Dallas, TX - The 2009 UPYA (Upendo Young Adults) Thanksgiving conference was held from Thursday 26th November 2009 to Sun 29th at Upendo Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. The event was broadcast live on kenyangospel.com and on the church's website. This time around, there was a deviation from a rigourous program to eased up sessions and activities as they gave more time to personal interaction between attendees. People travelled from various states including Kansas and Minnesota and there was a great diversity of speakers from different countries.

The event started with registration on Thursday. In the evening, there was a Thanksgiving family dinner complete with the almost mandatory turkey and thereafter was a session that started with praise and worship from the UPYA praise team. Performances followed with Elisha representing Zimbabwe and rapper God's Replikah (Obed) representing Tanzania giving way to Upendo youth Pastor Sam Muniu who shared about the theme of the conference. Upendo Church Senior Pastor Shadrack Ruto and his wife Elizabeth were also present. DJ Fresh closed out the session with a mixx.

Friday morning's session speaker was Pastor Natasha from South Africa. After lunch there was a Q&A session where attendees shared about life issues as pastors present responded from Bibilical perspectives. In the evening session, there was a session of Praise and worship from Upendo Worship team followed by performances from Dance group Miracle Boyz, Rapper God's Replikah from Tanzania, Kjean from Congo and rapper Twisted Optics from Cambodia. Thereafter Pastor Tellen Dames from the Bahamas took to the podium with some life teaching interspaced with bolts of humor. DJ Fresh again closed out the session as Banjuka nite went into full effect.

Saturday was a day reserved for outdoor activities. All visitors to the state were taken around Dallas for site-seeing as participants mingled and made new friends. The last evening session of the conference started with Praise and Worship from Upendo Worship team. Performances were next on the schedule with Voices of Africa and Kjean taking to the stage. Others who presented included a trio of Solomon Mkubwa, Lionell and Emmanuel Mkubwa. South African Pastor Natasha and her husband Morne then shared with the congregation. DJ Wagura closed out Saturday night's session as he mixed top gospel songs.

Sunday morning all were assembled in the church building for the Church service. The UPYA team then treated participants to a sumptious buffet at Palomina restaurant and thereafter participants left for their respective places. Low moments in the conference included when only a handful of participants attended the Friday morning session. Although overoal turn-out from junior youth(21 and below) improved from previous years, the overoal attendance from participants from out-of-state declined. However, the UPYA team's effort was commendable in the organization and deligation of duties at the entire conference. They put up everyone from out of state in The Hyatt hotel and provided meals for all attendees during the entire period of the conference.

Ministers we spotted at the conference included Pastor Hope from Zimbabwe, Pastor Joseph Mutisya from Upendo, Pastor Hilda Kahia from Mercy Ministries, Pastor Live Wesige, Pastor Kirk Karanu and Pastor Denis of Dallas.

UPYA chairman Elvis Towett tells us that they are already starting preparations for a bigger and better UPYA Thanksgiving 2010. Check out archived videos of the conference

VIEW MORE PICS OF THE CONFERENCE

 

 

 

VIEW RECAP AND PICS OF UPYA THANKSGIVING 2008

VIEW PICS OF UPYA THANKSGIVING 2007