Previous Post – Jesus I Have Loved, But Paul? Blog Tour

Two years ago today, Haiti was rocked by an earthquake magnitude 7.0 Mw, leaving hundreds of thousands dead, as many wounded and over a million people left homeless.  This would devastate any country, but Haiti was already suffering under extreme poverty.  A few months after the quake, I had the opportunity to visit Haiti with Haiti Partners (also see their Canadian office here).  Nothing could have prepared me for the devastation.  (See post about my visit here).

Yet, what was equally amazing was the spirit of the Haitian people.  I remember listening to the WOZO Choir (see above) practice and how they symbolized the beauty of the country and its people.  Through the work of Haiti Partners, I encountered a people with a determination and hope that was humbling.  I cannot overstate my endorsement for this organization.  They are worthy of your daily prayers and regular support.

Kent Annan, my friend, fellow Likewise author and co-director of Haiti Partners, has written two powerful books that I encourage you to buy:

“Following Jesus Through The Eye Of The Needle: Living Fully, Loving Dangerously”

“After Shock: Searching for Honest Faith When Your World Is Shaken”

Also watch this update by John Engle, also a friend and co-director of Haiti Partners:

Previous Post – The Cost of Community

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my top 2 book suggestions for 2010.  One was the soon to be released “After Shock: Searching for Honest Faith When Your World Is Shaken” by my friend Kent Annan of Haiti Partners.  I was honoured to be asked to write a review of Kent’s book for the Patheos Book Club.  Here’s an excerpt:

“After Shock” is not an easy book to read. Don’t misunderstand—it is very compelling. I read it through in one sitting. However, it was difficult to read because of the stark honesty of the author about himself, his faith, his doubts, and his search for God in the midst of suffering. Further, it is a disturbing book, confronting us with our all too common “easy-believism” and shallow (or absent) theology of suffering. Kent forces us to face these difficult truths with the prophetic voice of one who sees through the pretense to the heart of faith. Kent declares what I suspect most of us feel at times: “The monstrous gods we create in response to suffering leave me an atheist at times.”

Check out the full review here.  Please take the time to click the Twitter & Facebook “like” features at the top right of the article.  It will help get the word out about this amazing book.

Previous Post – Advent Reflection

As you probably already know, I love books.  Being an insomniac, I tend to read a great deal even considering my rather full life.  With Christmas coming (and a loving family that knows what I love), I am expecting to receive many more great titles in the coming year.  So I thought I would end this year with a reflection on the best book of 2010.  Last year, without question, it was a tie between “Introverts in the Church” by Adam McHugh (see interview with Adam here, still my mosted visit post a month after 17 months!) and “The Naked Anabaptist” by Stuart Murray (see my interview with Stuart here).  (If you don’t have both of these books already, order them now).

This year has led to another tie, though technically one of the books won’t go to print until 2011.  The first is “When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself” by Brian Fikkert & Steve Corbett.  Work with the poor, both here and abroad, this book is something I had longed to have for years.  Confronting the assumptions and expectations of Christians giving and/or working with the poor, the authors offer a necessary and hopeful corrective to how we should respond to such need.  Deeply rooted in a solid, holistic and biblical understanding of the Gospel, the authors gracious challenge people on “both sides” of the “social gospel” debate.  I’ve given away many copies already!

The second book is written by my new friend, Kent Annan of Haiti Partners: “After Shock: Searching for Honest Faith When Your World Is Shaken”.  (See my interview with Kent about his first book, “Following Jesus Through The Eye Of The Needle”).  This book is scheduled for release early in 2011, but you can pre-order it now.  In fact, you may want to pre-order a few, as I am sure you will want to give some away.  This was one of the most moving and difficult books I have read in a long time.

In the wake of a historic earthquake in the fragile country of Haiti, Kent considers suffering- from the epic to the everyday- as a problem for faith.  While I will be saying more about Kent’s book in the coming months, I wanted to share with you quote from Christopher Wright about the book that speaks so clearly (from IVPress):

“It is hard to explain how I can say that this is a truly beautiful book, when it comes out of a background of such horror. But that was my dominant emotion as I finished it. Beautiful, perhaps, because up-close honesty is beautiful where the clichés of certainty-at-a-distance are repellant. Beautiful because it touches depths of reality where the beauty of God glimmers through the inexplicable darkness of suffering and the desperation of faith, love and hope. Of course, it is also a deeply disturbing book. But if its brutal honesty upsets you, or if the questions it throws before God with baffled anger and gritty trust seem too irreverent, perhaps you have not really spent enough time in the company of Jeremiah, Job, the psalmists–and Jesus. This is a book to read alongside the author at the foot of the cross, and at the empty tomb, where knowing, loving and trusting God make sense, even when understanding his world does not.”

It is fitting this both titles earned this top spot for me in 2010.  In fact, I would highly recommend that they be read together.  While the first helps us to understand the dynamics of ministry and service among the poor, empowering us to responsible and appropriate action, the latter reminds us that the brokenness of our world does not allow for easy answers.

