Where we are now

Well, folks it has been quite a while since I have posted and I know everyone probably things we have dropped off the face of the earth. Well, to be honest some days I feel like we have and if we actually haven't then maybe we should. Am I making any sense? Probably not. I guess I will try to give you an update on what is going on with us. We are back in the states right now and although we still have A Heart for Haiti I do not at this date know when we will be returning to Haiti.

We had some issues while we were there in Haiti that for many reasons I don't believe I should disclose on my blog. But let's just say it was not in our best interest at that time to remain in Haiti. So after much thought, prayer and many many tears we booked tickets and returned to the states with only the luggage we were allowed to bring on the airplane. So we had to leave everything in Haiti except the clothes we could stuff into our luggage.

In order to originally make our move to Haiti we were trying our very best to raise support and for some reason had a very difficult time raising money. Guess people think that you can move to a third world country and live on nothing. Well we moved out of the home we were living in and lived with our daughters for a couple of months while I still worked a job. I quit my job a couple of weeks before leaving and we sold our pickup truck and we got rid of all of our furniture from our home and put a few personal items and keepsakes in storage and made the big move to Haiti.

So now where are we you ask? We are back living with our daughters. Only this time I have no job and we have no pickup truck. So we find ourselves in a catch 22 situation. I need a job but with no vehicle I can't find a job and without a job we can't get a vehicle. So there is our situation we find ourselves in. We have no money, no job and no vehicle. We are getting ready to celebrate (I use that word very loosely) our 40th wedding anniversary and we have never been in this situation in 40 years. To say the least some days it is very depressing.

As I said before we both still love Haiti and the Haitian people very much but at this time do not know what the future holds for us. Some days I am very positive that we will be returning to Haiti and other days I am equally positive that we will never see Haiti again. I guess only God knows.

Update

We're still in existance. A lot has happened. A lot of things have gone on in the past two months. But we're still alive.

Recent Medical Clinics

Last week was a very busy week for us. We held medical clinics in LeTant and Letant Two. We were astonished at the numbers of families that were there. We were expecting somewhere around 68 families. I don't know the exact numbers, but we had many, many more than 68 families.

The trip to Le Tant Two proved to be rather daunting. There had been heavy rains earlier in the week so driving across the rivers was a bit treacherous. At one point the vehicle in which Randy and Bobby were driving with the supplies was up on two wheels. It's a good thing that God is always watching over us!
As you can see, the vehicle which was loaded down with supplies had a tire which didn't fair too well! That's one thing about Haiti...LOTS of flat tires!

We had to canopy like coverings under which we had our clinic. To say that it was hot outside would be an understatement! It was sweltering. But when you've got very sick and starving children, the heat just doesn't seem to matter anymore. Below you will see a few pictures that will probably be disturbing to you. This is a three month old baby that had worms, impetigo, scabies and thrush in her mouth.

This is the baby's head

The baby's legs and feet

No human being should have to go through something like this. This is why we're in Haiti. We're here to feed starving children and to be able to bring medical care to those that would otherwise never receive any care at all.

We need your support to continue to feed these children and their families and to provide basic medical care to them. Your gift of $10, $20 or $30 can make the world of difference in the lives of these children. Your support will make it possible for us work towards making a change in this impoverished country.Randy with Mr. Serivil. He is the witch doctor in Le Tant Two

Each family that left the clinic, left with garden seeds to plant, gospel tracks printed in Creole and above all else, they left with blessings being prayed over them.

Randy praying with a family before they left the clinic

Roberta with a family as they're leaving the clinic

To all of our family and friends back home, please continue to keep us in your daily prayers. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless you and your families as well. It is with your support that we're able to be here providing food and medical care to those that you see in the above photos.


God Bless,

Randy and Roberta Arnold
Your Missionaries to Haiti

Faith...

...is the substance of things hoped for...the evidence of things not seen.
Each day that we're here in Haiti, we discover that there is something else that would tremendously help us out in our work here. Motorola Two-Way Radios are something that we're in dire need of as well as a satellite system for internet. We're also in need of a 4-wheel ATV like that shown in the picture below.



