A Conversation with Bart and Cindy Sparks

Sojourners are made up of wonderful brothers and sisters from all around the United States.  It is part of the mission of this podcast to get to know each other as together we travel with a purpose.

In this episode I am speaking with Bart and Cindy Sparks from Cabot Arkansas.  They share with us their vision for being Sojourners.  They have a wonderful story to share.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Hello, fellow Stojojourners. I'm your host, Dave Blyton, and welcome to Travel with a Purpose, a podcast designed to keep sojourners and friends informed, entertained, and inspired. In today's episode, we're meeting with Bard and Cindy Sparks. Now, Bard and Cindy are fellow sojourners, and by the way, they're from Arkansas, which is one of the most wonderful states in the entire nation, not the world. I grew up in the Fayetteville and Springdale area, so I'm kind of partial to that. Well, hello, Bard and Cindy. How are you? I'm great, and thank you for being a guest on the show. I truly appreciate it. Uh I uh part of this effort is for the sojourner family to get to know each other. And so whenever I get a chance to have fellow sojourners on the show, I really enjoy that. Okay. Well, I mentioned you were from Arkansas. Where? Tell me where home is when you're not on the road. Well, home is heaven.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

But I know that. But I have I have a house in Cabot, Arkansas. Yep. And that's where we uh Cindy grew up in Cabot and I didn't grow up far from there. How long y'all been married? Uh twenty-one years. I like asking people how long they've been married. Well, we've I'm I'm blessed. Uh it's been twenty-one happy years. Good answer.

SPEAKER_02 1:44

So so you live you live in Cabot and you've been married twenty one years. Okay, how did you hear about the sojourners?

SPEAKER_01 1:53

Well, Cindy retired. Cindy retired in 2020, and we had a motor home, and so, but that's right when COVID hit, and so we didn't do nothing for a couple of years. And but then we had a motorhome and went went uh traveling, and then when we got back, I said, Cindy, we need to do something, you know, working for the Lord. And so our minister, Chuck Ball, I asked him, uh, do you know, I know there's a group that has you uses their motorhomes for uh uh evangelizing. And so he told us about soul journals. And and so I I looked you up online and I applied uh got an application and uh uh y'all uh emailed me back that I was accepted, and then I was kind of wondering how good a club it was if I was able to be around. That's right. Maybe we need to revisit it. Yeah, maybe. But anyway, then then uh uh we uh got our first trip last May. Uh we went we went to New New Hampshire with uh with Sojourners, uh, and we uh fell in love with the the idea of going helping congregations and and then uh we uh knew that we wanted to put that to work and so that's that's how we got involved in s in Sojourners. And after that after after uh the one in May, uh it was I don't remember what month was it we went to Panama. But anyway it was in the summer. In the summer we went to Panama with Sojourners. That's Panama, Oklahoma, not the country. Yeah, I I was gonna say I didn't know there was a Panama, Oklahoma until I got in soul. It's about thirty mile thirty miles uh the other side of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Oh, okay, okay. I know that area.

SPEAKER_02 4:02

But yeah, I tell people when you when you said you went to Panama, I I my brain was like, when did we send sojourners to Panama and how'd they get there?

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Yeah, I tell people. I say we go to Panama and they said, Did you drive through Mexico? And I said, No, no, I didn't. I just drove through Arkansas.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

Yeah. Uh by the way, I used to live for a short while uh when I retired from the Air Force in Henrietta, Oklahoma. So I'm I'm familiar with that area. Now Cindy, Bart's been doing all the talking, so I'm gonna ask you a question. What did you do before you retired?

SPEAKER_00 4:45

I was a registered nurse for 31 years.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

There you go.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

And I love nurses. I work for the Department of Veterans Affairs at the VA hospital in Little Rock.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

Oh, okay. I I have seen that hospital many times. Uh never went there fortunately, but I have seen it. I know what you're talking about. Okay. Well, so we we uh Bart, what did you do before you retired or are you retired?

SPEAKER_01 5:15

Well, I I I've always been I've been I've been a salesman since I was in fourth grade. So I I've I've I've sold everything but cars, so I'm not a used car dealer. Okay. We've got a few sojourners that are former.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