Which titles most impacted you this year and why?

Previous Post – The Poor Among You

As I lie here in the tent with two of my fellow travelers, the sound of vodou drums can be heard in the distance.  Otherwise we are surrounded by the constant chorus of insects here in the leafy sanctuary of the mountain.  Below the lights of Port au Prince make for a beautiful view, belying the devastation that fills its streets.  On the long journey through the city, I was stunned into silence by the sheer magnitude of the destruction, contrasted only by the resilient bustle of the Haitian people.

Lord have mercy.

On our way to the Haiti Partners guest home, we stopped in the city at the site of a former university building.  Once 6 stories tall, now there is a dusty lot litters with rubble and re-bar.  One of our Haitian friends, Enel, was studying on the buildings third floor when the earthquake leveled it.  His survival story is nothing short of miraculous, though the reality that most of his fellow students did not survive.

This very reality is driven home to us on the spot.  As he recalls the horrors he witnessed in the buildings collapse, a few feet away a crew carries a new discovered body from the rubble, shrouded in plastic, to a nearby truck.  I feel myself staggering at the fact that bodies are still being found months after the earthquake.  The story becomes reality & I am broken.

Christ have mercy.

Now, sitting the relative cool, calm & beauty of the mountain top, I cannot help but think of Psalm 48:1-2, which says:

Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth.
Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the Great King.

Unlike us, the Haitian people cannot all escape to this mountain top.  Neither do they have plane tickets to fly them away from it all in a few days time.  Do I believe that there is a greater mountain to which they can ascend?  And if I proclaim that hope, will my words ring with the emptiness of my own privilege- cheaply “earned” at a costly price from others?  Never has my unworthiness been more apparent to me.

And it is in this state where my unworthiness to receive such mercy demonstrates the staggering and stunning grace of God, for He indeed has mercy on me, a sinner.  His mercy, however, is by way of the Cross and on it my life is no longer my own, but His.  Will I live accordingly?

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Previous Post – Sermon on the Mount – Benediction

Kent Annan, author & co-diretor of Haiti Partners

Several months ago I had the chance to interview Kent Annan about his new book “Following Jesus Through The Eye Of The Needle: Living Fully, Loving Dangerously” and his work with Haiti Partners.  I was inspired by the Annan’s devotion to follow Jesus into a very costly life of service and mutuality.  As part of the promotion for the book, IVPress and Haiti Partners held a writing contest, offering a 5 day trip to visit the ministry in Haiti as a prize for 6 winners.  I eagerly threw my hit in the ring.

It was not long after I submitted my entry that the earthquake devastated the island nation.  Needless to say, the contest was the last thing on my mind.  In the last few months, people like Kent (and other champions of mercy and justice I greatly respect) have done their best to help all of those devastated by the quake.  After the initial emergency aide was in place, Haiti Partners and IVPress decided that, while they would continue with the contest, the visit to the country would obviously have a different focus.

Yesterday afternoon my cell phone rang and, on the other end, was Kent Annan.  Having expected the announcement a day earlier, his call took me off guard.  However, I was thrilled to hear that I was one of six people selected to join Kent for 5 days in Haiti.  I did not anticipate winning the writing contest, especially since my entry was submitted before the earthquake.  Here is an excerpt:

Two days after the events of September 11th, 2001, I joined a group of fellow missionaries in Vancouver to pray for all those impacted by the acts of terror. When we arrived at our office, we were met by police and the coroner. In the night, beneath the under hang of our parking spot a young man over-dosed on heroin. His body lay cold and alone until someone spotted his body.

While in no way diminishing the importance of why we had gathered to pray, that moment disrupted the rest of my day and eventually my very life. The death of this nameless man- hungry, thirsty, lonely, naked, sick and in the prison of addiction- forced me to realize that, while I had come to the city to “bring Jesus”, He had died under my nose without my ever knowing His name…

Click here to read the rest of the entry, as well as those by the other participants.

I would ask that you keep me in prayer as a prepare for this journey.  Our hosts have made it clear that this is no tourist vacation, but a welcome into the very beautiful, yet struggling life of the every-day Haitian.  While all expenses are paid for, I do have to cover the cost of flying to Florida.  Please prayer that I can raise the $500 or so to secure a ticket.

Not everyone gets a chance like this and I am humbled and honoured.  Even without going, you can make an impact on these peoples lives, just as they will undoubtedly make an impact on mine.  Check out Haiti Partners for more information (and Haiti Partners Canada).

Previous Post – The Lord’s Prayer (Part 1)

As a missionary, it is perhaps odds that I have never been a fan of reading missionaries biographies.  The title of Kent Annan’s new book, however, immediately got my attention.  “Following Jesus Through the Eye of the Needle” (Likewise Books / IVPress) is not your typical missionary story.  What set it apart is the honest and frank way Kent tells his story.  After all, if someone as human as Kent can do what he did, it leaves little excuse for us.

However, rather than me try to tell you, I decided to let Kent put it in his own words.  I hope you enjoy the interview.  Be sure to check out the video at the end and get involved in the exciting contest connected to this great book.

