Over the course of five hours on Sunday, May 22, 2022 the Four Winds Plaza parking lot was a hive of activity, as health professionals served more than fifty individuals at a free health expo on St. Thomas, in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI).
Over the course of five hours on Sunday, May 22, 2022 the Four Winds Plaza parking lot was a hive of activity
Over the course of five hours on Sunday, May 22, 2022 the Four Winds Plaza parking lot was a hive of activity, as health professionals served more than fifty individuals at a free health expo on St. Thomas, in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). The well-advertised expo was a feature of the Optimized Health Evangelistic Series, and was hosted by the Shiloh and Philadelphia Seventh-day Adventist Churches.
The main organizers of the event were the Health Ministries Departments of the congregations which collaborated with Adventist Community Services to cover the wellness needs of families, on St. Thomas. A wide range of services were offered to the community and included massages, nutrition advice, vegetarian meal preparation, medical consultation, traumatology, family medicine, and speech therapy.
The series showcased several local vendors with a specialty in wholistic health services. Some lines of businesses were the Adventist Book Centre, Carlos Robles Bush Tea Selection, Vernon Lake Medical Ministry, Gloriana Jerson Massage Services, Global Medevac Air Ambulance and the UVI Extension Home Gardening Program.
Pastor Wilmoth James, Executive Secretary of the North Caribbean Conference and speaker for the Optimized Health Evangelistic Series, remarked, “[T]he idea of this mega-fair is to bring people social, spiritual, and, also, medical help, for which we have professionals from many areas. The idea is to do practical evangelism.”
Pastor Jerry Languedoc, Coordinator of the Adventist Church on St. Thomas, attended the activity and expressed, “[It] has been a great blessing to see how, in St. Thomas, the Adventist Church is present in the community. We are very happy with what the church is doing in this place.”
Health screening was one of the most popular services, and the health professionals managed a steady stream of interested persons. A total of forty-three individuals checked their weight, BMI, glucose, and cholesterol levels, and received exit counseling based on results. “It appears that individuals like to know their numbers for free,” said Sister Maritza Phillip, the Health Ministries Director
Sister Maritza Phillip also commented that these services, provided by the church, had a great impact on the community. The name of the Adventist Church has been [lifted] high and is recognized in the community as a Church that supports the [people] and the community. She added, “The event was a success!
We were able to serve Adventist and non-Adventists with a variety of services that would add value to their lives when following a healthy lifestyle. The vendors were delighted very thankful, and appreciative for the opportunity to serve the community.
They celebrated the vegetarian meals provided by the Community Services members.” Many non-Adventists raved about the delicious food prepared by Community Services.
One participating business, Therapy Works, mentioned the positive testimonials from past patients. Another participating business, Paradise Chiropractic, identified one individual who was suffering with a spinal cord disorder, which is generally diagnosed during a dental wellness check.
Individuals with this disorder are usually unable to hold their mouth open for long periods of time, at
the dentist. The dentist would then refer the patient to the chiropractor. With therapy, this individual will be spared a debilitating ailment, and expressed immense gratitude for the collaboration between the Optimize Health Evangelistic Series and local health providers.
These events are organized by the Adventist Church with the objective of
improving the lifestyle of communities in which the local church operates, and
sharing the love of Christ with everyone so that, little by little, people will desire
to know and accept Jesus as their Savior.
A GOD’S Plan Series, which highlights the eight laws of health with cooking
demonstrations, will be a follow-up to the health expo. Also, a Children’s Ministries health focus with kid-friendly attractive programs, will commence in August 2022, when the Children’s Ministries Department kicks off the program, “Children’s Church”.