Letters

I will admit I had some doubts. After all, how could a man who had such a life of sin turn himself around like this? He frequently will preach about his marriage and how much in love he is with his wife. Could this all be real? Then I continued listening and understanding. It was all clear. I believe Pastor Bob is a very sincere, compassionate man who truly cares about us, about the world we live in. I leave there every Sunday wanting to hear more. Some of my family in Central Florida listen to the services online, just as I do when I can't attend. If he were a different man, he could use his popularity for his own personal gain. Pastor Bob never gives himself credit for anything. He is only the messenger. Just in the short time I have attended, I have watched the fellowship grow. I love his honesty. He may insult a few people, but he does give you much to think about and he makes us all examine our motives. He does his job well!

This was an excellent article and was a very accurate description of Pastor Bob. I attend Calvary Chapel along with thousands of others who hang on his every word. I never met a person quite like him. You always leave there wanting to know more. He has truly found his calling.

Christine Vaughn
Fort Lauderdale

I Dated a Waitress
I usually get a kick out of reading a restaurant review that trashes the restaurant. Something like a poor man's one-upmanship. However, Jen Karetnick took her trashing a step too far for this poor man in her review of Benvenuto ("A Lukewarm Reception," December 31).

OK, the service sucked. One diss is OK and expected for that sin. But to fault the staff for wanting to go home on time during the week shows the typical attitude of "fine diners." Waitstaff have families too, which also means they have kids. Kids who need to be picked up at night, or kids who might require babysitters who get paid by the hour. Try dating a waitress with a couple of kids before you question their reasons for wanting to get home early whenever possible.

Brad Cohen
Boynton Beach

The Solution to Haitian Problems Is Fixing Haiti
I really enjoyed Jay Cheshes' article entitled "Identity Crisis" (December 24). It was an accurate and very much needed insight into the Haitian dilemma in South Florida.

I became interested in the vastly different cultural aspects of Haitian life last year when I began working with the Haitian community in Palm Beach County to better organize their health care education and health care delivery system, especially as it pertains to infectious diseases. I traveled to Haiti last winter because I knew that, in order to develop meaningful health care programs for Haitians, I needed to know more about their culture.

The amazing thing about Haiti is, despite the vast poverty, children there are well-groomed, intelligent, and obedient due to their parents' strict discipline. Those same well-meaning parents move their families or send their children to the United States with the thought of giving their children a better education, which leads to a better chance at life than what they would experience in Haiti.

Unfortunately it doesn't always end up that way. Many times, it's much harder for the children to adapt to our culture and society because of the language and cultural barriers. As a result, conflicts arise between the Haitian and African-American kids, or the Haitian kids may simply rebel against their parents in order to fit in.

This is why it is so important for Haitians in Haiti to receive better health care and nutrition. With better nutrition Haitian children will be better equipped to profit from education in their country. Haitian parents will be less likely to flee to the United States if they know that their children can be healthy and well educated in Haiti.

Clelia Garrity
via the Internet