Good News

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010

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b.a.c.a. cares: Local chapter looking out for area children, page 3.

ONGOING PROJECTS: Conway’s future looking bright, page 2. one + one + one: Men’s ministry offers HOPE, page 4.

‘To bring a smile to your face by sharing good news.’

Conway group changes lives in Belize

By COLLEEN HOLT A mission effort based out of Conway is making a real difference in the lives of people in Belize.

For several years, members of the Iguana Squad have gone to Belize on construction and medical teams.

According to the “Belize Bulletin”: “The Iguana Squad originated as, and continues to be, a mission effort by Conway’s First Baptist Church to provide Christian school facilities in Belize. The First Church of the Nazarene has been an active partner and participant from the beginning. Our efforts have expanded to include medical missions as well. All

Christians are encouraged to participate.”

The idea for the mission came from Rik Sowell, known as the “Head Iguana.” While living in Dallas in 1987, Sowell went to Belize on a mission trip and “fell in love with the people, fell in love with the place.” After that trip, and after moving to Conway, he learned that the need for Christian schools in Belize was great.

“I had this epiphany like, ‘You can do this – you can follow through with this. You have the abilities to do this’.”

A team of 25 from Conway first visited Belize in 2001, building a classroom for a lucky group of first graders.

Since then, they have built 20

A team of 25 from Conway first visited Belize in 2001, building classrooms for a group of first graders.

classrooms for various schools.

The mission effort has also equipped a computer lab and now the children have Internet access. “This accommodates a lot of kids, but you can never stay ahead of the game,” Sowell said.

This year, the first group of children to attend the school graduated. The mission team saw the graduation ceremony and Sowell was asked to speak.

“We have gone every year to build schools,” Sowell said.

“Three years ago we added

“If you don’t dream dreams, your dreams will never come true.”

— Unknown

medical missions. Now we have a medical team and a construction team.” Sowell has gone on all the trips for both teams, and at least one pastor from First Baptist goes each

see mission n page 2

THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2010

Several projects spell good news for Conway

By COLLEEN HOLT The Good News in Conway right now is just about everything – from parks to celebrities to even … geeks!

Jack Bell, assistant to Mayor Tab Townsell, sat down a few days ago to outline the projects that have kept Conway’s movers and shakers busy recently.

MISSION

from

said. “They have hosted teams from five states. Everyone has been blown away by our facility.” This spring the park will be used for girls’ games, CBC and St. Joseph Catholic School.

For baseball fanatics, the new Conway Station Park at the old YBMA Fairgrounds at Robins Street and East German Lane should be completed at the first of 2010. This park will

have nine fields – two complexes with four fields each and one Pony League-sized field.

“Right now the fields are in and sodded and the covered bleachers and dugouts are ready,” Bell said. “This will be the same quality of facility as the City of Colleges Park.

We should take possession in January or February – just in

time for the spring season.”

For walking and biking, Pompe Park Trail off Prince Street and Morningside Drive is coming along nicely. This extension will take the trail through to Gatling Park on Tyler Street. The original part of the trail starts near Dave Ward Drive and Hogan Lane and

added that some people think it’s crazy to spend money to go somewhere to work, “but once you do it, it kind of gets in your blood.”

“We invite whoever can go and participate,” he said. “We don’t ask for special skills, we just ask for a willingness to work. We have new people on the trips every year.”

Most of the work done by the Iguana Squad is in the central west portion of Belize on

the Guatemala border, which is hilly and has almost a junglerain forest type feel. Belize also has beautiful white, tropical beaches on the coast.

“We return to the same area each year because we’ll never run out of the need,” Sowell said.

Belize is multicultural, with Hispanic, Mayan and Creole influences. The official language is English – Belize was formerly the colony of British Honduras.

The area in which the Conway groups work is Hispanic, but language is no barrier because mostly everyone speaks English, Sowell said.

In the past five years, Americans have discovered Belize as a vacation destination – Sowell said it takes 2 ½ to 3 hours to fly from Dallas-Fort Worth. This has created many more opportunities for work, and the access the students have to the Internet has made it easier

for them to find jobs, many in the tourism industry.

Sowell pointed to a photo of a beautiful Belizean girl and said, “That’s the reason we go. The kids. This is a poor, third-world country and a good education is a key to their future. At the same time, they’re learning about Jesus.

This is helping to make them better citizens.”

For more information, visit www.theiguanasquad.com.

see CONWAY n page 3

page 1

time. In March 2011, the teams will be combined for the first time.

Funding for the trips comes from donations. “We send out letters, post fliers, ask people at churches to give,” Sowell said. The mission budget at First Baptist includes funds for the trips, and the people of First Nazarene have given a lot of donations. Sowell said about $30,000 is raised every year for building materials and medicine. “The people have been very generous,” Sowell said.

