How Bible literacy schemes
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| n Wallace Turnbull adds a copy of the O-21 Creole New Testament to the collection he has gathered over the years |
Wallace Turnbull is a Conservative Baptist operating an independent mission with his wife Eleanor. “Every year we see hundreds of children converted,” he says. “No-one knows what the literacy rate is in Haiti now, but thanks to the Christian schools, it has been growing very rapidly – it is possibly 40 per cent. And this is largely taught through the Gospel! So the fact that the children are being schooled in Christian schools must make a difference in the nation.”
Home evangelism
According to Mrs Turnbull, part of the school curriculum means that the children learn to read by memorising Bible verses – which ends up being a subtle form of home evangelism.
“They sit at home,” she explains, “and read these verses to the family. The verses were chosen to present a synopsis of the Gospel, so it is as if the child is preaching. And partly because it gives the mother and father pride in their child’s accomplishment, they listen, and the truth penetrates. Before long, I had parents telling me, ‘I don’t follow Satan any longer – it is Jesus for me.’ That’s how biblical literacy work is changing rural Haiti.”
Child sponsorship
Based at their mission station high in
the Haitian mountains, the Turnbulls have worked with children for more
than half a century, and in many cases those they began with now lead
rural churches. They raise three-quarters of the funds for each school
through child sponsorship, and the parents contribute the remainder.
Each of their churches has a school, and seven of the churches have
secondary schools.
The reason the Turnbulls are so committed to children’s work – and why they are so excited about the O-21 Bibles and the Book of Life – is that most Christians come to faith during their childhood.
“Globally, more than 90 per cent of believers are converted by the age of 15,” Mr Turnbull says. “We believe it is vital that we reach the people of Haiti through the children.”
And he has many stories to illustrate the difference such an education makes.
Son of a sorcerer
“One day a little boy came to school
as usual. He was the son of a sorcerer – a voodoo witch doctor.
The night before, his father had made him stir the pot for a voodoo
ceremony. In Haiti, we talk with our hands, so the little boy had his
hands going in a circle, and he said, ‘When my papa made me stir
that pot, I was praying, “Spoil it, Jesus. Spoil it, Jesus! Spoil
it, Jesus”. ’
| ‘When my papa made me stir that pot, I was praying, “Spoil it, Jesus. Spoil it, Jesus!”.’ |
“This is just a sample of what the Lord is doing in the Christian schools in Haiti. In the cities and in the countryside, the Gospel is penetrating the culture through the schools.
“Most of our schools are in the countryside, and some are very isolated. But the kids come out of the mountains to attend and they do very well. And these are areas where there was no literacy when we started. Many of these people had never even seen a city. They had never seen an automobile. They had lived their entire lives in isolation. But the Gospel has opened up the country. It has been a privilege to work here.”
To advance their ministry further, the Turnbulls ordered 10,000 of the O-21-funded Creole New Testaments, and are ordering both French and Creole editions of the Book of Life.
Mrs Turnbull notes that many of the O-21 Scripture materials will be going into the isolated rural schools, where many of the students have never had such in-depth teaching.
“They will be going into the high mountains, far into the rice fields, where they will give an opportunity for a dozen or so children to have the only Bibles in their community,” she says. “Many of these children live in communities where there is no other possibility of education. What we offer is the only literacy they will receive.
Temptations
“Children have temptations in any country, but we feel that these children coming through Christian schools will have a much better chance of being Christian adults. They are being raised with the Bible. That’s why we are very excited about the O-21 program – because it is based on the Gospel message, and that is what we want to offer.” (WR 363/5 - 10.01) [PHOTOS]