Amid the war-torn areas of South Sudan and Northern Uganda, two youth congresses were held last month for several hundred young people. Sponsored by the Middle East Union, or geographical region, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the meetings focused on helping youth in these areas to take charge of their lives and to share their faith.

“Young people are, to a certain degree, discouraged and helpless,” says Amir Ghali, youth director for the church in the region. “In such surroundings and conditions, how could you make your life meaningful? We spoke about having a purpose, creating meaningful relationships and reaching goals.”

Love, dating and marriage were some other topics discussed with the youth. “Many cultural issues came to the forefront, and the issue of polygamy was a hot topic of discussion,” says Beat Odermatt, president of the church in Sudan. “In South Sudan a very large number of men have more than one wife. Polygamy presents our youth with many challenges…and temptations in the area of human relations.”

“Holding such large-scale events requires great sacrifice, willingness to take risks, endurance to put up with inconveniences and a lot of hard work,” Ghali adds. Speaking of the youth event in South Sudan at the church’s secondary school in Eiera, Bahr Naam, he says that, “At any point our location could have been bombarded from the air and the ground. By the grace of God, nothing like that happened while the congress was going on.”

Ghali says that although there are such limited resources to consider, the number of activities that the congresses involved was impressive. Young people participated in drama presentations and sports, but the most popular activity was music—which went on all day and through the night. “We had a hard time falling asleep because of their singing. I think music runs in their veins,” says Ghali. The instruments the young people used were handmade from tree branches, animal hair and leather.

Traveling to the locations of the youth congresses was not easy for many. Some spent several days walking or, for those a little better off, bicycling, Ghali says. The roads in South Sudan are all dirt and, because of the war, are not maintained. Housing situations at the campsite in South Sudan were very primitive with no running water and no electricity, except for a power generator that ran for three hours a day. “[They] had to carry [water] on their heads and walk long distances,” says Ghali. “They had to make several of those trips every day. The water [was] usually brown and full of insects.” Conditions were somewhat better in the Adjumani refugee camp in Northern Uganda, where the second youth congress took place.

“After visiting those hardship areas, my life is no longer the same,” Ghali says. “I have not seen so much faith anywhere else. Jesus was definitely there.”

Another youth congress for the Middle East region is planned for July in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

There are nearly 6,000 Adventists in Sudan and more than 120,000 in Uganda.