Those who cannot travel to Belize to work can help with monetary donations. The Iguana Squad is a 501c3 organization, so all donations are tax deductible. Sowell said it costs $20 for one child to attend school for one year in Belize, so people could also “adopt a child” with a donation.

Team members include teenagers to elderly retired couples. Workers are needed for construction and medical assistance, and also for food preparation, serving, etc. Anyone who wishes to serve on a short-term, Christian mission trip is invited. An application form and background check must be completed. The cost of the trip is $1,500, which includes airfare, food and rental vans – “all your expenses while you’re there,” Sowell said. He PAGE 2

“Our park projects are some of the main things we’re working on,” Bell said. The new City of Colleges Park on Siebenmorgen Road for girls’ ball teams is “up and running.”

The park has also been used by some boys’ teams and for the Central Baptist College baseball home games. “CBC has had two well-attended tournaments there, too,” Bell

B.A.C.A empowers children

By COLLEEN HOLT A mission effort based out of Faulkner County, a group of people have stepped up to help make sure that no children have to endure child abuse.

This group is the Toadsuck Chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.), which is one of five chapters in Arkansas. According to information from Rita P, a full member of the chapter, the group is “ready and willing to work and help these children who are afraid to let their voices be heard … and we strongly believe that absolutely no child should ever have to live like that.”

Throughout the year, chapter members conduct various fund-raising events; participate in events such as Toys for Tots at Christmas; visit childrens’ homes; and built a chair for the recent Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Festival of Chairs.

Rita (whose biker road name is Half Pint), said B.A.C.A. offers “extra support by working with DHS and law enforcement who are working with these children. We work to empower them to not be afraid and offer our support and let them know they have us standing behind them.”

B.A.C.A. is a non-profit 501c3 organization started in 1995 in Utah by John Paul “Chief” Lilly, who is a licensed clinical social worker, regis-

tered play therapist/supervisor and a parttime faculty member at Brigham Young University.

According to B.A. C.A. information, Lilly saw two major gaps not being filled by the system: providing for the safety of the children and providing funding for their therapy.

“We exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live,” a B.A.C.A. information sheet outlines. “We desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is part of our organization, and that we are prepared to lend our physical and emotional support to them by affiliation and our physical presence. We stand at the ready to shield these children from further abuse.”

B.A.C.A. has two levels of participation – member and supporter – and members “come from all walks of life.”

B.A.C.A. members must pass a fingerprinted criminal background check. They are encouraged to attend

monthly meetings, rides, court hearings and other B.A.C.A. events. The group also has levels of intervention in the abuse cases, ranging from an “adoption” ride to a neighborhood awareness ride.

B.A.C.A. referrals come from parents, guardians, police and child-care agencies. The call is then verified as an actual child abuse case. Funding for B.A.C.A. activities comes from donations from the public, and the members will exchange items such as hats, T-shirts, blankets, mugs and pins for donations. Corporations, charitable organizations, celebrities, other motorcycle clubs and popular rock bands also donate to the group.

Over all, B.A.C.A. is not a motorcycle club – it is “a group of motorcyclists banded together with the common desire to help abused children. B.A.C.A. uses the ‘biker’ image to its favor protecting abused children as most people consider bikers to be tough and exceedingly loyal to their brothers and sisters.”

CONWAY from page 2 runs through west Conway neighborhoods. Bell said that in the next couple of years the trail system will be extended Prince to College Avenue and then College to Salem Road – making a nice loop through the city. “This will be a fourmile loop from Gatling Park to the Wal-Mart on Dave Ward Drive, and it can be used by pedestrians and bikes,” he added.

Another feather in the cap of Conway is the new Expo Center and Fairgrounds on Highway 64, about a mile and a half east of Interstate 40. The facility opened just in time for the Faulkner County Fair in October, “and from what I’ve heard they had record numbers at the fair,” Bell said.

The facility includes a 45,000-square-foot enclosed expo hall and an open-sided pavilion that was used for the livestock show at the fair.

Bell said there are at least 40 events scheduled at the facility so far – everything from gun shows to Dazzle Daze to the chamber’s business expo. Part of the facility that is not yet complete is the Event Center, which is part of phase 2 of the project. This will include offices, conference rooms and a commercial kitchen. The kitchen, he said, will be perfect for the Extension Homemakers to do demonstrations at the fair and other events. All three buildings are connected for easy accessibility.

The location of the facility is nice, because visitors will

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have easy access to restaurants and hotels. Using the facility also leaves the McGee Center and the Conway Sports Center open for those who walk the track or play basketball or racquetball.

Bell said city administrators have talked with officials at the University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College and Central Baptist College about good things that are happening at their institutions.

Conway was recently named the sixth Geekiest City in America by OnlineUniversities.com. Bell said the honor is largely in part for the nickname “City of Colleges,” and the presence of Hewlett-Packard and Acxiom Corp. Online Universities also said the presence of an emphasis on art (dance, theater and music) was also a determining factor in the award. “When I was in college, being a geek wasn’t a good thing,” Bell said. “Now, it is a good thing.”