But I kinda laugh about it and said, Well, they got honest and and quit selling cars. No, that's not true. They repented. Yeah, yeah. All right. Well, the reason I ask that is I like to know, of course, why folks or how folks became sojourners and and how they heard about us, and and uh that's always good because other folks are hearing about it and and uh maybe wondering how they can become sojourners, so that's good. Um moving into another related part about that, uh you guys are actively involved in the gospel sharing ministries, and uh I I want our sojourner family to understand more about that. Several of our sojourners are participants with the gospel sharing ministries, and and so tell us just a little bit about that as uh we talk a little bit more about what you guys do.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Let me tell you how I got involved with them. Was uh one of the sojourners was also involved with them, and and I was looking for how to spread the gospel, and and sojourners does a great job of of helping congregations and doing uh physical labor and contracting stuff like that, which is great because they churches are not having to spend money on that, they're getting it done. But I've been in sales and uh and in construction most of my life, and I got arthritis and I can't build as much as I used to. I mean, I used to paint houses and do all kinds of stuff, but I was looking for a gospel, the s spiritual side of it, and this just goes hand in hand with sojourners because the I we gospel sharing ministry, our motto is we teach others the gospel by teaching them how to teach the gospel. Uh-huh. And and what's what that is, is we go to congregations that don't have a a uh evangelistic program, and we try to start an evangelistic program and show them how to use a duplicatable method on how to teach others the gospel. And we've been real successful at it. We got a website, gospel sharing ministry.com, so and anybody can look it up, but but it's uh it goes hand in hand with sojourners, you know, people both need physical and spiritual help. Yeah. Yeah. And so and so that's what and that's what um what we're sojourners in gospel sharing ministry is on the same mission. That's to save souls. And and that's what God that's what God told us to do is go out and what Jesus actually told us to do is to go out and save souls. You know, go preach the gospel.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

Well, evangelism is our middle name for sojourners, national evangelism with sojourners. And right uh we're trying, uh Charles Shelton, you know, and he's associated with GSM, and and uh there's we are trying to um revive, if I can use that word, revive that element of sojourning because we are not just about building and repairing and all of that. I think we talk about everything we do has an evangelistic element to it, and so we're trying to revive that. And so um it it helps having members among us that are looking to focus on that. So so there is a compatible, as you said, mission. Um, while we're building a repairing, we also need to be teaching the gospel, and so we're we're trying to push that. I I I'm doing it uh through uh some of our podcasts episodes that I put out, and and uh we're gonna try to uh encourage it even more in other ways. Okay. So now uh Gospel Sharing Ministries has made a bit of a change. Uh you are moving your administrative office to be co-located at Camp B. And uh we welcome you. Uh we're gonna be sharing that uh that building, and uh so uh that way uh perhaps there will be uh a a uh closer working together. I I want to caution our sojourners, don't panic. We're not being taken over, nor are we taking over. Uh we're we're just sharing, uh, which is brothers and sisters working together.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

But but I love I like I mean I've I still participate in both. I went to the co uh Central Florida Bible uh uh camp in February and had a blast. I mean, I got to meet brothers and sisters I wouldn't have got to meet otherwise. And and I'm just telling you, sojourning is is everybody I talk to, and it's just just fine Christian. I got family all over the country. Isn't that great? Isn't that that that's awesome, I know. Yeah, and and and let me something I love. Wait one second. The main thing I wanted to say was if you got a motor, you don't have to have a motor home to be involved with either either organ either either sojourners or gospel sharing ministry. But if you got one, the tires are dry rottening. You got to you you need to put it to work and and come join us and have a lot of fun, have a lot of fun spreading the gospel. Yeah. Go ahead. Now I'll shut up a minute. Well no, that's that's fine.

SPEAKER_02 11:22

I forgot what I was gonna say, but it's okay. It'll come back. Yeah. But I just love I just love I I do remember what I was gonna say now. All right, I'll shut up. I tell people my my brain is on a on a a railroad track. The train left the station, but it's on a loop. It'll come back sooner or later. Um I done forgot again. No, I didn't. I one of the things that I love as we're sojourners, and and you guys have experienced it, is when we do go out there and we're working with a church especially, a congregation out there that's small, we meet some incredible people, just amazing people. And they're doing the best they can with what they've got and and they're eager to grow, and it's I'm encouraged when I work with them. And as well as hopefully we can encourage them. And uh so anyway, that's just one of the joys of sojourning. We've made friends that uh uh w we will see again in eternity. We stay in contact with them now and and we we enjoy being with them. All right. Enough of that. So um I was looking here at some of the questions. What what kind of sojourns are you guys interested in? Now, Cindy, I want to ask you that question. I'll I'll let I'll let Bart talk in a minute. What kind of sojourns are you interested in?

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Well, I don't really do a lot of the medical anymore, but I still have my medical li I still have my nursing license. I haven't and uh of course with gospel sharing when we book all our campaigns, it's like they're back to back to back to back. So we don't have time in tur certain times of the year to do anything but the gospel sharing.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

Yeah, yeah, but but we're going like we're going to Tahoe uh in July to promote uh sojourning in in Tahoe at the at the uh family encampment there. And I'm looking forward to it because that that there's a lot of there's a lot of people out on the west coast that that don't know about sojourning and I I'm it's kind of a new territory, you know, more or less.

