SALISTE, Romania — Youth from across Romania gathered Aug. 10-12 for their annual conference on the picturesque countryside near the small village of Saliste where sheep still graze under the watchful care of shepherds.
In this region of Transylvania, LDS youth came together for a few days of service, learning and activities. Workshops centered on the theme, "We'll Bring the World His Truth." Each was given a sporty red or black baseball cap with the emblem of the conference.
These youth and their leaders are first-generation Church members; most are the only members in their families.
Activities included a skit based on the Book of Mormon account of Helaman's stripling warriors and how they, like the Romanian youth, were few in number but powerful in example.
Other workshops dealt with journal keeping, family history and preparing for a mission. A service project was held at a 700-year-old church in the nearby historic Saxon city of Sibiu. There, youth recorded information etched on memorial stones, which once comprised the floor that covered the graves of the wealthy buried in the church.
Each stone told the life story of someone who lived in the 1300s or 1400s. This information, along with a listing of young men who died in World War I, has been transcribed for the Family History Center in Salt Lake City.
Youth and leaders who attended tallied 57. New friendships were formed, while old friendships were renewed. The youth were strengthened from meeting other young people in the country who face the same struggles of being alone in their new faith.