Little Rock Ministry

Little Rock Ministries is a small nonprofit Christian organization located at the Pine Crest Mobile Home Park in Eldora. Our goals are to: share God’s love in a safe place with all ages; teach the Bible and encourage Christian values. SRBC, along with other local churches and individuals provide all support for the ministry.

Little Rock now has activities for school-aged children on Monday, Thursday & Friday afternoons along with a Bible study & lunch for men on Wednesday and the same for women on Friday. The activities are run by a seven-member board and other willing volunteers.  While some expenses are reimbursed, we do not have any paid staff. The owner of the park allows us to use trailer #57 at no rental cost but we do pay utilities. Most of the upkeep is done by park managers Ivan & Mary Jaspers, and volunteers.

We feel our main purpose is to be there for the kids. We can’t blame the kids for the decisions parents make. We love them where they are and remind them of God’s love for them. Some parents have said they, “Don’t like us talking about Jesus stuff” and don’t let their kids come. Others allow them to participate occasionally but discipline them by not allowing them to come if the child had bad behavior at home or school. The park can be a sad place, but the kids usually support and stand up for each other as family when needed.  Most residents see the Little Rock trailer as a church ... a safe place to be with extended family who care about them. 

Currently, there are 46 children of all ages who are from 17 families living in the park. However, less than half of those come regularly to our activities. The afterschool club attendance ranges from 5-9. They come around 3:45 and play until we have a meal which includes a main dish, fruit, vegetables, and drink. Children take turns praying for the meal knowing whoever prays gets to eat first. 😊 After the meal we have a Bible lesson and usually a craft or game that goes along with it. We finish around 5:00. They go home with snacks such as a granola bar, cookie, popcorn, etc., as long as their behavior was positive.

In the summer we help some of the children attend local Christian camps, provide a week of Vacation Bible School at the trailer, and have a picnic and swimming party at the local pool. School supplies and new backpacks are given to all school-aged children in August. Christmas gifts are purchased for children of all ages. The last club before Christmas is a party for Jesus’ birthday. All this is only possible because of donations. We have 2 fundraisers each year. Our next one will be a brunch on Sunday, March 30th from 9:30-1:00, at Dorothy’s Senior Center with help from the Kiwanis. Profits will be used for camp scholarships.

One story is of a girl (I’ll call her Annie) who came to live in the park with her mother when she was in 3rd grade. Annie was a regular at all Little Rock activities. Her mother attended with her at first because she is autistic and would have ‘fits’ when things changed or were too difficult for her. In time, Annie became more comfortable, and her mom was able to leave her. 

Annie graduated from high school last May and moved to another town with her mom and grandma. It is amazing for me to think of how much she changed and grew in those years. Annie accepted Jesus into her heart one year at camp. She was always kind to others but became even more loving after that experience. Annie was excited to receive job training and did her best at whatever task she was given. However, her autism prevents her from having full-time employment. 

Thanks to cell phones and Facebook, Annie remains in our lives.  She often calls or sends a Facebook message. Sometimes she asks for prayer for someone she knows who is sick. Once Annie was teased at the store and needed a reminder that we love her and Jesus as well. Sometimes she just wants to say ‘goodnight’ before going to bed. We don’t have contact with most families who move out of the park. However, currently there are four families who have been able to leave the park and move to homes in Eldora. Since they are still close their children remain involved in our activities. 

Prayer Concerns: Recently we have had to deal with a sensitive situation and feel Satan is trying to use this to prevent us from ministering effectively. We would appreciate your prayers that God will work through this to bring about His glory and that we will know how best to demonstrate Christian love in this situation.

Check out and ‘like’ our Facebook page for pictures and event information. 

Questions? Contact Cathy Sutton 641-848-7072.

Little Rock Ministries Board members: Ed Bear, Cathy Sutton, Isaac Good (treasurer), John Kelley, Margaret Good, Christine Balvanz, Caitlin Blair and park managers, Mary & Ivan Jaspers.

-Sara Zellmer