SPEAKER_02 13:49

We we used to have several out there, but it has dwindled over the years, and we need to revise it. So I'm excited that you're going to be over there. And uh we're we're still trying to get that information, by the way. We'll talk about that in a few minutes. Um so what I mean are you are you look I know you're looking for spiritual sojourns, but any any particular kind like a gospel meeting or door knocking or VBS or anything like that?

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Uh and the VBS would be great because that I I I believe that congregations ought to use a VBS to get fine prospects to go out and and I think ever every work that you do in the in the congregation should be have an evangelistic motive. You know, uh if it's uh having supper or having some suppers or or you know, uh there's a lot of people that have fall festivals instead of trunk or treat or trick or treat. You know, that that's another good way to get get out in the community. Just there's so many ways to evangelize and and I evangelistic is in my heart. That's what and and it doesn't matter if we're going to help them in the a Bible camp or or you know, help them construction, help them paint, help them do whatever they need to do, there's always people around that need the gospel. And so it yeah, I mean i I like I told you, I got a three-foot rule. You get within three foot of me, we're gonna talk about the gospel, you know. And so that's i if we're painting or if we're just walking down the road.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

Yeah. Well, that's good because when you are out there on one of those sojourns, uh, I anticipate uh after we get through or while the paint's drying, you're you're looking around to say, who can I share the gospel with? Right. And that's what we seriously, I'm glad to hear it. I want other sojourners to hear it. That's what we need to be doing. I I it's an imperative. You said it.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

God's our our Lord said, go, do it. That's why that's why you named going with the I mean the this podcast, uh, traveling with a purpose. I mean, if you if I mean I love to travel. I've been traveling, my dad loved to travel, and we go see family all over the country, but we just go see family. But when you're going to make family, going to make brothers and sisters and find brothers and sisters, I mean, it's exciting. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

It is. It sure is. Um, and that really does lead me to the last section for us to talk about, and that's what do you think about when you hear that our tagline, travel with a purpose.

SPEAKER_01 16:40

That that's exactly what I think about. I'm traveling to I'm going out to evangelist and and I hope Cindy Cindy does too, is to go out to share the gospel. I mean, I have yet to have anybody knock on my door and say, Hey, how can I get to heaven? You know. You know, so I got to I got to go out and tell them. Well, that's and and that's what that's what we do at uh with how that duplicatable system. We got a small checkbook Bible that we show what the Bible says about how to get to heaven. We're not we're not it's not my opinion or Dave's opinion or Joe Bow's opinion. It's God's word that tells you how to get to heaven. And and we show it that way, and it's and and so that's the best way. And if it if somebody can't show you in the Bible what God said about a subject, don't don't mess with it.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

Yeah, yeah. And and Cindy, you were talking about your background in medicine as a registered nurse. Uh we can use whatever our profession is. And and in your case, I'm I'm sure you've probably or have you participated in medical missions before.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

Not really. Um I went with our local church a couple of years ago to uh to Chihuahua to the uh there's an orphanage down there. Okay. And so I got to clean out the medicine closet while I was there. Chunk of my stuff.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

But but Okay, so you didn't go down there with that intent, but you saw an opportunity and you used your knowledge and skill to do that. And I can't that's where I was kind of going with. We take that body of knowledge that we've gained over a lifetime and we say, Lord, how can I use this to glorify you? And uh I know you guys have experienced it, and I tell people all the time the way God works is He brings the seeker and the teacher together. And that's what we're about. I agree. Amen. And so we gotta be ready. Okay. Anything else you guys want to talk about?

SPEAKER_01 18:59

I I've already slobbered a bit fool.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

That's a good Arkansas expression, slobbered a bit full. I'm not sure what to say about that. All right. Well, listen, are you guys gonna try to make it to uh uh our October workshop?

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Well, we got we we've got some campaigns working. Uh we may do part of that, but then uh uh but we are we are working, we're gonna be there in May and our work help help us work there. I can't do a lot, but what I can do, I will do. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

So well don't worry, don't worry. I was talking with Joel the other day, and he said he's already got his professional team ready. Uh uh, but there's gonna be a lot of stuff on that camp that we need help with. So you'll you'll be busy. Oh, in May. Yeah. All right. Well, friends, I I thank you for being guests on the show, and I've enjoyed getting to know you better, and I look forward to it. All right. Let me wrap, let me wrap up, my friends. Well, friends, thank you for listening to this podcast. I invite you to subscribe and share it with others. I'm your host, Dave Leighton, and remember we glorify God as together we travel with a purpose. Happy sojourning.