GUYANESE international Chaplain and gospel artiste Eion Greaves has returned with a plan to help curb suicide and help restore Guyana.Greaves, a United States based international Missionary, is one of the treasured musical producers singled out to be honored at the 3rd annual Guyana Music Awards.
But his plan involves more than receiving the award and more than just a performance on the national stage during the Guyana International Music Fest 2016 on April 30 at the National Stadium.
The award ceremony set for Sunday May 1 at the National Cultural Centre will see four of Guyana’s greats – Eion Greaves, Eddy Grant, Natural Black and Miss Guyana World Lisa Punch – receiving significant honour.
The refreshing reappearance of the artistes raises hope that the artistes returning home offer a plan of how to change the world’s perception of Guyanese music.
Greaves’ song “The Plan” recommends righteousness as the plan for Guyana to prosper in joy and peace.
His music, which plainly sets forth the Gospel of the Bible, is expected to water the lives of thousands, bringing restoration and social healing.
What Greaves really intends to do is address the plague of suicide reaching dangerous levels, with Guyana ranking as one of the countries with the highest rates.
As a Missionary who travels the world healing masses of the spiritual and emotional sicknesses, labelled suicide as a gruesome and selfish act.
As a Chaplain, he has a specific role to restore peace at all levels, and as a musician he still plays his part in international conferences.
“We can be officers or we can be Pastors, but we are really peace officers. Chaplains can work from the president’s level, all the way down to the folks’ level; so we submit ourselves in whatever area. As a musician I do international conferences like symposiums and so for music; and as a Chaplain I do conflict resolution.”
Part of this aspect of his work is what is called “suicide solutions.”
His plan to return home regularly involves that latter part of his work.
“What has caused me to want to even come home is because of the rate (of suicide), because I’ve worked with suicidal kids in other parts of the world, worked with the parents helping them to cope with it.
“Some of them you actually have to go to them because they have already suffered the loss of a child. Something always triggers (suicide). There is a cause and there is an effect.”
He said in his work, he addresses too the root causes of suicide, which, according to him, is a plan of the devil which comes to steal, kill and destroy.
His “suicide solutions” missions include visiting families affected by suicide, or who have persons around with suicidal tendencies or have had members who committed suicide. He does counselling among other things to “to help them abort that spirit that might be in them.
“So we work with the parents and we work with the children.”
“As a Chaplain, I have to approach family members first of all, based on scriptures. If I give them just a remedy without giving them the root cause, the remedy will work but it will return. It’s like sweeping a house and forgetting that you had to fill it with something. You left it open and ten more demons come in.”
He said the job is tough but his love for children in particular keeps him connected to purpose, and God has equipped him for the mission.

(Shauna Jemmott)