Dozens from Evangel serve during spring break

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 - 3:37 PM CST

Dozens of Evangel University students, faculty, staff and alumni participated in international service trips during spring break, March 3-11, 2012. Seven groups traveled to seven countries on four continents to minister to others.

COSTA RICA
Dr. Jeff Fulks, professor and director of Evangel's graduate and professional studies, and Daniel Noah, junior management major, led a group of six students to San Jose, Costa Rica. The team partnered with Latin America Childcare to serve local schools in and around the San Jose area.

CROATIA
A team of seven, led by Michelle Grubaugh, senior elementary education major, traveled to Croatia. The team performed a children's play called "The Puzzle" throughout several Croatian cities. This group partnered with the organization Save Europe's Children.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Jeff Burnett, Evangel's director of admissions, and Christy Rowden, Evangel's student activities director, led a team of four students to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The group provided a message, special music, dramas, testimonies and service to the church and community. The team worked with AG missionaries Berly and Jamie Bello, who founded Ministerio de Adolescentes. "This trip was an amazing opportunity for us to see what God is doing through missionaries and local churches in the Dominican Republic," says Rowden. "We were blessed by every person that we met and were extremely proud to partner with them in their work for Christ."

ENGLAND
A team of nine students and two sponsors traveled to Birmingham, England, to work with Sheldon Community Church. The team spent seven days holding assemblies for elementary children from five schools. Jeremy Harris, assistant professor of computer science, Jesse Tucker, junior English education major, and Christa Smith, senior biology major, led the trip.

ETHIOPIA
A team of 10 traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to work with the Ethiopian Assemblies of God Missions Department and the Addis Ababa Bible College. The team cleaned and painted dorm rooms at the Bible college, ministered at schools, orphanages and chapel services and also participated in door-to-door evangelism. Josiah Pennington, senior art education major, Elisabeth Kilsdonk, senior government major, and Evangel '89 alumnus Kirk Spain led the trip. Spain is the administrator of Africa's Hope, an organization that facilitates training for churches in Africa. "The fellowship and ministry was greatly appreciated by the church in Ethiopia and the Evangel students were blessed in return as well," says Spain.

GREECE
Dr. Steve Smallwood, assistant professor of biblical studies, led a team of four students to Thessaloniki, Greece. They worked with missionaries Tony and Jamie Sebastian at their coffee shop, iHeart, which is located near Aristotle University. The team also worked with children at gypsy camps and served with a human trafficking awareness project. Alicia Doran, senior biblical languages and biblical studies double major, is the student leader of the trip.

JAMAICA
Heidi Bartels, a 2011 Evangel alumna, and Rebecca Clark, junior music major, led a team of five students to Kingston, Jamaica, to work at an orphanage in Content Gap. The team presented a vacation Bible school and a sports camp to local homeless children. They also presented devotionals in local schools, led music and worked on repair projects for the orphanage. The team worked with missionaries Steve and Kim Puffpaff.

For additional information regarding service trips, contact Allison Fontaine at 417-865-2815 ext. 8526.

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