’s Purse’s Post-Residency Program in 2016, the Thiessen family received the support they needed to continue their mission work. After language training in France, they spent time at Kibuye Hope Hospital in Burundi before moving to Hospital of Hope in Togo, West Africa in 2019. Their journey then led them to the Good News Hospital in Madagascar in 2020, where they helped launch the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons residency training program. Through this program, they aim to provide quality surgical care while empowering African doctors with both medical skills and spiritual guidance, embodying their vision to share Christ’s love through compassionate healthcare.
Ministry Overview:
The Thiessen family, consisting of Jesh, a general surgeon, and Julie, a skilled homemaker and chef, have devoted their lives to providing essential surgical care and spreading Christ’s love across sub-Saharan Africa. Originally from British Columbia’s Okanagan region, their journey from medical training in Calgary to impactful missions in Burundi, India, and beyond reflects their unwavering faith. In 2015, they began at Kibuye Hope Hospital in Burundi, later joining Samaritan’s Purse’s Post-Residency Program in 2016 and eventually settling at the Good News Hospital in Madagascar in 2020. Here, they initiated the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons residency training program, aiming to equip African doctors with medical expertise and spiritual guidance, embodying their vision of compassionate healthcare rooted in faith.
Prayer Request:
Pray for the Thiessen family as they journey across the globe, bringing hope, healing, and the love of Christ through their skills in medicine, impacting lives in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
ABOUT FGC
Friends of the Great Commission (FGC) is a registered charity with a team of skilled administrative and accounting personnel dedicated to using their talents and expertise to enable people to follow God’s calling to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. We have been providing a place for individuals, ministries and organizations to thrive in ministry. Our vision is to work together to help the impoverished, further education, and help fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
We are passionate about helping fulfill the Great Commission. Our team of skilled administrative and accounting personnel are dedicated to simplifying ministry. We bring admin relief to our agents and projects and release them to spend more time on ministry work. Through collaboration, we provide compliance, clarity, and relief to ministry.
We welcome any Christian ministry or project to contact us to discuss how we can collaborate. We believe we are stronger together.