Eva Resz – Loveland, Colorado … The select choir, Koinonia, at Campion Academy in Loveland, Colorado, traveled to the Colorado Indonesian-American Seventh-day Adventist Church (CIASDAC) in Denver, Colorado, April 13 to lead out in the service and perform several special songs for a Students with a Testimony (SWAT) trip.

This SWAT trip was special for Mabel Cabandon, Campion Academy senior, who grew up attending CIASDAC. “It was super cool being a part of the service in a church that was so influential in my childhood,” Cabandon explained. “Most of the Indos that come to Campion grew up with each other in this church, so it was really special being able to perform with them.”

Indonesian students from the Denver area make up make up about 12% of Campion’s student population, a significant portion of the very diverse student body. In general, Campion Academy Indonesian students are well-known for their talents in singing, as 40% of Koinonia members are of Indonesian descent.

After traveling about an hour to Denver, the Koinonia choir group was greeted by the church members who led them downstairs to a breakfast feast. After breakfast, the group was able to experience an Indonesian service before they led out in the second service that is provided in English.

The Koinonia choir group opened with praise songs, followed by a call to offering and then children’s story given by Toby Quillin, a junior at Campion Academy. Quillin reflected, “My children’s story was about different types of feathers and how they work together to make one bird. In music, we must work together to make one song. I hoped to demonstrate that the most important thing in any group isn’t how good you sound individually, but how you work together.”

The service was centered around music with the intention of giving the audience a “glimpse of heaven,” according to Cecilia Simmons, Campion Academy’s music director. The choir performed a large selection of songs that the group had prepared. Between songs, students shared stories, scripture, and prayer.

Following the service the students joined the congregation for food and fellowship. Dominic White, Campion Academy senior, expressed, “This was my first time trying Indonesian food. It was delicious, absolutely exquisite, and they offered us both breakfast and lunch!”

—Eva Resz, Campion Academy Student News Team. Photos supplied.