Haiti-Revisit. By popular demand a repost

There and Back, Again


By: Robie Arnold



As one of my favorite authors wrote a story of Bilbo Baggins, the small hobbit from the Shire who was given a great task to accompany the dwarves on a great mission, I too was given a great task to accompany a group of strangers to a distant land. I was recently called to take a mission trip to the earthquake ravaged island country of Haiti. I was given a great opportunity to share my faith and beliefs through works and assistance to the people there. We left from Atlanta on February 27th by air with a small layover in Miami before we landed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This was my first ever airplane flight and was an experience all to itself. We were on one of the first commercial flights allowed to land in Port-au-Prince and as we flew over the land the deafening sound of silence held me in awe as everyone looked out of their windows at the devastation below.

Once we had landed we were corralled to buses and driven no more than thirty yards to customs. While in customs the sights and sounds were astounding. There was a group of Haitian singers there singing and playing their banjos, accordions and drums while we waited. After we made it through customs we were once again corralled into a “holding area” to wait for our transport. Once our buses arrived, we met our translators and group guides for the week. We loaded the buses and made our way out of the airport and into the hustle and bustle of the open air markets and through the streets of the city. The city itself was amazing. Even through all of the carnage the people were going about their daily routines of survival. We witnessed many new and exciting things while there. The Tap taps (Creole for taxis) were vividly painted and darting in and out of traffic. Children played in and around the streets as the cars whizzed by barely missing other cars, farm animals, and pedestrians by the looks of some of the bumper guards on the vehicles, “barely” wasn’t always the case as there were few that didn’t have some sort of damage to them.

We arrived at the home of our host for the week, Estecoeur Olistin, a Baptist Minister and senior pastor of ten of the churches in and around the city. His home was surrounded by ten foot walls with barbed wire and broken glass bottles on the top of most of the walls leading to the home. He opened his home to the Score International group that I had volunteered with. We were the fifth group of missionaries to stay at his home since the earthquake. Since most of the roof tops are flat there, we decided that this would be a good place to set up our camp. Our small camp of tents on the Pastor’s home paled in comparison to the huge tent cities that stretched as far as the eye could see along the dried river banks. The UN is currently attempting to relocate these tent cities to more suitable locations due to the onset of the rainy season that is currently beginning.

On our second day we attended church service as the “special guest choir” of Pastor Olisin’s. This was a surprise to us but we adapted and overcame. We sang old stand bys like I’ll Fly Away and Amazing Grace. Of course we sang in English but the wonderful part is the church members soon joined us in French and Creole. We were asked to return for the evening service and to learn to sing in Creole. Our team leader was also asked to speak at the service. Once we returned to our camp we hurriedly found our translators and the kitchen girls and learned a couple of simple “children’s songs” in Creole. I do wish I knew what I was saying now or had some way to record ourselves. At the evening service we stood up and sang our songs to much laughter and applause. Our team leader, Justin Mcworter, gave a short sermon on Psalms 73 in which Pastor Olistin translated to the congregation. We met and had fellowship with many of the members of the church before returning to our tents for the night.

Our first day of work saw us travel to the small village of Penye (this is the phonetic spelling) to continue the work of the past groups. The church in this village was severely damaged by the earthquake and was being razed and a new one built in its place. We assisted the men of the church with the removal of usable concrete blocks and reclaimed re-bar. Once this was finished we dug footings for a new foundation for a larger church. The Haitians have no set building codes and things are done a lot differently than they are done here in the states. Instead of concrete footings we placed large boulders in the hand dug trenches and filled the gaps with smaller ones and then bucket by bucket of concrete that was mixed water thin to conserve costs. We used buckets to move the dirt and concrete due to the fact that the one wheel barrel in the village was commandeered by the children to ride up and down the mountain in.

The children of the village quickly stole our hearts and our water, but that’s another story all together. We played games with the kids and sang songs; they do a good rendition of “Who let the Dogs Out.” The kids made their own kites and flew them with us. There were hardly any toys as we are used to seeing there. One little girl had a naked Barbie and would not let it out of her clutches. It gave me a great appreciation of what my daughter takes for granted with her Santa’s Wish List every year. We had a storage closet that we were keeping our supplies, bottled water and food inside. We kept noticing certain kids would disappear for periods of time and then would return with empty water bottles. They were drinking and then pouring out our water to have the bottles to sword fight with!

