How FSY Is Blessing the Youth and Strengthening the Church in Chile

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By Trent Toone, Church News

Daniel Muñoz and Carolina Henríquez first met and became friends as participants at a For the Strength of Youth conference in 2019.

A few years later, when Muñoz left to serve in the Chile Concepción South Mission, Henríquez wrote to him often to provide friendship and support.

He returned home in 2024, and the couple is now engaged to be married. Earlier this month, the pair served together as counselors at the same FSY camp where they met five years ago.

Standing together in fluorescent green shirts under a tree that offered little shade from the hot sun, Muñoz put his arm around Henríquez’s shoulder and smiled warmly at her.

“She is the love of my life,” he said.

Muñoz elaborated that every blessing in his life — including his sweetheart — stems from his decision to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 12, his multiple years of involvement in FSY and his mission. Additionally, he is gaining an education through BYU-Pathway Worldwide and recently secured a position with the Church Educational System’s seminaries and institutes.

“The gospel changed my life. That’s what I continue to tell the youth,” he said. “I have seen so many blessings. It’s truly amazing what the gospel has done for me. Heavenly Father always provides.”

Muñoz’s story is just one example of how the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Church’s FSY program are blessing the lives of youth and young adults, strengthening the Church in Chile and throughout the world.

‘Beautiful Experience’

FSY is a five-day conference designed for youth ages 14 and older to apply the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. The conference offers devotionals, classes and activities, fostering faith, personal growth and social connections.

The program has been functioning in Chile for 10 years as well as in other South American countries.

During the first week of February 2025, nearly 450 participants, including 25 nonmembers, and more than 70 volunteer young adult counselors — nearly all returned missionaries — from the area of the Chile Santiago North Mission met at Cumorah Casablanca Recreation Camp, about an hour’s drive southeast of the coastal city of Viña del Mar and more than an hour west of Santiago. The camp facilities, tucked away in a clearing among the hills and trees, offer a fun and natural setting for a spiritual experience.

Gonzalo Gervic and Alejandra Figueredo, a married couple that served as camp advisers, said some participants traveled from as far away as 12 hours on a bus to attend.

Some youth struggle at first, missing their family and cell phones. But with the encouragement of friends and counselors, prayer and scripture study, and fun and spiritual activities, they come around by the third or fourth day and ultimately love their experience, the advisers said.

“We have seen many transformations,” said Victor Chamorro, a co-director.

Laura Almonte, soon to be 18 years old, has attended FSY four times. She laughed as she remembered a deflated air mattress, bunk beds that broke and very short showers — “just three minutes to wash my hair, clean my body and untangle everything,” she said with exasperation.

But Almonte said she survived and had a “beautiful experience,” adding that she felt Heavenly Father’s love in a powerful way when a young woman thanked her for being friendly and making her feel part of the group.

“I truly love FSY,” she said. “I know it is a program inspired by God, and it strengthens the youth.”

Abraham López, a 13-year-old whose family moved to Chile from Venezuela some years ago, is not a member of the Church. He felt welcomed and accepted by everyone and liked his first FSY experience. He is interested in learning more about the Church.

“Everything here is beautiful, lovely,” he said. “The activities are fun. Not everything is serious. There is a lot of fun and entertainment. I like that.”

Bernardo Gomez, a 15-year-old who lives with the challenges of hemophilia, rolled around the camp in a wheelchair, having the time of his life. His family recently moved to Chile from Mexico, and coming to FSY has helped him to make many new friends, not to mention getting outdoors.

“Before, due to health issues and fear of something happening to me, I hardly ever left my house. So I didn’t have many friends,” he said. “Here at FSY, I’ve been able to strengthen my faith and testimony a lot, and I’ve made many friends.”

Future missionaries

During a large group meeting on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 5, a speaker asked how many in the audience wanted to serve a mission because of FSY.

Roughly half of the crowd stood.

Youth who attend FSY often come away with a desire to serve a mission.

“One of the greatest miracles we love to see at FSY is when youth decide to serve a mission,” said Chamorro.

Rey Pereira, 16, looks forward to missionary service.

“I don’t just see it as a duty; I see it as something spiritual, something that will bless my life,” he said. “I believe in this [gospel] and know this Church is true.”

Before attending FSY, 15-year-old Lucas Duran of Viña del Mar was unsure about serving a mission. He was more interested in business and learning how to make lots of money.

After attending FSY the last two years and having some powerful personal experiences, he openly talks with his family and friends about serving a mission .

“I’m still thinking about it, but I’m closer to saying yes than no,” he said.

Duran’s mother, Barbara Santis, credited the returned missionary FSY counselors with having a positive influence on her son.

“The counselors are special ... the best,” she said. “The experiences they have shared with him have motivated and encouraged him to have the desire to serve a mission.”

Counselor’s perspective

Muñoz said his family struggled with Church inactivity during his teenage years. He said he might not be active in the Church today had it not been for some loyal friends at FSY who set an example and encouraged him to stay on the gospel path.

All of them served missions and returned to be counselors at FSY. They want to help the youth to have similar experiences.

“These friends helped to change my life,” he said. “I want to help the young men feel the love of Christ and share my life as an example. I want to teach them that a life with Christ is a happy life.”

Fernanda Rodriguez attended FSY five times as a participant before serving in the Chile Puerto Montt Mission. This year, the 22-year-old returned as a session coordinator, one who trains and oversees the counselors.

Rodriguez said the FSY program has blessed her life in every possible way.

“It is difficult to be a member of the Church when you are alone at school, when you feel isolated in activities and other things. This camp helps you understand and know that you are not alone, that there are more young people like you, that you are important, and that you can make better decisions for the future,” she said.

Rodriguez said she “loved” her experiences as a participant, which inspired her to serve a mission.

“It has been a great blessing and continues to bless young people by helping them know if they should serve a mission, understand their purpose, answer the questions of their soul and have a week full of light — often in years that may be dark for them," she said.

Her favorite part of FSY is hearing the youth bear their testimonies of Jesus Christ — in many cases for the first time — and the powerful spirit that accompanies those moments.

“It’s amazing to see how such young individuals can understand that Jesus Christ lives and that He loves them. Many testify that they discovered Him here,” she said. “I love it because it gives me hope for the future leadership of the Church.”

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