Over 50 young people attended this year’s Young Single Adult
Conference in Vietnam, coming either on Friday night or throughout the day on
Saturday, August 25-26, 2017. The bright
orange conference t-shirts were a big hit and were proudly worn throughout the two-day
event.
Many faced challenges of employment schedules or traveling long
distances to the Thao Dien chapel, but in spite of the difficulties faced, the
young people were excited to come and share the event with their
friends.
The conference began on Friday evening with an opening
address from Sister Pia Bejar, a guest speaker from Canada who is originally
from the Philippines. She introduced the theme of the conference – The Tapestry of Life – and reminded the young
people of their interwoven dependence upon faith, prayer, scripture study, temple
and family history work, and church attendance.
Following her remarks was a dance workshop by senior
missionaries Elder and Sister Coffey. Some
of the YSA’s were initially a little dubious about dancing together, but soon everyone
was laughing and joining in on the fun, learning several country round dances
and a line dance.
On Saturday morning, the YSA’s were blessed by a special
message from Elder David F. Evans of the Seventy. Elder Evans, a member of the Asia Area Presidency,
spoke on how the seemingly small decisions we make in our lives can have enormous
consequences throughout the years. He
shared the importance of making proper decisions regarding missionary service,
marriage, education and career. After his remarks, he visited with a number of the
YSA’s before leaving to catch his flight.
The YSA’s were very grateful for his presence and for his message.
Other events throughout the day included workshops on dating
and eternal marriage, team building activities, and group games. Sister Pia Bejar spoke again sharing her
personal life story leading to faith in Jesus Christ and self reliance, and
encouraged the young adults to cultivate their God-given talents to reach their
full potential with their personal lives and their families.
Oncoming rain caused a cancellation of the outdoor service
project, but the movie The Testaments was
the backup plan. By the end of the film, many had tears in their eyes as they
contemplated the love of their Savior.
The evening closed with the sharing of testimonies and heartfelt
stories of growing faith. Many conference attendees, after hearing Elder Evan’s message, felt a
strengthening of their faith and a desire to move forward and remain faithful.
Another young person shared that at first she didn’t think an
education was important for her life, but after the conference messages she committed
to better preparing for her future. Many bore testimony of their faith in Jesus
Christ and His Gospel.
The blessings of young adults coming together for
fellowship, fun and the building of faith can lead to lasting friendships and
strengthening of testimony. We are
grateful for the opportunity of working with the YSA leaders who organized the
conference. The Spirit was strong.
Thank you for all of your posts! It is a rare and inspiring treat to share your mission in this way and to have a window into the lives of the wonderful saints and people of Vietnam. You are gifted in sharing testimony! We love and miss you!
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