We are praying that God will supply us with these needs so that we can better help the people of Haiti. It's certainly not easy at times to have so many needs and to have to rely on nothing but faith in believing that our needs can be and will be met. But that's what we do every day here in Haiti. We live on FAITH. We know that God will lay it upon the hearts of individuals to donate these needs to our ministry here in the nation of Haiti. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and we will continue to pray blessings over you and your families.

Your Missionaries to Haiti,

Randy and Roberta

Lens Day Saturday

Thought I would post a few photos of the market place in Port au Prince. This is just one street near the Caribbean Market where we went to go buy some food for a medical team that is arriving this weekend.

Smiles All Around

I went to Port au Prince today with Sherry so that we could purchase medicines for next week's medical clinic to be held in Le Tant. We also went to the Caribbean Market so that I could pick up a few needed groceries. Sticker Shock is still prevalent. Nearly $100 U.S. Dollars spent on 3 lbs of hamburger, 2 packages of turkey hot dogs, one little package of stew beef, two cans of carrots and some peanut butter and jelly. I don't think I'll be complaining about the price of groceries the next time I'm back visiting in the U.S.

Since arriving in Haiti on April 23rd, I've learned to go nowhere without my camera. You just never know when you're going to get a beautiful picture. People tend to think that there is no beauty in Haiti but that's far from the truth. There is beauty in the face of every child that I see. There is beauty that radiates from the mountains and from the lake. There is beauty in the smile of a mother who's just received food to feed her family. Beauty is all around, it just has to be sought out at times.

Here is a picture of the "Greeting Committee" when we went to Le Tant the other day. Le Tant Welcoming Committee

The children love to "cheese" for the camera.

We also got a chance to re-visit with Madame Marie and her family. She is the woman with six children and one of them was born hydra cephalic (water on the brain). Mobility World of Lakeland, Florida donated a very expensive wheel chair which we had shipped down and taken to Madame Marie for Berchard. Before the she had the wheelchair, she held her daughter all day long. Every day. This is Berchard today. As you can see, she's smiling. Smiling is something she never did before.

A Smiling Berchard

I'm not certain what these two were conversing about but I'm betting that it was profound!


I wanted to send a very special thank you out to a young man in Utah by the name of Daryl. Thank you so much for your love offering to Randy and I. We know that the Lord will bless you for your financial gift to us and we will keep you in our prayers! Again, thank you so much!

I would like to remind each of you that each financial gift of support that you give to Randy and I is tax deductible. Everything goes through Love A Child, Inc. and you will be sent the proper tax documentation. If you're ever in doubt about the validity of any charitable organization, please visit Charity Navigator or click on the image below and you'll be taken directly to Love A Child's rating page.

We can receive monthly support offerings, or even one time gifts of support at the following address.

Love A Child, Inc.
P.O. Box 30744
Tampa, FL 33630

Please be certain to state that your support offering is for Randy and Roberta Arnold and whether you're giving a one time gift or if you'd like to become a monthly support partner.

If using a credit card, you can call in with your donation to

(813) 621-7263

Thank you and God Bless You

Your Missionaries to Haiti,

Randy and Roberta Arnold

Books All Around

We've been very busy since we arrived in Fond Parisien. The vast amount of work never seems to diminish. Yesterday was spent sorting books in the warehouse. A large donation had come in and the books needed to be sorted into various categories as well as different age groups. The children here in Haiti are desperate to learn and receive and education. As you might guess, they're extremely grateful and happy when they receive something such as books. Just look at the smiles on their faces.


Each child received two books. That doesn't seem like a great deal to you or to I, but to these children, the books were their treasures.

Each morning, Randy is responsible for going and meeting with the "Pikan" workers. Pikan workers are men who clear the area of the pikan bush (a bush covered in thorns). Sometimes the men can be less than motivated to do their job so they have some Randy Motivation each morning. Here's Randy along with Daniel and Daisy off to round up the workers for a meeting. Daisy is the older gentleman behind Randy. Not a face I'd generally put with the name Daisy but c'est la vie!

There is a medical team coming in next Monday for a week-long medical clinic. We'll be spending quite a bit of time this week sorting and preparing medicines and supplies for the clinic. Each day brings something new to learn, something new to see and someone new to meet. Of course, we wouldn't have it any other way.

