Easter 2007 Tour - Reports
Sunday 15th April 2007 
With only a few hours left until our return flight back to Heathrow, we met together at Gothenburg Temple corps for our last festival of the tour. Kevin led our prayers and invited us to think on the words, ‘reflection' and ‘reaction' - reflecting on our ten days together and the places we had visited, and the reaction to our visits by those who'd heard us - many of which we may never know about. A capacity congregation greeted us as we entered the hall for the festival. A rousing start to the programme with ‘This Joyful Eastertide' and ‘A Choral Fanfare' helped us to get our energy levels back to where they should be in order to do our best, and not to think too much about how tired we were! Royston spoke about how at Easter time we think about new life and all the imagery we can associate with it and, along with singing a Swedish folk song about the spring, challenged us to remember what the Easter message is all about - that through His death and resurrection Jesus made it possible for us all to have eternal life. After the festival we quickly packed all our cases into the coach before having some lunch and then going on to the airport. After checking in and some last minute souvenir shopping it was on to the plane back to Heathrow where many of us were greeted by family and friends who were waiting to take us home. We have all had a fantastic time on tour and pray that our message will have left a positive impact on the places we visited. Reported by Rachel Horwood 
Saturday 14th April 2007  As our onward journey commenced we were treated to a stunning view of the morning sunshine over Lake Vätten and this beautiful scenery continued as we travelled through forests, en route to Kristinehamn. Our prayer time, led by Rob Moye, called us to reflect on recent events and our love for one another. The Union Flag greeted us on our arrival at Broängskyrkan (Broängs Church), reminding us that our return to England was imminent. A warm welcome was given at the beginning of the festival by the local Minister for Culture and a presentation of a photograph showing Picasso's sculpture on the shores of the local lake, Vänern (the largest lake in Sweden) was made to the group. Lt Col.Royston Bartlett spoke about the many people whose lives are empty; without a purpose, and explained that only Christ can fill the heart's longing. The ISS emphasised this through singing ‘You are my song when my melody has ended, a light in the storm when I can't find my way. You are the One who gives my life a reason...' After a varied programme, the capacity audience showed their appreciation of the afternoon's festival with a standing ovation and continued applause until an encore ensued. Reported by Carolynn Woodman 
Friday 13th April 2007 
It was an early start for us all today. We met at the hall in Linkoping at 8am after staying with members of ‘Joyful Voice' the night before. We were greeted with coffee and biscuits while we waited for the coach to arrive to take us to our next venue, Jonkoping. Once everything was loaded onto the coach and we'd said our goodbyes, we started our two hour coach journey. As we approached our destination we saw some of the beauty of Sweden. We travelled alongside Lake Vatten, the country's second largest lake. After a welcome coffee and rapid uniform change, we walked to the beautiful Sofia Church for our lunchtime concert. A congregation of around 350 had gathered, mostly non-Salvationists who had read about our visit in the local press. It has been very encouraging after all our concerts to be able to chat to those who have come to hear us and this occasion was no exception. Following another carefully prepared lunch we had some free time. Some members of the group went to a local park to enjoy the views and ice cream while others explored the local shops and coffee houses! At tea time some of the group were introduced to their billets which gave us the opportunity to share with the corps folk. Prior to our evening festival, Dorothy and Kevin gave a ‘Richard and Judy' style interview which, along with a recording of the Festival, was to be broadcast on the corps own TV channel. We felt very well-received right from the beginning of the evening and presented a varied programme. Following our benediction the audience made it obvious they wanted more and so we responded with ‘Praise His Holy Name'. So Friday the 13th, which some believe is unlucky, was yet another great day for our tour. God's presence was very evident as it has been right from the beginning. Reported by Hayley Stubbs 
Thursday 12th April 2007 
After eating our last hotel buffet breakfast of the tour and loosening our waist bands we climbed on to the coach to enjoy an informative and interesting tour of Stockholm led by Malcolm Kendrick stopping at a viewing point for yet another photo for the album! Lunch was served at Vartahelm, a residential treatment and rehabilitation hostel for 42 men with addictions. A small group of the ISS worked for their lunch bringing the message of God's love in song to some of the men and staff. A 3 hour coach journey allowed time for prayers, rehearsal, catching up on sleep, viewing yet more beautiful scenery and involved a near miss with an inattentive white van driver. Messages from the blog were shared and much appreciated and Royston became the next holder of the Erik award for his pastoral skills! As soon as we arrived at the SA in Linköping we felt the buzz of excitement and enthusiasm that embodied the whole of our visit there. This is a Corps with both older traditional Salvationists and a gospel choir of over 100 young people called ¨Joyful Voice¨. The members are mainly students living away from home, many who are not yet Christians, who have found the fellowship and loving support that the choir gives them invaluable. This is a tremendous opportunity to share God's love and to introduce them to the message of Christ, and the spirit of the choir was inspirational. The ISS visibly relaxed as we shared in rehearsal with them, singing and dancing to a song written especially for the occasion by their leader Frederick Pählsson. As two very different expressions of SA music joined together the words of this song ¨United in Christ¨, became very poignant. The packed festival that followed included contributions from both Joyful Voice and the ISS was surely one of the many highlights of the tour. Each item was received with cheers and great applause and the wonderful spirit of unity and the presence of God's love was very moving. The Mayor welcomed us all and gave a short history of the town presenting each ISS member with a book of beautiful photographs of the area. At the end if the festival we departed to stay overnight with members of the Gospel Choir. For many this was the opportunity to revive memories of student days and to share further the love of God with these wonderful people. Reported by Major Christine Piper 
Wednesday 11th April 2007 
On arrival in Sweden, the ISS was met by the Territorial Music Director and escorted to Stockholm Temple where old friends of the ISS, Commissioners Victor and Roslyn Poke (territorial leaders) were there to meet the group. The first musical engagement of the day saw the ISS singing in the beautiful St Clara Church for a lunchtime concert which 300 people attended. The lunch time shoppers were very appreciative of music that was enhanced by the acoustics of the building as the ISS included in its programme The Lamb, Cantique De Jean Racine and This Joyful Eastertide.
