For immediate release
June 14, 2004

Faculty, staff and alumni from Abilene Christian University used their musical talents to spread to the gospel during a Southern Hills Church of Christ mission trip to Costa Rica last week.

The group spent 10 days in Desamparados, in the San Jose metropolitan area, performing songs in Spanish to crowds in schools, in the Justice Palace, the Social Security National Office and National Press offices, parks, a prison and a nursing home They also worked closely with the Iglesia de Cristo de Desamparados, which Dr. Gary Green, missions coordinator for ACU, and his wife Frances helped begin in 1990. The church now has a membership of 130.

"The most touching moments were when we sang in a local prison and in a local nursing home," Green said.  "A member of the church who is 98 years old lives in the nursing home where we sang." 

As crowds formed at each location, members of the choral group passed out fliers to publicize a night conference at which Green preached about crisis and confidence.  At schools, the group passed out tracts for the children to take home.  

Members of the group included Ryan Aduddell, admissions and recruiting officer; Samuel Cook, associate professor of music; Jean Cook, ACU press; Dr. Gary Green, missions coordinator; Ken Jones, member at Southern Hills; Dr. Paul Piersall, chair of the Department of Music; Dr. Julie Pruett, assistant professor of music; Martha Renfro, assistant to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and Laura Vacek, 2004 ACU graduate.  Dr. Carley Dodd, professor of communication, and his wife Ada of Alpha Academic Services also accompanied the team.  Carley Dodd gave a seminar on leadership.

The group was formed in 2001 by Green and Cook who wanted to form a choral group designed for mission work.  The original group traveled to Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela in June 2002, and in June 2003 the group repeated their work in Santiago, Chile. 

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