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by Joanne Louangamath –
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It wasn’t all about the Swiss cheese or the chocolate…it was more about the ministry and the witness to those we encountered. The Southern California Divisional Youth Band, under the leadership of Bandmaster Kevin Larsson, departed Los Angeles for a 10-day tour of Switzerland recently.
Can all of our experiences be described in one article? Probably not, but we can certainly enlighten you with the highlights of our tour. We were not quite sure of what to expect, but we were sure to experience God’s blessings throughout our stay in this foreign country.
The morning of our very first day was filled with five open-air meetings along the country’s most famous street in Zurich. Band member Liza Pacheco, Santa Ana Temple Corps, said that “while in Switzerland I loved going and playing in all the beautiful and different places, but what will always stay in my heart is meeting so many kind people who embraced us while sharing the love of music and God.”
On another occasion we had the opportunity to play at Oerlikon—sharing our music with the public at an indoor swimming pool. It was an unusual and interesting experience, and very memorable to say the least.
We also had the chance to hold a concert for a Christian elementary school. The children not only heard us, but they also learned from us because the band was incorporated into their music lesson!
Despite the busy schedule, we were able to tour parts of Switzerland including the Alps, the Rheinfall, and the cities in which we held concerts.
The concerts were our greatest tools of witness to each community that we visited. Although we are mainly a brass band, we were able to share through other ministries such as timbrels and praise and worship, and on one evening through hip-hop dance and gospel choir.
Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Alfred R. Van Cleef summed up the tour by saying, “There is no greater gift than that of Christian community and the encouragement it brings to people. The Salvationists of Switzerland were generous in their love and support of the youth band. The music, testimonies and ministry of the band were accepted by the Lord, blessed and multiplied for his honor. The impact of B/M Kevin Larsson’s “Prodigal” was extremely powerful and spiritually moving.”
“Prodigal” was indeed a poignant and dramatic piece proclaiming God’s unconditional love for us. We experienced this love firsthand being in a foreign country with foreign languages and customs, but God’s love is not foreign to anyone.