The Philippine Student Alliance Lay Movement, Inc. presented Road to Forever, an annual love month celebration spearheaded by Ms. Margie D. Lindawan, PSALM Ozamiz District Director last February 19, 2019 at Jollibee Drive Thru Bernad. As a True Love Waits seminar that started way back in 1992 all over the Philippines, PSALM Ozamiz’ Road to Forever has evolved to a sex education/purity awareness campaign. Yes, talking about sex here in our country has always been a taboo but it has to be addressed appropriately and immediately. From my child psychology graduate class last summer, let me quote some important parts from our group’s seminar paper:
Adolescence is a very crucial period in the stages of human development in terms of interaction of biological, psychological, and social skills according to Eisenberg (1991). This stage is also described as the time of storm and stress by G. Stanley Hall (1916) as cited by Arnett (2006). This is the stage where girls and boys, ranging from 10 to 19 years old, reach sexual maturity.
At this stage, adolescent or teenage pregnancy has become a rampant and complex issue in the community. Adolescent or teenage pregnancy is defined as pregnancy in a woman with an age range of 10-19 years old (WHO, 2004). This has been a challenging issue among parents, teachers, health professionals, governments, and adolescents themselves. Besides, this is considered as one of the great factors of the increased population growth in the world.
Locally, the increased rate of teenage pregnancy is very alarming. In addition, sex videos are being recorded willfully and are circulating almost twice a week among our senior high school students not only in our university but also in other schools here in our city. This has become common for around 3 years now and to date, we are not shocked for another sex scandal to explode tomorrow anymore. So to advocate as an educator, I incorporate in my classes the value of saving sex for marriage.
However, most young people don’t want to be told not to engage into sex. From the study of Aquilino and Bragadottir in 2000, they rather be guided in making decisions on their own. And no matter what advises and moral lessons you give them, they always want to do things their own way. So aside from the social service, government, and community organizations, youth organizations also play a vital role in hampering teenage pregnancy in our country. If these young people are with individuals their age, they can relate and imitate one another (Dunn, J., Brown, J., Slomkowski, C., Tesla, C., & Youngblade, L., 1991). So if one says no to teenage pregnancy, everybody will do the same. As such, the youth leader must also be mindful in his/her actions to promote abstinence or safe sex among his/her peers.
Speaking of youth organizations, this is now PSALM comes in. PSALM has been reaching out to the youth and making Christ be made known to them. I’ve heard about PSALM after graduating college but I only got to know more about it last 2016 through Margie. She’s been handling the young people here in Ozamiz from doing gospel classes in public schools to facilitating discipleship small groups. I admire her very much for her heart to the younger generation. She’s been encouraging young people to come to Christ, be in service to Him, and live a Christ-like life.
In this regard, Road to Forever aims to introduce Jesus as Lord and personal savior, a source of pure joy and total happiness! T’was my second time to attend the said event. The first was the other year when I learned not to find my husband-to-be because it is his duty to find me. And this year was another lesson of sexual immorality brought by the event’s guest speaker, Engr. Matt Poulin all the way from North Carolina who by the way is Margie’s fiancée! Their’s is a story of true love that really waits and of sexual purity. Matt and Marg met online last 2017, met in person last 2018, and got engaged just this month! They’ve gone dating and exploring the islands of the Philippines for quite some time now (you may check on Matt’s blog here) but they haven’t kissed yet! This news might shock the others but for us Christians who are really Christians, this is not new to us. Just like me, I’m still saving my very first kiss at the altar. And as for the newly-engaged couple, their’s will be coming soon on May 25, 2019 at Pagadian City and we’re all very excited for it!
In line with this, as practitioners of sexual purity, we the ate’s would like to encourage the young people to also live clean. With that, commitment cards were written and purity rings were worn as our vow of chastity until we get married. Saving our virginity for marriage is the best gift that we could ever give to our husband and in the case of the men, to their wife. So it really pays to wait as true love waits! Take it from me. Call me old-fashioned or KJ or whatsoever. I’m already 36 and I still deeply believe in the Master-Mission-Mate principle. Now who’s again asking me, “Why aren’t you married yet?!”
Then the night ended with Pastor Sasang of Oroquieta Evangelical Church sharing the gospel. The youth accepted Jesus Christ in their hearts and I do pray that the first-comers will be followed up by the student leaders of PSALM. Because I also do believe that salvation does not end in only accepting Christ but it only starts through discipleship.
For more information about the youth ministry of PSALM in Ozamiz, you may contact Margie at 09120025150. If you are not a youth anymore, single at my age, you may reach me through 09166869834 because we have a space for you in Christ Commission Fellowship (CCF) Ladies DGroup every Friday at 6:30 PM at Jollibee Drive-Thru Bernad. If you are a male, then Eljohn will take care of you and if you are married, we also have Mr. & Mrs. Ian Tio for you. Same time and venue so see you there this Friday night! J
Thank you PSALM Ozamiz for always making me a part of Road to Forever: A True Love Waits Seminar! ‘Til next year, guys! 🙂
For questions, invites, and collaborations, direct message me on Facebook. For updates on my whereabouts and whatabouts, follow me on Twitter and Instagram!
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