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About Fallon County Times (Baker, Mont.) 1916-current | View This Issue
Fallon County Times (Baker, Mont.), 24 April 2015, located at <http://montananewspapers.org/lccn/sn84036037/2015-04-24/ed-1/seq-12/>, image provided by MONTANA NEWSPAPERS, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana.
1 2 - FALLON COUNTY TIMES ERMAN', PRI1 24, 2015 Riders hit the road for Musana Camps Bicyclists traveling from Pacific Coast to Lake Michigan as fundraising campaign By Linda Sailer Courtesy of The Dickinson Press The first time Syd Sparks set foot in Uganda, the Bowman na- tive said he was \blown away.\ \This was my first time out of the country, my first time in a Third World country and my first time seeing poverty,\ he said. \I left after a month, think- ing I don't know if I would ever come back.\ That was in 2001. More than a decade later. Sparks and his family live in the East African nation and have dedicated their life to spreading the Christian Gospel in different ways. This spring, Sparks and his cy- cling partner, Stephen Roise, are dedicating more than a month to helping expand a Bible camp in Uganda where Sparks works. They are preparing to hit the road for a 2,425 -mile trip from the Pacific Coast to Lake Michi- gan during a \Cabins for Kids\ fundraising campaign. Their goal is to raise $166,000 to build 10 cabins and two shower houses for Musana Camps, a division of New Hope Uganda Ministries. Musana Camps, located on the banks of Lake Victoria, was founded by Sparks to offer a Christian camping experience for youth and adults. \There aren't a lot of camps in Uganda providing this opportu- nity for children,\ said Roise, a former Dickinson resident who works as the New Hope Uganda Ministries administrative assis- tant at headquarters in Belle Fourche, S.D. \This is an oppor- tunity for children from other ministries, orphanages and chil- dren's centers to encounter Christ in a different way. I've had a chance to meet kids who have gone to camp and heard their testimonies. Camp ab- solutely fits the ministry to intro- duce them to Christ and see transfonned lives.\ The camp has developed to a point where there are adequate roads, sufficient water sources and a kitchen to serve 500 campers. Still, there is a shortage of housing. 'We have been forced to turn away over 400 kids due to inad- equate lodging,' said Sparks. who is living in Dickinson with his wife. Andrea, and their three children while on furlough from his ministry in Uganda. Realizing the need for cabins. Sparks proposed the ride to Roise about eight months ago. Since then, they have been train- ing and making travel arrange- ments. \I've been riding in cycle classes and go out on the road every day when it's nice,\ he said. The cycling team will depart May 7 from Bellingham. Wash., peddle over two mountain ranges and travel across six states before finishing June 12 in Racine. Wis., hitting Dickinson at the halfway point. They plan It) ride six days a week, averag- ing 80 miles a day, stay with host families and speak about the ministry on Sundays. The road to Uganda Sparks grew up in Bowman, the son of Donald and Judy Sparks. Ile played football, wrestled and ran track while in high school. But from age 8 through his high school years. Sparks spent his summers at the Trail's End Ranch. a Christian -based sum- mer camp at Ekalaka. Mont. Ile eventually served on the camp's staff. loved every thing about camp,\ he said. \It was partially the outdoor experience. You're out in nature, a chance to get away from home, a chance to be with friends. I felt free lobe me. One of the things about Chris- tian camp ministry is you hear the same things your parents are saying, hut it makes sense out- side the normal routine. I looked forward to camp every sum- mer.\ Sparks credited the childhood camping experiences for influ- encing the rest of his life. \My summers spent at camp are where I made some of the most important decisions that have shaped my life,\ he said. \I Submitted photo Bowman native Syd Sparks is shown with his wife, An- drea, and their three children, Malachi, Eva and Heidi. am excited to be able to influ- ence children in ways that will have positive impacts on their lives.\ Sparks graduated from Dick- inson State University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and planned to pursue teaching. That was before he came in contact with a missionary from New Hope Uganda Ministries. The missionary spoke about the Kasana Children's Centre, where New Hope cares for chil- dren orphaned by war and dis- ease. Curious about the ministry. Sparks and a friend visited the center in 2001. Sparks felt he was given a chance to see the center for a reason, but he didn't know why. \I came back to the states and finished my degree,\ he said. \Before I graduated, another missionary came home looking for teachers. I had finished my degree debt -free so I was asked if I'd be willing to teach. I had no reason to say no.