Following lunch at Stockholm Central Corps, which runs a primarily Saturday programme of ministry, Lt Colonel Royston Bartlett escorted members of the ISS to the ‘old town' to admire its architecture. An evening concert was held at Stockholm Temple Corps, one of the oldest SA buildings in the world. The corps band provided music prior to the festival during which the ISS presented a varied programme of music including Veni Emmanuel, Agnes Dei, Praise His Holy Name and I've Got Joy.
Local Salvationists and businesses had sponsored the evening's festival and after the festival hosted the ISS at a buffet supper. Reported by John Ellwood 
Monday 9th April 2007 
Following a physically and emotionally draining few days in Estonia it was with a certain sense of relief that today's timetable included a slightly later start. The activities commenced with a vocal workshop in Helsinki with songsters and friends from various local corps participating. This session included the ISS attempting to sing ‘Count your blessings' in Finnish with the locals responding in English to far greater effect! After sharing a light meal together, preparations began for the main event of the day at the Rock Church, an amphitheatre dynamite-blasted out of a large rock in the centre of the city. An audience of around 700, including Mrs General Wahlström, filled the auditorium to hear the group present a programme of music conducive to the setting which included Barber's ‘Agnus Dei' and the ever-popular transcription of Sibelius's tone poem, ‘Finlandia', ‘Be Still My Soul'. The day concluded with a meal at a local Chinese restaurant hosted by the Territorial Commander and his wife which provided the opportunity to express our thanks to them and to Majors Camilla and Jakob Rahkonen who had assisted with translation and transportation throughout this part of our tour. Reported by Adam Sewell-Jones 
Easter Sunday 8th April 2007 
The ISS celebrated Easter day behind bars! No, we were not arrested for disturbing the peace of Estonia (although the tenors on occasions were singing too loud) but conducting a service in the Tallinn prison. This was both a privilege and responsibility as this was the first time the Salvation Army had been allowed to visit the prisoners and lead a service. We were well aware that future opportunities rested on the response to our efforts. Filing through the time lock and security six at a time, we eventually assembled in a gym with prison officers and a team of four chaplains. Out of a total of five hundred men, four hundred had requested to attend and only forty gained access. The significance of the Easter message was direct as we sang the words ‘Father forgive them’ to an audience which included at least one ‘lifer’ in for murder. We really felt we were at the front line of evangelism and this continued as we arrived late to the meeting at Kopli to join their worship.
In contemplating the resurrection story we were challenged that Mary only recognised Jesus when he called her by name. The excitement amongst the congregation in this growing corps was evident as they joined in the clapping of ‘Count your blessings’; rather poignant as many of the people there are from an extremely deprived area with high unemployment, no state benefit and housing which lacks any sanitation and running water.
After a brief drive through the Kopli Lines to see the need within the locality, lunch was provided in the new social project of Hope House. This is a centre which provides showers, food and warmth for at least eight hundred people each week and which is shortly to expand by providing permanent accommodation for four people for one year. Without an address a work permit cannot be obtained and unemployment without benefit means rented accommodation is unaffordable therefore families end up on the street. Those benefiting from this road back to employment will then support four more people from their income. This seed project has some funding but was still short of 50% of the needed finance. The group were so moved by the work going on that they have pledged to fund the remaining amount.
