A conference was held with the Olivet Teen Mission representative and the South America continental leader. Through this meeting, they were able to discuss the needs of South American teenagers to better understand what strategies can be implemented to bring them to the Gospel.
The OTM South America representative, Nogleidys Madrid, plenty of experience with teens for years. Lately, she has organized sports events for teenagers in the Venezuelan state of Barinas. Through her experience, she share what she witnesses as strengths of teenagers and what must be overcome to reach them.
"One thing about [teenagers] is that they are negatively influenced by violence," Nogleydis explained. "They lack a lot of love because of dysfunctional homes. I visited some of their homes and I noticed that. But also, I see that through art or sports they feel very included and very positive. Through this, they feel that they are important and useful for something specific."
She continued, "What led me to do these types of sports activities with them is that they lose a lot of time in things that that are not good for them, but I think if they focus their attention on something that will later bring them to God, we can win their souls."
Regularly missionaries from the region express sorrow in the situations that the teenagers face, such as gang violence, pregnancy, and broken families. Yet, OTM truly envisions that God will the passion of these teenagers and restore their broken souls.
