As students start to settle into their schools’ daily schedules—busy with lectures, activities, ministry and making new friends—a rhythm is created, but only after a warm welcome from the YWAM Lausanne community! As we celebrated the New Year, we also celebrated the start of a new quarter, which means a host of new students arriving, full of excitement and anticipation . . . and, okay, maybe a few nerves as well.

To start the new quarter off right and to welcome our new students to the base, we kicked off the first week with a night of food and games.

“When students first arrive, they are filled with nervous excitement and this is a great way to get to know one another in a fun and relaxed manner,” says community life organizer, Luzanne Esmeraldo.

The students also learned about the city in which they are living. Long-term friend of YWAM, Tom Panci, came to the base to teach the students about the city of Lausanne followed by a historical tour through the old town. This was a great way for the students to become familiar with the city and have a bit of time to explore it for themselves.  Students were also able to visit the pristine Swiss Alps for a day of skiing. For many students, this was the week’s highlight and for some it was the first time on the slopes!

Finally, in true Swiss fashion, we rounded up introduction week with a traditional cheese fondue! The students were encouraged to dress in red and white in honor of the Swiss flag while feasting on Switzerland’s finest cheese and chocolate. It was a great way for students to experience a taste of Swiss culture while getting to know staff and students better.

“A lot of cheese!” was the resounding response when students were asked to recall the evening.

Kevin, from the USA, said, “I wasn’t nervous at all before coming here for the DTS. I was just excited. The base is great. My favorite part so far is when we went to the mountains to go skiing. It was gorgeous!”

Leah, from England, shared, “I was a little nervous before arriving, but I like it here. It has been a lot of fun so far and I’m learning a lot.”

“These events are great for getting people together. I love the challenge of trying to keep it fresh for both our incoming students and long-term staff. I want to very quickly make people feel like they belong here, that they are apart of our community here at YWAM Lausanne,” says Luzanne.

So it seems introduction week went off without a hitch! Students are feeling more at home on base and enjoying their time at YWAM Lausanne, all the while growing deeper in their relationships with God.