Bell said Hewlett-Packard now has 1,200 employees, which was the company’s original goal. “HP has really been a win-win for us,” he said.

“Industries like this help to keep our A&P (Advertising and Promotions Tax) numbers up, with an increase over last year.

Our sales tax is also up about 4 percent over last year.”

Add all of this to the revitalization of downtown and the notoriety gained from Kris Allen’s American Idol success, Bell said the town is really moving.

“You just wonder what’s going to come next,” he said.

email:

conwaygoodnews@gmail.com and we will share your news in the upcoming paper

www.arkansasgoodnews.com

PAGE 3

THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2010

Taylor Mathis and Stan Hargrove inspect a car.

Chris Beard and Ronnie Whitten evaluate tires on a vehicle.

Men’s ministry group gives HOPE to others

By COLLEEN HOLT Members of the Men’s Ministry and the Calvary’s Promise Sunday School class at Antioch Baptist Church have been busy lately, giving HOPE to others.

Helping Other People Everyday (HOPE) was organized by these men who have done everything from repairing cars for people who can’t afford to pay for the work, to gutting and rebuilding a mobile home for one Faulkner County woman.

Don Searls, one of the organizers, said the car repair events started about 1 ½ years ago as a ministry aimed toward the single mothers in the church and around the divorce care group the church hosts.

Gathering together on an occasional Saturday morning, the men now do oil changes, fix holes in tires and some minor services on vehicles of people who have been referred to the project through the ministries of the church. They have done three events, working on 25 different cars. Events are held once or twice a year – “when we have enough to do it,” said

Searls. Most of the vehicles they see are “drivable but not safe,” he added. “Vehicle upkeep is almost an after thought,” said Bobby Stoner, another organizer. “Some people just don’t have the money available to do these things.”

One interesting case was of a single mom who came in with tire problems. Searls said he could move the right front tire from side to side, it was so loose. It touched Searls’ heart when he saw two children’s car seats in the vehicle. “That was the first one and the worst one we’ve seen,” he said. “Making it safe for those kids was our number one priority.”

McKinney Tire has also helped by providing new tires at cost, and Bryan Linn of Motor Sports Authority has helped out quite a bit. A local auto parts store has allowed the group to open a commercial account, providing a discount on parts.

A man in the church who is a certified mechanic allows the group to use his shop on Saturdays when he is not open, so they have access to a lift. He has also made himself available for

any major repairs that might be needed – Searls said he is working on one case right now. “We know when to draw the line on work we can do,” he added.

Word of mouth is still the best referral for this project. “A couple of people have come through our food pantry at church,” said Stoner.

This project not only helps the vehicle owners, it also helps the workers. “Our guys poor their heart out in this,” Searls said. Stoner added: “They give up their Saturday, and all say what a great time they have.”

The Men’s Ministry group meets for breakfast on the first Thursday of each month at Bob’s Grill, and that was where the idea for HOPE came up.

“Don and I were talking with Harold Clemens and Ronnie Whitten – those guys are full of wisdom – and they both work in the food pantry. They see the needs and they said, ‘This is what you can do’. They have great hearts,” Stoner said.

Clemens makes coffee and serving doughnuts at the vehicle repair events. Searls said Clemens enjoys talking to

the people who bring in the vehicles. “He is going to make sure everyone out there is a believer,” Searls said. “In fact, one girl accepted Christ in the lobby of the shop. It’s making a difference.”

A side job for this group was rebuilding a mobile home.

Organizer Steve Martin said he learned of a woman in town who was living in a camper and had a mobile home that needed major repairs before being livable. After unsuccessfully trying to find her another mobile home, the men’s group took on the project of gutting the home and building it back up.

When they first went in the 12X40 home, the ground could be seen through the floor and the sky through the ceiling. Today, this former two-bedroom, one-bath home has one bedroom with a larger bath, new furniture and new appliances.

Martin said everything in the home was donated – from the labor, to the lumber for rebuilding the walls to the appliances and curtains. Miracle donations happened throughout this project – One man went to pick

up the septic tank, and found out that it was being donated; an insurance agent paid for one year’s worth of insurance; and a church member paid for a termite plan.

“The first day we went out there, nine were there,” Martin said. “As needs would arise, someone else would step in.”

By the end of the project, more than 30 people had helped.

“It took a month and a half, from us gutting the home to the lady moving in,” said Martin.

“The beautiful part of this, is that she could have done it herself, but it would have taken forever. It took a lot of folks with different skill sets. We had an interior designer come in and work her magic. Everything was donated.”

These examples of giving back are what the three men hope to emphasize to others.

Pastors at Antioch have been emphasizing “One + One + One” – worship, grow and service.

“We want them to see that we were listening,” Martin laughs.

“We just want to encourage others to step up and serve,” Searls added.