Dear Friends,
I have found Arnold Solomon and wanted you to be aware of what is going on with him. Arnold is from Egypt. He came to the USA as a Muslim and was led to faith in Christ by a member of Watson’s Chapel Baptist Church in Madisonville where Russ Cooper is the pastor. A Christian business man by the name of Bob Gladden led him to the Lord and he was baptized at Watsons Chapel in 2006. Not long after that he started coming to our church, Cades Cove Fellowship, because it was closer to where he lived and we had a singles ministry at the time.
ur church for a while you have heard his testimony. His testimony is pretty impressive. If you are part of my family you know that I call Arnold my brother from another mother because he has no family at all here.
Arnold was picked up in March at his house by immigration because he overstayed his Visa. The reason he overstayed his Visa was because he converted to Christianity and feared to go back home to Egypt because he would be heavily persecuted as a Christian in a Muslim country. Those of you who know Arnold well, know that he is somewhat gullible, naive, and timid.
Arnold has been held at LaSalle immigration prison in Louisiana since some time in March. I have tried unsuccessfully several times to reach him through the prison. I finally got in touch with a lawyer that is representing him today. The attorney gave me all of the details as to what is going on with Arnold and gave me an address to write to Arnold at LaSalle. I was going to do this tomorrow, but was unable to sleep thinking about Arnold’s situation.
Arnold needs to post $5000 bond to be able to get back to East Tennessee where he can get to the money he has in the bank and possibly the equity in his house to have a better chance at being granted Asylum. His house is in a really bad part of town in Knoxville so there is probably no equity in it.
I have believed for a long time that Arnold would be doing some kind of ministry because of his testimony and his thirst for learning more about Jesus. The attorney told me that Arnold was afraid to go back to Egypt because he is now a Christian. The attorney told him to just go back to being a Muslim and Arnold told the attorney that he would not go back to being a Muslim.
If you don’t know Arnold I am asking you to pray and have your churches, small groups, or Sunday School classes to pray for him. If you do know him I am asking you to pray with me about what you can do to help post his $5000 bond. When we receive the $5000 I am going to go to Louisiana and get Arnold. I was told by the attorney that as long as Arnold makes his court appearances the bond would be given back, win or lose.
We will try to receive an offering Sunday to help raise his bond. This is on top of already facing a $500 deductible because someone stole one of our A/C units at church. If this is important enough for your pastor to lose sleep over it you should help if you can.
You can donate online at our web site or bring your part to church this Sunday. Thank you for praying with me about this.
If you have been a member of oI learned something new today-bonding companies. I have been in touch with a bonding company in Louisiana today. Arnold needs to post $5000 bail to be released from the immigration facility in Louisiana. There is a bonding company there that will do this for $850 as long as we have a credit card that can back up the $5000. We have a $5000 credit card at church that we don’t use. The card would only be charged if Arnold did not make his court appearance. I think we will be able to get the court hearing moved to Atlanta.We need to take up an offering to cover the $850. Any part that you are willing to help with bring with you Sunday. Keep praying for Arnold. Most of you know that he lives in the Vestal community in Knoxville. Which means when he returns home his house will probably have been vandalized and his car may be stolen. Be thinking of ways you can help him out. Arnold is scared and in a rough place. As soon as we can get him bonded out I will be going to get him. If any of you want to go with me, I will probably leave on Tuesday and pick him up that day, return home on Wednesday. We will also need to come up with money for him to stay in a hotel on Monday night just in case they do let him out on Monday. Let me know what you can do. In In Christ,
Keith Pierce, Pastor
Cades Cove Fellowship
PO Box 7237
Maryville, TN 37802
865-363-2958 my cell
