Source: The Health Connection Newsletter | 4th Quarter 2023
West-Asia Field | Middle-East North Africa Union
From August 28-September 3, 2024, young people from West-Asia Field (WAF) in Turkey joined youth leaders and adult mentors to participate in the Youth Alive program. A key goal was to invite community friends from various cities in Turkey to join other youth and young adults for a weekend of inspiration, learning, playing, serving, and also making new friends. The week started with the training of Youth Alive adult and youth facilitators, equipping them to lead the Youth Alive Friendship groups (small groups of 8-10) and make connections with the visiting youth. That training was followed by the Youth Alive Conference, where dozens of young people from various faith backgrounds gathered to learn about addictions, relationships, and mental health, and also encourage them in their spiritual journey, exploring God’s purpose for them. They attended workshops, sang together, and listened to engaging devotional sessions. They played games and laughed together. They served the local community and developed deep connections, making new friends in their friendship groups. “It was amazing to see how much the youth who had never been to a church enjoyed the Youth Alive conference,” reported Cindy Porto, WAF Health Ministry director. “The youth left eager to continue meeting regularly and learning more about God’s purpose for them to live a full and abundant life,” she added. WAF plans to continue hosting several friendship groups throughout Turkey and convene them annually for a Youth Alive conference.
