Marc Mailloux's Blog

“What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” II Timothy 2:2

 JAN-FEB 2011

Dear friends,

 A friend described the little buggers as “flying syringes,” an appropriate analogy I thought, while wondering why every mosquito in Gonaïves seemed to fancy my tender white skin more than that of my Haitian hosts. I was teaching the second part of the Church history course for 22 students at the “Trinité” Presbyterian church (Jan.1-7) in this town 125 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Normally, the mosquitoes are but an inconvenience, but a PCA colleague’s recent bout with a near fatal strand of malaria picked up in Haiti made the little critters’ buzz all the more ominous. Why were they created? Do they owe their existence to the fall—products of divine wrath, along with the thorns and thistles (Gen.3:18)? So many itchy little theological questions…

On a happier note: The annual reunion of our immediate family was of course the highlight of our Christmas season. Calix (30) came from France, Justin (28) from the Dominican Republic and Anaïs (27) from California. It was a delightful week of family togetherness, mostly around a food-filled table bespeaking the Lord’s munificence and blessings—a foretaste of what He’s reserved for those called to the wedding feast of the Lamb. No mosquitoes there either.

After the children’s departure, and the aforementioned trip to Haiti (Jan.1-8), Aline and I headed off to St. Martin (Jan.22-29) for a modest graduation ceremony—the second in the nine-year history of that program. We awarded diplomas to six Haitian students (from a group of about 25) who have successfully completed at least three courses of the six offered thus far: doctrine, Church history, apologetics, hermeneutics, New Testament, Old Testament. It was a small but joyous ceremony and appropriate recognition of their efforts. It was followed by a week of lectures on the Bible: its inspiration, inerrancy, authority, canonicity, interpretation, unity, and even a somewhat regretted introduction to the arcane complexities of textual criticism—a daunting technical subject indeed. This course was compiled with research from various sources including the teaching of Drs. Rob Rayburn Jr. and R.C. Sproul, to mention two of my favorite masters. Still, Aline warned me about broaching that last subject (textual criticism), insisting there was no point in confusing the students with issues none of them have perhaps ever even thought about… She may have been right. Fortunately for all of us, we didn’t spend but a short time meandering through that dense theological forest. By the time we were through, my frustration level was growing and my lecture notes were reduced to a swirling cellulose vortex of entropy. It was clear to all that the subject is better left to the few specialists for whom textual criticism is the bailiwick. I won’t go there again.

 The fact is that our students are desperate for sound biblical teaching as they receive virtually none from their pastors, most of whom have no formal training themselves. Regretting the total dearth of instruction at her church, Simica, the 18 year old daughter of one of our St. Martin students, lamented: “I understand that Jesus loves me…But what’s after that…?” On the positive side, the overwhelmingly majority of Haitians are believers and many meet regularly in their churches for worship. Some services can last for hours and might include frenzied (almost ecstatic) dancing and emotional outbursts, eerily similar to what we’ve seen of documented voodoo rituals. Meanwhile, many are illiterate and therefore can’t read the Word for themselves. Still, rare is the systematic exposition of the Word, or any form of catechism. The result is a disconnected, uninformed “faith,” often legalistic, syncretistic, and usually undermined alas, by the time a Haitian adolescent enters high school or, in St. Martin, lycée where Bible-believers are rare indeed. “Where there is no guidance, a people falls…” Proverbs 11:14.

 A few Haitian leaders are concerned by this situation. For over ten years we’ve been associated with pastor Jean Petit struggling to start a Haitian Bible school in S. Florida. Rev. Petit has often lamented the mediocrity of Haitian Christian circles with its uneducated pastors. Still, attendance at the Bible school is low. One would think they would jump at the opportunity to acquire some instruction for themselves or their faithful as has Aline’s brother Pascal in France. Though he dropped out of high school when he was fourteen, since his conversion and subsequent calling to the pastoral ministry, he has felt a real burden to feed the sheep has become a serious biblical erudite. Not so, alas with most Antillean pastors. Unsure of themselves, many feel threatened by any attempt to educate their faithful lest their own inadequacies be further exposed. In an attitude reminiscent of my Roman Catholic heritage when priests discouraged the reading of the Bible, many Haitian pastors jealously guard their roles as the sole dispensers of the Truth. Some even refuse to allow their faithful to attend our classes; evidently for fear that the students learn something the pastor does not know himself!

There are some delightful exceptions to this rule, of course, including brother Esaïe Etienne who is emphasizing education in his church in Gonaïves. As for our students in St. Martin: Aline and I are overwhelmed at how appreciative they’ve been over the years. Not surprisingly, they are distraught by the possibility that, due to our recent loss of financial support (including the ‘promotion to glory’ of our biggest supporter) we might have to curtail or even suspend our teaching trips for them. We told them we’d run this by our supporters (hence this word) with the conviction that the Lord would touch the hearts of those who can help us to make-up the shortfall. The ball’s in your court.

I leave you with these words written from the Baptist Haiti mission in Fermath, near Port-au-Prince and where I’ve come to teach a week-long (Jan.31-Feb.4) course on “Christian world view”. Here again I have 42 zealous, endearing students, many of them pastors, who’ve come from all parts of the country, all eager to grow in the faith and impart what they learn to their sheep à la 2 Tim.2:2. They are probably the sharpest bunch I’ve ever had, which has kept me on my toes. They have been most attentive to the teaching from a reformed holistic, Christocentric perspective à la F. Schaeffer etc. Coming from all parts of the country, some have made heroic efforts to get here, as travel is a challenge in Haiti in the best of times. It’s been most intensive, albeit satisfying week for all concerned. Several students reported to Chris Lieb, the mission’s academic program director, that this week’s classes have “revolutionized our [their] understanding of the Bible.” Alleluia!

We thank those of you who help to make it possible.

 Marc     www.marcmailloux.wordpress.com

Praise:      1-For continued good health despite the pointed efforts of legions of Haitian mosquitoes.                                                       2- For the Lord’s constant provision to continue our

program.                                                             3- For the sweet atmosphere that reigns here at the Mission compound in Fermath, a refreshing spiritual light in the midst of a dark country.

Prayer: 1-For the Lord’s continued provision for our ministry.                                                                                                                              2-For the spiritual welfare of Marc’s mom and of our three children.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              3-For a missions conference at Providence Pres., Salisbury, Md. (March 3-5)

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