God Bless

Your Missionaries to Haiti,

Randy and Roberta Arnold

Update from Fond Parisien

I've spoken to my parents via MSN messenger on a few occasions since they arrived in Haiti. They've been very busy from the onset. Tuesday was spent passing out food in ti Le Tant. This is a very poor village and the people there are desperate for any help they can receive.

Here are some of the people waiting patiently for their food boxes.


This food donation came from a ministry called Feed My Starving Children. The food is special food packed with extra vitamins which the Haitian people so desperately need.


The people of ti Le Tant were so grateful for this outreach of love with the food that they received. They were all smiles and some were so happy that they started dancing with joy. Yesterday they went with Sherry to check on a woman, Madame Nicole, who was very ill. They went to her little house and she was lying on two wooden pallets and she was propped up on a very rickety wooden chair.

She was in agonizing pain. Her stomach was bloated and she could do nothing but cry out in her obvious discomfort. My parents said that they had never seen suffering like what they had seen in Madame Nicole. A call was made to see if they could get her taken to the Baptist Hospital. Sherry was told that there were no doctors at the hospital on Saturdays and Sundays so she would have to wait to go until Monday. They hated to leave this woman in such pain to wait until Monday but there were no other options. Sherry gave her some antibiotics and strong pain pills and they all prayed for her. We are trusting God that He will bring her through whatever it is that is causing her so much pain and agony.


My parents have been to Haiti on many, many trips but to now live here, its an adjustment. They're away from their children and grandchildren and that's more than difficult for all of us. There is so much to get used to down there. Even a trip into the little grocery store presented them with a huge case of sticker shock. 10 U.S. Dollars for a box of trash bags. 20 U.S Dollars for a mop. Food was just as expensive. They have some food being shipped down to them on a ship that they sent prior to leaving but that container won't be arriving until probably the middle of May. Even then, they only sent down things such as tuna and canned potatoes and some peanut butter. This is part of what your support will do for us. We need to buy food for our every day existence while in Haiti. We're also in need of a set of two-way radios as well as a satellite system. They haven't raised their monthly support yet. My parents went to Haiti on faith. We believe that the money is out there and that people will start sending in their support.

Philippians 4:19 (King James Version)

19But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I'll continue to keep you posted as often as possible about everything that they encounter down in Fond Parisien, Haiti. Once they're able to purchase the satellite system, my mom will be able to update the blog and post pictures on a routine basis. Internet time for her is sparse right now. Please keep them in your prayers and please pray about what God would have you to do in helping them with their monthly support. God Bless

Jill
for
Randy and Roberta Arnold
Your Missionaries to Haiti

The Move Has Been Made

I know its quite apparent that this blog hasn't been updated in some time. As I write this, my parents, Randy and Roberta, have officially spent their first night in their new home in Haiti. My sister and I took them to the airport yesterday and they boarded a plane bound for Port au Prince. As hard as it was to see them leave and not know when I'll see them again, I was so happy because this is what they've been called by God to do. It's taken a lot of work and an even greater amount of faith but they are now full-time missionaries to the nation of Haiti.

They have yet to raise the monthly support that they need in order to meet their living expenses. They left and went by faith. They are believing that God will supply the funds necessary for them to survive each month. It's imperative that they raise at least $2,000.00 per month. It seems like such an enormous amount of money but if each person that reads this could give something...even $5.00, it would add up. When you think about it, $5.00 is trivial to most of us. It's a Starbucks coffee or a value meal at McDonalds. But $5.00 to my parents is money spent helping to save a child's life. It's money spent to feed starving people and to provide them with fresh drinking water and medical care. Please pray and ask what God would have you to do to help my parents out. Your donation or even monthly contribution will mean that you are playing an integral part in changing lives on a daily basis. You will play a part in giving someone a tomorrow.

If you would like information on how to assist in providing a monthly donation or if you'd like to be on my parent's mailing list, then please email me at ourheartsforhaiti at gmail dot com.

Thanks so much for your prayers, love and support and I will keep this updated with news from my parents in Haiti as well as pictures of them as they go about their work there.

God Bless

Jill