We went to an orphanage and school that the church sponsored and helped feed the children there. The church sponsors over 100 children every day. Some are there because they lost parents during the quake and some are there because they have no place else to go. All are welcome as long as they follow the few rules posted. I set up a small clinic to tend some healing wounds ranging from earthquake damage all the way to everyday scrapes and bruises that children get. Soon after we toured the city and saw the damage first hand. There are still collapsed buildings that have not been searched and still thousands unaccounted for. We went to Pitionville the area where Hotel Montana was located. We also saw the Presidential Palace and the Commons where several thousand refugees are staying directly across the way.

Day after day we hiked up the mountain to the church and by the last day our results were applauded by the villagers. The foundation for the new church was complete and ready for the floor to go down. It was sad to leave the people that we had gotten to know personally and especially the children we came in contact with. Our last day with Pastor Olistin, he pleaded with us not to forget what we saw or what we learned. He tasked each of us with coming back to Haiti and coming back to stay with him any time that we could. He said he understood the financial obligations that it took each of us just to make the short journey there but also it would never compare to the lives we touched and the experiences we gained. Would I go back to the 105* heat and less than ideal living arrangements to work harder than I ever had before? I would leave tomorrow if I could.

How do you communicate the Message?

I was sitting on my front porch reading the other day and you could hear dogs barking in the distance. My oldest daughter was sitting a ways down from me also reading. She looks up at me and says "Dad, why do dogs bark?" I answered "That is how dogs communicate." She sat there quitely pondering what I had said and then says "Dad, I thought dogs communicated by sniffing each other's butts....."

It is funny how I was reading in the Gospel of John at the time, chapter 3 to be exact. My favorite chapter by the way.... Most everyone when asked if they have heard a verse from the bible can quote most if not all of John 3:16 and most wrestling fans know of Austin 3:16. If you follow my blog and don't know either here ya go:
John 3:16 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Austin 3:16 as quoted by Stone Cold after defeating Jake Roberts :
"You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ***!"
For you Greek buffs:
Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν Υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα2 πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς Αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ᾽ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον

Which translates literally as:
For in this way God loved the world: that he gave the unique son, so that all the ones trusting in him would not perish, but have eternal life.


This is the Gospel of Christ in a nutshell but it isn't the whole story! The story is of Nicodemus and Jesus having a conversation as to how to be reborn. Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin that actually showed favor to Jesus instead of just writing him off as a heretic. He asked Jesus how it was possible to re enter the womb of his mother to be reborn. Some people may think that this was a thick headed question. I do not. Being a member of the Sanhedrin meant that he probably knew a thing or two about the prophecy of the Messiah. And also knew that the Messiah would bring about peace. I think he was curious how this peace would be brought about since Jesus was not the fierce ruler everyone expected, like King David.

How did Jesus communicate this message of peace? Not just in words but also in His actions. Saint Francis of Assisi said "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." He also said "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching." It is more than just words on a screen or page. The way we live our lives denotes how we spread the Gospel. Now go sniff some butts......

Hot or Cold....

Revelation 3:16 Do or Do Not

This has been on my mind for a few months now. It’s a story of a young orphaned boy. His mom died in child birth and his dad was a dead beat. He lives with his Aunt and Uncle on a farm. Growing up a farm boy he knew he was destined for so much more but didn’t know exactly what. While he was out getting farm hands trained for their job, he was mugged and by bandits and then picked up by an old hermit and taken to his home. Turns out the hermit knew his father when he was in the military. The farm boy returns home to find that his aunt and uncle have been killed by soldiers looking for the new farmhands. He returns to the hermit and decides to leave the area with him to seek out the former employers of the farmhands.

While on their journey the hermit teaches the farm boy life lessons in right from wrong. They pick up a couple of highway men to help them on the trip. The military is searching for them and soon captures them. They split up and try to escape the compound, while doing so the hermit is killed by the military’s leader who happened to be an old friend turned enemy of the hermit. From this the group joins with a band of straggling rebels and attempts to seek revenge on the army.

Soon after the farm boy has a dream of the hermit and is told to find his old teacher. He has to travel through a swamp to reach the teacher. Once he finds the old teacher he soon learns of his much larger role in the scheme of life. He learns that the man who killed the hermit is in fact his long lost father. He is taught many things about good and evil.  The main point he learns is to not be lukewarm. Not to do anything half way, either do it or don’t do it. There is no Try.



"No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try."



So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:16



Jesus spoke those same words not to an individual but to a church. The church of Laodicea was having trouble fulfilling their commitment to the Gospels, not fulfilling their commitment to Christ. Just only halfway, half heartedly doing anything, He said that they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Not looking for riches in Him but in the world. He told them to repent and that he loves them and he wanted to correct and teach them.

