Like many Belizeans in the 60’s and 70’s, Lascelle, in his late teens, ventured off to the United States, in the hope of getting employment. He could not get a visa, so like many others in his shoes, he "went through the back," but got caught at a checkpoint in Juarez, just before he made it to the American border. His Mexican visa was only good as far as Mexico City; so Mexican authorities nabbed him for traveling without proper immigration papers. He and his friend were ordered off the bus on which they were traveling and sent to prison in Juarez City, Mexico.

After about two months, they were transferred with other undocumented travelers to Mexico City, where there was a special prison for illegal migrants. There, said Lascelle, he met 15 to 18 other Belizeans who were apprehended for similar violations- young people, couples and their children. There were also Cubans, South Americans, and Central Americans experiencing the same misfortune.

In the middle of his three-week stint there, a dangerous earthquake struck. This, Arnold said, was his first experience with a natural disaster.

He was sitting at the end of a table having breakfast when all of a sudden he left as if the table turned upwards and all the food on the table slid into his chest. A Columbia guy shouted: "Earthquake!" and they bolted through a window and into a field in the recreational area of the prison.

"We prayed that the earth would not open up and swallow us," he said.

This was scarier than all the time he spent in Juarez with the hardened criminals, said Lascelle. Buildings cracked open with an explosive sound exposing what was on the other side.

A huge water tank in the recreation area was swaying from side to side and the prison security warned them to stay away because it could have fallen. Fortunately, it did not.

And then there were terrifying aftershocks during the day and television images the following day, chronicling all the damage the earthquake did.

A week and a few days later, Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico returned to Mexico and assisted in getting the Belizeans back home. Freeways and buildings around Mexico City were wrecked, reminding them of the tragedy that had caused them to wish that they had never left Belize.

Ordinarily coming home to Belize after getting caught "going through the back" would be a big disgrace, but the relief of leaving such a catastrophe behind made up for all that.

"Because of that experience, I am the only one in my family who does not have a green card, because of all that hassle to go to the States. I felt it was not worth it," said Lascelle Arnold.

The next natural disaster he had to deal with was Hurricane Mitch of 1998. Belizeans prayed that Mitch would not make good on its threat to Belize. The hurricane, unfortunately, struck our neighbors, especially Honduras, leaving thousands dead and many more homeless.

Lascelle was a part of a team that organized aid to affected victims in Honduras. He made an appeal on radio for donations and within a matter of a couple days, Belizeans responded with an outpouring of love, manifest in the 120 tons of supplies that they gave to the cause.

Northern Fishermen Cooperative supplied two of their shrimp boats. The Mennonites went on the trip to take building materials and returned on a subsequent trip to help the Hondurans rebuild their lives.

Belizeans were the first to arrive with aid, Lascelle boasted. They distributed food, clothing, water, roofing, plywood, matches, hurricane lamps, cooking oil, beans, rice, etc.

"The experience I got delivering food to people who have nothing but the clothes on their back and hearing the stories, made me realize that it was worth the while to go to Honduras," he said. "That made it concrete in my heart that there is the need to help because you never know when your turn will come."

Just before this trip, Belizeans had flocked to Belmopan to seek refuge from the hurricane. Lascelle said there were 70,000 people who went to shelter in the capital. Some of them had gone to the City Center, where bathroom facilities were inadequate. He said that he saw the need and contacted Cabinet Secretary, Bobby Leslie, to build 12 showers on the building’s exterior, and to rent potable toilets from Carlos Diaz. His idea was accepted and implemented, he said.

Seeing more people in need of shelter, he also went around the Belmopan community looking for houses for people to stay. Thirty of them, including relatives, stayed at his home.

Apart from the need to help people in crisis, Lascelle Arnold said that he has also learned in life that business requires frankness and honesty, in order to win the confidence of patrons.

"You have to be upfront with people. You have to be honest and if you do anything that is wrong, you have to admit you made a mistake, or [admit that what you did] was wrong. The main thing is for people to have confidence in you," he commented.