\ Sparks returned to Uganda in 2003, teaching physical educa- tion to the children of mission- aries and also at a Ugandan school. While there, he became friends with mission director Jay Dangers, who expressed a desire to start a summer camp within the ministry. His vision also spoke to Sparks' heart. After teaching a year. Sparks enrolled in a camp internship at Forest Springs, Wis. \Part of their program was to create a camp on paper — I dreamed of a camp for Uganda,\ he said. \I physically took the camp paper back to Don, and he said, 'Let's do it.\ He met Andrea during the in- ternship program. The couple married and returned to Uganda in 2007 with the goal of finding land for a camp. Sparks' vision for a camp was similar to what he knew as a youth, but the setting was far different. \You still get away from home, you still have fun and games and you're still learning and teaching around campfires,\ he said. 'Our very first camp was different in that there wasn't anything on the property — not a single brick. We stayed in tents, cooked on campfires, and fetched water from a stream half a mile away. It was a true backwards camp.\ \The biggest blessings of my life have the been the privilege of watching step-by-step how things have grown and changed,\ he said. \I've seen God provide in ways I've never imagined.\ Since the camp's beginning in 2008, donors, staff and volun- teers have worked to complete the first phase of the develop- ment at Musana Camps. This has included roads, electrical systems. water systems, a work- shop. a kitchen and tents. More than 2.700 people have conic through the camp pro- grams. and others have attended outreaches there. Musana Camps has hosted camps for street kids, retreats for churches and training for church leaders, Sparks said. \The camp is still new, but it's definitely growing.\ he added. \We're still young and new peo- ple are getting used to the idea of who we are.\ Church connection Dickinson's Evangelical Bible Church is among the churches that have been supporters of the New Hope Uganda Ministries. Gary Wood, EBC's pastor from 1990-97, is the ministries' pres- ident. Ile expressed his appreciation to Sparks and Roise for their fundraising endeavors. 'The ability to fund work overseas is not easy,' Wood said from his home in Belle Fourche. \For one thing, we're not large, and so to have these two guys going on a 2,425 -mile bike ride is not only pretty amazing, but it shows their dedication. They be- lieve in what the Musana camps are doing. The cabins are needed so we can get more peo- ple there. How can you have camping without a place to sleep.' Wood also referenced the work of Paul and Jodeen Kessel of Dickinson, the first EBC mis- sionaries to work at the Kasana Children's Centre in 1988. \Since there, there have been hosts of people who have been there,\ he said. \The kitchen was built by an EBC team two years ago. It's that connected.\ EBC associate Rev. Ron Dazell continues to lead the congregation in its support ot New Hope Uganda and the Mu- sana Camps. \New Hope Uganda has sev- eral North Dakotans serving in Uganda. and mission teams travel in support of their work every year,\ he said. \The level of support is at such a level that they even have had dakota proj- ects. These are projects that have been almost entirely sup- plied by people in North and South Dakota.\ Dazell described Syd and An drea as special people. \They have answered God's call to raise their children in a land far from either of their fam- ilies,\ he said. \I am proud to see Syd and Andrea serving God with such commitment and passion.\ FAA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 \I think we share the same fear that the communica- tions system is a great step, but I know the folks up there aren't quite convinced that it goes far enough,\ Dairies stated. \Can I get your commitment to work with the local airports and stakeholders to provide the appropriate communica- tions and radar equipment necessary to maintain a high level of aviation safety?\ \We will certainly con- tinue to work with the com- munity,\ Huerta responded. \This is something that we've spent a lot of time re- ally trying to understand and discussions with local stakeholders and users there.\ Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in a statement expanded train- ing cannot begin until the FAA publishes the expan- sion in its aeronautical maps. The full airspace will not be open until an aircraft recall communications sys- tem is installed. Montana's congressional delegation and state avia- tion officials continue to voice their concerns about the expansion. The Air Force could begin using parts of the expanded airspace in September. Avallatth r/RE HOS Everythlrop rotates around YOU. GENERAL TIRE ' GRAB RECENT AS/0008MM CAM IHE PURCHASE 0E4 TO 1$70 WADDING UNIRAL APRIL 3 - MAY 12015 100! ANYWHERE is POWBLE comi:009-rotla-c.F. NW/W...011,E COM e at , p as t a tEll 41RIDGESTOBE BY MAIL ON A BRIDGESTONE VISA' PREPAID CARD' WHEN YOU BUY FOUR ELIGIBLE PREMIUM BRIDGESTONE TIRES'. INCLUDING Oil • •P:rs.pi card o issued by VetaBank . . 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