Marc Mailloux's Blog

               “For the promise is for you and for your children…” Acts 2:39  

Christmas '08

Dear friends,

       The Christmas holidays were punctuated by a number of visits to the Mailloux household including that of Aline’s longsuffering mother (who at 70 is raising great-grandchildren), our beloved son Calix (28) from France,  and daughter Anaïs (25) from California.

    Aline’s mom was grateful to celebrate the Savior’s birth while getting some badly needed R+R in the warmer confines of the Sunshine state, away from Western Europe where, to paraphrase C.S. Lewis,  “it’s always winter but never Christmas.”  Likewise, son Calix got himself a dose of S. Florida sunshine along with some tender loving care from those who love him unconditionally.

We left right after the holidays (Jan.4-10) for a teaching trip with our faithful group of Haitian students in St. Martin.   First of all, a word of follow-up on the plight of J. Usson (mentioned in our previous letter) who has been separated from his young wife for over three years due to bureaucratic indifference and corruption:  he spent the holidays in Haiti with his bride.  Apparently, nothing has changed yet in her immigration status but many are praying…

   At the Miami airport:  Aline and I observed an inspiring couple in front of us at the security screening going through the procedures with  two autistic twenty year-old boys in tow.  It was one of those moments in which a parent is grateful for the good health of his own children. We wondered how we would handle the particular trials of having children with these challenges? Surely, the Lord accords one the necessary grace for each situation…

We would gladly sacrifice any terrestrial blessings for the assurance of having our children (especially our prodigal elder son) with us in eternity.    As we age, creeping ever closer to Eternity, the worldly success which once seemed important pales in the shadow of the life’s overwhelming transiency.  We find ourselves thinking more like the despondent Hamlet:  “How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!”   Age and circumstances, including the periodic demise of a number of our high-school peers, illuminate with increasing clarity, the eternal truth underscored by Ecclesiastes: “Vanity, vanity, all is vanity…” 

 Providentially, our gnawing concern over the spiritual blindness of our older son (whose middle name, not coincidentally, is Augustin) was somewhat alleviated by an insightful sermon (dated Sept. 7, 2008, downloaded from the internet) on the education of covenant children by Tacoma Pastor Rob Rayburn.  Those of you with rebellious children would do well to listen to it too (coordinates below).

    Our teaching time in St. Martin was rewarding, as usual.  The 30+ students (which includes more than a half-dozen pastors and other occasional preachers) are always grateful and appreciative of our efforts.  Sometimes we’re shocked by their ignorance of even basic biblical truths and the presence of various superstitions (astrology etc.) amongst even professing believers. Other idiosyncratic beliefs are puzzling, such as that of a pastor whose church doesn’t celebrate Christmas because it replaced a pagan holiday.   Still, they remain most receptive and teachable, unlike the Quebecois or continental French.  What’s more, a French-speaking white man gets more respect than he’s earned. It’s an opportunity to seize…

Samuel, a visiting pastor from the Haitian community of nearby St. Thomas, attended the classes and pleaded with us to start a similar teaching program on that U.S. Virgin island.  We’ll have to pray about that… 

           Our radio evangelism remains a mysterious affair as one is inclined to feel like a voice crying in the wilderness… Who listens and who benefits from our efforts?  The mostly impious Quebecois, like their continental French cousins, rarely have a positive word to say.  Other reactions, like that of the cashier of a Boca Raton French bakery, are curiously revealing:

  “Je vous écoute tous les jours …” (I listen to you every day).  She added: “Je ne crois pas spécialement à la Bible, mais j’écouterais n’importe quoi en français » (I don’t especially believe in the Bible, but I’d listen to anything in French).   Behold an Israelite in whom there is no fraud.

   More encouraging has been the positive feedback from the ½ million strong S. Florida Haitian community, more receptive to the Word, even if the cultural distance that separates us is considerable.

       In January ‘09, Aline becomes a proud American citizen.  In fact, she’s surely more patriotic than 99% of our compatriots. She perceives from a foreigner’s eyes the tremendous blessings—both spiritual and material—the Lord has bequeathed on our country, even as she laments America’s determined, self-destructive efforts to squander them! For how else could we elect so many blatantly unworthy political leaders? 

She chided me about my ignorance of the U.S. constitution with some of the questions from her citizenship exam. In addition to the numerous “gimmies” (Who was the first President?  Where is the U.S. capitol?), it included identifying the four constitutional amendments (their dates and provisions) which deal with voting rights?  If you can name all four, then you’re better than I am.

     Finally, a closing tip to our readers: a little over ten years ago, I decided it just wasn’t right for me to be the sole beneficiary of my sister Andrée Seu’s unique insights and delightful writing style and mailed an essay she’d sent me to “World Magazine”.   The editors at “World” apparently agreed.  A regular contributor to that magazine, her work now blesses thousands of readers.  Alleluia.

So likewise, I’ve another tip for your edification.  For years I’ve been blessed by the preaching of a two very gifted expositors of the Word.  Dr. Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC is a master of communicating the gospel truths to a cosmopolitan audience of mostly sophisticated, albeit biblically uninstructed folk such as one finds in the Big Apple (and in France).   Some of his sermons are available at www.redeemer.com.                                                                 

         In a different style but equally edifying is the anointed preaching of Dr. Rob Rayburn of Tacoma, Wa.  For over twenty years I’ve been listening to his sermons (via cassette tape, and now the internet www.faithtacoma.org) of exceptional depth, insight, erudition, and eloquence which have regularly made my heart burn within me.    In fact I now download the sermons of both of these brothers (onto my MP3 player) and listen to them on my morning bicycle rides.  Once again, I feel compelled to share this information that as many as possible might benefit. Why deprive yourself?

Sincerely,

 Marc

Email: Mmailloux50@comcast.net