More on Suicide
World Suicide Prevention Day Seminar – September 14, 2018
Come see what the Lord has done, it is marvelous in our eyes. Our God is simply amazing.
This year we celebrated the 10th staging of the World
Suicide Prevention Day Seminar. We had approximately 250
people, inclusive of about 30 who came for the opening ceremony
alone. The usual challenge of staging an event at this time of
the year was evident, but God gave us unexpected media coverage on
August 26th, which led to increasing publicity for the
seminar and resulted in Dr. Tufton, Minister of Health,
requesting an opportunity to provide information about the
suicide prevention hotline at the seminar.
The rest is History
Senator, the Honourable Ruel Reid, Minister of Education was our guest
speaker, and Dr. Tufton, brought greetings and spoke about the
coming launch of the Suicide Prevention Hotline in collaboration
with Choose Life International, which took the headlines the following day.
|
Senator
Ruel Reid quipped that Dr. Tufton shared in his keynote address
during his inspiring speech.
Sheryl who lost her 12 year old son to suicide tearfully shared
that desiring counselling, she saw something on Choose Life
International in the newspaper, and came to us for
help for her other son and herself, and they were greatly helped.
Praise God. |
|
|
It was an amazing day. Our friend and colleague in ministry, Dr.
Angela Ramlal-Williams commented, “Congratulations on a very well
planned and executed conference,” and this was the overall
sentiment of participants.
|
|
|
Great Insight
The seminar covered topics such as: The Suicidal Mind by Dr. George Leveridge, Social
Media and Suicide by Dr. Judith Leiba-Thomas, Teens, Schools &
Suicide: When Educational Goals Collide with Hopelessness
by Dr. Grace Kelly, Building
a Suicide Protocol in Your Organization by Dr.
Terence Bernard and Sex
and Suicide by Dr. Donovan and Mrs. Faith
Thomas.
|
|
|
|
The presentation by Dr. Leveridge on The Suicidal Mind was the
most well received presentation and persons who have been
previously suicidal were able to better understand themselves, in
fact some persons reached out for help as a result of this
presentation. For helping professionals and others, it provided great
insight.
Of special note this year was the pre-launch of our Choose Life
Ambassador Programme, which will provide training of persons at
the school and community level, who will be empowered as peer
counselors to help people choose life. We want to thank
Amaria Brown from St. Jago High School who passionately spoke
about the need for suicide prevention.
A potential ambassador commented to her teacher, “…want to tell
you a big thank you for taking me with you to the conference. If
you only knew how much I’ve learned…That conference changed my
life.”
 
Above:
Teacher and students from Jamaica College with Dr. Donovan
Thomas. Left: Westwood High students.
Other Activities
- On September 7 we
did a one-day seminar on “Wellness
in the Workplace and Resolving Conflict”
with an organization, where there was a departmental
breakdown in communication as a result of conflict. We
received comments such as, “The seminar was well put
together and I appreciate the fact that individuals opened
up about their feelings”, and, “Overall it was interactive,
informative and quite beneficial in equipping us to be
better leaders and enhance team cohesiveness,” at the end of
that session. Praise God for His faithfulness!!
- On September 9
Donovan and I spoke on Happiness
in the Family at Antioch Assembly on Windward
Road. Wow! It was an amazing time as many came to the
altar and we had an extensive prayer time and
ministry.
- We also did
four presentations at St Andrew High School which went
very well. This covered grades 7-13 of the entire
school population. The topic was: Learning to Soar:
Guidelines for Living the More Abundant Life. It
was their commemoration of Founders Day, and many prayed
accepting Christ and prayed asking God to help them to
forgive.
|
|
|
Prayer Request
Please pray for Mattheu who is scheduled to do lung surgery
today. Pray for successful surgery and that God would heal and
give an amazing testimony of God’s healing of cancer.
Please pray for the CLI 10th Anniversary activities starting with
our 10:45 a.m. service at Swallowfield Chapel on October 7th and
culminating in the banquet on October 27th and the first General
Assembly on October 28th.
We look forward to your support, attendance and ticket
purchase and sales as much as you’re able to. God bless.
This is IN AID OF HELPING PEOPLE LIVE!!
Shalom,
Faith and Donovan. |
|
|