While Lascelle Arnold is widely known for his Belize City based business, Belize Dry Cleaners Laundromat and Tuxedo Rentals, he has done some significant projects in real estate.

The first was done while he was still living in Belize City. He purchased 3.83 acres of land in the Fabers Road area from Ernest Staine, an attorney, and subdivided it into 32 lots. He said that he gave five of those lots to his workers, ages 18 to 20, at Arnold Security Welding and paid the 10% down payment on the $30,000 cost. The houses were constructed so that they could add an upstairs. The workers were still living with their parents, and so his business got the houses rented. They were supposed to pay their loan out of the rent and from the profit could have financed the construction of the upstairs, said Arnold.

The idea was to empower other Belizeans, especially those workers who work so hard for you, said Arnold. Some workers worked well with the arrangement; others did not.

After he moved to Belmopan, 1994, he began other real estate projects there. One was his own multi-million-dollar mansion, which took him 11 years to build.

He wanted to show that if you are consistent and set your goals, if you set your mind to something, with time you could achieve it.

The other project was the University Heights project, which he did with the Belmopan City Council, for the development of 109 lots with infrastructure and amenities financed by the Atlantic Bank. Phase II of the project will encompass 154 lots.

This is being done under a Belmopan expansion project, of which he learned in a town meeting in 2000, under former mayor, Anthony Chanona. During Chanona’s tenure, Arnold also served as one of three City Commissioners that advised the councilors.

Some years ago, he also worked with Mayor Chanona, John Woods, Mennonite community and Maya Mopan residents of the area, to rebuild the homes of 72 villagers that had lost their home in a fire.

Lascelle’s business partner is Dr. Vinny, and their joint venture is Capital Investment Ltd.

He said that the business venture was a risk, because the developer had committed to putting in streets, drains, electricity, water, etc. before selling the lots, but his business experience has taught him that the higher the risk, the better the return, and the lower the risk, the lower the return.

His real estate wisdom came from the late Jean Shaw of Mopan Hotel, but it was his father, Gilbert Arnold, who exposed him to the construction side of the business. Shaw taught him a very important principle: location location location.

Sir Edney and Lady Cain inspired the family’s move to Belmopan. Lascelle recalled that in 1994, Lady Cain invited him to spend a weekend at their house in Belmopan. He told her he was working very hard, and she invited him to take the weekend and get some rest.

"When I woke up the following morning, I told my wife [Dolores] I would move to Belmopan because of the peace and quiet and the good night’s rest I got," he added.

Another reason for moving was his daughter, Christine, who was 9 at the time.

"I looked at the school system and environment for her to grow up and I realized it was a better environment for a female to grow up in," said Lascelle.

So they moved into his wife’s house, and rented their Belize City house.

His third business venture was in tourism. With four partners, he became an investor in the Crooked Tree Resort. It was not long before he sold off his 20% interest to one of his partners. According to Lascelle, he wanted them to hire a manager to improve the running of the resort, but the others didn’t want to bring in an outsider.

His story demonstrates that life comes with some disaster and failure, but also with some successes and positive learning experiences.

But the main thing he expressed for this follow-up story is this:"90% of your success has to do with the wife you marry."

He’s been married to Dolores for 24 years and Christine is their only child. He said that his mission is to allow her to get the best education she can.

"She is exceeding my expectations in architecture and traveling the world," said the proud father, crediting her observation of his own work in construction and real estate for sparking her interest in architecture.

Among those Arnold recognizes for positive influence in his life are God, Dr. Leroy Taegar, Sir Edney Cain and Lady Cain, Cedric Flowers, Evan X, Jean Shaw (deceased), Robert Thurton, Karl Menzies, Anthony Thurton, his parents, brothers and sisters, and aunt – Lenna McKoy, many other relatives, friends and colleagues, as well as the radio talk shows for allowing him to express his ideas and concerns.