Allepo Gospel Chapel hosts successful health fair

RECENTLY, SCORES of residents from Allepo and surrounding districts in St Mary got free medical services at a health fair, hosted by Central Gospel Chapel, and coordinated and executed by The Seven Eyes Stone Ministries from the United States.

“Our visit and purpose are always to support the local church and other organisation to provide services and outreach to their local communities. We always provided a holistic approach to include the spiritual, physical and mental,” Hyacinth Smith, president of Seven Eyes Stone, told Family and Religion. Its motto is, ‘Reaching the Region and Beyond’.

The mission consisted of 24 persons, seven of whom are Jamaicans. The medical team comprised three doctors, four nurses, one nurse practitioner, and a pharmacist. The services provided included blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, height, and temperature checks; prayer and one-on-one counselling. There was also “diagnostic – ultrasound”, including heart monitoring. Medicine was dispensed to all patients with a diagnosis. Vitamins; personal-care items, including hygiene products; nutritional products; groceries; clothes and shoes were also distributed.

“Even though this is only my second time to this area, I have fond memories. I believe that the people are genuine. I also realised that there are many needs in the community and although we can't possible fulfil all of them we can help some,” Smith said in summing up the day’s activity.

Host pastor, Ja’Vaughn Taylor, was more than pleased with the outcome, saying it was a “blessing” as the vulnerable in the community was able to gain access to health care, and prescribed and other medication that they normally cannot afford. It was also about sharing love and compassion, he said.

“I believe, based on scripture, that’s what Jesus Christ’s intention was, to share love … And from that, people will understand what the Church’s mission might be. Churches should see the necessity to go on the highways and byways, and reach the people through any means of communication, any means of outreach. Come from behind the pulpit and find ways to share Jesus Christ with the people,” Pastor Taylor said.

Aleppo was included on the mission, Smith said, because her late husband’s father was from Allepo and his grandfather was one of the founding members of the Central Gospel Chapel. An inaugural trip to the area was made in 2003 and they vowed to return. In 2020, Allepo was tagged on the itinerary, but due to the COVID-19 lockdown policies the trip was postponed.

It was Smith’s husband's dream to return to Aleppo for the outreach; however, he passed in 2021. So, the recent trip was to fulfil her husband's wishes. “It was a memorable one for all of us present. We are already making plans to return,” Smith shared. The mission is in its 23rd year.

There is one main trip each year, and that includes several outreaches, and depending on the circumstances there might be smaller ones. “One year we did leadership training for pastors. Going forward as we have just entered into what we call ‘The New Chapter’, we will be doing more frequent trips, Smith disclosed.

Apart from Allepo, this time around, Boundbrook, Zion Hill and Port Antonio in Portland, and Bath in St Thomas were the other beneficiaries.

“In these instances, we partnered with churches in these communities. Additionally, we facilitated the CPR and first-responder training and certification for 48 firefighters and two civilians, which was held over a five-day period. The first two days, June 8 and 9, we contracted the Heart Foundation of Jamaica to provide the CPR and first-aid training,” Smith revealed.

She and her team worked in collaboration with the Portland Fire Brigade, but the trainees were drawn from the Portland, St Mary, St Ann and Trelawny Fire Brigades.