Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Home Built On Site Following Tornado

Sometimes good things can come out of disasters.

When the tornadoes struck Arkadelphia March 1, 1997, few could see anything positive coming out of it.

A house on Carpenter Street was demolished by the storms, leaving a vacant lot. The owners of the property decided not to rebuild and sold the land to the Red River Baptist Association.

But, there was a catch in the sale. The association could only use the land to build a home for missionaries on furlough. The association agreed to this condition and has been working to raise the money necessary to erect the structure.

According to the plans, the house will have four bedrooms, one that can be used as an office if necessary, a living room, dining room and kitchen, along with two bathrooms and a utility room.

Maurice Hitt, the director of missions, said the house will be fully furnished, including linens and towels, along with cookware in the kitchen.

This, he said, is done because those returning from missions in foreign lands can only bring what they can carry on a plane.

Missionaries on furloughs can be back in the states anywhere from four months to a year, depending on their circumstances, he said. They will be allowed to live in the house rent free while in the U.S.

Hitt and Bill Williams, who chairs the committee for the mission house, said it will cost about $125,000 to build and furnish the structure.

Currently, donations are being sought to help defray the cost of building and furnishing.

Hitt said while the missionaries are in the field, they have no other home in the United States. When they return to America, they face immediate financial problems as they must find living quarters and transportation.

Should enough money be raised, he said, the association will look at purchasing a vehicle returning missionaries can use.

In Arkansas, Hitt said, the mission relates to the Southern Baptist denomination. Red River functions in six counties in Southwest Arkansas, including Clark, Nevada, Hot Spring, Hempstead, Dallas and Pike.

The majority of its churches, though, are in Clark County.

These families, he continued, give added emphasis to the services they attend as they can tell congregations of their experiences in the missionary field.

Williams said the association is looking at utilizing the interlocking panel system being constructed at SIPS in Gurdon for the mission house.

The house, he said, will have 1,808 square feet of heated living area, though the overall plans call for 2,592 square feet. This, though, includes a porch on the front of the house and an enclosed garage.

At this time, some $28,000 has been pledged, with $12,000 in cash being received. These pledges and donations have come from local churches and individuals.