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TST trip to El Salvador to heal bodies as well as spirits
By Bruce Walton
VIENNA
El Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America, and a team of 16 from Teen Straight Talk will be visiting there next week on a mission to help heal body and soul.
“People need hope, and the people that are preparing for us to come, from what we know, are excited for what we’re bringing,” said Cassandra Leavell, office manager for Teen Straight Talk, 1393 Youngstown-Kingsville Road SE.
TST’s mission is to educate children, teens and adults regarding the importance of abstinence as a lifestyle choice, according to its website. Emphasis is placed on the consequences of participating in sexual activity outside the boundaries of marriage.
What the TST ambassadors are bringing to El Salvador is sexual education, dental-hygiene supplies, medical assistance and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Though Leavell expects to see some resistance, she hopes to reach many children through the program.
The mission trip, consisting of doctors, nurses, organization administrators and educators, will leave Nov. 6 and arrive at the capital, San Salvador, to tour various schools and locations until Nov. 13.
Since its ban of abortion in 1998, El Salvador’s teen-pregnancy rate has skyrocketed, as well as suicide counting for 57 percent of the deaths of pregnant women aged 10 to 19, according to Amnesty International.
This is one of the most important reasons why the trip will be perfect for the organization, said Mary Duke, TST executive director.
“I am privileged to go, and I know that I am giving a message that is intrinsic,” she said. “It’s a message that once you hear [it], you’ll never forget, whether you respond to it or not.”
The team will visit various locations in El Salvador speaking to teens and adults about the gospel and salvation through Jesus Christ. The team will also educate them on sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy statistics, remaining abstinent and the value of making smart choices.
Duke said the team will give the residents more than 1,000 bags of dental-hygiene projects and provide medical assistance from the three doctors and three nurses, bringing more than 100 pounds of medicine.
Over the past few months, TST has already sent 100 separate pounds of dental-hygiene products and 110 baseball hats.
Teen Straight Talk visits local schools and churches to speak to young people, but has been conducting mission trips to other locations since 1999, Duke said. At first it began in different states, but it began visiting different countries in 2002, such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Dominican Republic.
Though the team’s time may be short in El Salvador, Duke hopes the organization’s mission trip will leave some of the Salvadoran people with hope and educated minds.
“If they have the hope of Jesus Christ in their hearts when we leave, the mission trip will be a success,” she said.
She also said the trip has been a difficult to organize financially because it cost more than $15,000. TST hopes the community can help with last-minute donations. To donate, visit teenstraighttalk.com or call 330-539-6040.