First Ever 'For The Strength of The Youth' Convention in East Africa Report

The ‘For the Strength of the Youth Convention’ for young people ages 14 to 18 came to an end on 21st December 2014. The five day event organized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was an outstanding opportunity for the youth of the Church. Drawn from across the country, youth gathered at Kabarak University for a spiritual and leadership adventure.

This convention was themed as ‘Come unto Christ’, becoming the second such event to be held in the Southeast Africa Area of the Church, which covers several countries.

Each day the Convention would open with a Church leader addressing the youth and giving them tips on how to draw closer to Jesus Christ, as well as follow His commandments. The youth would then divide into classes where they would study, with the help of an instructor, several gospel topics. This would run for the whole day with the evening set aside for fun activities, including singing and dancing.

The second day saw President Gary C. Hicken, the Kenya Nairobi Mission President and his wife address young people on how to live pure lives and avoid temptations. Using the analogy of SWAT (Spiritual Weapons Against Temptations) President Hicken counseled youth on how they can use the Church programs of Seminary and Institute as well as scriptures, family and regular Church attendance to avoid temptations. The other leaders who addressed the youth were Brother Prince Omondi (Seminaries and Institute Director) and Brother Baddoo, a former Stake President from Ghana.

Elder Kevin S. Hamilton is a Seventy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with assignment to serve as a Second Counselor in the Africa Southeast Area which covers all sub-Sahara African countries. He addressed the youth on the third day. The youth were blessed to hear from him and his wife as they shared their love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and gave tips on how one can draw closer to the Savior.

Day four saw a variety of talents showcased by the youth. After receiving more counsel in the morning from Brother Prince Omondi, youth gathered in the auditorium to sing, dance and laugh together. They had been working on their presentations since Monday and it was easy to see the talents these young people have as their performances were refined. The favorite of the presentations was singing the theme song, "Come unto Christ."

Brother Prince Omondi observed this on the last day of the convention: "These youth were awesome. The youth have spent time learning the Gospel of Jesus Christ and developing personal testimonies of His work. They have read scriptures, received instructions from their leaders, prayed and sang together, worked on several projects together, danced and also had a lot of wholesome fun. These youth have shown that the future of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is indeed in good hands in Kenya. They are talented, dedicated, passionate about the gospel, and valiant soldiers of Christ. It was a delight to be with these youth for a whole week.”

Visit the following links to see more pictures and video interviews from this convention.

Kenya Mormon Newsroom Page: www.facebook.com/KenyaMormonNewsroom

Lizzy Nasimiyu Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e74PlixL71w&feature=youtu.be

Penninah Nthongondu INterview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8v6jDwPyqA