"Siesta"—A Winter Meeting for Young People in Kazan

On January 29–31, an outdoor service was held in Kazan for young people over 20 years old. Regarding the choice of profession and life partner, understanding the will of God in these matters became the main topic of the meeting.

“Siesta”, in Spanish tradition, is a time to relax during the midday heat. This is a small pause for replenishment. Sometimes, in order to find answers to important questions, you need to pause, rest, and reflect. Young people have a lot of questions. The most important ones relate to the choices of profession and life partner. The young people tried to find an answer to these questions at this winter retreat.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). With any difficult question, it is important to hear the voice of God and understand what He wants to say to you. The speaker for the weekend, Pastor Andrei Kachalaba, spoke about this. He stressed that young Christians must definitely solve important issues together with God, despite the fact they really want to be independent.

The “siesta” was about the importance of being able to "reboot", rest, and pause in the midst of life. It helps to hear the voice of God. One such break is weekly Sabbath observance. Finding your place in the Christian community, understanding what kind of service you need to do, is another important point. Additionally, a Christian young person needs to ask, “How do I choose a spouse and my life's work? How does God show His will? Can I really choose what I want? How do I not make major mistakes?

At the meeting, they discussed these topics, shared experiences and thoughts, and asked questions. Also, young people participated in quests, games, group discussions, skating, snowboarding, and tubing.

This article was originally published on the Euro-Asia Division’s news site