Be Hot or Cold: Do or Do Not

So I got this email....

I receive emails from facebook followers and other people I come in contact with either on the net or in real life almost daily. For some reason a couple stand out. I know these people by association only. I am not sure that I have spoken to them at length, ever. I was asked for help whether it be prayer, counselling, etc. It gives me the warm fuzzies knowing that not only am I being viewed as a good person but as a good Christian man. I am not worthy of this praise nor am I worthy of the Grace that was given me by God for my salvation. I do not deserve it.

I work in youth ministry by choice and ask for nothing in return except that the kids get some God out of the lessons and activities. I try to be positive in all challenges and pray daily for guidance and discernment regarding this. The group has grown from two in the beginning to 14 this past weekend, we have outgrown two rooms. As long as we keep God as the focus it will continue to flourish.

 To God be the glory. Amen.

Famous people who died broke and alone...

Famous people who died broke and alone:
Oscar Wilde died penniless, the writer and aesthete was a huge celebrity... But he died penniless
and alone in a Paris hotel
Bela Lugosi
Bela Lugosi made nearly 70 more films in the 28 years after he first
sucked blood in Dracula (1931)
few filmgoers today remember him in a single one of them
(except, perhaps, his last, the bizarre cult classic directed by Ed
Wood, Plan Nine from Outer Space, 1959). (..) He died penniless in
1956.

Joe Louis

Joe Louis (boxer) retired from boxing in 1949 after defending his
title 25 times. He came back unsuccessfully in 1950 and re-retired in
1951 when Rocky Marciano defeated him. From retirement to death he
spent most of his life penniless from bad business ventures and legal
problems with the IRS. He died on April 12, 1981 in Las Vegas.

Judy Garland

By the time she died, Judy Garland was over $4 Million in debt. Her
body was stored in a temporary crypt for over a year, because no money
was available to transfer her to a final resting place. Eventually,
her daughter Liza Minelli raised the money for a proper burial.

Michael Jackson
Who? The King of Pop, who died suddenly in June.
Why? Jackson blew the profits from sales of 750 million records on extravagances such as $600,000 necklace for Elizabeth Taylor, to maintaining his $4 million-a-year Neverland Ranch. When he died he had accumulated debts worth an astonishing $400 million.

Edgar Allan Poe
Who? American poet and critic, celebrated for numerous gothic stories including The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

Why? Poe was among the first well-known American writers to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life. He died in 1849 at his tiny cottage in The Bronx, New York, although his cause of death remains a mystery.

Jesus Christ
Who? Our Lord and Savior, the King of Kings, The fulfillment of the Law. Circa April 0033 Crucified dead and buried and rose again on the third day.

Why? For the forgiveness of our sins…..

Its not all Eggs and Bunnies…..

The stuff in your pockets?

This is the first year that I have done anything for the celebration of Lent. I have given up carbonated drinks for the 40 days (46 if you count Sundays too) leading up to Easter. It has not been an easy task for me but I have been able to do it. I have had help along the way to ensure I stick to it. (thanks Felicia and Kim S!) The idea is to give up something that you long for in order to be closer to God. To break the routine of worship that a lot of us fall in to. Is it working? I have felt better for one so I guess the health benefits are a plus. I have had better communion with Him. I feel more in His presence than I can ever remember too. I am in self denial in order to gain from Him. Penance and Prayer, I have made extra effort to read and study the Word daily. This is going to be a blessing to me and my family. If you have never tried fasting of any kind and long for a closeness to God, by all means, do it. Notice I did not say try I said do....That is a post all unto itself for a later time.

The deep water

When I was a growing up we lived next to a creek with the best swimming hole within three counties. Summer time would come and the kids would come. Friends, family, minor acquaintances, it did not matter they were there to go swimming! Some of my fondest memories are sitting on that creek bank watching the kids swim. Yeah sitting on the bank.... at most I would only get ankle deep in the water. To say I was scared to death of the deep water is the understatement of my childhood. As I grew older I became more comfortable with the deep water, even learning how to swim and have a good time with my cousins.
This correlates to my walk as a Christian. I have stayed in my comfort zone because, well, its comfortable. I know what I am called to do but have barely scraped the surface of it. Like most other areas of my life I have done what I absolutely had to do to get by. It hit me the other day as I was on my way back to Jasper from Gainesville on Hwy 53. I had a visual stimulus flashback to the times I spent watching my cousins and friends instead of swimming with them. I was driving across one of the bridges on Lake Lanier and it hit me. Its time to get off the bank and get in the deep water. Its time to answer the call.