Ouachita Stories

Do you want to intentionally fill your life with “forever friends” who will be there for you even on your hardest of days? Or are you already worried about carrying your terrible procrastination habits into the spring semester? Or maybe you just miss the days when school still had recess? Then I have just the cure for you: Backyard Bible Club through Campus Ministries is just what you need!

Camp Wamp is a ministry of BBC that happens every April.

Our 51 kids at 3 different locations here in Arkadelphia cannot wait to meet you. From the 2-year-olds to the 15-year-olds, they cannot wait to remind you that life in service of others is the best life to live. After their long days at school, they are ready to give you a hug and beat you at a game of basketball . They'll remind you of the joys of childhood, and that being older doesn't mean you're a better athlete. They deeply desire that you take a 1 to 1 ½ hour study break on Monday and/or Tuesday afternoons to come share the love of Christ with them. And girls, don’t try to pretend that “beauty salons” were not a part of your elementary recess experience! Our girls have some of the finest beautician skills this side of the Ouachita River.

Not only would you FIND so much joy, contentment, and purpose in serving our kids through Backyard Bible Club (BBC), but you would also BE the answer to their many prayers. This fall semester, we had 16 consistent leaders to serve our 51 kids. And unfortunately, due to winter graduations, student teaching, and Hands On, our leader total has decreased to 11. With one BBC site on Monday and two separate BBC sites on Tuesday, our leader-totals are becoming too small to actually be effective. Only having 2 leaders to serve the 12-15 kids at one of our Tuesday sites puts us in jeopardy of “losing” this site. This would deprive these 12-15 kids from hearing the Gospel on a weekly basis, and would be a disappointing end to relationships that have been formed over the past several years.

Would you prayerfully consider making BBC a priority for this coming semester? From 4:00-5:30 pm on Mondays or Tuesdays, would you join us in declaring the Gospel to children right here in Arkadelphia, just 5 minutes from our campus? You don’t have to be a professional Christian, artist, musician, or athlete to serve our kids; just be a person willing to love them as Christ has loved you.

--Stephanie Westberg, Senior Education major

To help with BBC, contact Tori Lackey ([email protected]) or Kara Lindquist ([email protected])