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May was a rather restful month with no overseas trips; just teaching in the local Haitian Bible school and the preparation and recording of a few video meditations (on the arcane Levitical dietary laws—they all point to Jesus) viewed on YouTube by a number of faithful followers…
Many ask about the situation in Haiti where I used to teach regularly. That country is now in chaos and off limits to visitors. Between January and April, I taught a “Third Mill” hermeneutics course via ZOOM for students in Gonaïves, Haïti where the city has been without electricity for three years! Only the church’s solar panels made the Zoom connection possible. The situation in Haïti is reminiscent of America’s Wild West with legions of “Dalton brothers” gangs wreaking havoc but no Wyatt Earp around to
reign in order. A recent uprising by an exasperated vigilante population led to the deaths of more than a dozen gang members a few weeks ago. We need to pray seriously as the believers there suffer and a major miracle is needed.
At our local Haitian Bible school, I’m currently teaching a homiletics course based on B. Chapell’s excellent “Christ Centered Preaching” (now translated into French). It helps correct some prevailing fragmented views of Holy Writ where Scripture truths are often presented “à la carte” to the detriment of the whole. We’re encouraged by the spiritual hunger of several students who drive 45 miles down from West Palm Beach to attend classes.
We’ll be doing the same course with the Haitian group in Santo Domingo June 25-July 1. Fear of deportation has caused that study group to shrink (from 35 to 25) in recent months. That makes the courage and motivation of those who continue to attend all the more inspiring. For these I’ll be bringing a few more French study Bibles—gifts made possible by the generosity of some reading
this. We thank you on behalf of the recipients.
I (Marc) attended the PCA’s general assembly in Memphis (June 13-16), a cost-effective way for seeing many folks without having to traipse all over the country. I hung-out at the “MTW-France” mission table in the exposition hall with Alan Cochet , always seeking potential candidates for ministry in that spiritual desert. I caught a cold from the A.C. It was 90F outside and probably 60F inside. Still, it was encouraging to learn from MTW missionaries working in Lyon and Toulouse that the Lord has added some
middle class French “Dupont et Durand” (Smiths and Jones) to their assemblies. Alleluia! It seems the recent trials afflicting France (unseasonable droughts, forest fires and even an earthquake) are inclining some to seek the Lord… As for the G.A. itself, it was probably the only gathering in Memphis history that united people more familiar with B.B. Warfield than with B.B. King…
At PCA General Assembly with Alan and Ann Cochet and Suzanne Sarran
The trip to Memphis included visits to two longstanding supporting churches in nearby Tupelo
and Louisville, Mississippi. I’m always struck by the residual Christian influence in the Deep South
where folks are generally more courteous and gracious than in S. Florida which is—sociologically—
New York with palm trees. There are probably more churches in any Mississippi town than in all of
France. Only Quebec might be worse where, according to MNA missionaries Franky and Alaina G.
there is less than one church for 100,000 people! Quebec’s a frozen desert.
Some folks at G.A. asked about our eventual retirement. I confess that we haven’t given it much
thought. As long as the Lord provides the means—health and finances—and we can be useful, then
I guess we’ll carry on. What would we do otherwise save step on each other’s toes? As Jimmy Carter
(married for 75 years) wisely said: “Marriage is for better or for worse, but never for lunch.”
We would like to spend more time in France where the needs are so great and we feel like we could
contribute, both together and in our separate activities. Pray that the Lord would work out the
logistics.
We’re scheduled to leave for our summer stint in France’s Gard “département” (county) on July 11.
I’ll be preaching in at least a couple of local evangelical churches including Aline’s brother’s
evangelical Methodist assembly in Montélimar (at the limit of the French ‘Mason-Dixon’ line). In
addition we’ll have the visit of daughter Anaïs and husband Eric from California who’ll introduce
their three daughters to their aging great-grandmother (85) for the first time. We’ll surely have
hours of sweet fellowship together around the table, a foretaste of the Great Wedding Feast of the
Lamb, coming soon!
With continued gratitude to those who make it all possible.
Blessings,
Marc+Aline
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