Jamie Arpin-Ricci: In brief, what is the story you tell in your book?

Kent Annan: My wife and I got on a plane one day in the middle of winter, took our jackets, hustled into the airport, and, sight-unseen, moved to Haiti. Within 24 hours we were living with a Haitian family–subsistence farmers out in the countryside, with no running water or electricity. We had one small room in their tin-roof house. We started learning the language quickly–because there was no other choice! More importantly, we started learning more about how to serve. We lived with this family (who dear friends to this day) for seven months, then moved to Port-au-Prince to work on education issues. Meanwhile the country was spiraling toward the ouster of the president. A volatile time. The external story is working to help our friends in Haiti during societal upheaval and danger. The internal story is how do I (and whoever reads it) try to follow Jesus seriously–while being honest and often quick to laugh at the stumbles along the way.

JAR: The title of your book, “Following Jesus Through The Eye Of The Needle” is brilliant.  What does it mean to you?

KA: Jesus meets this rich young man who really wants to know God and salvation. But then Jesus tells him the cost…and he slumps away, unable to give away all he has and follow Jesus. I’ve been that young man many times in my life. If you’re a middle-class (or higher) North American Christian, you too might have slumped away at times from Jesus’ call and our neighbors’ needs. So this is my story of trying to follow–not perfectly–that invitation Jesus gave to the rich young many in Mark 10. The cover of the book is a really powerful photo of a boy in a slum of Port-au-Prince. It’s provocative too–his alleyway is the eye of the needle, with the boy standing in the way. And I believe Jesus is inviting us not because he wants us to be uncomfortable–but because he wants us to lead a better life of discipleship. So the title is about Jesus’ invitation toward what’s hard but good!

JAR: What do you want readers to walk away with when they finish reading?

KA: I want them to have a hard time putting the book down–that is, I want you to really enjoy good sentences and wanting to finding out what happens next. Also, I want you as a reader to feel like I’ve been really honest with you–this is not a typical ministry or missionary book. It’s warts, doubts, stumbles, fears, and all (which includes laughter and joy too!). Finally, I want you as a reader, to feel like this connects with you right where you are (not just in Haiti). I want it it to connect with your experience of faith and finding your way toward justice and helping others.

JAR: Which contemporary writers have been most influential and helpful to you on your faith journey?

KA: I admire the honest faith of people like Philip Yancey. I admire Kafka’s search for truth and creative way of communicating it. Same with Flannery O’Connor. Doestoevsky puts doubt and deep faith on pages right next to each other. Memoirists like Anne Lamott, are deeply faithful but brutally honest about the bumps along the way. A completely different list could pop into mind tomorrow night! These weren’t all contemporary, but they come to mind now. In my faith journey, I’m influenced by writers who I find profoundly honest, ready to laugh (first of all at themselves and then in general), and also approach literature more as a way to take me (as a reader) along on an interesting, faithful journey rather than preaching at me.

JAR: Tell us about the writing/video contest connected to the book (see video below).

KA: Hope you can join us! This book is about active faith–so we thought we’d give people a chance come to Haiti with me and experience the world and ideas of the book. Unfortunately, we can’t take everyone along. So there’s a contest. People can write a brief essay or make a video to enter. The trip is active and personal, just like the book. We’d love to have you enter.

JAR: Tell us about Haiti Partners.  What is it?  How can we get involved?

KA: 100% of my author proceeds from this book go directly to education in Haiti. Specifically, Haiti Partners helps Haitians change Haiti (because ultimately the change comes from them, not us) through education. In a place where only 50% of children are able to attend school and 80% of people live on less than $2 a day, our education work is focused on four main groups of people: students, teachers, leaders, and disciples. So the first way people could get involved is (if you like it!) is to share the book with your church, read it together in a small group, and let others know about it–because people will hopefully benefit from reading it and the book benefits education in Haiti. Second, I’d invite you to check out http://www.haitipartners.ca (or http://www.haitipartners.org for Americans). If what we do resonates with you, then we’d love for you to get involved. We give specific ways that can make it possible for more Haitian children go to school or helping a church get Bibles. All of this–the book and this work–is about wanting to follow Jesus and do justice. And it seems together and as individuals, we’re supposed to be humble in our approach, but bold in our vision and commitment.

JAR: Tell us something unique about yourself that would never know unless you told us.

KA: Hmm, you’ll learn lots about me in the book, since I didn’t think it was valuable or interesting if I glossed over things about the experience! I always joke with Haitian friends about learning to climb a coconut tree by just bare hand and feet, but I watch friends do it and it’s way too scary for me. So I can’t claim that unique (for a North American) skill. Is it unique that I’ve recently regained my skill at Chutes & Ladders (it was Snakes instead of Chutes when I was a kid, but maybe that’s too scary now) with my daughter? Sorry, I don’t have a great response on this one. I guess “lived in Haiti” is my final answer.

JAR: Thanks Kent.

Check out this exciting contest to win a tip to visit Haiti with Kent Annan.