At 7 p.m. on March 22, while most students had already left to enjoy their spring break at home, abroad or elsewhere, the Elon University Gospel Choir was busy loading their Holiday Tours bus for their annual Spring Tour. This year the choir traveled to three locations in Florida, including Jacksonville, Cocoa Beach and Tallahassee.
Twenty-nine people participated in the tour, including 23 choir members. The first stop on this year’s tour was in Jacksonville at Greater Grant Memorial AME Church. The choir sang several selections, and the group’s adviser, Elder Dr. Matthew W. Clark, gave a message titled “To Maintain FAVOR with God, Avoid the Joy Snatchers.”
“Our performance in Jacksonville set the stage for our rest of our performances because it helped open our hearts and allowed us to listen to the messages behind the songs that we sang,” said freshman Alisia Midgett.
Since choir members needed a break from classes and all other engagements, there was one day built into the tour for fun and relaxation. Members visited Disney World outside of Orlando before going to their next stop, Hilton Cocoa Beach.
While the service at Cocoa Beach Christian School was optional, the entire choir decided to participate because freshman Mary Caruso’s parents and family would be in attendance. The choir sang several selections for the school, grades kindergarten through eighth, and then introduced themselves to the children. The children were also given a chance to introduce themselves—each one giving their name and answering the question of what they wanted to be when they grew up.
Upon arrival at Innovation Baptist Church in Tallahassee, the choir prepared for their last concert of the tour. At this point, most members of the choir were tired, sick with sore throats and colds and ready to give up. However, the choir soon realized their job was not yet done.
“Despite the sickness, fatigue, anger, and hostility that the Devil had laid upon our hearts and spirits, God’s work….God’s ministry was not stopped. In the end that was the greatest lesson of them all,” said sophomore Kerry Foxx.
Members of the church and choir said they were touched by the choir’s praise and worship of God through song, including Janice Leland, the wife of the church’s pastor. Leland is in the terminal stages of cancer, and said the performance helped her accept her situation.
“I was angry at God prior to tonight, but for the first time since my diagnosis, I have accepted the fact that I am going to die. The choir has lifted my spirits so that I can be happy about the life that I have lived. I am glad that I was obedient to the Lord and I am truly at peace now,” she said.
After dinner at the church, the choir boarded the bus for the last time. The tour was over, but the choir members said they would hold memories of the 2003 Spring Tour in Florida for a long time.
“It was great seeing a group of talented young college students reaching out to other people through song,” said freshman Chris Woods.