An Empty Sack

Roberta and I are up to our ears in the process of obtaining gifts for our kids and our grandkids, as I'm sure that everyone else is as well. Some times it gets to be a hassle but it's always worth it to see the sparkle in the eyes of those receiving our gifts.

I want to share a story with everyone about some nameless person from a nameless place who sent a gift that brought a miracle to a child who would more than likely have been known as "the boy in the sack". What was the gift you might ask? It was a gift of an offering to Bobby and Sherry Burnette to support a medical clinic in a village called Greffin, Haiti. That gift made it possible for Bobby and Sherry to carry the name of Jesus to a place where the pain was so intense that for the people of America, we can only imagine. SHERRY asked this young man to share his story about his life. Here is the story as told by Yonel "The Boy in the Sack"

My name is Yonel. I am from Greffin, Haiti. My father and mother are dead. Now I am going to tell you a story of when I was in Greffin I remember my mother died first. Then, when the rain came, the river rose high. My father put me on one side of the river to go see how deep it was. Just as he came back over the river to get me, the river carried him away. I stood there for a long time, but he never came back.

Some relatives took my sister and my two brothers to raise. Life is very very difficult when you are an orphan. People treat you bad. My relatives did not want me. They had many children and they did not want to feed me. They were serving Voodoo. They had a little food for their children but I never got too much. I would watch them eat but they never gave me anything. They made me work very hard. I can say I suffered a lot. I had no water to drink. When I wanted water to drink, I had to go very far to get it. But, I was so weak and hungry that it was hard to walk over the mountains to find water.

School...I never knew what that was. I never had shoes or socks. I never had a ball. I had nothing.

I remember sometimes, they would treat me so bad. They would put me in a sack and tie the sack with a rope. Then they would roll the sack down the mountain to see how long it would take for me to get out.

I was so scared. I wanted to die. I thought that dying would be better than being hungry. Many times I would fall down because I had no strength. When you are hungry, you don't walk good. You cannot stand up. You are too weak. When I stood up, I just fell down again.

I knew I was dying when my grandmother took me to the missionary clinic in the mountains. That was where Poppie and Mommie Burnette had a clinic. They gave people medicine and prayed for them. When they saw me, they said "that child is going to die if we don't take him..." I was so weak I could hardly get in the truck. They gave me some food and took me in the truck. I ate nine mangos without stopping. They took me to their orphanage and gave me milk and food and medicine. They told me I could eat as much as I wanted because "Jesus put the food on the table."

That was about nine years ago. Today, I am a young teen-age boy who is very thankful. I never want to see any children hungry. There is a Creole proverb in my country and it says "sack vid pa kapab konpe" or "an empty sack cannot stand". That's true. It means, "when you're hungry, you cannot stand".

Today's Sunday I stood very tall for Jesus. I preached my first sermon in church. God has called me to be a Pastor. I am no longer an "empty sack." I am a sack that is full and I am so thankful." Love, Yonel!



Yonel's story is not a made up story just to tug at your heart, but is 100% true. Roberta and I know this young man and we are thrilled to see the touch of God on his life. On our last trip to Haiti, Yonel interpreted for me as I spoke to all of the children in the orphanage. Bobby and Sherry are working on a plan to send him to "Christ for the Nations" Bible School in the near future. Yonel will touch the world for Jesus but needed that gift of support that placed Bobby and Sherry on that mountain to bring the healing touch of Jesus.

Today, as I write this letter to all of you,there are millions of "empty sacks" in the tiny nation of Haiti. Roberta and I have been called to fill "empty sacks" but we need people to open their treasure bags and give a gift of support to us. Please understand that we will have items to work with. Clinics, Churches, Schools, Feeding Programs, Gospel Crusades and even a 24 hour Gospel Radio Station which is coming in 2007. Everything we need to fill these many "empty sacks" with the love of Jesus. All we need is our living support.

Many people have told Roberta and I that we could count on them when the time comes. Well the time has come. We need a miracle to happen to enable us to leave for Haiti in the next few months. Pastor Rod Parsley says "The atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles." Our expectancy is HIGH. Thank you so much to those that have already sent in a gift of support. We have some who told us that they will pray for us. Again, we send our thankful gratitude.

Please be in prayer about the items we will need after moving to Haiti: Ground transportation (pick-up truck or van), communication equipment (satellite dish, two way radios and phones) as well as air transportation (airline tickets).

Know that we are praying for you. We pray for your families. We pray for your church that a move of God falls upon your congregation. We pray for your business that it grows and remains financially strong. We pray for your farms that God blesses your crops and livestock. What we pray is for God to grant you His favor, for that is what we all need. The favor of God to rest upon us.

Roberta and I pray that you will have a blessed Christmas and that in 2007 Revival and Restoration comes to you in a mighty way.

Remember that Jesus is the Reason for the Season and keep Christ in Christmas.

Randy & Roberta Arnold
Your Missionaries to Haiti



Roberta and I with Bobby and Sherry Burnette at the Love A Child Christmas Banquet in Clearwater, Florida on December 17, 2006