The usual whistle stop tour of the medieval city allowed a brief visit to the orthodox cathedral and a memorable moment when, during the visit to the Dome Church (St Mary’s Cathedral), we gave an impromptu performance of ‘There is a Green Hill Far Away’. The final goodbye was given by Majors Helen and Derek Tyrell at the port as the ISS left Estonia on board the Rosella ferry bound for Helsinki. Reported by Joan Spencer 
Saturday 7th April 2007 
Today was the beginning of our Easter weekend in Estonia and after a safe arrival from Finland, we were looking forward to worshipping with the Estonians and finding out more about the work of The Salvation Army in their country. Following breakfast, we headed from Tallinn towards Tartu and on our coach journey, we were able to share with Major Derek Tyrell and meet a young man named Tanel who at 18 years old, has a vibrant faith and desire to serve God wholeheartedly in The Salvation Army. Derek shared with us the joys and challenges of The Salvation Army in Estonia which was started only 11 years ago and it was interesting to hear that there are only four SA corps in Estonia and the majority of the work is related to social action for which they are widely respected by the government. We arrived in Tartu for our morning open air in the city square. During our time there, it was a great privilege to be able to proclaim the Name of Jesus and to share the message of Easter with the many people who gathered. Many enthusiastically listened and were keen to receive invitations to our afternoon concert in Voru. This was followed by an hour in which we could explore the city and find somewhere to eat, many of the group descended on a coffee shop where cake and hot chocolate was enjoyed in abundance and we stepped out of the coffee shop to a few falling snow flakes! We then continued our journey to Voru where we shared in a afternoon concert in the Cultural Centre. This was a particularly special occasion as it was the 1st anniversary of the corps in Voru and the excitement of the celebrations was immediately tangible. It was also the debut public performance of the recently formed band from Kopli corps who were greeted with rapturous applause as they prepared to share their message with us. The atmosphere in the concert was full of excitement and joy and the presence of the Holy Spirit was clearly evident as we joined together in praise and worship to God. It was humbling to meet a young woman who was the first person to be made a Senior Soldier in Estonia and who is now married with 4 children. We were told that she lives in a room with her children while her husband has gone to find work in another country but all that she exuded was her sheer joy for serving the Lord and her thankfulness for the blessings he has bestowed upon her. The buzz of the celebration continued after the concert had finished and many of the group were able to meet and share with those who attended before it was time to head back to Tallinn. On the coach back to Tallinn we were able to share in prayer together and this was a special time of the day when we could reflect on all that we had been challenged with throughout the day. God had truly touched our hearts and challenged us with the enthusiasm of the many new Christians we had already met. We were tired after a long journey but we were looking forward to an exuberant Easter Sunday in worship together. Reported by Louise Willis 
Good Friday, 6th April 2007 
The ISS awoke to a blanket of snow covering the stunning Finnish landscape on the second day of their tour. Their first Good Friday engagement was as guests at a morning service taking place in a Lutheran Church Centre in Vääsky. Offering pieces including ‘To They Cross I Come' and ‘God So Loved The World', the Songsters effectively communicated the powerful message of Good Friday despite the language barrier. A rendition of ‘Be Still My Soul', set to Sibelius' tone poem ‘Finlandia' moved the congregation to a standing ovation, and in their words of thanks the church representatives generously compared the Songsters' singing to something from heaven. Though not quite there yet, the ISS did open their second meeting of the day with ‘Singing In The Heavenly Choir' to a capacity congregation at the corps in Lahti. Other contributions included ‘All Creation Sings', 'Come to the Cross' and ‘Jesus Paid It All', with an encore bringing ‘Count Your Blessings'. Executive Officer Lieut-Colonel Royston Bartlett challenged the congregation about their response to the sacrifice made by Jesus, reminding those gathered how Christ enables us to lead a life worth living. Returning to Helsinki, the group then made the three and a half hour ferry crossing to Tallinn, Estonia, to begin the next exciting phase of their Scandinavian campaign. Reported by Richard McIntosh 
Thursday 5th April 2007 
After many months of meticulous planning and rehearsals, the ISS finally departed Heathrow Airport for the Easter tour of Finland, Estonia and Sweden. Day one commenced in a leisurely way with a morning of exploring the town centre of Helsinki. The rest of the day was spent travelling to the Corps at Tampere. The Salvation Army has been serving there for 114 years. After a short rehearsal and welcome tea it was time for the first festival of the tour and for them a record breaking audience. Songs included Praise His Holy Name, Look at the World and the ever popular Count Your Blessings. We also sang the words ¨Be still my soul¨ to the tune Finlandia, this was very warmly received. ISS Executive Officer Lt Col Royston Bartlett served for 3 years as Chief Secretary in the Sweden and Latvia Territory. He delivered his message in Swedish which was then translated into Finnish. He reminded the listeners that God is so great and mighty there is nothing that He cannot do. It was a special experience for all present to affirm our shared beliefs as we joined in the singing of The Old Rugged Cross in English, Swedish and Finnish. In his thanks the Tampere Corps Officer remarked that the ISS were not only singing the message but living it. He commented that the group were "not from London or from any country, but sang from heaven". He promised that the Corps would continue to pray for the ISS for the duration of our tour. Reported by Melanie Ellis 
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