The Arkansas effort of the Rural Poverty Initiative is coordinated by Ben and Leonora Newell, CBF Global Missions field personnel, serving in Helena, Ark. It features the Garden of E.D.E.N.  The ministry's major volunteer effort is June's All Church Challenge, a concentrated volunteer effort for construction projects, children's activities and other developing projects. 

Click here for other reports from Arkansas. For more information, contact the Newells at bnewell@thefellowship.info or Ray Higgins, CBF of Arkansas coordinator, at bcrahiggi@tcworks.net.

Louisiana efforts are coordinated by John Daugherty, coordinator for CBF of Lousiana.  One very meaningful effort has been prison ministry. For more information, contact Daugherty at jpdaug@touchnc.net.

In Mississippi, CBF of Mississippi has led with a key partner in the new church start, Harvest Fellowship Baptist Church, in Greenville.  It has dormitory space that helps mission teams to serve in five Delta counties.  sponsors a program called Books of Hope.  Churches donate children's books and CBF of Mississippi leadership distributes the books to children in focal counties.  For more information on work in Mississippi, contact Steve Street, CBF of Mississippi coordinator, at street@cbfms.org.