As the Young Life KNOWN campaign was being rolled out, the Africa Senior Vice Presidents recognized the importance of grounding it in the Holy Spirit. Inspired by this vision, they declared October 2023 to September 2024 as The Year of the Holy Spirit. While initially seen as a challenging task, Young Life Africa now celebrates a year of steadfast dedication. It was a time marked by worship, prayer, and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in countless lives. The campaign focused on equipping leaders, Campaigners, prayer partners, and families across Africa to pray, recognize, and apply the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit in their personal and spiritual journeys.
The Year of the Holy Spirit saw regular monthly prayer meetings, spiritual conferences, live prayer sessions, and a 40-day period of prayer and fasting. The School of Intercession and Healing was also launched, providing spiritual training for senior leaders, who then passed on this knowledge to leaders at the club level. The goal is to nurture spiritually mature leaders who love Jesus, understand the Bible, and boldly share His message with teenagers and young people.
Africa West, East, and South VPs (James Munga Kamau, Martin Wamalwa, and Alexis Kwamy)
During the Year of the Holy Spirit, we received numerous powerful testimonies from individuals who experienced profound transformations. One such testimony comes from Yalembeza (Beza) Leul, who shares how God, through the Holy Spirit, has moved in her life and her family over the past year.
Beza, YoungLives Country Coordinator for Ethiopia, began her journey with Young Life in 2008 as a teenager. After accepting Jesus at a Young Life camp, she grew in faith and leadership. However, coming from a conservative, Orthodox family, her newfound faith caused significant strain, especially with her father, who was strongly anti-evangelical. This tension deeply affected her relationship with her family.
In November of last year, Beza received devastating news that her father had suffered a stroke. Overwhelmed with sadness, she cried out to God because she feared he might pass away without ever coming to know Jesus. Upon reaching the hospital, she found her father unconscious and her family in despair. While they wept, Beza turned to prayer, pleading with God for his life. In that moment, the Holy Spirit reassured her with a message from Ezekiel 37:5-6, that her father would live and see God’s hand at work. Comforted by this, she shared the message with her family, even though they were not believers.
Despite her father’s condition, Beza had to leave for a training program in Kenya. She trusted in God and left, and while she was away, her father was discharged from the hospital. During this time, Beza had a recurring dream of her father struggling with sleeplessness. When she returned home, her father confirmed that he hadn’t slept well since he left the hospital. They prayed together, and her father finally slept for 36 hours. From that moment, he regularly asked Beza to pray for him. Beza would read the Bible to him, often sharing the story of Job, and over time, her father’s health improved.
Despite the challenges of her father’s illness, Beza continued her ministry work, and for the first time in Ethiopia, she was able to organize a YoungLives camp for 40 teenage mothers. She attributes this achievement to God’s grace, giving Him all the glory for answering her prayers and guiding her through difficult times.
Now, a year later, Beza’s father is recovered, and the family plans to hold a Thanksgiving celebration to honor God. Reflecting on the past year, Beza is amazed at how the Holy Spirit worked in impossible situations, turning them around. She never imagined her father would ask her to pray for him, but through the Holy Spirit, that miracle occurred. Though her father is not yet a believer, she is confident that God is working in his heart. As the only believer in her family, Beza often felt alone, particularly in prayer. However, she has learned that God is enough and that faith is all that matters.
“I urge everyone to remain faithful, keep praying, and place your trust in God. As we hold fast to the promise in Romans 8:28 — ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose’ — He will reveal His presence and do wondrous things in our lives and ministries.” Beza
The Year of the Holy Spirit has yielded numerous fruits, including a deepened faith and strengthened relationship with Jesus among leaders who have become more intentional in inviting the Holy Spirit into everything they do, especially as they implement the KNOWN campaign, ensuring that their ministry is empowered and guided by God’s presence. Heartfelt gratitude goes to the dedicated taskforce that led the Year of the Holy Spirit campaign. As we now embark on the new campaign, The Year of the Word, we are confident that we will grow stronger in the Word, empowered by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
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