April 30th, 2025, 10:26am MDT
Youth at the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter-day Saints in the Southern South American region of the Church, participated in a key community-wide service project due to the strength of this year’s Youth Conference.
FSY takes place during the summer holidays in the early months of the South American year, and the school year begins soon after.
During the FSY service project, young men and young women prepared school kits for students in families facing financial difficulties.
More than 7,300 young men and women from Argentina, 4,400 in Chile, 1,200 in Paraguay and 870 in Uruguay participated in the FSY conferences of their respective countries.
The school kit included notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, rulers and backpacks. Once they were assembled, they were delivered to various institutions and schools, allowing the children to prepare them to learn better about the grade. In Paraguay, school kits mostly went to Indigenous communities facing the greatest needs.
This initiative will allow hundreds of children to receive important school supplies for education, reflecting the church’s commitment to education and caring for those in need.
The church’s newsroom sites in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay each contained quotations from the youth involved. They spoke about how participating in a service project at FSY is a spiritual and meaningful experience.
Victoria, a young woman from Uruguay, said, “When I packed supplies in my backpack, it was beautiful and wonderful. I felt like I was helping people. Those supplies go to kids in need, and maybe with those supplies, the children can start school.
One young man spoke about how serving others can strengthen his connection with God and help him share Christ’s love with others. “Being able to serve within this church and making kits for the kids is very special, in addition to serving others. Helping the kids was an opportunity for you to truly feel the spirit.”
Jasmine, a young woman from Paraguay, said, “We enjoyed and enjoyed the activities because we learned about service. It was very special to us and we are very grateful to be able to participate in such a great activity.”
Another young woman said, “Making these school kits is a very powerful experience for me, allowing us to reflect a bit about the importance of serving others and being instruments in the hands of the Lord.
The young Chilean man thanked the experience of this service and the impact it had on the lives of those receiving school supplies.
Jazmin of Argentine said, “I like the idea that I can help others, just like Jesus Christ did, and I know that in these school kits, many kids have so many beautiful things and can come back to school.”
The donations are part of the 100 donations that the church makes this year to mark the 100th anniversary of the Gospel being preached in South America.
For more information about this year’s 100th anniversary activities in South America, visit Centenariosas.org.
