The first ever For the Strength of Youth conference in the country of Ethiopia was held this year.
FSY is a large, five-day event sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that includes devotionals, classes and activities designed to help strengthen faith in Jesus Christ and help youth have fun as they learn to apply the gospel in all aspects of their lives.
Sixty-eight youth and 16 leaders gathered in Ethiopia’s capital city of Addis Ababa for FSY Sept. 1-6. The theme was taken from this year’s youth theme, “Look Unto Christ,” found in Doctrine and Covenants 6:36, which says, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”
The Church’s Africa Newsroom reported that the five-day conference was “a profound spiritual experience” and “a beautiful success.” The youth had team games and dances and attended devotionals and classes, where they learned how to look unto Christ and apply the theme in their daily lives.
Nafrom Awegchew (Kiya) said, “The FSY helped me find an answer to my questions, helped me know the value of teamwork and most importantly grow my faith in Jesus.”
Kana Fiker Debebe Hailu said, “The FSY conference was great. I learned that I can rely on God and trust in Him when I face difficulties. It has helped me come close to God and learn of Him. It has also helped me learn about temple blessings and missionary work.”
Elder Laurian Balilemwa, an Area Seventy in the Africa Central Area, which includes Ethiopia, spoke to the youth about prayer and faith, inviting them to have more personal and heartfelt communication with God.
“I invite you to find a private time to talk to God,” Elder Balilemwa said. “Address Him, thank Him and ask Him for anything you want in any language. Then, close your prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.”
He also taught how a person’s thoughts can influence his or her life. “Our thoughts lead to an act; the behavior leads to a destination.”
Therefore, by looking unto Christ in every thought, one can choose a path that leads to eternal life, he said.
The Africa Newsroom report said that the first FSY in Ethiopia was “a true celebration of faith and a sign of the growing strength of the Church in Ethiopia.”
The first official Church meeting in Ethiopia was held in Addis Ababa in August 1992. The latest statistics from the Church list 2,423 Church members in eight branches in the country. The Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission began in July 2020.
